monkee reviews 'Broken Bow'
First Impression: Star Trek Lives!
Premise: Let me just say right up front that I love the IDEA of this show, and the whole prequel concept. Don't get me wrong I love the shiny, happy universe of the Trek 23rd and 24th centuries, and I would have enthusiastically watched another series set in that time frame. But in light of the recent terrorist attacks in the United States, I've become more concerned with how humans on Earth are ever going to get from where we are now to where we want to be then. So yes, show me characters with a few lingering flaws striving to overcome their prejudices and doing the best they can as they take their first steps 'out there.' Show me the transition, so I can see if Roddenberry's vision could even conceivably happen. In this respect, 'Enterprise' couldn't be any more appropriate. I want to see the possibilities. I NEED to see them. We all do.
Characters: Enterprise has a diverse, likable cast of characters going for it right off the bat. I can already tell that I'm going to like these people they're excited, and a little nervous, to be exploring space, and their flaws are going to make them all the more interesting. It's early yet, but they seem to interact nicely, too and we've already seen more than a few meaningful sparks, both friendly and antagonistic.
A Word of Caution: Hmmm...let me think. What other recent Trek series came off the blocks strong with an outstanding premise and wonderful characters? Voyager certainly comes to mind, doesn't it? If there's any reason to be wary of Enterprise's chances, it boils down to two words Brannon Braga. Braga, Enterprise's executive producer, recently admitted that by the time Voyager drew to a close, he could barely stand to write dialog for the characters. Voyager had potential, but it never, ever came together properly. Now, that isn't entirely Braga's fault. Voyager was developed by Rick Berman, Jeri Taylor and Michael Piller Braga just inherited it, and then mismanaged it, badly. We can only hope that he'll be considerably more enthusiastic about Enterprise, since he and Berman developed it themselves. Braga is talented, and I hope he can keep focused on Enterprise, and give it the overall meaning that Voyager lacked.
The Plot: The plot is really of secondary importance in a series premiere, because they have so much to do in order to introduce the premise and the characters. And it's a good thing, too, because I thought the plot of Broken Bow was underwhelming, at best. It could have been the A-story of a regular one-hour episode, really they just added extra action sequences and skin. I've never been a fan of shoot 'em up action sequences, and as for the skin...well, more on that later. I thought the story dragged in some places, and was confusing and poorly edited in others. I didn't really care, though. For me, it was enough to get a feel for the ship, and the people. But let's take a closer look at some of the plot elements...
The Suliban: I hope they know what they're doing with the Suliban. I'm not sure it's wise to make a 'temporal cold war' and time travel an integral part of this show. It will have some advantages, of course. It will help to alleviate the pressure of remaining consistent with the established future Trek universe, for one thing. Secondly, there's almost no limit to the guest star shenanigans they can pull off during sweeps months we could see just about anyone; Janeway, Data, Q although let's hope they don't try to draw from that well too often. Time travel can get messy in a hurry, though. I hope they have a plan in mind already, because I don't think making it up as they go along is going to work. General misgivings aside, though, the Suliban were pretty cool. I like the way they can manipulate their bodies, and I like the notion that they're just an average species being used as temporal pawns. And they've already established that not ALL of the Suliban are like this, and some of them believe that the price of accelerated 'evolution' is just too high.
Vulcans: My goodness, but the Vulcans here were arrogant and condescending! Quite a contrast to the relatively affable Vulcans that greeted Zephram Cochrane at the end of 'First Contact.' But allow me to play Vulcan's advocate for a minute. At first contact, human beings had, only ten years earlier, nearly destroyed themselves in some kind of global conflict. Cochrane's accomplishment might well have seemed like a bit of a fluke to them, so perhaps they felt justified in trying to hold mankind back. They clearly have some version of the prime directive, too, which wouldn't allow them to give the humans technology. Maybe that's something the humans will come to understand, in time. They really do need the Vulcans, at this point. The scene in which Tucker nearly confronted the Lorelian woman who was weaning her child is an excellent example of the strange new worlds that the humans are venturing into. They have to be cautious, and that isn't something that comes naturally to them. They're going to need all the help they can get. Their resentment IS understandable, though, especially in the context we're given, with Archer's father not living to see the launch of the ship that he created. The human's resistance to the Vulcan's caution was probably a gradual thing that built up over decades. Finally, during the course of this episode, they took matters into their own hands a good indication that they really are ready for what lies ahead. I think the Vulcans will come to understand that, in time, too. The whole Vulcan/Human dynamic was one of my favorite parts of the show. It's complex, and not without precedent. We've seen indications that this moderately antagonistic relationship will continue into the future. Both Spock and Tuvok will later express misgivings about working so closely with humans. I look forward to seeing how this develops throughout the series.
Klingons: Well, they were consistent with the Klingons we've seen in the recent series. They still have that Klingon code of honor firmly in place, along with the misguided macho sh*t! Obviously, the show's producers have chosen to ignore a few things - the cheesy TOS Klingon make-up, for one thing, and the established story of Klingon/Human first contact, for another. The make-up doesnt bother me, and Picard's account of first contact might well have been rendered moot by the Suliban. Or it may be something that has yet to develop. Time will tell. In any case, I really liked Klaang. I was a little confused by the scene on Kronos, though. I assume that what they found in Klaang's blood was encoded information from Sarin, the 'good' Suliban, but there are unanswered questions. What will they do when they decode it? How will they feel about the human's interference? What the heck did the Klingon leader SAY to Archer? Only Sato knows, and she's not telling!
Continuity: It will be difficult for the show to remain 100% consistent with all of the future established Trek canon. I can accept this, and I'm not going to go nuts about every little detail. I do hope they make an honest effort, though.
Rigel: Unlike the frequently bland planets the more recent series encountered, Rigel had a personality. It was gritty and real, with many different species shown, and it was actually snowing! How often do we see that? I know they had a large budget to work with for this first episode, but I hope they can keep this up. The strange new worlds this crew is going to visit should actually seem, well, strange!
Earth: I was disappointed that we didn't get to see more of Earth, but I guess this is something they may be addressing later. At least I hope so. Enterprise's send-off was a little sparse, wasn't it? I mean, even on only three day's notice, it should have been a big deal. I wanted to see throngs of excited people in the streets, but all we got was what looked like the V.I.P. gallery. I loved the tip of the hat to First Contact's Zephram Cochrane, a recorded speech that was the backdrop to the ship's departure and the crew's reactions. Unfortunately, I found it a bit distracting, because I love old Zephram, and I wanted to SEE him!
Flashbacks: The flashbacks to Archer building and flying models with his father were nicely done, and effective bookends for the episode. "You shouldn't be afraid of the wind, Ensign." *Sentimental sigh.*
Okay, now let's take a quick look at each of the main characters:
Archer: I already like him! He doesn't really remind me of any of the other Captains, which is good. He's his own guy, and he seems both friendly and commanding. My favorite Archer scene? The LOOK on his face when Tucker beamed him up! That was priceless! He looked like he would much rather have taken his chances with the Suliban. My favorite Archer line? "If I'm going to pull this off, there are things I need to leave behind. Things like preconceptions, and holding grudges." With an attitude like that, I'd follow him anywhere.
T'Pol: I'm going to try very hard to keep an open mind about T'Pol, I really am. I want her to be fascinating, because she's the first Vulcan woman that we're going to get to know well. It's difficult, though, because she's so much like Seven, at least superficially. She's got the body, the catsuit, the superior attitude, even the vocal inflections! It's enough to send monkee screaming from the room! But hey, if I'm going to review this show, there are things I need to leave behind. Things like preconceptions, and holding grudges...Like I said, she COULD be an outstanding character. Let's just hope she's not as badly over-used as Seven was.
Tucker: He strikes me as very much a Riker type - affable, outgoing, and strongly supportive of his Captain. And he's got a great sense of humor. It's too soon to say much more about him. I like his southern accent, and there was a definite spark in his arguments with T'Pol. Of course, I enjoyed that spark more in the subtler scenes, not the infamous decontamination scene, but...ahem...more on that later. They've already introduced a fun quirk to Tucker he keeps knocking shuttles into things! Not hard enough to do serious damage, just hard enough to earn a scowl from his Captain. "You scratched the paint..."
Phlox: SHRIEK! Did you get a load of that 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' smile? Pretty creepy, but I kind of liked it. I think. As someone pointed out to me, Phlox seems like a Tuvixian transporter accident involving Neelix and Voyager's EMH. Interesting. I love his enthusiasm and optimism, and his...non-traditional approach to medicine. I particularly enjoyed all of his scenes with Archer.
Sato: Sato is my personal favorite character so far. I like her because she's acting much the way I figure I'd act on my first space mission. She's nervous, but she's also competent and passionate about her work. I don't think we're ever going to hear her say "Captain, I'm frightened," even if she's scared out of her mind. Also, just in general, I like the idea of having a linguist on board. The universal translator makes things just a little too neat and tidy sometimes.
Mayweather: We didn't see too much of him, but he seems like a nice guy. I think it's going to be interesting that the low-ranking helmsman is the one with the most space experience on the crew. My only problem with Mayweather so far is that he's not a woman, but more on that later.
Reed: When I saw the early pictures of the crew, and read about them, this was the one guy I didn't think I'd like. There was just something about his pinched-looking little face, I guess...But I couldn't have been more wrong! I like him much better in action. He's got a sarcastic edge to him, too, that appeals to me. And I've read that he's going to be shy around women an endearing quality, as far as I'm concerned. And he has a nice accent, too.
PORTHOS! Porthos ROCKS! The first Trek space dog! I love that there's a dog! And I LOVE that Archer pauses his logs to talk to Porthos. And Porthos listens and cocks his head! All together now, everybody...one...two...three...Awwwwwwwwww! And, you know, it has to mean something that Porthos likes T'Pol. If Porthos likes her, she can't be all bad!
WHERE ARE THE WOMEN? There are seven main characters in Enterprise, and four of them are Caucasian males. There are only TWO women! That's just wrong! Star Trek has a lot of female fans, and we'd like to see characters that we can relate to as such. What's wrong with having a more equal male/female ratio, huh? It vexes me, really it does. Now if they'd asked me (which, of course, they didn't), I would have suggested that they make Mayweather a woman. It's been a long time since we've seen a woman of African descent on the bridge, and it would have been very cool to see one flying this ship. I picture a Lily Sloane type. Just my opinion...
Seven Characters: I do think it was a good decision, however, to go with only seven characters as opposed to Voyager's nine or DS9's four hundred or so. This way, they can really develop all of them. Or at least I hope so. I can live without the 'The T'Pol Show.'
The Decontamination Scene: What the HELL was that? monkee couldn't believe her eyes! Now, don't get me wrong I am all for sensuality in Star Trek. I don't mind seeing the characters as sexual beings at all, but it's got to make SOME amount of sense, and be done with a little bit of good taste. The Tucker and T'Pol decontamination scene was completely gratuitous, and worse, it was distracting downright jarring, even! That was an important, pivotal conversation they were having, but no one even heard it! It really is possible to do a sensuous scene in a subtle, classy way. I fervently hope that Berman and Braga use a little more discretion in the future, or Star Trek will become as trashy as 'reality' television.
Other Gratuitous Scenes: Did we really need to see Archer romping around in his bright blue BVD's? Probably not. And already we've got alien women launching themselves at his lips, a la Kirk? "I need to be in close contact with you to see if you're telling the truth." Give me a freakin' break! Sigh. Oh well. Neither of those scenes was half as bad as the decontamination scene. And it might seem strange, but I didn't mind the butterfly twins at all. They were there for a reason to establish an atmosphere on Rigel. I did feel a little sorry for the butterflies, though...
Character Interactions: The Archer/T'Pol and T'Pol/Tucker scenes stood out this week, and I also enjoyed all the Archer/Phlox interactions. It looks like Reed and Mayweather are being set up to be this series' male bonding buddies. Sato and T'Pol had a couple of nice moments, too.
Potential Pairings: Heck, we might as well get started setting them up right from the start! T'Pol/Tucker is the obvious choice, although Archer and T'Pol had some chemistry, too. Personally, I'm more interested in any possible Sato pairings, but we'll have to see about that. She would seem to be a good match for either space-confident Mayweather, or girl-shy Reed. Or why not T'Pol, for that matter? I do wish one of these characters would turn out to be homosexual. I think it's about time for Trek to definitively address the issue head on, and with a major character, too.
Theme Song: A quick perusal of the internet will tell you that Star Trek's first theme song with vocals is more than a little controversial. Personally, I liked it. The lyrics are perfect for the theme of the show, and I just loved the montage of exploration clips. I'm a big space buff, so I found the nostalgia very effective. It's new. It's different. Let's give it a chance!
Best Lines:
"It's a Klingot." (Clueless Admiral, to Archer)
"The Captain won't even put his dog through it." (Mayweather, to Reed, regarding the transporter)
"You may have a life span of two hundred years. We don't." (Archer, to T'Pol)
"Could you tell him to shut up?" (Archer, to Sato)
"SHUT UP!" (Sato, to Klaang)
"That's never happened before." (Archer, to himself, after Sarin kisses him and then transforms)
"I thought I'd sedate you while the osmotic eel cauterized your wound." (Phlox, to Archer)
"Thanks." (Archer, weakly, to Phlox)
"Stun seems to work." (Archer, to Tucker)
"You tell 'em, big guy!" (Tucker, to Klaang)
"I don't particularly like the way YOU smell, either!" (Tucker, to Klaang)
"Sorry about that." (Tucker, to Archer, after rescuing him with the dreaded transporter)
"What did he say?" (Archer, to Sato)
"You don't want to know." (Sato, to Klaang)
"If I'm going to pull this off, there are things I need to leave behind. Things like preconceptions, and holding grudges." (Archer, to T'Pol)
"You can't be afraid of the wind." (Archer's Dad, to Archer)
"We can't be afraid of the wind, Ensign." (Archer, to Mayweather)
Rating: We'll go with a 9/10. I have high hopes for this show. Let's go!
Next Week: HEY! I didn't get a preview. In fact, my UPN station did split-screen previews over the closing credits, which really aggravated me. Next week's episode is entitled 'Fight or Flight,' and is apparently to feature Sato having second thoughts about serving on Enterprise. Stay tuned!
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