# Enterprise-Proving Ground spoilers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409 "2004-01-21T02:55:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/41 "2004-01-23T23:12:45Z")
I didn’t care for Vertigo, i thought it lacked any payoff at the end. But Rear Window was awesome, as was the Man Who Knew Too Much remake. Jimmy Stewart was a cool actor. And now i see the smilies have become bleached in the latest upgrade! ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/42 "2004-01-24T00:18:00Z")
[Stanley] BLANCHE, uh, I mean STELLA! [/Stanley] [Blanche] I have always depended on the color of smilies. [/Blanche] ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/43 "2004-01-24T01:42:21Z")
The smilies are still Albino. That gene isn’t recessive no more! Soon we will all be one with the unpigmented! ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/44 "2004-01-24T20:08:38Z")
Where’ve all the hijinks and hijacks gone? This episode must’ve been pretty subpar. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/45 "2004-01-24T20:15:08Z")
The hijinks n’ jacks tend to increase when there’s more stuff to make fun of. This one was pretty good; thus…not quite so many jokes. Plus, some of our regulars have not seen it yet…like YOU. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/46 "2004-01-24T20:35:38Z")
Yeah, but DSL! ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/47 "2004-01-24T23:31:41Z")
Yeah, but Time Management! 😃 I have been schlepping heavy bags o’ crap between two campuses, teaching five comp. courses, working on the ENT Project, working on a new short story, prepping 3 screenplays for Scriptapalooza, dealing with faculty stuff, going through a trauma with my car, finding time to tape TV shows for Certain People, and still finding time to comment on said shows and Dope. **vivathebraggart** ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/48 "2004-01-25T06:32:07Z")
[I got it](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0182503/)!!! ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/49 "2004-01-25T07:14:19Z")
> [@Corner Case](#): > > The problem with perspective and the view of the Ball around the moon is harder. You’d have to have a Hitchcockian lens effect (i.e. pull the camera back while focussing the lens in - help requested Cervaise) to have the Ball big enough with the moon in the background. Anyway, the scales just don’t seem to work. Maybe the Xindi weapon is a [hoberman sphere](http://www.exploratoriumstore.com/hoberman.html)… ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/50 "2004-01-25T11:27:01Z")
Okay, I finally saw the ep earlier tonight. Generally solid and enjoyable, though I’m still nagged by troubling thoughts about how _Enterprise_ grade inflation makes a B episode seem like an A. I’m also a little worried about the gigantic recap at the beginning. It just goes to show how little faith the network has in the show; this is obviously designed to hook new viewers, and the massive information upload says everything about how the network thinks casual viewers need to be brought up to date. **Corner Case** is correct that better writing could integrate this information into the show. Physics nitpick: When the Andorians dumped the Xindi Fun Ball from their cargo hold, note how it _coasted to a stop._ In the zero-g vacuum of space. Yeah. However, towards the end, when Shran is in his ready room and gets the alert that Enterprise is approaching, it cracked me up how his antennae immediately stood to attention. Nice detail; the costume and effects people must be giggling furiously on the set as they manipulate the mechanics for these. If the show were this good every week, I’m not sure I’d love it, but I sure wouldn’t complain about it as much as I have. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/51 "2004-01-25T16:01:30Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Physics nitpick: When the Andorians dumped the Xindi Fun Ball from their cargo hold, note how it _coasted to a stop._ In the zero-g vacuum of space. Yeah. > . It’s because they were at warp. Once out of the warp field, the Xindi Happy Fun Ball _mut_ stop, because there is no inertia when travelling at warp. Consistent with Trek canon, amazingly enough. Even though I missed a litttle bit of info (answering the rap rod), in regards to Quantum knowing that Shrann was up to something (though he knew not what), I still think it was an unwise descision to jump ahead the few hours and have the Blues be the ones toactually take hold of the XHFB. Stupid command descision! Stupid! Stupid! If Quantum cared about his mission, he would’ve made sure _HE_ had physical posession of XHFB. Poor writing of a meaty point in an otherwise good ep, imho. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/52 "2004-01-25T20:46:17Z")
> [@drewbert](#): > > Maybe the Xindi weapon is a [hoberman sphere](http://www.exploratoriumstore.com/hoberman.html)… Just so long as it wasn’t a Haberman cut. (Scanners do, in fact, live in vain, y’know.) ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/53 "2004-01-25T21:37:06Z")
Zeke has been slow with these, but here is… [Five-Minute “North Star”](http://www.treknation.com/reviews/fiver/north_star.shtml) * * * And…Would Shran call Mayweather “Blackskin” or Phlox “spottedskin” ? Isn’t it presumptuous to call us all pink? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/54 "2004-01-25T22:09:12Z")
Hm. Maybe it shows that us whiteys still dominate human society in the immediate future? Sort of blows that whole “racism and prejudice has been eliminated now” line that we’ve been hearing ever since Picard first uttered it back in the 80s. Also, where’re all the purple Andorians, yellow Orions, and albino Klingons? ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/55 "2004-01-26T06:15:51Z")
Ummm…Presumably those races are monochrome? There were dark-skinned Vulcans, though. I thought maybe Shran was just showing how narrow-minded he and his kind can be. Hey, wanna hear the ultimate insult? I was leaving phone messages for UPN tonight, and they had the audacity to play the theme music from Jake 2.0 while I was waiting for the Audix. The bastids!! How could they be so cruel? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/56 "2004-01-26T07:11:57Z")
Whoa, whoa… you’re taking a second page post seriously. You should know better than that. 😛 (Although I still think there should be purple Andorians… that’d be cool) What’s the word on Jake? Think they’ll cave? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/57 "2004-01-26T15:03:52Z")
Remember how dark and swarthy Kilngons were in TOS? And I’ve said it before, no doubt I’ll say it again, black actors make more convincing New Klingons than caucasians do. For the most part, anyways. So, differences in pigmentation for other species? Trek should be all over that. But, it rarely has anything to say about it. Sure, first interracial kiss on TV and “But he’s black on the right side, not black on the left…” and various other things like that. But, they are few and far between. And the aliens Trek runs into (outside of this Xindi arc) are all homogenous. Never much variation at all in alien skin tone, facial features, hieght, hair type, etc… Why? Who knows what physical variations lurk in the races of aliens? The Shadowy Future Guy do! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/58 "2004-01-26T15:40:27Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Remember how dark and swarthy Kilngons were in TOS? They were copper colored in “Day of the Dove” and caucasian in “The Trouble With Tribbles”. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/59 "2004-01-26T16:04:11Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Physics nitpick: When the Andorians dumped the Xindi Fun Ball from their cargo hold, note how it _coasted to a stop._ In the zero-g vacuum of space. Yeah. Probably. Bear in mind: The Andorian ship was accelerating, so it would move away from the sphere. Perhaps it was moving slowly enough that the stars wouldn’t appear to move. The NASA animation of the rover landing on Mars makes a sound when the shield pops of before it enters the atmosphere. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409/60 "2004-01-26T17:09:16Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > There were dark-skinned Vulcans, though. There was one in [The Super Friends](http://www.seanbaby.com/superfriends/bvulcan.htm), too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enterprise-proving-ground-spoilers/225409.md?page=4)