What Sort Of Plot Appeeals To You?

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Now that season three is done and we're waiting for season 4 (and last) I wonder what lies in store. There were some good episodes this season but I am not a big fan of sexual relations between characters (when the relationship is the plot). I would watch soap operas instead of scifi if that is what did it for me? I've seen the Trip/T'Pol video posted on three different sites. The scenes were taken from the broadcast so they're nothing "new". I watched part of it but I personally found the video boring. Perhaps I am like Lt. Reed - it isn't a good movie if something doesn't blow up.

 

My personal opinion is that ENT took a wrong turn when it made the hookup between Trip and T'Pol such a major plot element. I thought the episode with Trip and Malcolm in the mess hall both saying "just drop it" was a much better examination of human relationships. I miss the friendship between Trip and Archer. If you watch old episodes of TOS you see how much relationship did exist between the characters and they managed to show a great deal of respect between the characters and they managed to have humor. I don't think Archer ever joked with Trip - how could you be Trip's friend and not joke with him? I think the ability of the characters to joke with one another is one of the reasons that Stargate SG1 runs rings around ENT.

 

I am not opposed to relationships because ideally it is something we all want. But the only thing that even closely resembled romance in the last three years was Civilization with Archer and Riann - you just knew in different times and circumstances that could have been a relationship. Perhaps Oasis but that was really more Trip just caring about a the future of another person (who happened to be pretty and female)

 

Anyway, your thoughts.

[TransporterMalfunction 1]

I voted one to four, because that is in my opinion what Star Trek has always been about. However I do think that the action aspect is one of the most important points, if not the most important overt aspect that a good Trek show should have while the other points such as social issues and thought stimulating science fiction should be underpinning a good plot.

 

As a further comment, point five (and a little too much obvious focus on point four) are the basis for my loss of interest to some degree in DS9 and Voyager, both of which seemed to focus more on relationships at the expense of some of the more important factors that you have listed.

[Jeanway 0]

I don't think you can really predict how crew members are going interact. That has to be lead by fate. Any adversarial relationship onboard a ship be be detremental to the whole ship. Alliances can be covertly made and undermine a mission. But they do happen, I suppose. I like to see alot of interaction among the crew. Love relationships will undoutedly happen. I think they, on Enterprise have gone far beyond any previous series has, I think it adds alot to the episodes. Give it a more personal feel. I like the idea of married crewmen and children on board. Adds to the texture of the storyline. As for action scenes, I like it when I can see clearly what's happening. I don't want to be told later who destroyed who. Sometimes I can't get into the battle scenes because I can't figure out who is who with all the activity on the screen. But I guess that's my problem. I'd like to see alternate endings too. Just a small change in a story can affect the outcome. Kind of a What-If Scenario. I'd tune in a second time to see an alternate ending, wouldn't you?

[hangon 3]

I voted for action and adventure,i also like a bit of romance now and again,but a good action episode is what i look forward to

[Ace 0]

I don't really have the time to give a big explanation right now, but I vote "1 - 4". Like TM said, that's what Trek is about, or at least what it should be. TNG had the highest quality (script-wise) out of all the series, IMO, and had a healthy balance of all those aspects. I do think VOY dealt best with character interaction (friendships, crushes, etc), but TNG did almost as well.

 

IMHO....

 

TOS- good for its day

TNG- best balance

DS9- a little heavy on physical relationships at times, but still good

VOY- more focus on friendships than plots at times, but still good (my fav)

ENT- too focused on action and physical relationships; tries too much or too little to be thought provoking, but I still like it.

[chunderfish 0]

I went for the thought stimulating sci fi - well that is what the show is primarily about. But I also love it when it is used as a vehicle to further the friendships between the main characters as we get to know them and of course when it steps into the thing that Trek has always done so well - i.e. commenting on society and the world situation in general. So thought provoking sci fi - but the stimulation isn't always sci fi orientated.

 

I agree 100% with Unicorn Hunter in that if I want cheap sexual relationships and unnecessary exposure of flesh (even if said relationship was at all tenable) I'd watch soaps - and I never do that. I will not even be looking at the video mentioned - it was all I could do to bother to watch the scenes that they are in together in in the first place - it is a waste of precious air time.

[TrekkieMage 0]

options 1-4.

 

Personally I stopped watching Enterprise at the end of the second season because it seemed to be trying to be like every other show, and it made me cringe. You can update it as much as you want, just keep the main elements, 1. deep friendships and 2. thought provoking science

 

Enterprise is too focused on physical relationships and single minded fighting. I watch TV to get away from that sort of stuff, not to have it rubbed in my face.

 

No intention of ticking off anyone who enjoys Enterprise, it's just a personal opinion.

[Surax 0]

Although I think that there is nothing wrong with "some" Trip/T'Pol relationship, I think that it centered to heavily in the season. I would have like to see Travis, Hoshi and Phlox a bit more. This was my only major beaf with Season 3.

 

I voted for 1-4. Any good show should have a balance between the four. I think that DS9 was good for this. Lots of personal relationships, Sisko was good for a moral dilema once and a while, lots of action (especially in the last 2 seasons), the sci-fi could have been a bit better but was still acceptable.

[Carrion 0]

I voted for action and adventure,i also like a bit of romance now and again,but a good action episode is what i look forward to

 

To true what hangon said earlier, action is pivitol and makes the show alluring to watch as the exctiement crreps up as well as the graphics and stunts. As the joker said "You can make an omellete without breaking a few eggs" (To have a good episode something needs to blow up") a fine example of what i htink an episode should be like.

[ensign_beedrill 0]

Well, I voted for 1-4, but it's really just 3 and 4 that are my favorites.

 

3) Thought stimulating science fiction -- these are some of my favorite episodes. Episodes that make you think. Make you wonder. It doesn't even have to be science fiction. It could just be something to make you think to see something in a new light, which, I suppose, is where examination of socially relevent issues comes up. Episodes that have you thinking about them long after you've seen them. Episodes like "Carbon Creek," "Judgment," and "Similitude" were great at accomplishing this. It's the sort of episode that'll come to my mind when I wake up in the middle of the night, and something that I was probably pondering in my sleep.

 

4) Interpersonal relationships - friendships between characters -- this is my other favorite part of Star Trek. I love watching these relationships between the characters and the characters themselves grow. I love learning about these people. And I think Enterprise needs more of this. Well, there are some characters who have certainly been more fleshed out than others. The others should have some time to shine, too. I, personally, would like to learn more about Travis. But I also just like relationships between the characters. They are referenced often, but Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. Others include Data and LaForge. Kim and Paris. Janeway and Tuvok. Enterprise has beautiful potential for such relationships. Reed and Tucker, and as you mentioned, Tucker and Archer. Romantic relationships are a different story. Sometimes they're good like Paris and Torres, and sometimes they're bad like Chakotay and Seven (what was up with that?). I much prefer the friendships and such between the crew. I like character development episodes.

 

And I am satisfied with an episode in which nothing explodes. I was just thinking the other day about how if Star Trek did a Twelve Angry Men kind of thing, it would be perfectly OK. That's Star Trek's strength. You don't need things to go boom. You could have the crew in the same room for the entire episode, as long as it was thought provoking and some character building came out of it. In fact, I would really love to see an episode of Enterprise where the crew or some of the crew where put into a room to discuss something or something like that. (Hmmm, "Shuttlepod One" anyone?) Or maybe an entire episode of them sitting around a campfire telling stories. (Maybe another "First Flight" kind of flashback tale?) I don't know. But Enterprise can do so much with the characters it has. I'm really looking forward to "getting to know them better."

 

Not that I'm saying I don't like action. Action and adventure is great, and many a Star Trek episode employs it. Star Trek just wouldn't be the same without tense dealings with Romulans and altercations with the Borg. You gotta' have a little "boom" every now and then. And you gotta' have a little fun. I love those fun episodes like "Singularity" or "North Star." You can't be serious all the time.

 

I'm looking forward to this next season. I hope they make a variety of episodes picking from each of the first four things, and not so much from the fifth. I don't know if they'll go back to stand alone, arcless one-shots for a while, but I hope they do. They have great potential.

[Trinneergirl 0]

Four. I loved the Trip/Archer friendship. It was by far the most wonderful thing about the show in the beginning. Scott and Connor simply set the screen alight together.

 

Unfortunately, they dropped this for one or other with T'Pol. I don't mind the romance stuff per se, but what I'd really like is for T'Pol to move over to become a civilian head of science and Trip to become First Officer. T'Pol would still have a job to do and a reason for being there, but would have paid for her gross incompetence and drug taking. She would have to get used to asking instead of ordering and facing being left out of the loop on some things. Consequences. It would also allow for more scenes and interaction between Archer and Trip which, I believe, would improve the show no end.

 

Also bring back the Travis/Hoshi/Reed interaction. It was a fun part of series one and the brief mess hall scene in E2 was nice.

[sea trooper 0]

Have to go with the shooting and killing.

[A l t e r E g o 9]

Vote=7. none of the above, please explain

 

I like all choices; 1-5.

 

1-4 for the same reasons as everyone else but I see #5 as an important part of ENT. Tptb have bungled the execution of physical relationships in ENT but I understand and appreciate the idea behind the effort.

 

Before the time of TOS; interspecies mating had become a reality, there's no denying that. They (tptb) tried to do sex on ENT thinking we'd all get and appreciate it's importance to the timeline but since they had no experience with creating sexy Trek, they blew it. I think if they had not rushed into it they could have created physical romance worthy of the Trek name but their haphazard handling of it does not distract from it's importance imo.

[Klingonmike 0]

I voted 1-4 although in reality I prefer 1-5.

[Stelfan 0]

I voted for 1-4, a good balance between the first four choices makes a great ST episode!

[MoulinRouge 0]

One through five for me. Balance is the name of the game.

[Admiral Kirk 1]

I prefer 1 thru 4. The physical relationship theme is starting to get on my nerves now especially if certain characters are involved.

[MoulinRouge 0]

I agree 100% with Unicorn Hunter in that if I want cheap sexual relationships and unnecessary exposure of flesh (even if said relationship was at all tenable) I'd watch soaps - and I never do that. I will not even be looking at the video mentioned - it was all I could do to bother to watch the scenes that they are in together in in the first place - it is a waste of precious air time

 

There is one flash of "naughty" skin in that video. It's a shame you don't want to look at it. It's actually lovely. About 99% of it is with them fully clothed. If they hadn't had sex--once--would you still find it cheap? The characters really seem to be coming together in friendship and starting to care for each other. That's so terrible a thing? :( You're entitled to your opinion of course, but on the whole it's been quite mild.

[Captain Bolivar 0]

The best episodes have always been about socially relevant issues so I voted for that. But thought provoking science fiction should be included in the second option because the second option is thought provoking and, of course, star trek is sci fi. The third option, by default, is a part of option 2. I therefore choose 2 and 3!

[WEAREBORG4102 0]

I love thought provoking episodes with at least some sort of social issue discussion. I found ENT too action/physical relationship oriented. I hope they try harder to add more thought provoking episodes in the future.

[Tal 0]

I think i mix of 1-4 is what is needed to make a good plot line.

 

 

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