I have to completely disagree with this review. "United" has the most TOS feeling of any episode this season. Archer's willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good, even before the discovery of the "loophole," is a very Kirk-like moment. (Yes, one may question the logic and wisdom of having the commander of the ship put himself in this position, but I thought it was clever how this was addressed in the episode itself, when Archer explains his reasoning to T'pol.)
The point of the duel was to provide a "test" for Archer and company. Just how far are the humans willing to go to forge the alliance? Archer realized that he the fight with Shran is a symbolic act as well. He could have easily stepped aside and allowed the alliance to fall apart, but Archer realizes that there's more at stake than just the single "maurader."
We know, of course, that a full-scale war with the Romulans is just a few years away, and it's possible Archer has already guessed that the Romulans want to destablize the quadrant.
We've seen the origins of the Federation at the end of "United." Perhaps we'll see the beginning of the Romulan Wars in "The Aenar."
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, cigar in one hand, favorite beverage in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming WOO HOO - What a Ride!"
Like "The Forge", "United" was one of the finest episodes of the the entire series... jam-packed with drama, pathos, action... fully able to stand comparison with any good episode of Next Gen...
...and yet here we have yet another dismissive review, focusing on nit-picks. Unbelievable.
A cursory examination of O'Deus' reviews for this season leaves the impression that the high point so far is "Observer Effect"... not a bad show... but the best of Season 4? Can anyone take this guy seriously?
O'Deus should have been pink-slipped long ago...
Deus don't listen to most of these retards. They would say an episode of Enterprise was genious even if it showed a Turd orbiting Vulcan for 45min.
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An Andorian turd in orbit of Vulcan would be very, very symbolic... an allegory for the tensions that fight against the very formation of the Federation! It just might take all of 41 minutes and 30 seconds to drive that point home most fully!!
But then again, I'll watch anything if it's in HDTV.
I found this episode much improved over last week and quite enjoyable.
And were they Battlestars in the group of ships at the end? :)
this is the best episode of Enterprise and one up there with City on the Edge of Forever and the like... and yet a review that says it's just average. ah well, it doesn't matter i guess. count me as one indifferent fan =).
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LET THEM DIE!!!
This was a good episode! I thought it was a lot better than the setup episode last week. There were lots of moments that really made me think of TOS. I thought Archer was pretty darn good on this run as well.
First off, can anyone deny getting a bit of the chills when the Enterprise soared over Reed and Trip to pick them up? I always wanted to see that happen in Star Trek. The ship-as-character aspect has always been weak on Enterprise and I think that was redeemed here. As was seeing the entire Andorian/Vulcan fleet go to warp next to Trip and Reed. A neat persepctive.
Next, go Shran. I loved the love story. And I wasn't upset with the resolution because he really didn't want to kill Archer and he absolutely puts his faith in his own Andorian traditions. When he realized the trouble Archer went through just to adhere to traditions that weren't his own, I think Shran was impressed and his willingness to unite with the humans was solidified. He accepted, however reluctantly, the sacrifice he was dealt for the probable peaceful outcome and for the greater good. Very TOS. Not to mention the symbolism behind the loss of the antennae. While a very Kirk-ish way to get out of a morality jam (for Archer), it also symbolized the "loss of balance" Shran was experiencing by losing his partner.
Another enjoyable moment was when they were discussing the ships of the line. The past Enterprises and the past Andorian ice-cutter, what will the future bring? We all know, of course, and seeing them wonder about it, I would think hit home with many ST fans.
I enjoyed this one. There is a lot of tension ready to pop next week, although these promos really don't do the episodes justice at all. They made next week look like its out of this arc. We'll see.
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I agree. I enjoed this episode much more than Babel One for many of the same reasons that you did. While I find Deus' reviews interesting at times, I just don't watch Enterprise like a reviewer. I go with my gut, and this episode was one of my favorite Enterprise episodes of this year.
I will be aad to see Enterprise go. I've enjoed it more this year than ever because of episodes like this.
Your constant meaningless criticisms and pointless nit-picking contributed to the cancellation of ENTERPRISE! You represent TrekWeb, a major internet discussion site and area for Trek fans to congregate on the web. Paramount Execs visit this site and read your reviews every week. You "represent" us, even though we pretty much hate your insipid reviews. They don't reflect actual opinions at all; you simply criticise because that's how you see your "job."
So, I say a hearty CONGRATULATIONS to you for contributing to the death of Star Trek. Your name is up there with Berman and Braga's! I hope that makes you feel warm and fuzzy tonight when you gloat to your friends that you helped kill Trek. Well done.
As for Steve, thanks for running this site. It's too bad ENT is gone, because your site is now going to suffer. However, you kept Deus on even after many posts complaining about him and what he was doing to Trek's reputation. Why? He doesn't have sole blame for killing Trek, obviously, but he's a contributer. All bashers are, but he's the "voice" of your webiste. Why, Steve? WHY?
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Geez, 7.5 is still a very good score.
It's not like every episode can score 10.
The problem is that many reviews don't actually use the entire scale, but give even mediocre games/movies seven or eights, so the scales get watered out and when a reviewer actually does use the entire scale, everybody starts moaning...
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"Ich habe es satt allein aufzustehn // als Erster zu sehn // Dass ich noch leb"
"I'm fed up with getting up alone // To be the first to see // That I'm still alive"
- Rosenstolz, "Ich will mich verlieben"
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I know when the president of UPN called me last week I probably shouldn't have told him to go ahead and cancel Star Trek. But well I felt he deserved my honest opinion. I also probably should not have told Harry Truman to nuke Hiroshima but what's done is done. I do apologize for whatever impact these actions of mine have had on you and hope someday when your skin grows back you can forgive me.
I i know you have thought of me as a god and rightly so...you have bowed to me in submission and subserviantly shown homage to me as a man far greater than yourself...and that is good of you to do... but I really don't have the power to cancel Star Trek, nor do UPN executives make decisions based on my episode reviews. The ratings for the series which were in the basement I suspect might have had more to do with it than my reviews.
We're all upset about Enterprise bring cancelled but there's no reason to be a jerk about it, okay?
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"The ratings for the series which were in the basement I suspect might have had more to do with it than my reviews."
You don't think your reviews had any impact on the amount of viewers? Give me a break. If a show gets a great review, people will tune in and give it a chance. If a show gets a bad review then people won't tune in. It's as simple as that. That's the impact that reviewers have. I'm not saying give the show a good review every time, I'm saying you should be fair with it. You never were. You criticised it mercilessly, nitpicking and complaining about ridiculous things. ENT had its flaws, but it was leagues above the likes of VOY. You criticise because that's your job as a CRITIC.
Face it, Deus, you helped kill the show. Your sarcasm is unnecessary, unless you're using it to minimize your own guilty conscience.
"We're all upset about Enterprise bring cancelled but there's no reason to be a jerk about it, okay?"
OH - you're upset about it, are you? After all your constant complaining? After giving great eps like the Spiner trilogy bad reviews? Save it, punk. Go have a drink with B&B and leave the real fans alone for a change.
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My reviews come in after an episode airs and pretty much everyone who reads the review has seen the episode. Which means if anyone stops watching Enterprise it's because they're not happy with the show. No one ever stopped watching a tv show because it got bad episode reviews. If anyone here has, please speak up now.
....
Right no one.
Fact of the matter is I gave Enterprise episodes reviews that were good or bad depending on what the episode merited. I was kinder to it than many critics.(If you want harsh reviews take a look at TWOP.)
A true fan is a critical fan. A fan who has no taste and just attaches himself to a series defending any episode is a zombie fan with no inteligence or critical thinking skills. He's the kind of fan that CEO's love and that is the kiss of death for creativity.
If there are any fans who killed Star Trek it is the zombie fans who were prepeared to accept anything B&B made without objection or dissent until it was too late. If fandom had spoken up 7 years ago, Star Trek would be healthy and vital and around.
You want to blame someone, as Kira said to Damar...look in a mirror. The guilty conscinece is usually to be found in the person most determined to blame others. Like you.
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Freak.
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The autumn days swung soft around me, like cotton on
my skin. But as the embers of the summer lost their
breath and disappeared, my heart went cold, and
only hollow rhythms resounded from within.
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He's a reviewer. The whole point of a review is to critique whatever it is the person is reviewing. Deus is merely providing an analysis of the episode. If all reviewers did was gush, then there wouldn't really be a point.
Besides, nitpicking on things is what sci-fi fans tend to do best.
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Scientists discover the world that exists;
engineers create the world that never was.
-Theodore von Kármán
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I think you're going a little over the top here. While some execs have been heard to visit sites from time to time, I doubt Les Moonves checked it every week to see what Deus thought of the episode. And even if he did, he wouldn't cancel a series based on some fan sites scathing reviews.
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"Outer Space: The Last Frontier.
These are the trips of the Star Trek Enterprise. Its five year plan calls for us to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly fly where no man has gone in space. Live long, and be happy."
Patrick Stewart--SNL, Stardate 9402.05
I recommend going to TREKTODAY for episode reviews. Regardless of whether you agree with O Deus or not, the reviews over there are far better written, thoughtful and detailed. Deus' recent efforts are half-baked and lackluster and just reek of indifference. That's a shame since the episodes are getting better.
Deus, you never ceize to amaze me. Shrans personal feelings of loss is what I consider the best part of this episode. It fleshes out the character like never before. This was about "Shran" being a living creature and he didn't let the Tellerites get away with murdering his friends and his beloved one. For once, death isn't watered down to a "lets just move on from here" attitude. Shrans sense of dignity requires he takes revenge, as does his cultural background, as does his feelings of sorrow. He uses his own importance, to get what he wants. That's the kind of character oriented development that makes a story come alive.
The rest was great too. Seemed like a perfect blend of meaningful conversation, action, and humour. Loved the acting.
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By the title of the episode, I expected to agree with Deus for once...but I don't. I do agree that this episode was serviceable but missing something. I was let down because an ep with story my Manny Coto and script by the Reeves-Stevens should have been flawless, right? That's our dream team, right??? And it was just okay. Unlike Deus, however, I enjoyed the Shran stuff. It was easy to see that Shran didn't WANT to fight once he knew Archer was his opponent, and after his talk with Archer he knew that the fight might jeopardize an alliance. Thus, he didn't really relish fighting Archer...but, like the poster above said, it's clear that his character and culture would not allow him to back down. He promised to avenge his mate's death, and until that obligation was honored, his course was set. I though the weak parts were the part where Trip and Reed were stranded in space and then rescued 20 seconds later, and the almost schmaltzy now-we're-all-friends dialogue at the end. I think I might not have changed the lines, but I might have taken the smugness out of it...and the certainty...and made everyone reluctantly accept that this is a good idea and MAYYYBE one they can embrace in time. I mean, imagine Bush and Bin Laden being so very chummy after one Taliban ship rescues the crew of one American ship. Not to trivialize 9/11, etc., it's just the only metaphor that came to mind. Shran should have been more wracked with guilt about allying with the Tellarites. The Tellarite should have been more gruff about the whole affair.
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I don't know how this whole plot line will finish and I expect we will never know. However as an analogy, how many times have the Israelis and Palestinians shook hands at some ceremony (and the participants collected Nobel Peace Prizes) only for the whole thing to collapse a few months, if not a few years later?
I think to argue that the hand-shake between the Tellarites and Andorians is "the end" does not take into account the fact that some 100 years later, the tensions between the two were exploited by the Orions in TOS "Journey to Babel", which this arc is developing the background for.
At least this storyline is correctly establishing the relationships because the B's didn't have a clue. Witness the whole stupidity of having Vulcans and Andorians engaged in active hostilities all because they didn't bother watching the damn episode all the way through and thought that the Orion infiltrator disguised as an Andorian, was really an Andorian. And thus they assumed that meant that Andorians hated Vulcans and wanted to get back at them by framing Sarek for the death of the Tellarite Ambassador.
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"I think the show talked to people through the characters. They're stories that speak to the heart. They talk about love, they talk about friendship, they talk about loyalty, they talk about patriotism, exploration, curiosity, reaching out... And I think all those things still touch people. Even when you look at a 30-year old show, it still has something to say." - D.C. Fontana, Sci Fi Channel Special Edition TOS 1998
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"If the season finale involves the re-built USS Reliant coming back in time to the 21st Century crewed by Moogie, Dr. Selar, Morn, Transporter Chief Kyle, and the Salt Vampire, then we'll know that Coto has gone too far." - tomba1701
Quote:
Especially as the drone proves to be little match for even Enterprise, let alone Andorian or Vulcan ships which are supposed to be more powerful, and its only ability to cloak itself is quickly neutralized.
Huh? Once the drone dropped the holographic shenanigans it was more like Enterprise was no match for it. Enterprise couldn't even hit it.
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"Ich habe es satt allein aufzustehn // als Erster zu sehn // Dass ich noch leb"
"I'm fed up with getting up alone // To be the first to see // That I'm still alive"
- Rosenstolz, "Ich will mich verlieben"
I know that O and I have had our battles going back more than a few years. But really, why even bother to review at this point, it is truly a fruitless exercise.
Enterprise is dead. They did the best they could. No matter how you feel about that, it's the truth. I doubt anyone, especially this season, was just phoning it in. I can see where it might be helpful to review if it would have any sort of meaningful impact on the future, but it won't. The reviews at this point, like the remaining episodes, are exercises in futility............
United was a decent episode, though nowhere near as strong as Babel One. Part of the problem, I think, is that its a "middle episode". It doesn't start anything, it doesn't finish anything, and it just serves to push the action along to the conclusion.
That being said, there are some great parts here, and once again I'm impressed with the special effects. That scene of the Enterprise coming into view above Trip and Reed was awesome, and I thought the "flitty" movements of the drone were pretty cool.
Not a bad episode, but not groundbreaking.
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Scientists discover the world that exists;
engineers create the world that never was.
-Theodore von Kármán
I thought it was a nice throwback to Amok Time & the like. and instead of "reducing" the alliance of the Federation to a shran/ archer duel, I thought it served as a nice metaphor for all the crap that these two spieces would have to deal with when they joined together to form the federation -- having to learn how to live insde each other's cultures without having it completely evaporate.
That and there was good camera work in this episode as well, Archer's pre-duel bit was great. Also the scads and scads of in-continuity references, that didn't overpower the episode, but gave it a very nice texture that was sorely missing from ENT's prequel in past times.
PErsonally, I liked this more than the preceeding episode.
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An elephant never forgets . . .TO KILL!
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