Enterprise 2002-11-06: At least it doesn't stink as bad as last week's episode. (1 Viewer)

[Francois Caron]

T'pol is ordered by the Vulcan High Council to pursue a Vulcan fugitive who managed to evade her many years ago. In this second manhunt attempt, she is now assisted by captain Archer and enseign Travis.

Written by B&B (again), this show has a storyline which is pretty much a copy of previous storylines from who knows how many old movies and TV shows of the past. It offers nothing of significance with the possible exception of a rather "emotional" T'pol and some neato Vulcan writing. But contrary to last week's rotten episode, it doesn't blatantly insult our intelligence by throwing a preposterous storyline in our faces.

It doesn't matter if you watch this episode or not; it won't change your life in any way. Better yet, spend the hour playing a board game with your spouse and kids. You'll get more entertainment out of it.

 

[Everlasting Gobstopper]

At least it doesn't stink as bad as last week's episode.

Isn't that UPN's ad line?

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Geez those Kooky Renegade Vulcans ggod thing Spock was Half Human because he sure was a role Model compared to these 22nd century versions.

 

[Daniel Kikin]

This sounds similar to last years "Fallen Hero".

 

[Jack Briggs]

*shudders at thoughts of The Final Frontier*

 

[Jason Seaver]

Geez those Kooky Renegade Vulcans ggod thing Spock was Half Human because he sure was a role Model compared to these 22nd century versions.

Spock is the aberration, though - he had to be more controlled than other Vulcans because any outward sign of emotion would be taken as human weakness.

 

[Todd Hostettler]

If there's anything that Voyager taught me, it's that it's actually possible for me to walk away from a Trek series. (TOS through DS9 had me as a captive audience for each of their 17 respective years.)
I fear history is soon to repeat itself. What a pitiful waste of potential this show is...

 

[Rex Bachmann]

François Caron wrote:

Oh, boy! I know that makes me want to watch.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Yet, as far as Trek goes, we live in an age of diminished expectations. I am twenty-five minutes away, and, yet, I am no hurry to get offline. But I will.

My Season Five boxset arrived this evening (two days late). I actually have the power to watch "The Inner Light" now. Yet I am waiting to see Enterprise.

 

[Dan Paolozza]

I thought this episode was pretty good. It was an interesting enough plot, and I happen to like the "imperfect vulcan" stories - this was a good one. I also liked that Archer is starting give off some authority vibes, some confidence.
It wasn't grade "A" Trek, but it was pretty good.
I love acid snow that only melts shoes in benign situations. It's good to know that the acid snow "knows" when it would be really inconvenient for someone's shoes to start disolving.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Doesn't anybody here know how to play this game?
—Casey Stengel, to his charges in 1962

Here's the deal:

The duo has no feel for what has become a multiseries arc. They are writing stories (if you will) that are best tacked onto the most-recent-generation incarnations.

One reason TOS seemed to exult in the fresh, new, and exciting was because the series itself was fresh, new, and exciting in 1966. But there was occasionally the sense that what the characters were participating in was fresh and completely new as well.

Tonight, we saw Archer and T'Pol talking in a casual, unexcited, ho-hum way about the planet Risa.

Look, way back in "Captain's Holiday" Risa itself seemed fresh and new and alluring (and lurid).

This is the same freaking thing over again.

Where's the fun and excitement? Aren't we still in a pre-Kirk time, when "strange new worlds" means exactly that?

I know many here get tired of the Trek mafia's rants, but come on. I remember when Trek episodes lingered with me, haunted me even. Again, "The Inner Light."

Really, I'm close to quitting on this series.

 

[Mike St.Louis]

"Just say NO".

Life will go on.

Seriously guys, I get more enjoyment coming in here and reading about how bad the last episode of Enterprise was then I would actually watching an episode. I gave up on it last year and haven't looked back.

 

[Rex Bachmann]

Jack Briggs wrote:

I'll say it again: going "back to the future" is a set-up for failure and disappointment. Capturing that "frontier feel" (as in the very first Star Trek episode ever broadcast, the often unfairly maligned "Man Trap" episode) is next to impossible for the already well established Trek universe. Of course, it's in (good) part due to the writing; but I feel it's also in good part due to the audience. How would they have the kind of action/adventure Trek fandom has become used to---for better or for ill---if they had to make the technology on the program look completely pre-TOS? Given what we have around us, I didn't think from the beginning that audiences used to cell phones ("communicators"), complex medical scanning devices ("tricorders"), and the like in their everyday lives would accept anything less.
The producers' solution to their dramatic-technical problem has been . . . . to just ignore it and go on as usual. (Most in) the jaded (and spoiled) regular audiences wouldn't have it otherwise. The casual and occasional viewers surely don't care. So, there we are.

 

[Frank Anderson]

Rex,
I agree 100% with what you said. I thought it was a huge mistake to do this series. It presents way too many problems with continuity and technology. I liked this episode. While I have dropped five series off my viewing list this season, Enterprise is not going to be one of them anytime soon. I seriously think I enjoy this series more than some because my expectations for it were not as high as some others (talk about opening a can of worms). If there was ever a Trek series I considered not watching it was DS9. But wait! Isn't that the favorite Trek series of many? I will agree with most that Inner Light was one of the best episodes ever of TNG, Darmok on the other hand, one of my worst episode ever candidates. Different taste, different series, different expectations certainly leads to different opinions.

 

[CaptDS9E]

Ive like Enterprise more then others. I dont nitpick about every single tiny thing. I thought enterprise would finally get on a roll after Mine Field. But the last 2 episodes have just been horrid.

Capt

 

[Patrick Sun]

I passed out half way through my time-shifted VHS tape of this episode. I shuddered when I saw the B&B writing credits...

 

[Eric F]

Well, I loved DS9 too, at least most of it, in which Avery Brooks and Colm Meaney delivered some of the finest performances in Trek. Then there was the last season and the final episode (don't get me started). What really bugged me about DS9 was the dangling plot elements. When O'Brien was sentenced to 20yrs in "virtual" prison and they showed no implications of this in later episodes I was sorely dissapointed.

At least this episode of Ent is showing some of the implications of having Vulcans spend time with an emotional, moral race (righteous in Archer's case), traits which none of the Vulcans (other than Spock, who was half-human) seem to exhibit.

Continuity blunders aside, I really, really hope B&B won't waste the opportunity to explore just why the Vulcans want to join into a "Federation" with a race they clearly see and treat as children. I really hope it turns out to be positive, the way the original Trek was, not some dark, hidden threat (I hate the Sulliban/time travel backstory crap).

Gene Roddenberry had a hopefull vision for the future. I'd like to see it stay that way.

 

[Paul E. Fox II]

Could someone point me to the reference to Chief O'Brien being sentenced to prison? I'm a faithful Trekker, but I missed nearly ALL of the last season of DS9:frowning:!

 

[Everlasting Gobstopper]

Could someone point me to the reference to Chief O'Brien being sentenced to prison? I'm a faithful Trekker, but I missed nearly ALL of the last season of DS9

It wasn't an episode in the last season. It's a season 4 episode called Hard Time. A really good episode. You know, the writers just liked beating up on O'Brien as much as possible? Remember when he was sentenced to death on Cardassia? Or when his wife got possessed? Or when everyone on the station turned on him? Or when... I could just go on and on...

 

[Eric F]

It wasn't an episode in the last season. It's a season 4 episode called Hard Time. A really good episode. You know, the writers just liked beating up on O'Brien as much as possible? Remember when he was sentenced to death on Cardassia? Or when his wife got possessed? Or when everyone on the station turned on him? Or when... I could just go on and on...

I just couldn't understand how someone could spend 20yrs in prison (real or imaginary), and not have it profoundly effect his daily life. I don't think it was ever dealt with except in that particular episode. At least TNG had the sense to deal with changing Picard into a Borg in the very next episode: Family (the only TNG episode that didn't go to the bridge).

Also,Ent has continuity within the show. Maybe this week's episode is a good sign. More character development, less stupid, confusing plots.