monkee reviews 'Cold Front'
First Impression: Excellent! The first run of episodes ends on a high note. Enterprise is off to a great start!
Temporal Cold War: First of all, I love the idea that the 22nd century, and Enterprise, are fronts in a temporal cold war. It's an interesting concept, and I think it has great potential. The thing I liked best about this episode was its ambiguity. We could assume that Crewman Daniels was working to protect history and uphold future temporal accords, but the truth is that we have no way of knowing for sure. He really could have been just another faction in the cold war we don't know what his agenda or Silik's, for that matter really was. I'm very much looking forward to seeing more of this arc throughout the series. I want to know what the shadowy future people giving Silik instructions (and genetic enhancements) are up to. My bet is it's the Vulcans. T'Pol says they don't even believe time travel is possible, or at least they don't in the 22nd century. But, we'll see about that! I'm hoping it is the Vulcans, because this series has an opportunity to tell us so much about them, and it would be an interesting development if they turned out to be behind the time interference in some way. In any case, though, it's a lot of fun to speculate, isn't it?
Title: Great episode title this week, too. Simple, but perfect.
Continuity: Could it be? Is it too much to hope that the Trek producers are finally going to be able to pull a series together neatly with the judicious use of continuity? They did an outstanding job with it this week that's for sure. Obviously, this episode built on the series premier, 'Broken Bow', but Trip's experience with the alien holodeck in 'Unexpected' was also appropriately mentioned. Would someone just tuning into this episode be confused? I really don't think so. I fervently hope they continue to do this. It isn't necessary to carry every little thing over from episode to episode, but some broad arcs would be nice. Voyager just screamed for them, and didn't really get them. I hope, I hope, I hope they learned from that mistake...
Crewman Daniels: Alas, we hardly knew him! Was he telling the truth? We'll never know for sure, but we'll have plenty to chew on for a while. He claimed to be a human, more or less (and what did THAT mean?) from nine hundred years in the future. Earth is still around, he implies, but it kind of depends on how you define 'Earth.' Interesting...I wonder if he knew Voyager's Braxton. And what would he have thought of time-travelin' Janeway?
Giza: The idea of temporal research has fascinated me ever since TOS's 'City on the Edge.' ("I...have been a fool," Spock said, when he realized he could have been recording centuries of history on his tricorder.) How cool would it be to watch the Great Pyramids be built? Or to observe, first hand, the launch of Apollo 11? Some of Trek's time travel episodes have been a bit silly and far-reaching, but I love the concept, when it isn't overused.
The Ominous Seal on the Door: I loved the last shot of the episode a close-up shot of the seal on the door to Daniel's quarters. Not since DS9 have we had such an edgy, uncertain ending!
The Dorky New Kids on the Block: Other aspects of the episode were just as strong as the temporal plot. Isn't it great when that happens? The B-story involved the novelty of space travel to this crew, my favorite Enterprise theme! Archer goes out of his way to introduce himself to the bored Captain Fraddock and his passengers, and comes off sounding wonderfully awkward. "Tell chef to prepare...something." Hee. Then Trip unwittingly gives a dumbed-down explanation of the warp engine to a warp field theorist. I love it!
Phlox and the Great Plume of Agosoria: Phlox's interactions with the spiritual pilgrims were a joy to watch. This character's intense curiosity about humans, and every other species he encounters, is quite appealing. I love how he truly wants to understand others, and not just for professional reasons. I think I read somewhere that this interest is going to be unique among his own xenophobic species. I look forward to seeing more about this. It was also nice to hear some Earth religions mentioned. Spirituality in Trek is welcome, as far as I'm concerned, as long as they don't hit me over the head with it ('Bread and Circuses,' anyone?) I especially like it when diversity is stressed, and I'm pleased to know that Enterprise has a Captain who's willing to keep an open mind about matters of faith.
A Symbol of Spiritual Renewal, or a Big Ball of Hydrogen? I wonder if we'll be seeing more of this stellar nursery. These pilgrims (including the warp theorist) believed that the universe began there, and they did give Archer that curious clock that charts time 'back to the beginning'...
Night of the Killer Androids: Movie night! Enterprise has a movie night! From now on, any episode that has a movie night gets an automatic 10! Okay, not really. But I am happy to see that the crew is beginning to socialize and bond. It was great to see Mayweather, Sato and Reed get some fun scenes, even though they weren't central to either plot. I enjoyed watching Sato goad Mayweather into trying out the 'big chair.' And Reed continues to impress me, both with his wry wit, and his sense of responsibility. It's good to know that someone on the ship is giving some thought to what the standard procedures should be.
Porthos! The fearless space pup was even there for a logical reason this week! And what acting! He barked in an alarmed way at the camouflaged Suliban in Archer's quarters! And did you catch the Porthos pathos? When his master fell, he whimpered and licked his face! Get that dog an Emmy, baby! Whatever they have to pay him (her?), they should pay it. God, I love that there's a dog!
'Shipper Watch: I continue to enjoy Trip and T'Pol's interactions. They both participate helpfully in Archer's 'thinking out loud' sessions, then continue to debate after they've left him. It does seem that, aside from an occasional cutting remark from T'Pol, they're more willing to hear each other out these days. I didn't notice anything else, 'ship-wise, this week, but with the crew interacting so nicely together, all kinds of possibilities will surely open up as the series progresses.
Archer Watch: Poor guy. It's tough enough being the very first starship Captain, without having a temporal cold war dropped on your plate, too. Who, if anyone, can he trust? Bakula does 'edgy' well I noticed it especially in his scene with Phlox and the pilgrims, and at the end. This is what I've been saying about Archer we need to occasionally see him genuinely flummoxed by events. He shouldn't always know the right thing to do.
Best Lines:
"Those were two hours of my life I'd rather have back." (Reed, to Mayweather and Sato, regarding 'Attack of the Killer Androids.')
"We're new to this region, and we're eager to make contact with other species." (Archer, to Captain Fraddock)
"Oh." (Captain Fraddock, to Archer, and he barely refrains from rolling his eyes
)
"Think anyone would mind if I fired a torpedo?" (Mayweather, to Sato)
"Permission to take my station?" (Reed, wryly, to 'Captain' Mayweather)
"This ship would have gone up like the great plume of Agosoria." (Tucker, to Archer)
"Sometimes I think my bunkmate majored in chaos theory." (Daniels, to Archer)
"You're from 900 years in the future, and you need my help?" (Archer, to Daniels, and it's a good question. Right up there with 'What does God need with a starship?')
"You like your scrambled eggs soft. Have I ever brought them to you any other way?" (Daniels, to Archer. Sorry. I'm with T'Pol. Remain skeptical.)
"There's a difference between keeping an open mind, and believing something because you want it to be true." (T'Pol, to Tucker)
"What's THAT supposed to mean?" (Tucker, to T'Pol)
"Don't give me that look. You're NOT getting any cheese!" (Archer, to Porthos)
"ARF! ARF ARF ARF! ARF ARF!" (Porthos, to Silik)
"Did they tell you that the 22nd century was going to be your final resting place?" (Silik, to Daniels, right before he shoots him dead.)
"Still skeptical?" (Tucker, to T'Pol)
"I can't stop wondering what genetic enhancements you'll get for bringing back that little prize. Eyes in the back of your head? A pair of wings?" (Archer, to Silik)
Rating: 9/10. A good combination of good plot, action, and character development.
Next Week: Gaaaa! Eight WEEKS of repeats! That's okay, though. It'll give this monkee some time to get ready for the holidays. See you in January! Enjoy whatever holidays you happen to celebrate, and have a wonderful New Year!
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