Who is the smartest character on Enterprise

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Like all the other characters - smart will mean different things to different people. There's the math and spatial qualities that engineers would excel at - or the street smarts or the maturity of command. So here's another poll.

 

The choice is obviously difficult because all of the characters possess some sort of science and technical smarts. So that alone isn't enough for me. I need to look for a character that possesses common sense and/or people smarts...none are exactly geniuses on the latter. Hoshi possesses a special skill for linguistics - genius level I guess.

 

Archer can be clever like in Strategem, T'Pol totally lacks people smarts, Trip would have to be smart to be an engineer and he has a little people smarts.

[Mike 5]

Looks like I'm the first to vote. It was a tough choice I went with Archer/Trip..I feel that Archer is people and command smart and I was impressed with his performance in Strategem..Trip certainly has the Engineering smarts..It would be nice if they would show that off once in a while. I also feel that he has command smarts when given the chance..Being a science officer and a Vulcan T'Pol certainly is intelligent (or should be ), but she is lacking big time in people smarts..Maybe she'll get better ?

Edited February 8, 2004 by spacetigger

[Riaan 0]

I had to vote for Archer. Throughout the entire series thus far he has demonstrated skills in getting the best from his people. Not only that, but he has also demonstrated the ability to read the situation and to "read" the aliens to know what is needed to be done in order to get what he wants from them. He knows the right buttons to push and when. That shows great people smarts in my book.

[v_seven 0]

I voted for Tucker/Trip. Engineers are smart. Captains are experienced and diplomatic mostly...just my opinion.

[Captain Jean-Luc Picard 1]

I voted for T'Pol, not becuase she's a Vulcan, but because she's a scientist and probably a century old, like Mr. Tuvok.

[Tank 0]

I think T'Pol is clearly the smartest. Most of the other characters will have smart moments but only following moments of complete stupidity. T'Pol however seems to be pretty much always on top of things.

[hangon 3]

I voted T'POL i guess she's smart mabe not in every subject but

shes vulcan and i have never seen a dumb vulcan on any of the

shows.

Edited February 9, 2004 by hangon

[vold 0]

I agree that T'Pol is the smartest.

 

and i have never seen a dumb vulcan on any of the

shows.

 

That's because they don't often boast & make mistakes

 

& they got the best skills of manipulating people's words

 

& by standing on what they "believe" like time travel. They just keep repeating the same phrase.

 

"The Vulcan science derecterict have determines time travel does not exist"

 

something like that. :wub:

 

but when they do jump to conclusion like Tuvok at the ship junkyard, that surely makes him sound stupid for the moment "for precaution reasons ofcourse".

[Red Shirt Volunteer 0]

Yup, T'Pol's the smartest. Archer seems to be, but I think...

 

Archer is portrayed as making decisions that work out in the end, but T'Pol's character shows much more forethought and experience before doing things. It's lucky Archer's the captain - that way the writers can make a happy ending even when he makes a stupid, rash decision. Let's say T'Pol was the captain and things worked out - who would you all think was smarter: The person who wings it and goes on a gut feeling or the person with experience who can back up their actions before they even take place? The only reason Archer looks smarter than T'Pol is that his decisions often go against hers and actually work out; however, we don't know what would've happened if he'd actually follow her advice once in a blue moon - it might be even better.

 

Malcolm was pretty thick at the start and just wanted to whip out his phaser and start shooting anytime an alien appears. Trip also likes to whip out his phaser pretty fast, but I don't mean his sidearm. Phlox is very smart, but too constrained by morals which makes him less than pragmatic at times. Hoshi and Mayweather may be idiot savants, but I'm still waiting for their skills to actually be of real value more than once every 15 or so episodes.

 

Porthos should get some points just for not making bad decisions (compared to the others).

[Theunicornhunter 2]

If I understand what you're all saying...T'Pol is the smartest because of dogmatic adherence to her cultural mores. Those cultural dictates that made such alliances as those with Andoria and the race in the episode Dawn - oh wait -

 

A space exploring race that doesn't understand - or even have the desire to understand other cultures doesn't seem practical or "intelligent" to me. And a scientist that isn't "curious" still boggles the mind. It's curiosity that inspires discovery.

[Red Shirt Volunteer 0]

Something like that, yeah.

 

Curiosity is what inspires children to open Christmas presents early and kills cats. Need and the desire to improve also inspire discovery. Let's see what Trip's intelligence has brought the crew:

 

- getting himself pregnant.

- losing his shirt on Risa, and not in the way he wanted to.

- bad relations with an alien race due to indirectly causing a suicide by forcing his mores on one of its members.

- pretty well killing himself in an experiment inspired by curiosity, but luckily subsequently receiving the benefits of having a clone grown conveniently.

 

Hmm, what's next?

 

To be honest, Trip's my favourite character, but I can't see him as a leader. Too hot a temper and too quick to take action without thinking of the consequences.

Edited February 9, 2004 by Red Shirt Volunteer

[vold 0]

Come to think of it Porthos is quite smart.

 

He practically understands everything the people says, Archer says something & the dog responds to it appropreately.

[vold 0]

To be honest, Trip's my favourite character, but I can't see him as a leader.  Too hot a temper and too quick to take action without thinking of the consequences.

Not everyone likes to lead, they prefer to do what they do best.

 

like in Starship Troopers series.

 

After Razak's death, Riko was suppose to be the next "Lt."

 

Man he hated that position, he prefer to shoot Bugs & take orders rather then be incharge of many people's lives at his hand.

 

& when it comes to fighting enemies like those Bugs, choices are very important & need to be made "fast".

[MoulinRouge 0]

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.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Red Shirt, I gotta agree that Reed and Trip were first class dufus' on Risa.

 

But Trip didn't cause someone else's suicide. The being's culture limited its options. If you broke up with a lover and that person commited suicide from despair would you be responsible? Actually I thought the logic in that entire episode was tenuous. He was actually following Archer's example and it was Archer's inability to see what kind of influence he was having that kept me from voting for Archer.

 

And in Similitude Trip was injured trying to save the ship after a malfunction resulting from contact with an foreign microbe.

 

As for leadership, I think Cease Fire and Extinction show he is more than capable.

 

I really don't know why you're so hostile towards curiosity - have you ever watched the sense of wonder in a small child's eyes when they explore their world. That is curiosity at its finest. Personally I've taken classes in Chemistry and Astronomy just because I am fascinated with the subjects - so it is difficult for me to see how anyone can be a scientist without being curious about how the world works. And I guess that's why I have a hard time with T'Pol - science is fascinating - she makes it so boring.

[edmcgon 0]

All of the characters have "book smarts". But for wisdom, I would turn to Phlox.

[Red Shirt Volunteer 0]

Hi TUH,

 

I was just being facetious about curiosity. I do think it's important, but that there are other more important factors in determining intelligence. Curiosity alone doesn't do it.

 

And yes, Trip is smart, but he gets too excited at times, which is sure to rub a lot of people the wrong way sooner or later. He's certainly had his moments and is maturing as a leader, but at the moment I don't see it.

 

A lot of T'Pol's reactions, to me anyway, are a result of her trying to counter the initial overenthusiasm of the humans (not so much in the 3rd season as the earlier ones) and offer another point of view. If she were too open to their ideas, it might dilute what she has to say too much.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

I was just being facetious about curiosity.  I do think it's important, but that there are other more important factors in determining intelligence.  Curiosity alone doesn't do it.

 

Agreed but it always bothered me the disdainful way they said Vulcans do not experience curiosity. How boring...

[Red Shirt Volunteer 0]

Yes, it is quite boring. But I've always assumed they were just denying their feelings to maintain an air of superiority over what they once were (out of control emotionally). They see that aspect of their own history in humans, perhaps moreso in Andorians, which influences their relations with those, and all, species. It'd sure be nice if they'd let loose now and then.

[chunderfish 0]

I surprised myself and voted for Trip - I was all ready to vote T'Pol because of her breadth of experience in many fields but then I remembered that over the series I have seen Trip sit at every station on the bridge and handle it competently and use a certain amount medical knowledge too.

[Nemesis 0]

You left out Porthos, but out of those selections I must say Hoshi and Phlox

[Admiral Kirk 1]

I voted for Archer. I think he has a lot of street smarts.

[ILIKESEVEN 0]

I say T, pol is the smartest

 

Best looking person, but nobody can have her

 

 

 

...........................................................................................

 

alleen beffen als hij gewassen is hoor!?

[WEAREBORG4102 0]

Phlox... Hello out there? He is involved with mass transit of recombinant DNA! (transferred DNA from Tucker to creature who saved Tucker). Who else knows about so much stuff? He's got ot have street smarts to have lots of wives. I mean doctors are ranked as some of the smartest scientists out there.

[vold 0]

I agree on some of what u say about the doc, except for the wife part.

 

They don't care about he's degree.

 

"He's a male, that's all that matters."

 

That's what all his wife would say.

[mj 7]

I chose Phlox, in part because of his many advanced degrees, indicating vast technical expertise. But also when particpating in scientific exchanges, he also seeks to learn about the culture of the world he visits. He is always learning, and not just as a scientist/medical practitioner, but also living being experiencing perspectives and products of different cultures.

 

Remember how delighhted he was with Chinese food? Remember when he explored the religious beliefs of that group the suliban was hiding in?

Edited February 14, 2004 by mjham