chunderfish

I agree Scott seems like a truly wonderful person. Although on the show as a whole for me the cast don't come across like as much of a family as the TNG crew, I would certainly put Archer down as the most paternal of the captains they have had. That is of course until season three came along.

I think - and I may be wrong - that the Ferengi never actually divulged what species they were during 'Acquisition'. They were mentioned, previously, by name in Dear Doctor when T'Pol and Archer deny any knowledge of them. It could just simply be that the identity of the Ferengi was never known and so as far as the Federation was concerned it was the Enterprise D that made first contact.

Wow Unicorn Hunter - this thread has really been making my brain hurt!! The trouble is that posting is a little like thinking out loud - so you probably need five or six goes before you get to a tenable position.

So here we go again. Moral behaviour is surely a balance. A code of right and wrong definitely but this will be balanced by the present circumstances and as you say duty and other such concerns. Suppose one had promised to do something and then the situation arises when you feel it would be wrong to keep that promise -arriving at that decision is striking a balance between the importance you place on keeping your promises against the new information you have to hand. I suppose logically speaking T'Pol may just come out on top here since it could be argued that she would be best placed to reach the soundest judgement and would take the time to do so. Whereas someone like Trip has the tendancy to fly off and do whatever strikes him as the right thing in his gut.

No wonder different people have such different concepts of moral action.

I agree we saw Trip at his best in Extinction and Cease Fire - I also thought he shone in Silent Enemy - the team talk he gave to the engineering team displayed true leadership. There is just something about him though that makes his decision making and command behaviour spasmodic - and don't get me wrong this is one of the reasons I love the character - you never quite know if he's going to keep his cool or not. It's a shame that this season has provided so few examples of Trip doing anything but appear on cue at T'Pol's door and take his shirt off. (Which in my humble opinion is the lousiest decision he ever made).

I agree about Trip - I think his disobeying orders in Cogenitor was precisely bcause of his ethical code - what he saw he judged to be unfair and was prepared to take action. I don't think you can equate adherance to duty as a moral quality - blindly following orders could be deemed actually as avoiding the issue - letting someone else do the thinking and no doubt we can all think of examples where this has been disastrous on an international scale. Reed's only moral act for me so far was his direct questioning of what Archer was doing to the alien in the airlock.

Going back to another topic I think that it probably is Trip's adherance to what he perceives as right and wrong that gets him into difficutlies when it comes to making sound command decisions. His balance of what he wanted to do against what he ought to do had tragic results for the Cogenitor and made his well meaning behaviour inexcusable especially for one of his rank.

This has been a fascinating thread Unicorn Hunter - it's making me think along some very difficult philosophical avenues. And I agree with you about the Vulcans not necessarily occupying the moral high ground simply because they are Vulcan and if T'Pol is acting contrary to her firmly held beliefs then she is behaving in a less moral way - as you say - hypocritical. I have a funny feeling though that at the end of the day there will turn out to be some kind of space dust getting in her mint tea that is making so unlike a Vulcan - and therefore excuse her behaviour.

For me it is between Phlox and Trip. They both have a certain set of standards which they appear very strict about being guided by. They may differ - for example over the issue of marriage - but they both have an internal code of ethics and they stick to it. I think there are numerous examples - we may not always agree with their stances and often neither does Archer - but what makes a character moral is their having a rulebook and playing by it no matter what and I think both Phlox and Trip do this.

Archer has allowed his desire for revenge and his sense of mission to outweigh his moral judgement this season by his own admission - perhaps for Trip it is exactly this aspect of his nature that has prevented him from becoming the revenge seeking demon we were led to expect at the end of season 2. He is now out there for the morally sound reason of not wanting this to happen to anyone else rather than just to avenge the death of his sister.

The Kirk / Uhura kiss was a landmark but if I had been her I would have been severely upset that his attention was so clearly elsewhere. In terms of a quality product this kiss left a lot to be desired - Worf / Troi was the one for me - it was strong and physical and very very sensual.

Well it looks like I'm in the minority here - I could have voted for any of the categories except the first. The question was how is Trip presented and I think right from the start he has been presented as a competant engineer and a goofy officer - but that is why he is so likeable. It's always been difficult for me to see Reed as his subordinate - in Shuttlepod 1 I thought Malcolm came over very much as the commanding officer. Trip has always been the first to jump to wrong conclusions, make questionable decisions or panic but like I said that what makes him such an endearing character. This season I would say he has definitely been relegated to T'Pol's backdrop which is a shame - the writers seem to have forgotten everything that was set up for him at the end of the last season. I agree with Trinneergirl that it does not sit right that T'Pol has remained First Officer - even more so that the issue has not even been referred to. Trip protested in Broken Bow and I would have thought had every right to do so again.

I voted for Trip - and I seriously think I would lose interest if he were gone. He's easily the best actor in the cast and it's a shame he has been so wasted this season. I would love to see T'Pol gone for obvious reasons! Mayweather and Sato could disappear and no-one would notice.

I would be major league niffed off if this happened - chiefly because it would mean that a bunch of small minded bigots had won the day. I refuse to believe the rumours - Enterprise is far too good a show to be cancelled and as you say there is so much Trek history for them to be a part of and allow us to watch. I think we can take comfort in the fact that it provokes so much reaction - even the negative. People will always find things to whinge about but heck - if they are whinging it means they are watching too and that is defeating the object of many of the nay-sayers rants.

Here's to season 7!!!

I noticed this too Unicorn Hunter - I too thought Trip was a pecan pie fan. I don't suppose it's the first continuity error.

I also read that Connor wanted to see the references to such things done away with - I bet he was delighted to see the demise of the harmonica in North Star. It does seem like a bit of an over reaction, I mean it is such things that tie you to place and are part of your character. I don't suppose Patrick Stewart or Dominic Keating are so touchy about all the tea they drink - it just makes them English.

Ditto - I couldn't believe that there was a vote in there for VI - nice to know it was an errant digit and nothing more!

V definitely takes it for me - I have seen it once at the cinema and once on video and will probably never watch it again. Nemesis left me cold aswell when it could have been so good. I think it was badly directed by someone who had no real experience or appreciation of the legacy he was messing with.

That would be because I was reading a different post and took it for your reply - I get a bit confused you know! It's just taken me three weeks and a lot of helpful input from our board leader to figure out how to get my fish to appear. So give a fish a break - I only have a brain the size of a pea!

Now I have read the right post!! And glad to see I remembered right. Your ears must have the equivalent of photographic recall!! B)

I think Archer would probably be a reader of real-life adventures. You know Scott of the Antarctic, Shackleton, the first space explorers - that kind of thing. You can bet there's nothing on team building on his shelf though!!! Maybe he has the Bible to feed his God-complex. :P

Amen and amen to whoever it was that said that if the Trip / T'Pol thing goes ahead they simply would not believe it - THAT is the crux of it. It is all Trip has been used for this season - and watching back it is clear he's been set up from the beginning. This is a total waste of the best actor on the show as someone else said.

I can't do the sums but with seven main characters there are a lot of relationship dynamics to explore - we don't want just Archer and internal Archer every week. He is becoming less and less the leader one would follow and more and more introverted, tunnel visioned and blinkered to what is happening with the crew he is meant to be responsible for and worst of all he doesn't care. There are over eighty people committed to this mission not just one! And then when one of his senior officers (Trip) in Anomaly does ask what is bothering him when Archer asks for the weapons to be top priority he is just plain rude to him. He's done the same to T'Pol. If he carries on shutting people out and taking only his own counsel like this Phlox would be well advised to remove him from duty on medical grounds.

Well - interesting point. I must admit I haven't seen too much in the way of these 'shipper wars you mention - did it ever get out of hand with the other series or is what we are seeing a symptom of the effect this show has on people. As you say you LOVE it - something about Enterprise perhaps stirs things up in a way the others didn't. From memory and my own experience I couldn't wait for Riker to finally get it together with Troi - it seemed the most natural thing in the world - I think theirs has been the best handled relationship in Trek - just an aside that in the end just happened. I don't remember caring who ended up with who in DS9 and I found the whole Paris / Torres just boring.

I think I'm probably a no-shipper. Let's just get good stories and explore other aspects of the crews' relationships, which can be dynamic and challenging and interesting without the need for anyone to be jumping into bed with anyone else.

Hi again Jack - it's difficult to tell but I think you replied to my question about Crewman Fuller. It was Anomaly he died in - watched it again over the weekend - there's a scene in sickbay where Phlox informs the Captain and when Reed and Trip are in the Mess Hall Reed laments how difficult he will be to replace because he knew the torpedoes so well.

If I ever come across the episode where Fuller is referred to as a she by T'Pol I'll let you know - perhaps there is a suffering widow aboard?

Good on you for putting this information out there for us all.

I think the timeline is just about intact - although they do sail pretty close to the wind with episodes like Acquisition and Regeneration in introducing cultures that are then encountered for the first time a couple fo centuries later. I think it has been intimated by Daniels at least that Archer has a role in the founding of the Federation.

I do worry that such a sweeping storyline as the current season finds no acknowlegdement down the line which leaves me to wonder if, at the end of the series, our Enterprise might not disappear up its own tailpipe!

Oh how I agree with what you say about Trip's character development this season. Really there hasn't been any has there? He is reduced to being an excuse to see T'Pol half dressed (well him too - I guess every cloud has a silver lining). The sting in their relationship has been filtered out which is a shame because I think that the Spock/McCoy dynamic worked well with them and at least was credible. Where the writers are heading now just is not believable - they are pulling T'Pol way off character. What is so annoying is that season three was set up to be so promising for Trip in terms of his character development and we have been given nothing. Aside from his not being able to sleep - his issues have not been addressed.

Malcolm has had some interesting development with more to come it seems but really at the end of the day it's become the Archer show with strong support from T'Pol and that's it and I'm sorry but I just don't find that very interesting.

How could the Archer Show carry on without Archer?

Sorry - feeling a little disgruntled at the moment.

Hi Jack - you said you would try and answer questions - well I have one.

I am useless with which episodes but in season 1 or 2 T'Pol was seen entering Archer's quarters at night in one episode by a Crewman Fuller - but T'Pol reassured Archer that she was discreet.

AND on your list there is a Crewman Fuller listed as active - now didn't a Crewman Fuller die in either Anomaly or Raijinn? And wasn't he a he?

What goes on?

T'Pol isn't frigid - quite the reverse this season. She has been showing way over the top emotional responses for her species. I know she's being set up. I know the writers have put her through the mill in terms of bringing emotions to the surface so there is an excuse for a shag later on. It is a great pity that the powers that be are so determined to get some sex on the screen that they conveniently forget the years of culture that have written into this race and the fact that the audience gets just as much enjoyment out of the rich relationships that can develop within the bounds of the culture. We have to remember the psychology of Vulcan mating is very different to ours - she isn't driven by desire. She will mate eventually for life (or at least until the death of her mate if he does happen to be human) and as she says she expects to eventually develop affection for him. They do not indulge in casual sex. The kind of love a Vulcan experiences is something far more solid and unchanging than what we choose to call love. The dynamics she had with both Archer and Trip have been so good and I am sorry that they are going to be ruined.

Having said that it could all go horribly wrong and then we would get some great character development out of the ongoing process of coming to terms with a huge mistake. I mean will it initiate ponn farr? Trip is knackered if it does - as far as she is concerned that means he's stuck with her doesn't it? .

Anyway I am not optimistic but I will reserve judgement until I have seen the fateful episode.

It took a while but I got used to the song and then really liked the idea.

They have ruined it now though - it sounds like some happy clappy church chorus or something :unsure: . They should have stuck with the original at least it had some weight and gravity to it and would have better reflected the new direction of series three.

Anomaly was a great episode giving us a chance to see this new side of Archer - Malcolm certainly seemed surprised by his treatment of their 'guest'.

I agree with whoever it was that said the ending shot was a great one - not just reflecting the intensity of the situation and the commitment of Archer but it looked so beautiful too.

Interesting point and not one I'd thought of before.

I think that the way they speak on Enterprise is absolutely right for the stage of development - in a century or so when there will be so many more alien races within the newly formed Federation it may become necessary for speech to be more precise in order to avoid any misundertsandings. The UT will translate exactly what is said and perhaps we humans will have to pull our proverbial socks up when it comes to vocabulary in order to make intentions 100% clear. Judging by the latter shows there won't be language experts on board like Hoshi to patch up any communication problems.