MoulinRouge

Trip showed himself to be a strong leader in "Ceasefire," "Bounty," "Extinction," and "Twilight." At times he's appeared a far more commanding captain than Archer. That "experiment" in Similitude wasn't the result of Trip playing around out of curiosity. It was an attempt to get the ship's engines running smoothly at warp 5 so that they could find the Xindi weapon more easily. He wasn't playing with the engines because he was bored. :wub: It worked, too. The reason the accident happened was that the NX-01 encountered the field of unexpected space gunk that was indigineous to the expanse. The ship would have blown up if he hadn't shut the engines off manually.

I choose T'Pol as the smartest character since she's more intelligent than all of them, but I felt the need to clarify.

Looks to be an exciting ep all around. What can I say? The sex doesn't bother me. It's about time somebody on the ship hooked up and TPTB stopped teasing with decon like that was the be all end all of sexuality. I have a feeling that poor Trip's going to get his heart broken though. Maybe, though, that's the point of the first human/Vulcan alliance. Misunderstandings and such. It could be a decent story if it's not just a one off, get your rocks off experience. I'll be interested to see how it plays out.

Yes. I ordered it.

I have to go with Unicorn on this one concerning SP1. Trip flew off the handle a lot, but Malcolm was ready to give up from the beginning. I'd rather serve under an officer who will fight to the end.

Trip kept me watching during the long dull stretch of season two. I like the show, but I'd be hard pressed to keep watching if he were gone. I didn't even want a clone in his place, who was a very sweet person himself, but essentially was a watered down version of Trip IMHO. I'd be pretty depressed if T'Pol were gone as well. She's an extremely close second.

Maybe we should. I've written plenty to UPN and all the sponsors. The fact is, if ENT were syndicated its ratings would be considered acceptable. Syndication would mean a budget trim and more bottle shows but that isn't necessarily a bad thing if they concentrate on the writing to compensate, Unicorn Hunter. If ENT had been syndicated all along, the writers woudn't have Paramount and the killer bees on their butts trying to get them to be conservative and stay in the "Trek formula." Ron Moore, formerly of DS9, stated pretty bluntly in his article when BSG's minseries aired that he had to fight Berman constantly about taking chances in the scripts and Berman didn't have UPN's suits on his side then. UPN and Parmount have been so unbelievably detrimental to Trek it isn't funny. In syndication, ENT could appeal and advertise to its niche audience like SG-1 does on Scifi. The people who watch Sci-fi who see SG-1 advertisements are SG-1' niche audience. The people who watch UPN and see ENT's advertisements on other shows are not Trek's core audience. BIG problem. No way that ENT has only 3 million viewers. THat's what IRKS ME!!! B) B) B)

Arrrrghhh. I hate it when I forget to log in. :lol: The above bit of bad news was courtesy of moi. sigh. "Proving Ground" was so darn good and nobody saw it. Either that or they're watching the weekend repeat. That's what ticks me. I read news about how well "The Xindi" performed in the UK on Sky One and I chat on-line with so many folks who complain about pro ball pre-emptions and the like. I know that ENT has more viewers than numbers would indicate but it never seems to do any good, does it? At least it will out of the path of American Idol, but not until after February sweeps. :lol: :lol: I'm usually so positive and upbeat but this news had really got me down. How much good will did TPTB squander with that stretch of putrid episodes during season two? On the whole, lost viewers tend not to come back. Send your valentines. ENT needs it.

$#^&@$(*&@! I wish ENT had been in syndication all along.

Ugh. :lol: The Seventh. One of my least favorite episodes of ENT to date. Totally worthless and it made Trip look the one thing he is not--indecisive. For good or ill, Trip is a take action kind of guy.

Competent engineer and officer. Especially the officer part. Whenever Trip's in the command chair, he draws your attention. You believe that men will follow his orders. I can't take my eyes off him. I wasn't terribly fond of "Extinction," but when he took command Trip was a force to be reckoned with. Loved him as captain in "Twilight," "Ceasefire," and the icky "Bounty" as well. However, that's probably due to Trinneer's portrayal more so than anything the writers have done. An actor either has charisma and presence or he doesn't. Trinneer does. That's why he and Combs were so magnetic during their brief, surprisingly emotional moment during "Proving Ground." Both are charismatic actors with "presence." Trip's engines needed an improved anti-matter system and he went out and got one from Shran. Trip takes care of business.

Wisely, praise be, the writers have not made his relationship-to-be with T'Pol the main focus. He's not T'Pol's backdrop, that's for sure. Like Blalock, Trinneer's likable portrayal of his character helps Trip (and Blalock's, T'Pol) transcend "the hot one" status that TPTB would like to shoehorn him and her into.

Personally, I think it's a good idea. Trip and T'Pol could be spicy hot, sensual, and very sweet. They are two loving, loyal individuals and this isn't out of left field. Sim spilled the beans on Trip's feelings for T'Pol and it isnt as if Trip hates her. If anything, Archer (with the exception of mentally impaired alternate future Archer) is the one who still bristles at Vulcan this and Vulcan that--which is fine. That's his character and it's an interesting character but Scott and Jolene simply don't spark on screen. Not from my perspective--not even much in a platonic way. I wish the writers had gone ahead with the sweet, spicy chemistry Connor and Jolene shared in season one's "Breaking the ice" but noooooo......somebody got the bright idea that she and Archer should pair up. sigh :P My first choice would be no romance for her but if they are going to pair her up, IMHO Trip is the best choice.

A good solid 8 or 8.5 out of 10. I had a few nitpicks (come on, Archer punches out Shran on his own bridge and one of Shran's guards didn't crack his skull :P ) but overall I really enjoyed it.

COMBS ROCKS. Jeffrey's performances energizes everything and everybody. He makes Bakula better because they crackle when they clash. We weren't hammered over the head with conflicted Shran. We were shown. Agreed about the ending adding a nice finishing touch. I loved that Reed got decent, meaningful screen time for a change and wasn't that a suprisingly lovely scene between Trip and Shran? Those kind of character moments have been lamentably few this season. Who would have thought that Tucker and Shran would be the ones to give it to us? Shran is a surprisingly decent soul and Trip is still hurting....but he's not a hothead. He knows what his job it. Both actors did well with an enriching moment.

I liked it. I liked it. :P

Heads up, good people!! Evay called Paramount directly, and the gentleman on the other end of the line gave this snail mail address to her as somebody who is critical to write to if you'd like to see ENT renewed for next season and beyond. He is in charge along with Dawn Ostroff; he may have more saying power than Ostroff.

Mr. Eric Kim

Director of Programming

United Paramount Network

11800 Wilshire Blvd

Los Angeles CA 90025

Thank you, good people. :( Evay's page has UPN fax numbers and phone numbers and sponsors' e-mail. These can be useful for fans across the pond and elsewhere.

http://www.triphammered.com/support.shtml

They're also schlepping for the new Hollywood Reporter Ad at the Enterprise Project. The addy is on evay's page. I believe it's

http://www.enterpriseproject.org

I can't say that the scene bothered me too much considering the context. Archer is Trip's friend but he's also his captain. The situation was dire; Trip didn't have all the information and Archer didn't exactly have the opportunity to explain his plan. He was in charge and he had to get Trip under control because Trip's first instinct is to take action, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but Trip taking action could have torpedoed Archer's plan. He was brusque, but the situation warranted it. He also said, (in a more benevolent tone) "this isn't over yet." There wasn't time for a touchy feely moment. Archer did his job as captain and Trip followed orders like a good officer.

Yes, more character development please. However, I wish TPTB would just allow Trip and T'Pol more scenes to talk with one another. They would compliment the sensuality believably (do we want Trip to stop taking off that shirt, ladies? I think not ). I honestly believe that people would eat up Trip/T'Pol as a couple if the writers took a little more time with it. I, too, adored that scene of him giving her the peach. It was simple, sweet, in a sexy sort of way. Why can't they talk about Lizzie and his feelings about her death? Have her counsel him about the futility of revenge? All certainly interesting stuff that would keep the audience interested. Trip wouldn't necessarily have to eagerly embrace T'Pol's advice. They don't have to act like Frankie and Annette now that they will be intimate with one another. Just a little more development, please. Sexual or platonic, Trip and T'Pol have such an interesting vibe going on with them--more so than her and Archer IMHO. They just need development. They could be the quintessential, exciting Trek couple. How's this for depressing? I acutally lurked at an Archer/T'Pol romance site and the folks who are disappointed that Archer and T'Pol won't be romancing each other are planning--before they even SEE the episode--an "all out assault on the boards" to scream how much Harbinger sucks. Their goal? To post more criticism than ANIS received (good luck). First we have people on-line circulating petitions to get ENT cancelled for God's sake and now this s_h_i_t is being planned in advance of actually seeing the episode. :huh: Fans like that ENT doesn't need. I know several folks who enjoyed Archer and T'Pol who are much mature than that but they'll get lost in the brouhaha for sure. Can't they just wait and watch the episode before deciding to hate it? :P A little more development for Trip and T'Pol would go a long way towards quelling that sentiment. That's what frustrates me because I know they could work--and work well as far as keeping the audience's attention whether or not someone was rooting for them to succeed as a couple or not. Their hooking up wouldn't necessitate a white picket fence ending, but Trip and T'Pol are fascinating if only allowed to interact meaningfully. Let them make love (what's wrong with making love and being sexually attracted to one another? It happens ). Let them fight. I wouldn't mind seeing them fight. Let them TALK. Such conversations not only would deal with Trip's feelings of loss but they would provide insight into T'Pol as well and benefit her character as well. T'Pol doesn't seem to lose herself with Trip like she does with the captain. Archer and T'Pol just put me to sleep. I'm sorry. I know there are people who enjoy them but I did not like the emphasis on the two of them, platonically or sexually, during season two. The writers aren't going back to Archer and T'Pol flirting and for that I'm grateful. Maybe it's just that Blalock and Bakula don't mesh. I'm not sure.

The neglected male friendships? You're singing to the choir. Action is great but we're getting in need of some balance here. "Moments" go a long way. Kirk and Spock were the epitome of shared moments. The Ultimate Computer, Spock....

Computers make excellent tools captain, but I have no desire to serve under them. Starships also run on loyalty to one man and nothing will ever replace that....or him..

My God, ten seconds out of the episode and it added so much. You remember how brilliantly and subtly Nimoy delivered that line? For crying out loud, he told Kirk he loved and respected him in that line. ENT could use that. Archer and Trip are crying out for those kind of moments again. They're getting lost. Like Karenjo, I find it ironic that more character development occurred in "Similitude" with the fake Trip. I loved the episode, but also hated it for that very reason. I found it ironic that I felt more love coming out of Archer for Trip when he was in Trip's quarters with Sim.....yanking that small picture out of Sim's hands and putting it back in its correct place, repeating himself that Enterprise needs Trip.....Trip (not Enterprise needs "its chief engineer") and threatening Sim's life more or less. I didn't necessarily approve of his behavior but I understood where this extreme emotional reaction on Archer's part was coming from and I ate it up. Good or bad, Archer loves his friend. His real friend. That makes for good viewing because you sensed Archer's palpable emotional distress. Archer and Trip had some wonderful moments in season one that dwindled in season two in favor of Archer/T'Pol. I didn't like that. The scene in "Vox Sola" when they were tangled up in the mayonnaise monster and Trip suffered a panic attack, only to be calmed down by Archer? Loved it. Ate it up. Male bonding at its best. The male/male friendship dynamic never gets old. WE chicks dig it too much.

The water polo "date"? Loved it. Trip and Malcolm riding the stationary bikes in "Stigma" where the audience was shown rather than told that Trip confides his problems in Malcolm (even the amusing ones like being stalked by the preternaturally horny Mrs. Phlox)? Wonderful. That two minute scene added so much by showing us Trip and Malcolm's level of confidence in one another. John Billingsley needs some of that action as well. How about an honest talk between him and Trip about Sim? How about Trip going to the doctor because he's concerned about Archer's stress level? That would make sense. Take more advantage of this darker, edgier Archer. It makes sense that a man under such stress would attempt to make himself an island but what a treat it would be to see the other characters trying not to let that happen.

It would be wonderful to see them. Oh, here is the link to evay's support page again with weekly sponsor info with e-mail addys. I get lots of feedback from them when I write. It's a worthwhile idea.

http://www.triphammered.com/suport.shtml

I'm so there, guy. I have Moonves and Ostroff's snail mail addys memorized. I've written them before a time or two. Good news anyway, folks. The fast nationals actually produced better numbers for "Chosen Realm" than the overnights. It went back up to a 2.7/4 final rating, which is close to Rajiin type ratings. Unheard of after a long break for an ST show. Let's not give up.

Overall I liked it, but it struck me as fairly heavy handed. I give it a 7.5 out of ten, which is a decent score. Compared to that other heavy handed message episode, "Detained," it was worlds above. Coto's definitely a better writer. I am continuing to appreciate the stronger persona of Archer; however, that "your faith betrayed you" sequence seemed over the top. Archer just doesn't preach very well in my humble opinion but I enjoyed him kicking a little @ss. The faith speech detracted, though, from the episode's overall quality for me, as did T'Pol seemingly so easily subdued on the bridge. If TPTB would just add a line now and then that her Panar syndrome affects her physical strength that nagging nitpick would no longer bug me. Has it ever been stated that Vulcan females aren't of superior physical strength?

Those are nitpicks, though. The episodes seem slicker now; they flow better. I enjoyed the fanaticism angle and how it relates to current events. The final scene was so stark. The emptiness and shock resonated silently yet effectively. A worthy message indeed. Still.....I think I'll prefer Shran's reappearance next week.

7.5 out of 10.

Did they skip showing a teaser for next week here in the States again? I didn't see one. A Canadian poster who saw the episode last night was having a stroke at trekweb because a teaser for a few upcoming episodes was aired mid-episode and apparently she saw

Click for Spoiler:

No offense to non T/T'P shippers intended by above spoiler. I don't think any of you would have pitched that major a fit.

Whoops! That was me.

It's easy. Just click on the link, scroll down the left side of the page that opens and click "feedback." I suggested Connor as a guest that Letterman's guests would eat up because he's so charming. :unsure: Suggest anyone from ENT you like. It's a great idea.

http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/show_info/#

http://www.trektoday.com/news/040104_03.shtml

There's the link to the Trektoday article. Spoilers inside. Have fun. :)

I like ENT the way it is, too. :) I was just suggesting changes because it was the thread subject. Unicornhunter, I'm sorry you didn't like the spoiler. :( Manny Coto (Similitude) will be writing that episode, so it has a decent chance of playing well. Definitely not ANIS redux. Morpheus the spoiler man hasn't been a big fan of the idea up until now, but he's on set (like I said, he's never been wrong about a spoiler yet) and he says it's surprisingly tasteful as scripted and not the main focus. He was encouraged, and Morpheus is rarely encouraging. :) Personally, I'm just glad that they're going to pull the trigger instead of juvenile teasing like they've done until now.

Anyway, there are lots of other great things going on. Shran's coming back and there's an episode about religious extremism coming up-also authored by Coto--which is very topical in today's world. :biggrin:

I'm the odd girl out. The theme song never bothered me. If we're talking three changes that are realistic, if I actually had the power to implement them.....

1.)I'd kill off one main character--Hoshi Sato. This would appease the ENT "never takes risks" crowd and possibly throw the NX-01 back into situations where communication is a major problem. I like Hoshi well enough, but I'm not really emotionally attached to her like the other characters. Hoshi isn't so popular that the audience would turn on the writers, but the other characters are protective of her. Her death would ripple through them and create story, especially for the underused Travis and for Phlox, with whom Hoshi was close. If I had to implement one radical change this would be it. Killing off a female character touches men on a base level.

2.)I'd push Archer a little farther to the dark side. Not that I'd have him running around killing people willy nilly but I wouldn't mind seeing him succumb to the stress he's under. Have him start snapping at the crew, be brutal with some Xindi prisoners....that sort of thing. Have Archer suffer a few nightmares of his own. Do the morally gray thing again during a command crisis. That sort of thing.

3.)Focus more on the Trip/Archer, Trip/Malcolm friendships. In spite of Archer's increased stress I'd script more interaction for him and Trip. Let Trip be Archer's emotional lifeline. Archer and Tucker's bond transcends the stress and the situation. As Similitude demonstrated, Archer has a deep emotional need for his young friend whether he admits it or not. I'd script Malcolm into this plot development. Trip may need a lifeline of his own. Trip confides in T'Pol, but as we know.......

Click for Spoiler:

Malcolm should be Trip's lifeline just as Trip is Archer's. You can't go wrong focusing on the friendships. Bakula, Blalock, Trinneer and Keating all have that chemistry going on. Focus on the friendships and everything else will take care of itself.

I loved Trip being captain in "Twilight" as well. I always enjoy seeing him in command. Trinneer's presence in the command chair reminds me of a young, less hammy Shatner.

Click for Spoiler:

The differences in his personality resonated in terms of story. A few folks complained that he was disloyal for not immediately trusting Phlox near the end and trying (what must have seemed to a 22nd century person who wouldn't take time travel and the like as a given) a bizarre solution about wiping out history completely. Trip as captain was guarding the last human colony in existence; the Xindi ships' threat was imminent. All Phlox was asking was for him to take the weapons off line for a few hours --not a problem with imminent destruction on the way, certainly. The Trip of old might have immediately jumped at the chance to help Archer, no matter how seemingly desperate. Trip who had been captain for nine years and who was guarding the last of humanity should have reacted skeptically. "You know I'd do anything to help the captain, but......"

It made sense in terms of character development that Trip would react that way under such dire circumstances. Sure it turned out badly, but that's how a man who's been captain for nine years with so much at stake should have reacted and I appreciated Sussman for scripting events that way. Trip would have changed after nine years. He still wanted to help Jonathan, but he had other responsibilities and he wasn't the young man who hero worshipped Archer anymore. He thought of the ship and the colony first. A captain should be reluctant to take weapons off line.

Add in Jolene's luminous performance and the fact that seeing Earth destroyed gave the Xindi threat some real teeth and Twilight cast quite a spell on me. I couldn't help but be moved by Jonathan's plight and T'Pol's guilty regret at seeing her captain and friend afflicted as a result of rescuing her. Twilight's story moved me--and I'm someone who usually gags at the implication of any Archer/T'Pol romance. It didn't make me want to see it continue in the present, but in that alternate future it made sense.

Put me down for "Shuttlepod One."