STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE 09/10/'03: "The Xindi" - Page 6

I was going to mention something about the Trellium addiction but I can't remember if you've seen season four.

^^^

Kevin,

Please feel free to mention anything you like.  I saw the entire series during its initial run (I own it all on VHS tape).  But this is my first time through the series on DVD.

We watched The Council, Countdown, and Zero Hour tonight.  I can't stress enough how much fun it was to watch those three episodes in about 2:15, one right after the other.  I'll speak at length on them another time.

Earlier this afternoon I watched "Similitude" during SyFy's marathon. What a fantastic episode.

Agreed.  When watching it recently (less than a month or so ago), I recall that I thought of Tuvix (VOY) often.  Perhaps those comparisons are a bit unfair, however.  For me Similitude pulled at the heartstrings in a very different way.

I found it interesting too how succeeding episodes were to a degree influenced by what occurred in Similitude, particularly when Trip and T'Pol were having some serious interpersonal dialogue.  What comes to mind is when Trip was uncertain of what 'Sim' had told T'Pol, and how much of what he actually was (his essence, if you will) as 'Sim' as opposed to the real 'Trip.'  Good writing and an enjoyable episode for sure.

The final three episodes from season three were very entertaining, and filled with a ton of action.  Some episodes were IMO better than others, but all provided quite a lot of thought and discussion among members of my family.

I found The Council to be quite good.  The first time I saw it, I enjoyed seeing the five Xindi species represented a bit more equally throughout the episode.  I hadn't picked up on the Aquatics' exacting methodology of weighing everything as precisely as they do, and I thought that the writing for that particular Xindi was much better the second time through this episode.

The murder of Degra hit me hard the first time I saw it, so this time it was a bit of a letdown, since I expected it.  But Scott MacDonald again shines as Dolim -- he must have thoroughly enjoyed his role in this one.  (My son mentioned how Dolim reminded him of the fiercest of Klingon warriors.  I can kind of see this comparison at times.)

I wish the Insectoids had been developed a bit further.  They were to me the most interesting of the five species, and it would have been good to have seen a bit more on them.  (The Hatchery was good, but I thought it centered too much on Archer.)

The first time through The Council, I thought that the Reptilians and the Insectoids were going to use part of Degra's remains (perhaps genetically somehow?) as the necessary third species for the required code.  I thought the kidnapping of Hoshi was a pretty good piece of writing.  I'm also pleased she was much stronger than she had been in earlier episodes (Fight or Flight comes to mind).

Countdown was superb in many ways.  I couldn't really recall this one too well before seeing it last night.  I do remember the persuasive talk given to the Aquatics by Archer.  I liked the effect of the translated voices from an auditory standpoint -- very unusual and almost difficult to perceive in parts (which to me is a bit more realistic).  This was another of the best parts of ENT to me, in that communication was not always a given (via the UT in TOS and succeeding series).  Another shining example of this creativity occurred when we got to hear the 'sound' of the Tholians in Future Tense and other episodes.

As with most torture sequences (Bones and Kirk in The Empath, or TNG's Chain of Command), I found it to be a bit overdone.  Still, the scene with Hoshi was in my estimation greatly enhanced (again) by the acting of MacDonald.

The best part of this episode for me years ago -- and last night -- was the relationship between Reed and Hayes, and the loyalty (and consummate professionalism) of Hayes.  He told Reed he would bring Hoshi home, and he did just that.  When Trip couldn't beam over the five of them simultaneously, Hayes (twice) sends his men through two-by two -- first one with Hoshi, and then two others (one of them wounded in battle with the Reptilians).  When he is hit as he is beaming back to Enterprise, my heart sank, knowing the outcome.  The camera work zooming slowly in on Reed while Phlox desperately tries to save Hayes was wonderful.  One could only speculate as to the emotions Reed was feeling at that particular moment.  Another fine segment was when Hayes was naming his successor to Reed just before he breathed his last breath.  This is IMO what the very best sci-fi is made of, and in this instance, it was pulled off rather well.

Zero Hour was compelling as well.  But I think it was slightly less intense than Countdown, as the previous episode was a hard act to follow.  Some of the highlights for me were seeing Daniels and hearing his discussion with Archer regarding the UFP (it's neat how the canonicity of Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites was established); seeing Shran come on the screen unexpectedly; watching how the crew reacted to the supposed death of Archer; and hearing Phlox tell the MACOs to remodulate their weapons to a frequency that would be far more effective against the TDB.  (N.B.: I must admit that I love Combs as Shran.  The first time I saw Zero Hour, I did not see that Combs was guest starring in the episode, and had no knowledge that he would appear in it.  When he first appears in this episode, it was a thrill to see him helping out his 'pink skinned' friend.)

Side note: Did anyone catch T'Pol's log entry in this episode?  She says '2152' rather than '2154.'  At first, I thought it was intentional -- thinking that it may have had to do with Archer's time-traveling to the Nazi camp as a prelude to Storm Front -- but it was probably just an error that was not caught during continuity screening.

After all is said and done, I found the Xindi arc to be very interesting, and a whole lot of fun.  I've posted about many of the positive aspects of it previously.  One of the negatives, I thought, was the acting of those playing the roles of the TDBs.  I didn't mind the concept of the TDBs being worked into the script (I thought it was fair-to-good); however, I suppose I found them to be just a bit too close to the Founders on DS9 in some ways.  I found the acting to be somewhat bothersome and pedantic (perhaps sterile is a better word) as well as a bit forced, which to me translated into an annoyance of sorts in parts.  But their roles were, on balance, subordinate to the overall Xindi arc.

We watched Storm Front (pts. 1 and 2) last night.  I found it to be another good episode, and thought that most of the characters were solid.  I particularly liked Vosk (Jack Gwaltney); I thought the way in which he delivered his lines was pleasing from an aesthetic point of view.

Seeing the P-51 Mustangs was a treat.  I also found the alternate timeline -- with Germany in control of much of the eastern part of the United States -- to be both compelling and a bit chilling.  The altered 'White House' was quite a sight, and John Fleck (Silik) is always a welcome addition to any episode of ENT. 

The secondary characters (Alicia Travers, Sal, and Carmine) were an interesting lot.  I thought Travers (Golden Brooks) brought a certain sincerity to her role that Archer bought into right from the start.  The loan-sharking of Sal and Carmine probably prepared them quite well to be tough, and they needed to be in order to aid in fighting the alliance between Vosk and the Germans.

I fell for the 'fake Trip' angle again, and only became suspicious when Phlox began taking some readings of him back in Sick Bay.  The reuniting of the crew with Archer was a nice touch, but the highlight of this two-parter five years ago and last night was the resetting of time.  I actually replayed that segment a few times to see each of the visual 'events' that were being shown more clearly as Daniels conveys that the TCW has ended.  Besides various dignitaries that I had missed acknowledging the first time around, I also saw whom I think was either Chopin or Liszt performing at the piano.  That was quite a surprise.  I'm guessing that someone has put together a list of all of the images that we see during the resetting of time.  I am going to look for that, as I am interested in learning what all of them are.  That was quite a fun segment.

 

Edited by Ockeghem - 11/15/09 at 11:14am

We watched Home last night.  It was a welcome respite from the almost non-stop action in several of the Xindi arc episodes, as well as the two-part Storm Front.

I love episodes that deal with Vulcan.  One of the treats for me (and it happens in very few Trek series) was hearing the Vulcan language spoken.

I am finding that I enjoy the relationship of T'Pol and Trip more so this time around than when it aired originally.  I recall that when Home first aired, a special treat was in store for fans of TOS -- that of having Jack Donner appear in the episode (he plays the Vulcan Priest).  We don't see all that many non-regular actors from TOS making appearances in subsequent Trek series.  Along with Arn Darvin (Charles Brill) and Galt (Joseph Ruskin, who played a Klingon elder in DS9, among other Trek roles), Jack Donner makes a guest appearance.  Fans of TOS will remember his role as Subcommander Tal in The Enterprise Incident.

Now it's on to the 'Augment' arc, beginning with Borderland tonight, followed by Cold Station 12 and The Augments either tonight or tomorrow.  The relationship between Malik and Persis is quite an interesting one, and one I'm looking forward to watching a bit more closely this time around.  (Side note: When I first heard that the title of the initial augment episode was Borderland, I remember thinking that this was also the name of an episode from the original The Outer Limits.)
Edited by Ockeghem - 11/16/09 at 8:06pm

Watched E2, The Council and Countdown. Very good stuff. The show was on a roll at the end of the third season that felt close in spirit to the Dominion War arc on DS9. I also liked that Archer made a point of saying that when all this was over they'd get back to their real mission -- exploration. That's something I hope the keepers of the new Trek will embrace.

We'll likely watch Zero Hour tonight and then on to season 4, which has long been my favorite. I've probably said this before in this thread, but I'd put season 4 of Enterprise up against the best years that TNG or DS9 ever had.

Hey guys-

 

I've been meaning to make a post here.

 

Glad to see you're enjoying Enterprise again, Scott!

 

I recently had a binge on this show and ran the entire series, this would be the third or forth time I've watched each episode. I intended to skip ones I didn't care for, but I ended up watching them all except 2. And I agree, there was a lot of care and attention paid to details and story and character development. It is a very good and a well made series. It was robbed and just came out at the wrong time. It might do better today.

 

The first 2 seasons had a lot of memorable episodes and some good thought provoking ones. As well as the exploration of the first time we make contact with new species and how it can go badly. Cogenitor for example, or Unexpected. And Fight or Flight was a great one.

 

The Andorian Incident was a favorite, it started the Shran run of mostly really good episodes! Deadstop and Minefield are favs too. They did a good job of hiding the faces of the Romolan (As Hoshi pronounced it) Empire. So they managed to maintain the chronology of Balance of Terror.

 

The Catwalk is also a favorite from the second year. Again, showing just how unprepared the Enterprise is compared to later ships. But really showing some fun and well done character bits.

 

I was a little ambivalent to watch the 3^rd year. But it went by faster then I expected and I hated to see it end, even though I knew it would. I even watched Extinction and Carpenter Street. So the season grabbed me again. Similitude was a standout and upon reviewing, I finally caught where this whole T’Pol-Trip romance thing started. That was a bit of a reach for me. Though I was willing to go for the ride and see how they handled it, I can see through-out the season, enough hints and situations to explain why T’Pol would be so emotionally open and willing to be so open to a relationship with a human.

 

I even watched the Mission Impossible episode where Archer tries to trick Degra and it was sad to see Degra later killed.

 

The fourth year is hard to watch because it was the last one and it just felt like it would fly-by way too fast. It had 2 less episodes. Plus it is very hard to watch knowing it was one of the best years of Star Trek and it’s a shame to see it cut off there.

 

Home was another peak at Vulcan and Archer back on Earth dealing with the events of the Xindi and an emotionally strong one. On par with the TNG episode after Picard comes home after dealing with the Borg.

 

Babal had a great series of shows that finally show the Federation’s birth. Observer Effect is a little out of the blue and could have fit into the first 2 years. I liked how it resolved and Archer willing to do what it took to save his crew. So perhaps it fit there as he was so invested in them. The surprise reveal at the end is a nice nod to us TOS fans. The Mirror episodes are great fun, a nice visit to the TOS universe. Affliction and how that arc ends is a nice contrivance, building on Soong’s work and explaining why TOS Klingon’s look like humans. It may take away the great line Worf has in Trials and Tribble-lations, but it gives us a reason for why Kor and Koloth and Kang and crews look as they do.

 

 If you add, These Are The Voyages, which I did not watch, then it’s 3 less episodes this year had! I just could not watch it again. I thought Terra Prime had a stronger send off for the series then what they did with the last episode. Though the very last sequence in the last episode is a nice scene to see Archer hug T’Pol and the evolution of the ships through Kirk to Picard. It was sad to see the series end. I suppose some could argue that it wasn’t necessary to see so much from unseen events in TOS spelled out in this series. But they did a great job.

 

Which makes what they did with the new Star trek film, for me, a slap in the face. I know what they did and why as a way to rebirth Kirk and Spock as younger selves to begin new adventures, but sort of feels like, even in a parallel universe, “my” TOS has been deleted in a way.

Sam and Nelson,

Nice recaps and thoughts on the episodes.  I will respond to some of them tomorrow, when I've reread your posts.  Keep 'em coming! :)

Last night, we decided to watch the three-part 'Augment' arc, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I thought Borderland was very good, Cold Station 12 a bit better, and The Augments a fitting end to a very interesting and (at times) very emotional conclusion.  It was tough to stop in the middle of the arc, especially when Archer's life was in danger at the concluson of Cold Station 12.  I saw a great deal more character development and salient interactions among some of the Augments that I had not seen as clearly before.  The relationship between Malik and Persis was tenuous (especially given her prior relationship with Raakin).  But I thought both characters were excellent in their roles, and even entertained thoughts that these two could easily have started an 'Augment' revolution on their own in a future spinoff somewhere down the road.  Of course, that would have been a bit difficult after Persis is killed.  But the chemistry between the two, and of that between she and Arik, was a highlight of the arc for me.



The affection Arik Soong had for Persis was more obvious this time, and helps to explain why he was as surprised as he was when she ultimately sided with Malik and the others during The Augments.  One of the more telling moments for me came when she could scarcely look Soong in the eye when he uttered her name when asking if she was also in agreement with the Augments.  It was ever so subtle, but very well done.

On another note: I will be picking up the DVD release of the new film either this Thursday or Friday.  To celebrate today's DVD release, tonight we watched Space Seed, and then The Wrath of Khan (Director's Edition).  (The Director's Edition is always a pleasure to watch, as the additional footage often times lends a nice bit of backstory to some of the segments.)  I thought it would be fun and interesting to watch the first 'augments' after having seen the three-part arc from ENT.  It was also a treat for me, a forty or so year veteran of TOS, to watch the episodes and listen for the texts and concepts introduced in both Space Seed and The Wrath of Khan that appear in the Augment arc of ENT.  For example, Malik's discourse with Arik Soong regarding Khan's error; the "superior intellect breeds superior ambition" line (slightly altered in ENT); and Soong's presumption that the Botany Bay (mentioned by Malik) is not only unaccounted for, but is long gone.  A smile came to my face as I realized that they (Soong and Malik) had no idea that Khan and his other 70+ 'supermen' were actually in cryogenic freeze, awaiting to be awoken at some point in the future.

Saw Zero Hour last night and while it ably wrapped up season 3, it didn't have a lot of revelation or surprises. Still, a very exciting hour of the show. Looking back on the 3rd season, it was well done, and well thought-out. I like how it put the crew on a long journey and brought them back, and we can see that they are more of a family now than they were (except perhaps for Reid, who always seemed distant, for reasons that are well explained at the end of season 4). I am still uncomfortable with the 9/11 analogies in the 3rd season, but I am glad to see so many of the crew came through the experience changed (from their "let's go get 'em" attitude). Finding common ground with your adversaries and working with them to achieve a mutually beneficial purpose is more in keeping with Roddenberry's premise.

Very much looking forward to the fourth season again. I should add that this is my wife's first time watching the show and she has enjoyed it tremendously. It's always fun to watch a show with someone seeing it for the first time.

Sam,

I wonder if we ought to be posting in a Season Four thread from this point onward? I thought of it when I posted about Storm Front and the 'Augment' arc, but frankly could not find a thread. It may still be there, though, and I could have missed it.

Okay, this seems as good a place as any:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/253127/enterprise

I reposted the last couple of posts of mine in that thread, as it seemed more appropriate there now that I'm through with the Xindi arc.

We will be watching The Forge tonight, unless my wife surprises me early and has purchased XI.
Edited by Ockeghem - 11/18/09 at 9:24am