Was Enterprise the smart one?
- Thread starter JiNX-01
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I think it went to both extremes. Sometimes the writers made stupid decisions, and sometimes the stories were very deep and involved. But, when Enterprise did morality play it did it better than any other series. Similitude is a good example. I also think Enterprise gave conflict among the races a more intelectual basis. Andorians and Humans were played out like the Vulcan's children. The Vulcans started out as overprotective parents and Andorians grew up to resent those parents. Humans, not quite as much. But in the end they all made a family. 
Personally, I think TNG is the most cerebral Trek.
Too cerebral is a label placed on "The Cage", Star Trek's 1st Pilot. Now for some reason, I wouldn't classify Enterprise as that... although it could certainly deal with serious and weighty issues when it tried - see shows like Dear Doctor, Detained, Stigma, Cogenitor, Similitude... I could go on. But most of the time, it was handled very well and didn't entirely bore me rigid with preachy sermons. It had plenty of conflict (both personality as well as alien clashes) while every so often dwelling on consequences... usually along the lines of "Well, that could've gone better". It was a fine line the show walked, trying to make the crew appear smart, while having them be the first to make mistakes but with the best of intentions.
Hey, I love ENT but have to agree with Dane above. TNG was probably the most intelligent overall.
Hey, I love ENT but have to agree with Dane above. TNG was probably the most intelligent overall.
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I think all Trek shows are exactly as cerebral as any other -- each had good and bad moments.
Not THE smartest per se...but it made me think and ponder more often than VOYAGER did for most of its run that's for sure.
Disillusioned
Commander
Disagree. DS9 is the best in that and other ways. TNG tried too hard and ENT never really got there.
Late posting is late, as I rarely come to the board these days (There are so many new faces I don't recongnize now!)
Anyway, while I wouldn't go so far to say Enterprise was the most cerebral Trek, the thing that pulled me into this show the most was that I didn't have to have a morality play every week. It had good concepts (such as the human/Vulcan conflicts) that didn't always have the best execution.
But you also get episodes like Similitude and Twilight that some consider to be the best Trek has to offer.
Anyway, while I wouldn't go so far to say Enterprise was the most cerebral Trek, the thing that pulled me into this show the most was that I didn't have to have a morality play every week. It had good concepts (such as the human/Vulcan conflicts) that didn't always have the best execution.
But you also get episodes like Similitude and Twilight that some consider to be the best Trek has to offer.
Much agreed, unfortuantely and I think this is not Enterprise's fault I would say about fifty percent of their stories where done before in previous Trek episodes.
A case of The Simpsons did it.
- Retro virus that turns you into an alien. STTNG
- Having to make a difficult moral choice on who lives or dies -any other trek series
- A deal with the devil- Deep space nine
- Beating or exposing flawed Alien court systems- DS9
- Space Virus effecting the crew- Any other trek Series.
- A day in the life episode focusing on the Doctor as the crew slumbers- Voyager
and so forth and so on.
Some of the original stuff they thought off wasn't much to write about. Still there where gems, but too few to matter.
I'm about half way though my set of DS9 DVD's and that is what I have noticed about it. While some characters have complex moralities the episodes focus more on story and action. Morality plays sometimes last about 3 minutes and then get out of the way. Nothing as drawn out as Cogenitor.
Disagree. Ent was the most compelling of the spinoffs, way more than TNG and Voy. But I wouldn't call it "cerebral".
The show was much more firmly planted in the "real world" than any of the other shows (even TOS) with their god-like omnipotents floating in and out of every other episode.
Ent showed drug addiction, sex, nudity, crew members dying in horrible and realstic ways, and astonishingly, a starship sustaining realistic damage that takes the ship's engineer more than a couple of hours to repair.
Ent took real chances and ended up for better or worse going where no Trek series had gone before -- and doing it with a paucity of technobabble. This id what made the series compelling as opposed to profound.
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Voyager not think smart? Why you say dat? Igor not happy. Voyager Igor's favorite show. Igor want to smash!!!
Considering this was the Trek that dared to ask the question "Why would someone put their hand on a hand-rail?", then definitely a resounding no... 
It tried to be, but not always.
I realize this is the ENT reassurance forum, but seriously people.
Ya I agree with this.
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