STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE 09/10/'03: "The Xindi" (1 Viewer)

[TheLongshot]

That swimming thing looks like a rip-off of something I have seen relatively recently too.

Kinda made me think of the probe from Star Trek IV, since they sounded whale-like...

Jason

 

[todd s]

I don't think it is the show that needs to be shelved. It is Berman & Braga. I cannot believe how much slack these guys are getting from Paramount. If you have good writing Trek could go on for many more years.

 

[BobV]

To all those shaking their heads about the shirtless T'Pol and Trip.

uh... the whole Original Series was a vehicle for Shatner to sex it up with every alien he came across! They ran around half naked in that show all the time and now people are calling it cheap... what's changed? (note: rhetorical, I'm not interested in answers to that question, just to let ya know )

 

[Ric Easton]

Geez, I taped it and watched it this morning, I didn't notice anythig different about the theme song, but I was watching to see if the words STAR TREK would appear above Enterprise... it didn't happen. I guess I wasn't quite awake enough to realize the theme is different... I'll have to give it another listen.

As for the episode... It was ok. I could not stand the scene with T'Pol and Trip though. And I doubt a Vulcan would be modest enough to cover their breasts!

Ric

 

[Scott Kimball]

Scott, it's Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, not Brannon and Braga...although I guess the two are interchangeable!

You're absolutely right, on both counts. That's the root of my temporary confusion. They ARE interchangeable.

-Scott

 

[Shane D]

The one that mentioned the xindi that swam in the water, it reminded me of the spacing guild from Children of Dune. And I agree the meeting looked like it was out of episode2 ,but thats not a bad thing, they only thing I didnt care for was the topless tpol, I tune into star trek for star trek, if i want topless, i just go to the computer in the next room for he pornernet (or to the layman, internet)

 

[doug zdanivsky]

the whole Original Series was a vehicle for Shatner to sex it up with every alien he came across!

Come now. That was just a by-product of Kirk's rampant machismo

And you can hardly say that that is all fans back then tuned in to see back then, and it is no more so now..

 

[Ralph Summa]

I think that's what I was reminded of. I'll have to check it out.

Thanks!

Ralph

 

[Will_B]

I could not stand the scene with T'Pol and Trip though. And I doubt a Vulcan would be modest enough to cover their breasts!

I don't mind the sex appeal at all, perhaps because it is the one time when characters are forced to relate to each other. Plus, how Vulcans and humans get along is one of the show's core themes. I might mind if they were doing this with a couple humans, because that would probably be just so they can have some scenes without costly special effects. But here, even if it is titillating it _is_ part of the story about how two cultures collide, or blend. Indeed, that's the one long-running story arc that interests me.

And it is sexy, which is better than technobabble, IMO.

 

[Tony Whalen]

And I doubt a Vulcan would be modest enough to cover their breasts!

Ric, you beat me to it. I was thinking that had *I* been the director of that (totally unnecessary) scene, I would have shot Blalock from the shoulders up in front, and from the back would have had her sitting there with her arms at her sides. Modesty strikes me as being rather... well... illogical.

But... had they shot that way, they would have lost most of the titillation factor. (pun not intended.)

On the whole, I enjoyed it.

I like the Xindi. I think there is huge potential there. (The insect guy did NOT remind me of Episode II.. rather I thought it looked like a better version of the puppet "crime boss" in Season 1, Babylon 5.) I do not see the connection that some people are making to the Dominion, other than multiple races are involved. You can easily say that about the Federation as well...

I do NOT like the change to the theme. I'm one of the seemingly few who liked it as it was. Now it sounds more pop-ish and upbeat, which does NOT match the darker turn the show is supposed to be taking.

I liked seeing Archer more driven and angry. Hope he doesn't stay that way ALL the time though.

I liked the MACO's. Was cool to see them kick the sh!t outta the bad guys. Although I'm a little confused as to why a "Major" is addressing a "Lieutenant" as "sir". That doesn't fit in my mind...

Liked the little thing with the cargo bay. I have no trouble with this, as they did establish that the laws of physics go out the window in "The Expanse". So that means pretty much anything can happen...

Great new shots of the ship.

And has been stated, the scene with Trip and T'Pol was just unrequired, and only served to cheapen the series...

I'm hopeful.

 

[Will_B]

Just a general question to everyone who has a problem with the T'Pol scene: do love scenes in movies also make you change the channel? I'm just wondering if this anti-nudity theme is unique to Trek.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I think it's the overt pandering aspect of including this sort of scene in Enterprise that sets off the "roll my eyes" response in my head. I've got nothing against love scenes if they advance the story and develop characters, but these scenes in Enterprise serve very little in either department.

 

[doug zdanivsky]

I think it's the overt pandering aspect of including this sort of scene in Enterprise that sets off the "roll my eyes" response in my head.

Exaaactly! Thank YOU, Patrick!

 

[Tony Whalen]

The chain of command on the ship supercedes that of the marines, which makes them subordinent

That DOES make a certain amount of sense. But I never served on a ship with a marine contingent, so I have no clue how that works.

 

[Jason Seaver]

Just a general question to everyone who has a problem with the T'Pol scene: do love scenes in movies also make you change the channel? I'm just wondering if this anti-nudity theme is unique to Trek.

I don't mind nudity. I'm in favor of it, really. And maybe, if I didn't pay as much attention to the production stuff where Trek is concerned, I wouldn't see the cynicism of that scene.

But I doubt it. It's an awkardly-staged scene. T'Pol is covering her breasts for no other reason than that there's a camera recording the scene. It's an attempt to pander, but not a particularly sexy one. Enterprise is trying to arouse the audience, but doesn't know how to do it.

Compare it to the average episode of TOS, where Kirk would lose his shirt and there'd be some lady in something fairly sexual. Even though they're probably showing less, it's sexier, because the characters' sexuality seemed to be a part of them, rather than something imposed from without. The same audience for Trek probably also watched Farscape, Firefly, and Andromeda without complaining about skin there, but, again, the sexuality is a natural part of the characters.

Of course, given that the franchise is pushing 40, maybe its attitude makes sense. It was freewheeling when it was young, but now it's gotten more conservative, and its attempts to express itself seem awkward and embarrassed.

 

[Rex Bachmann]

Ric Easton wrote (post #64):

Not quite true. It was established over and over again that the Jem'Hadar obeyed the Vorta's instructions because of their loyalty to the Founders and despite their hatred of the Vorta themselves.

So, yes, they were ketracel white-addicts, but they were also genetically bred to follow---much as one breeds obedient dogs---and taught to "believe" in the Founders as their gods.

 

[Nelson Au]

Re: T"pol and her exploitation.

As was mentioned above, there might be a germ of an argument to say that B&B are paying homage to Classic Trek and William Ware Thiess and his creations for such female guest stars as :

Angelique Pettyjohn, Shana of "Gamester Of Triskelion",

Lt. Carolyn Palamas from "Who Mourns for Adonis",

or Orion Slave girls just to name a few examples.

I think Roddenberry himself was for this. But those were a sign of the times and were representing alien species of women of those times.

I agree they are just using Blalock now for cheap sensationlism to capture a young male audience. Agree with Pat, as was sort of done with TOS, they need to use these stituations as part of the story or character.

 

[Rex Bachmann]

Nelson Au wrote (post #37):

Oh, the perils of doing (or viewing) "retro-Trek"!

 

[doug zdanivsky]

Then you would know more about it than me, Tony.

But that's the theory I'm going with until we get a 2nd opinion.. It's a fairly important question now that I think of it.. Affects the whole dynamics between the MACOs and the crew of Enterprise..

 

[Joel Mack]

Maybe thinking of the Kzinti, who Larry Niven loaned to an episode of the animated series called "The Slaver Weapon" (a re-working of his short story "The Soft Weapon")?