I can’t believe viva never thought of that!
(granted, she is a chick, and therefore not a sick twisted bastard like all us dudes…)
wait, also, in this episode, Malcom has his team training, and his team is Trip, Mayweather, Hoshi (??? But she was kicking butt), and T’Pol, but none of his security guys. Huh?
Vulcan pimples?
I care more for the characters and their mission/plight when they have some character development. T’Pol has more depth now, but it’s so un-Vulcan. Archer is the same, but I liked seeing more development of Trip and Reed anyway.
Reed stated he is from a military family but chose Starfleet. There is more in his past that must account for his hostility and paranoia but they are really dragging out the explanation. I hope it’s not just “Father was so strict and berating.”
In the combat training, Reed sneered and enjoyed it when his people kicked ass, but became pissy when they were bested. Paraphrasing Wearia on Reed, do any debilitating kicks and punches but don’t draw a drop of blood from one of My guys. However, it did give Fairweather a chance to take out some aggression at being given limited scene time. Hoshi did well, but overall the MACOs should perform better than Starfleet or they are a sorry excuse for an elite squad.
T’Pol must actually not be Vulcan. She’s just a Vulgarian pretending to be a Vulcan. Oddly enough, her comment at the end that she always wanted to explore human sexuality and that Trip was just an opportunity could be logical from a pure Vulcan, but the rest of her character development doesn’t fit … That’s too confusing … If she were a Vulcan of even 1000 years ago I could see that their culture would still be trying to adopt Logic while still trying to control their emotional side. But Spock has set the bar on how a Vulcan thinks and lives. Considering him at the 90% point of the Bell curve and then maybe T’Pol could be at the 40% mark and still want to do the rhythmic fluid exchange - for purely clinical reasons, of course.
In the end, T’Pol was sitting, legs crossed, coyly looking up from her “coffee”. Her dialogue was testing, teasing, backpedaling, and baiting. Quite un-Vulcan, but a view into a richer character. So I’m torn, because she’s not being Vulcan, but could develop into a rich character.
Trip seems to be an engineer nerd who is a gentleman too. (Kirk: “Scotty - studying those technical journals again?” Scotty: “Aye!” Kirk: “I thought I told you to rest.” Scotty: “Aye, I am restin’”) If they want Archer/T’Pol they need to give Archer some personality. I see Trip/T’Pol only if Trip wants to step up to command instead of stay Chief Engineer. Trip needs to be more assertive to keep up with T’Pol.
Everyone hails Phlox, and I like the character, but whenever he isn’t central to the plot they really seem to screw with his ethics. The patient says he wants to go back to his ship and be left alone, but Phlox still treats him, and wakes him even when the patient is in pain.
The TARM is just a tease, but because of Bergama’s idea of forced plot development I feel that their conversation went something like, “You know, we need to spice things up a bit. Let’s just throw in Another alien who wants to destroy Earth too. I don’t know why, but let’s do it anyway, m’kay?”
Now, to the list:[ul][li]The “Last time on Enterprise” was long and disjoint. I think it was more confusing than helpful. Especially since some plot elements were chronologically mixed up.[]The MACO kissing Trip should have been expected, but then again I’ve given hour long massages to friends and didn’t expect anything to go further, and it didn’t.[]No nod to Christmas since it’s December 27th?[]Now that this director wants weird and annoying camera angles, I noticed Archer’s desk has that same trapezoidal look common in the TOS desk furniture.[]When Archer said, “Let’s take a look” at T’Pol’s revelation of the “extremely strong gravametric disturbance” I really hope that the off-screen bridge dialogue took some precautions when approaching this potential death trap. These guys are really too cavalier sometimes.[]Since T’Pol’s diagram showed the 5 Spheres as being rather planar, I guess it’s logical that the Anomaly Region would be rather 2-dimensional, but they’ve really “got to start thinking three-dimensionally.”[]T’Pol mentioned fraternizing with a subordinate and Trip countered that the MACO was not Starfleet so it’s okay, but having them assigned to the ship means they are in the chain of command and fraternization rules should apply.[]The TARM says he’s a prisoner, but says that he’s from a trans-dimensional realm. A little suspicious, but maybe he’s pretending to be a white-collar criminal with scientific knowledge and not just a petty thief who’s only hope is agreeing to be a guinea pig. ??[]T’Pol relating to Trip what Sim said. WOW, that’s a moral violation of a privileged conversation. Meow![]Transitioning from the T’Pol/Trip sex scene to the disintegrating TARM scene - ewww[]Phlox is getting too many human mannerisms. TARM: “Am I going to die?” Phlox: “I’m doing everything I can” while shaking his head “No”. Phlox: “You get some rest” while shaking his head “Yes”. So if the mannerism affirms the statement then Phlox subliminally said “No, you’re going to die.”[]The TARM notices his hand phasing and was surprised at knocking out Phlox by phasing. So he checks a wall (Hmm, I can phase through it) and proceeds to walk through without the slightest bit of caution or wonder or surprise. So either he expected this ability or he’s a REALLY quick study.[]Ditto the stupidity of the TARM walking through walls but not through the deck.[]Then in the Engine Room the TARM can apparently SELECTIVELY phase through the warp core and not, oh, sink into it! Boy, he IS a quick study.[]Ditto the stupidity of Reed and Hayes shooting through the TARM at the warp core.Ditto Wearia’s the comment that Reed knows a lot about the warp engines to be able to think up the ubiquitous “reversing the polarity” solution.[/ul][/li][quote=vivalostwages]
You don’t misapply yourself. (Or do you?)
[/quote]
If you misapplied yourself I bet you Would do neural damage.
Trek News … [sup]We Retort[/sup] [sub]You Deride[/sub]
Trek is now Days of Our Lives for the geek set.
Bergama, “As the Stomach Turns and like Panda through Our Ass, these are the Daze of our Lies.”
And if she is actually a Vulcan, and this is what she’s like when she’s not in Ponn Farr – look out, because when Ponn Farr hits, she’s going to turn into an atomic bomb! :eek:
Nitpick on Reed getting pissed at Hayes: He wasn’t angry because the fight drew blood. He was angry because the MACO fighting Mayweather had The Silent One in a decidedly defeated position, and then threw him down anyway. It wasn’t the violence; it was the gratuitous slam after an obvious victory. Basically, Malcolm tossed a flag and called unnecessary roughness.
Another grammar nitpick: T’Pol used data as a singular noun again. “The data is…” This is the second time in a month.
I didn’t care much for this episode, though I’ll admit there was a lot to like. There was some really snappy character-based writing, particularly in the scene between Trip and Reed in the mess hall. One of the things that’s been bugging me is how “on-the-nose” the dialogue usually is. That’s a term of dramatic analysis to refer to lines that exactly reflect what the character is thinking and feeling.
Example of on-the-nose dialogue:
SCENE: In a bar
MAN: Hello.
WOMAN: Hello.
MAN: I’m sitting next to you because I want to take you home, or at least get your phone number.
WOMAN: I’m not walking away, because I like the way you look and see some potential here.
MAN: I am extremely horny but I’m not going to be a jerk about it.
WOMAN: I can tell, and I appreciate your restraint.
MAN: I’m going to buy you a drink as an excuse to continue this conversation.
WOMAN: I’m hoping you spend the money on a brand-name liquor instead of the cheap-ass well stuff.
And so on. Enterprise has really suffered from this; the fact that the dialogue so specifically mirrors the internal life of the characters makes the people seem flat and shallow, as if they don’t have anything else going on under the skin than what we’re hearing them talk about. This episode, finally, gets away from this a bit, and that’s a welcome development.
However, I’m pissed at what they’re doing to T’Pol. She’s interesting: but she’s not a Vulcan. I don’t know what the hell she is, but certainly ain’t from Spock’s planet. I complained about this months ago, and it’s even more true now: The Enterprise writers see T’Pol as incomplete, that she isn’t “fully human” and that’s a tragedy somehow, instead of seeing her as a complete being of her own. That’s just messed up; it’s patronizing and stupid and betrays the writers’ lack of imagination. So now they’re having her be jealous and clingy and spiteful (poking the MACO chick in the back made me roll my eyes), and it’s just wrong.
And the actual story? Yawn. “Trans-dimensional being.” What the hell ever.
Random notes: Travis had more lines in this one episode than in all the episodes so far this season put together. I wonder if he pulled something.
And I thought it would have been funny when Archer was chewing out Reed and Hayes, and yelled, “Settle it!” if they’d looked at each other and shrugged and then started fighting again. 
So it’s the same thing I keep saying: They’re so damn close. I keep tuning in, and I keep seeing them miss the middle of the target by not very much, but it seems obvious that off the middle of the target is what they’re deliberately aiming at, which is driving me freakin’ nuts.
And TLC is screwing up Junkyard Wars, too. Well, at least Jon Stewart is still on the air…
Couple of things:
T’Pol is insane by Vulcan standards. Remember Season II?
Pon Farr is the time when Vulcans HAVE TO mate. Though precious little canon is said about it, I have come to the conclusion that Vulcanians can indeed mate outside of pon farr. But, it’s pon farr, plak tow, or death every seven years. Regardless of how much (or little) tail they’re getting. Vulcans seem capable of rishathra, also.
And remember Tuvok saying, “It’s all green on the inside.”?
[Scotty] It’s … it’s Green! [/Scotty]
[Kermit] It ain’t easy bein’ Green. [/Kermit]
I think T’Pol is actually a Romulan … or Green Orion Slave Girl in drag.
I thought the MACO chick was hot, but then I’ve always preferred my women to have some… er… substance to them. T’Pol makes me think of a stick insect with a boob job and a bee allergy.
I don’t find Jolene Blalock attractive at all. She’s not ugly, but she sure isn’t pretty either. If you can count a woman’s ribs underneath her breasts, she’s just too thin.
Is it just me, or did the MACO chick look an awful lot like Hilary Swank?
Jeez, am I the only person that was hoping for something like a plot?
Trip and T’Pol get it on; Panda Chow (now with a hint of lesbianism)
Malcolm and Hayes fight it out; Something for the violence fanboys
Everyone else; stay out of the way, no character development for you this week
Mysterious alien gives one line of foreshadowing; The story arc moves another inch
All this and space grabbling hooks.
“…with my last breath, I will grabble with thee…”
I thought of it, you Sick Twisted Bastard, but I wasn’t going to mention it. 
*Armpit Archer!
Did anyone else notice this? It occurs at the beginning of the scene when Archer is going to chew out Reed and Hayes. Archer has his right hand stuck up under his left armpit. He frees it as he approaches the two knuckleheads, but it was quite distracting for me. Or maybe I’m just easily distracted. I’m certainly easily amused.
Any guesses as to what he was up to?
My guesses:
-
He realized he’d forgotten to put deodorant under one pit and was trying to cover it up.
-
He was planning to make his hand smelly so he could shove it in their faces as a penalty–but was called away by the doctor at the last minute.
-
He hurt a muscle under there doing Pilates the other night…Oh, wait a minute. That was me.
See? I told you I was easily amused.
Armpit Archer, the new action figure, coming soon to Amazon!
Hey, Cervaise, over in Livejournal land, there’s an anonymous post where someone’s undying lust for you is revealed. And **Miller ** too. Apparently, the poster wants a menage a trois.
Even more shockinly, a couple posts down, someone mentioned me. :eek:
God damn it… someone take **cplant ** to Decon and rub him down already. I can’t keep making all these typos.
At least he didn’t pull out his hand and smell it.
Sometimes, when I get nervous, I stick my fingers under my arms and then I smell them, like this.