This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Borderland,” “Cold Station 12,” “The Augments” See the links for a plot summary.
This three-parter contains one very large political theme and a couple smaller ones. The big one is the question of genetic engineering. My thoughts on this are here while discussing the episode “Doctor Bashir, I Presume?”
At one point one of the augments and Archer have the following exchange:
Malik: We were defending our right to exist.
Archer: You’ve already killed over 25 people. Your existence has a pretty high price.
Malik: It could get higher.
Obviously they are pretty much unable to co-exist with normal people, and StarFleet was right to prevent any more augments from being born.
The other issues:
1. We learn that at one point Earth space ships were nuclear-powered, something which I have negative feelings about (even in the context of ST, I believe they should have postponed further space travel until they found something better than nuclear power). Could cause serious environmental problems on Earth.
2. There’s also an element of slavery. First, when the slaves can no longer be controlled by the neurolytic restraints, they rebel, which is pretty cool.
It raises the question for me, shouldn’t StarFleet do something about the Orion slave trade? It doesn’t count as an internal issue for the Orions because they enslave outside of their race most of the time. And even if it were internal, I’m very open-minded about StarFleet intervening anyway. I have difficulty imaging that happening in the past with black slaves in America, since I don’t think there was a world power comparable to the Federation of ST. I mean, the British ended slavery in almost all of the Empire in 1833 but I’m not sure if they would have been an ideal candidate for this. Would black slaves in America have welcomed liberation in that way? I imagine they would have. And of course they did welcome liberation during and at the end of the Civil War, and of course many former slaves fought for the Union in that war.
On a non-political note, it was brilliant of them to have Brent Spiner play Soong, an ancestor of the man who created Data (The Next Generation).
I give this three-parter five stars out of five.
“The Forge,” “Awakening,” and “Kir’Shara” See the links for a plot summary.
This three-parter has one main theme- religious persecution, and there are several minor things that come up here and there:
I’m against religious persecution, although there would of course be some exceptions- for example if children are being abused in some way. My thoughts on religion can be found here, here (while discussing the episode "Who Watches The Watchers?"), here (while discussing the episode "Destiny"), here (while discussing the episode "In The Hands Of The Prophets").
1. At one point Archer seems to compare the different interpretations of Surock’s writing with what has happened with the Bible. The basic message I believe was that the Bible (and similar books) shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
2. The leader of the Syrrannites says that the High Command defiled the monastery of P’Jem by placing an intelligence operation there. It really is very inappropriate to use religious places for what might be called intelligence or military efforts.
3. We’re reminded that Vulcans who can do mind melds are treated poorly, and this is undoubtedly a statement against homophobia. See this when I discuss the episode “Stigma.”
4. I think this is my first exposure to the political system on Vulcan. It’s not made clear, but I got the idea that the High Command was the government; I used to think it was the leadership of the military; and what kind of civilian government leadership is known as the High Command? It also turns out that the head of the High Command (HC) organized a large-scale invasion force without the other members knowing. All members of the HC were men. Vulcan still uses the death penalty for some crimes. And lastly, there is apparently a loyalty oath that at least some Vulcans must take. Unless I’m missing something from The Original Series, I would have to say that the Vulcan government isn’t very democratic and considering most of what I wrote in this paragraph, I wonder what they're doing in the Federation? (on the other hand, it IS suggested at one point that the head of the HC was elected).
5. The leader of the HC seems to have gone after the Syrrannites because, as pacifists, they might stir up opposition to his invasion of Andoria.
6. There is one part where a Vulcan is tortured mentally instead of physically, which Vulcans can usually resist. After that the interrogator who used torture suggests that very often people being tortured will say whatever they think their interrogator wants to hear, even if it’s not true (which makes torture ineffective in addition to being immoral).
I’m not a big fan of Vulcan episodes, so I can only give this one two stars out of five.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews Q
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Storm Front” parts 1 and 2 See this, and this for a plot summary.
In some ways it’s completely political, as it’s largely about World War II. There are a few elements I’d like to comment on:
A: There’s a bit of Nazi propaganda at one point. Part of it talks about the Nazis taking down the capitalists that were responsible for The Great Depression. This raises the question of whether the Nazis were left-wing or right or a combination of the two. It makes much more sense to put them solidly on the right. The Nazis economic policies were mixed in terms of their treatment of capital. But their policy on labor was not mixed- they got rid of the unions at the very beginning of their reign. Also, they emphasized nation and race much more than class. Lastly, it was conservative politicians that let the Nazis into government in 1933 (and for some years after that, conservatives were still involved in the Nazi state). (I go into more detail here)
B: A Suliban from the 22nd Century says that he didn’t know humans could be as war-like as they were during WWII, based on his knowledge of humans in the 22nd Century. Referring to humans on Earth who have not been at war with each other for many decades is a good idea. He also says that while searching for the Xindi and their weapon, Archer behaved in a way comparable to the humans during WWII (if he was referring to the Allies, that sort of makes sense, but if he was including the Axis, it makes no sense at all). I’m going to say more about this in the next review (below) (“Home”).
C: I realize there weren’t very many white, American characters in the Brooklyn parts of the two-parter, but I think it would have been more appropriate if there had been something that would briefly touch on the racism that people of color faced back then (one of the members of the resistance is a black woman). Also something about Jews being rounded up by the Nazis would have been nice.
Overall, I have mixed feelings about this two-parter. I am very interested in WWII, but so far I generally don’t like Star Trek stuff about WWII. I give it three stars out of five.
“Home” See this for a plot summary.
This episode was surprisingly full of political stuff. There are two subjects: How exploring the galaxy requires an ability to fight; and bigotry.
First the bigotry. There are basically three scenes for this. On Vulcan, T’pol’s mother gets upset about the idea of Trip and T’pol getting married and having children: “Do you really believe that a human and a vulcan can have a future together. Imagine the shame your children would endure.” This is probably a reference to their kids being part human and part Vulcan and being rejected by both Vulcans and humans.
As a result of the Xindi attack, many people on Earth became xenophobic about aliens, and Phlox encounters this. Travis and Malcolm stand up to the bigots, which results in a fight. Later, Hoshi is talking with Phlox about going down to Earth:
Hoshi: So you’re going to stay on the ship because of some loud mouth in a bar?
Phlox: My presence could provoke another incident- someone could get hurt....
Hoshi: This isn’t the way to deal with prejudice. The best thing is to show your face and remind people that there are aliens who don’t want to blow up the planet.
Phlox: I can’t blame those men for the way they reacted. Earth has survived a horrific attack. It’ll take time for the trauma to heal.
As far as how to respond to bigotry, I lean towards agreeing with Hoshi. But I’m open-minded about this and would respect the feelings of those who are the targets of bigotry.
On a related issue, I can’t agree with Phlox’s last words. I don’t believe that it was okay for people to express hostility towards Arabs and Muslims after 9/11.
Archer has a lot to say about the need for firepower while exploring. In general I would sort of agree with him, but some of what he says doesn’t make much sense to me. First, when the Captain of the second ship like Enterprise asks him for advice on which StarFleet officer would be best for Tactical (which covers both the weapons systems and the security force), Archer suggests filling that position with a member of the military (apparently StarFleet is not considered part of the military). He then also suggests having a team of military riflemen on board, as he did when he went after the Xindi. It seems like StarFleet can produce people like Archer’s tactical officer- it’s totally unnecessary to fill that position with a rifleman. On the other hand, having a squad of riflemen in addition to the tactical officers and crew is probably a good idea- it seemed to work well for Enterprise. It would probably make sense to have the Tactical officers and crew handle security on-board, and the military would help in the event of being boarded but would normally be available for away missions.
More generally Archer at one point advocates for a more isolationist policy, where StarFleet would stay close to Earth as a defensive force. He doesn’t seem to really mean it.
In the last post (while discussing the episode “Zero Hour”) I talked about how Archer did some things that were immoral during the mission to find the Xindi weapon. I basically said that although he shouldn’t be tossed in jail or even tossed out of StarFleet, he should get some punishment, to make other officers understand that there are consequences for breaking or bending the rules, even for hero Captains, and they should only do so when very necessary. There is nothing about him getting in any trouble in this episode, nor the three after it (I sometimes do reviews at a slower pace than I watch the episodes at). At the end of his de-briefing, the Vulcan ambassador says that he (Archer) did some immoral things, but says they were necessary for his mission to succeed.
It turns out that in some ways, Archer is doing what needed to be done about his immoral tactics. Mountain climbing with a fellow Captain (Erika Hernandez), Archer explains why he wanted to go climbing.
Archer: I figured this was the last place I’d run into anyone who’d want to shake my hand or take my picture or tell me I’m an inspiration to their children. If they knew what I’d done...
Hernandez: You did what any Captain would have done.
Archer: Does that include torture or marooning a ship full of innocent people- Cause I don’t remember reading those chapters in the handbook.
I’m still disappointed that he didn’t receive some kind of punishment, but that exchange is better than nothing.
Overall I give this episode three stars out of five.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Storm Front” parts 1 and 2 See this, and this for a plot summary.
In some ways it’s completely political, as it’s largely about World War II. There are a few elements I’d like to comment on:
A: There’s a bit of Nazi propaganda at one point. Part of it talks about the Nazis taking down the capitalists that were responsible for The Great Depression. This raises the question of whether the Nazis were left-wing or right or a combination of the two. It makes much more sense to put them solidly on the right. The Nazis economic policies were mixed in terms of their treatment of capital. But their policy on labor was not mixed- they got rid of the unions at the very beginning of their reign. Also, they emphasized nation and race much more than class. Lastly, it was conservative politicians that let the Nazis into government in 1933 (and for some years after that, conservatives were still involved in the Nazi state). (I go into more detail here)
B: A Suliban from the 22nd Century says that he didn’t know humans could be as war-like as they were during WWII, based on his knowledge of humans in the 22nd Century. Referring to humans on Earth who have not been at war with each other for many decades is a good idea. He also says that while searching for the Xindi and their weapon, Archer behaved in a way comparable to the humans during WWII (if he was referring to the Allies, that sort of makes sense, but if he was including the Axis, it makes no sense at all). I’m going to say more about this in the next review (below) (“Home”).
C: I realize there weren’t very many white, American characters in the Brooklyn parts of the two-parter, but I think it would have been more appropriate if there had been something that would briefly touch on the racism that people of color faced back then (one of the members of the resistance is a black woman). Also something about Jews being rounded up by the Nazis would have been nice.
Overall, I have mixed feelings about this two-parter. I am very interested in WWII, but so far I generally don’t like Star Trek stuff about WWII. I give it three stars out of five.
“Home” See this for a plot summary.
This episode was surprisingly full of political stuff. There are two subjects: How exploring the galaxy requires an ability to fight; and bigotry.
First the bigotry. There are basically three scenes for this. On Vulcan, T’pol’s mother gets upset about the idea of Trip and T’pol getting married and having children: “Do you really believe that a human and a vulcan can have a future together. Imagine the shame your children would endure.” This is probably a reference to their kids being part human and part Vulcan and being rejected by both Vulcans and humans.
As a result of the Xindi attack, many people on Earth became xenophobic about aliens, and Phlox encounters this. Travis and Malcolm stand up to the bigots, which results in a fight. Later, Hoshi is talking with Phlox about going down to Earth:
Hoshi: So you’re going to stay on the ship because of some loud mouth in a bar?
Phlox: My presence could provoke another incident- someone could get hurt....
Hoshi: This isn’t the way to deal with prejudice. The best thing is to show your face and remind people that there are aliens who don’t want to blow up the planet.
Phlox: I can’t blame those men for the way they reacted. Earth has survived a horrific attack. It’ll take time for the trauma to heal.
As far as how to respond to bigotry, I lean towards agreeing with Hoshi. But I’m open-minded about this and would respect the feelings of those who are the targets of bigotry.
On a related issue, I can’t agree with Phlox’s last words. I don’t believe that it was okay for people to express hostility towards Arabs and Muslims after 9/11.
Archer has a lot to say about the need for firepower while exploring. In general I would sort of agree with him, but some of what he says doesn’t make much sense to me. First, when the Captain of the second ship like Enterprise asks him for advice on which StarFleet officer would be best for Tactical (which covers both the weapons systems and the security force), Archer suggests filling that position with a member of the military (apparently StarFleet is not considered part of the military). He then also suggests having a team of military riflemen on board, as he did when he went after the Xindi. It seems like StarFleet can produce people like Archer’s tactical officer- it’s totally unnecessary to fill that position with a rifleman. On the other hand, having a squad of riflemen in addition to the tactical officers and crew is probably a good idea- it seemed to work well for Enterprise. It would probably make sense to have the Tactical officers and crew handle security on-board, and the military would help in the event of being boarded but would normally be available for away missions.
More generally Archer at one point advocates for a more isolationist policy, where StarFleet would stay close to Earth as a defensive force. He doesn’t seem to really mean it.
In the last post (while discussing the episode “Zero Hour”) I talked about how Archer did some things that were immoral during the mission to find the Xindi weapon. I basically said that although he shouldn’t be tossed in jail or even tossed out of StarFleet, he should get some punishment, to make other officers understand that there are consequences for breaking or bending the rules, even for hero Captains, and they should only do so when very necessary. There is nothing about him getting in any trouble in this episode, nor the three after it (I sometimes do reviews at a slower pace than I watch the episodes at). At the end of his de-briefing, the Vulcan ambassador says that he (Archer) did some immoral things, but says they were necessary for his mission to succeed.
It turns out that in some ways, Archer is doing what needed to be done about his immoral tactics. Mountain climbing with a fellow Captain (Erika Hernandez), Archer explains why he wanted to go climbing.
Archer: I figured this was the last place I’d run into anyone who’d want to shake my hand or take my picture or tell me I’m an inspiration to their children. If they knew what I’d done...
Hernandez: You did what any Captain would have done.
Archer: Does that include torture or marooning a ship full of innocent people- Cause I don’t remember reading those chapters in the handbook.
I’m still disappointed that he didn’t receive some kind of punishment, but that exchange is better than nothing.
Overall I give this episode three stars out of five.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews P
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
These episodes are more or less part of the Xindi story line that lasts the entire 3rd season of Enterprise. For some introductory comments from me and a link to a plot summary of the first episode of this story line, see this where I discuss the episode “The Expanse” (which is the last episode of the 2nd season).
“e2” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. But it’s a very interesting episode. I like the part where some of the crews of the two Enterprises meet each other. I also like the “generational ship” aspect. Reminds me of Star Trek: Voyager.
I give it five stars out of five.
“The Council” See this for a plot summary.
At this point there’s almost nothing new that’s political- aside from the alliance Archer has made with some of the Xindi.
There is one thing I wanted to high-light. Trip’s sister was killed by the probe that attacked Earth at the end of the 2nd season (seven million were killed). A Xindi named Degra designed that weapon and is also the first senior Xindi to accept what Archer is telling him- about how humanity is not the enemy of the Xindi. He interacts with Trip about 2 times when Trip is very hostile towards him. At one point, they have the following exchange:
Trip: Do me a favor- don’t try to get on my good side.
Degra: I understand you and I will always be enemies.
Trip: You got that right
Degra: I can’t change what happened to your sister, or any of the 7 million. But I am risking my life, I am risking the lives of my family. I’ve killed members of my own species. All because I’m trying to save both ours worlds.
Later on they build on that improvement with Trip acknowledging that Degra has taken some serious risks for peace between the Xindi and humanity.
I give this episode four stars out of five.
“Countdown” See this for a plot summary.
Aside from being a part of the Xindi story line, there’s basically nothing political here. Even Archer’s efforts at convincing Xindi that humanity isn’t their enemy are basically over.
I give it four stars out of five.
“Zero Hour” See this for a plot summary.
Aside from being a part of the Xindi story line, there’s not much political here. Even Archer’s efforts at convincing Xindi that humanity isn’t their enemy are over.
There is some discussion of the future formation of the Federation which is political and very inspiring. In general, with some exceptions, I think political mergers are a good thing. On a similar note, I like the involvement of Shran and the Andorians in attacking the Xindi weapon.
In general season three was sort of what I had remembered from watching it about 13 months ago. It’s inspired by a non-progressive response to 9/11. But there was also more progressive elements than I remembered, and as I said earlier, the darker side of Archer’s efforts is probably more or less realistic (that that sort of thing would come up in his mission). It’d be nice if StarFleet had, after the mission found some way to give Archer a slap on the wrist for the immoral things he did. I’ll learn for sure soon as I start watching the 4th season, but I don’t remember that happening (a slap on the wrist of some sort would be good- overall Archer has been a great StarFleet officer and he shouldn’t be tossed away in jail or something; but some punishment would remind other officers that they need to try and come up with alternatives before doing something immoral)
I don’t like the ending where they’re all sent back in time- although I might change my opinion of that after I watch the first two episodes of season four, it just seems like a bad end to the Xindi story line, when they’re supposed to return to Earth as heroes.
I give it four stars out of five.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
These episodes are more or less part of the Xindi story line that lasts the entire 3rd season of Enterprise. For some introductory comments from me and a link to a plot summary of the first episode of this story line, see this where I discuss the episode “The Expanse” (which is the last episode of the 2nd season).
“e2” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. But it’s a very interesting episode. I like the part where some of the crews of the two Enterprises meet each other. I also like the “generational ship” aspect. Reminds me of Star Trek: Voyager.
I give it five stars out of five.
“The Council” See this for a plot summary.
At this point there’s almost nothing new that’s political- aside from the alliance Archer has made with some of the Xindi.
There is one thing I wanted to high-light. Trip’s sister was killed by the probe that attacked Earth at the end of the 2nd season (seven million were killed). A Xindi named Degra designed that weapon and is also the first senior Xindi to accept what Archer is telling him- about how humanity is not the enemy of the Xindi. He interacts with Trip about 2 times when Trip is very hostile towards him. At one point, they have the following exchange:
Trip: Do me a favor- don’t try to get on my good side.
Degra: I understand you and I will always be enemies.
Trip: You got that right
Degra: I can’t change what happened to your sister, or any of the 7 million. But I am risking my life, I am risking the lives of my family. I’ve killed members of my own species. All because I’m trying to save both ours worlds.
Later on they build on that improvement with Trip acknowledging that Degra has taken some serious risks for peace between the Xindi and humanity.
I give this episode four stars out of five.
“Countdown” See this for a plot summary.
Aside from being a part of the Xindi story line, there’s basically nothing political here. Even Archer’s efforts at convincing Xindi that humanity isn’t their enemy are basically over.
I give it four stars out of five.
“Zero Hour” See this for a plot summary.
Aside from being a part of the Xindi story line, there’s not much political here. Even Archer’s efforts at convincing Xindi that humanity isn’t their enemy are over.
There is some discussion of the future formation of the Federation which is political and very inspiring. In general, with some exceptions, I think political mergers are a good thing. On a similar note, I like the involvement of Shran and the Andorians in attacking the Xindi weapon.
In general season three was sort of what I had remembered from watching it about 13 months ago. It’s inspired by a non-progressive response to 9/11. But there was also more progressive elements than I remembered, and as I said earlier, the darker side of Archer’s efforts is probably more or less realistic (that that sort of thing would come up in his mission). It’d be nice if StarFleet had, after the mission found some way to give Archer a slap on the wrist for the immoral things he did. I’ll learn for sure soon as I start watching the 4th season, but I don’t remember that happening (a slap on the wrist of some sort would be good- overall Archer has been a great StarFleet officer and he shouldn’t be tossed away in jail or something; but some punishment would remind other officers that they need to try and come up with alternatives before doing something immoral)
I don’t like the ending where they’re all sent back in time- although I might change my opinion of that after I watch the first two episodes of season four, it just seems like a bad end to the Xindi story line, when they’re supposed to return to Earth as heroes.
I give it four stars out of five.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews O
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
These episodes are more or less part of the Xindi story line that lasts the entire 3rd season of Enterprise. For some introductory comments from me and a link to a plot summary of the first episode of this story line, see this where I discuss the episode “The Expanse” (which is the last episode of the 2nd season).
“Hatchery” See this for a plot summary.
If it wasn’t for one thing, there would be a fair amount of political stuff to comment on. But pretty much everything Archer said was when he was affected by some chemical. He does say two things that I want to comment on.
First, he says “I don’t know much about Vulcan ethics, but humans don’t throw morality out the window when things start getting a little rough.” First, during the 3rd season Xindi story line Archer frequently does exactly that, especially in the episode “Damage.” I know that even with some good causes, this happens, but every effort should be made to avoid such actions. At another point he says: “There are rules, Trip, even in war” about the need to avoid civilian casualties. I’d basically say the same thing. With both of these, many people will say that morals should be abandoned if necessary to avoid casualties among American soldiers. What many just don’t seem to get is that killing civilians pisses off a lot of people- they’re friends and families, some of whom are going to become insurgents. I found something among supporters of the US military that illustrates this problem pretty well. It’s the text of a shirt here. The 10th slogan is the main thing I want to highlight, but the 3rd slogan is also similar. They just don’t get it.
I give it three stars out of five.
“Azati Prime” See this for a plot summary
Although it is part of the Xindi story line, there’s not much that is especially political. At one point Daniels tries to convince Archer to try some more diplomacy instead of destroying the Xindi weapon, pointing out that if the weapon is destroyed without getting some of the Xindi to understand humanity is not a threat, they'll simply build another weapon. Archer disagrees- since he has engaged in some sort of diplomatic efforts, I assume he favors destroying the weapon since they have finally found it.
Also, about the destruction of the monitoring station. It’s not clear but it sounds like a military installation, in which case it was a legitimate target.
That’s about it for political stuff. In some ways the damage that Enterprise suffers is kind of neat.
I give this episode four stars out of five.
“Damage” See this for a plot summary.
This is a political episode. First we are reminded that at some point Archer said “we can’t save humanity without holding on to what makes us human.” T’pol quotes him on that after Archer decided to take an important piece of equipment (a warp coil) for the warp drive from another, friendly ship, by force. After losing the warp coil, the other ship faces a very log voyage home that they’re not ready for. T’pol at first strongly opposes Archer, but she is going through withdrawal from drugs and shortly afterwards retracts what she said.
There were some other ways Archer could have gotten the warp coil. He could have asked to BORROW it until the mission was over in return for the supplies he DID send them to pay for the warp coil. If that failed, I am honestly unable to choose what he should have done, they’re both unattractive choices. For now I have to leave it at that.
I’d say there are almost zero/zero progressive values on display in this episode. But as much as I don’t like the choice Archer makes, that does make it a bit more realistic. It’d be better if Archer received some kind of punishment for what he did, but as far as I can remember, that doesn’t happen.
I give this episode four stars out of five.
“The Forgotten” See this for a plot summary.
The only thing worth mentioning is the developing alliance of Degra and Archer. Convincing as many Xindi as possible that humanity is not a threat to them is very important- if they they destroy the weapon without that, the Xindi will just build another weapon. It also lays some ground-work for good relations in the future.
I give it four stars out of five.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
These episodes are more or less part of the Xindi story line that lasts the entire 3rd season of Enterprise. For some introductory comments from me and a link to a plot summary of the first episode of this story line, see this where I discuss the episode “The Expanse” (which is the last episode of the 2nd season).
“Hatchery” See this for a plot summary.
If it wasn’t for one thing, there would be a fair amount of political stuff to comment on. But pretty much everything Archer said was when he was affected by some chemical. He does say two things that I want to comment on.
First, he says “I don’t know much about Vulcan ethics, but humans don’t throw morality out the window when things start getting a little rough.” First, during the 3rd season Xindi story line Archer frequently does exactly that, especially in the episode “Damage.” I know that even with some good causes, this happens, but every effort should be made to avoid such actions. At another point he says: “There are rules, Trip, even in war” about the need to avoid civilian casualties. I’d basically say the same thing. With both of these, many people will say that morals should be abandoned if necessary to avoid casualties among American soldiers. What many just don’t seem to get is that killing civilians pisses off a lot of people- they’re friends and families, some of whom are going to become insurgents. I found something among supporters of the US military that illustrates this problem pretty well. It’s the text of a shirt here. The 10th slogan is the main thing I want to highlight, but the 3rd slogan is also similar. They just don’t get it.
I give it three stars out of five.
“Azati Prime” See this for a plot summary
Although it is part of the Xindi story line, there’s not much that is especially political. At one point Daniels tries to convince Archer to try some more diplomacy instead of destroying the Xindi weapon, pointing out that if the weapon is destroyed without getting some of the Xindi to understand humanity is not a threat, they'll simply build another weapon. Archer disagrees- since he has engaged in some sort of diplomatic efforts, I assume he favors destroying the weapon since they have finally found it.
Also, about the destruction of the monitoring station. It’s not clear but it sounds like a military installation, in which case it was a legitimate target.
That’s about it for political stuff. In some ways the damage that Enterprise suffers is kind of neat.
I give this episode four stars out of five.
“Damage” See this for a plot summary.
This is a political episode. First we are reminded that at some point Archer said “we can’t save humanity without holding on to what makes us human.” T’pol quotes him on that after Archer decided to take an important piece of equipment (a warp coil) for the warp drive from another, friendly ship, by force. After losing the warp coil, the other ship faces a very log voyage home that they’re not ready for. T’pol at first strongly opposes Archer, but she is going through withdrawal from drugs and shortly afterwards retracts what she said.
There were some other ways Archer could have gotten the warp coil. He could have asked to BORROW it until the mission was over in return for the supplies he DID send them to pay for the warp coil. If that failed, I am honestly unable to choose what he should have done, they’re both unattractive choices. For now I have to leave it at that.
I’d say there are almost zero/zero progressive values on display in this episode. But as much as I don’t like the choice Archer makes, that does make it a bit more realistic. It’d be better if Archer received some kind of punishment for what he did, but as far as I can remember, that doesn’t happen.
I give this episode four stars out of five.
“The Forgotten” See this for a plot summary.
The only thing worth mentioning is the developing alliance of Degra and Archer. Convincing as many Xindi as possible that humanity is not a threat to them is very important- if they they destroy the weapon without that, the Xindi will just build another weapon. It also lays some ground-work for good relations in the future.
I give it four stars out of five.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews N
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
These episodes are more or less part of the Xindi story line that lasts the entire 3rd season of Enterprise. For some introductory comments from me and a link to a plot summary of the first episode of this story line, see this where I discuss the episode. “The Expanse” (which is the last episode of the 2nd season).
“Proving Ground” See this for a plot summary.
There is one bit of politics in this. It’s a conversation about responding to the Xindi attack on Earth, in which Trip’s sister was killed.
Shran: I can understand why you seek vengeance on these Xindi.
Trip: I’d love to get my hands on whoever ordered that attack. But that’s not why we’re here.
Shran: You have no desire to make these people pay for the death of your sister?
Trip: I just want to make sure they don’t get the chance to finish what they started.
I won’t say revenge is always bad, but in general it really isn’t helpful. I value what Trip says when I also remember what Archer has said about trying to use a relatively diplomatic approach, trying to convince at least some of the Xindi that humanity is not a threat to them. That’s a good approach for that sort of thing.
I also like the involvement of the Andorians.
I give it four stars out of five.
“Stratagem” See this for a plot summary.
There is one large political aspect to this episode. Archer tries a new method of getting information which seems more acceptable than threatening people in ways that are torture. The wiping of Degra’s memory is far from ideal, but it only involved a small period of time, about 2-3 days while Degra was a prisoner on Enterprise.
I give it three stars out of five.
“Harbinger” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars.
“Doctor’s Orders” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
These episodes are more or less part of the Xindi story line that lasts the entire 3rd season of Enterprise. For some introductory comments from me and a link to a plot summary of the first episode of this story line, see this where I discuss the episode. “The Expanse” (which is the last episode of the 2nd season).
“Proving Ground” See this for a plot summary.
There is one bit of politics in this. It’s a conversation about responding to the Xindi attack on Earth, in which Trip’s sister was killed.
Shran: I can understand why you seek vengeance on these Xindi.
Trip: I’d love to get my hands on whoever ordered that attack. But that’s not why we’re here.
Shran: You have no desire to make these people pay for the death of your sister?
Trip: I just want to make sure they don’t get the chance to finish what they started.
I won’t say revenge is always bad, but in general it really isn’t helpful. I value what Trip says when I also remember what Archer has said about trying to use a relatively diplomatic approach, trying to convince at least some of the Xindi that humanity is not a threat to them. That’s a good approach for that sort of thing.
I also like the involvement of the Andorians.
I give it four stars out of five.
“Stratagem” See this for a plot summary.
There is one large political aspect to this episode. Archer tries a new method of getting information which seems more acceptable than threatening people in ways that are torture. The wiping of Degra’s memory is far from ideal, but it only involved a small period of time, about 2-3 days while Degra was a prisoner on Enterprise.
I give it three stars out of five.
“Harbinger” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars.
“Doctor’s Orders” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews M
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
These episodes are more or less part of the Xindi story line that lasts the entire 3rd season of Enterprise. For some introductory comments from me and a link to a plot summary of the first episode of this story line, see this where I discuss the episode “The Expanse” (which is the last episode of the 2nd season).
“North Star” See this for a plot summary.
A fairly political episode. It’s a good illustration of racial oppression. It’s illegal to educate the Skagarans, there’s one set of laws for humans, another for Skagarans etc.
I also like the idea of finding the descendants of people taken from Earth by aliens centuries before they are discovered by Enterprise.
One thing I was kind of disappointed with was that there could have been more about dismantling the anti-Skagaran laws and/or about encouraging humans to change their attitudes towards Skagarans. More generally it ties social progress with TECHNOLOGICAL progress, a connection I doubt exists.
I give it five stars out of five.
“Similitude” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. It’s very interesting. I give it four stars out of five.
“Carpenter Street” See this for a plot summary.
There is some commentary about Earth having a problem back in those days (the early years of this century) with “greed, violence, and moral corruption.” At one point Archer starts to say something about Earth and fossil fuels being exhausted in 2061, but doesn’t finish- I imagine it would have something to do with things like the electric car.
There’s also another incident of Archer crossing the line while interrogating someone (overall, the message from Star Trek is that torture is wrong).
I give it three stars out of five.
“Chosen Realm” See this for a plot summary.
This is largely about fundamentalist religion taken even further than usual in a negative direction (one sect believes that the “Chosen Realm” was made by the Makers in nine days; the other sect says ten days, and they’ve been at war for 100 years). It illustrates that well, and I liked the episode. I’m concerned that ST overall gives people the idea that religion is incompatible with the values of the Federation and/or StarFleet. More of my thoughts on religion can be found here, here (while discussing the episode "Who Watches The Watchers?"), here (while discussing the episode "Destiny"), here (while discussing the episode "In The Hands Of The Prophets").
This episode also has what I believe is the very first time that ST has said something about abortion. It’s more or less a pro-choice statement, although not very explicit.
I give this episode three stars.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews L
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
These episodes are more or less part of the Xindi storyline that lasts the entire 3rd season of Enterprise. For some introductory comments from me and a link to a plot summary of the first episode of this storyline, see this where I discuss the episode. “The Expanse” (which is the last episode of the 2nd season).
“Impulse” See this for a plot summary.
Although it’s part of the Xindi story line which is fairly political, this episode is relatively non-political. I give it three stars out of five.
“Exile” See this for a plot summary.
Although it’s part of the Xindi story line which is fairly political, this episode is relatively non-political. I give it three stars out of five.
“The Shipment” See this for a plot summary.
This episode includes some efforts by Archer to be sort of diplomatic in his mission to find the Xindi weapon. But he kind of goes back and forth between trying to co-opt an important Xindi he captured and, on the other hand, threatening to kill him.
At one point Archer has the following exchange with Malcolm.
Archer: I thought we were here to stop a war, not start one.
Malcolm: They struck first.
Archer: Because they were told we were going to attack them. They think they’re acting in self-defense. By destroying this complex, we’ll be confirming their worst fears about humanity.
Malcolm: Let’s not forget the 7 million people who were killed.
Disappointingly, this desire for revenge seems to affect Archer, as he indicates that he now favors destroying the complex. He does, however, order something that will protect the community nearby.
I give it three stars out of five.
“Twilight” See this for a plot summary.
The political aspect of this is the genocide of humanity. Besides that, it’s very non-political, but I love the story. I give it five stars out of five.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
These episodes are more or less part of the Xindi storyline that lasts the entire 3rd season of Enterprise. For some introductory comments from me and a link to a plot summary of the first episode of this storyline, see this where I discuss the episode. “The Expanse” (which is the last episode of the 2nd season).
“Impulse” See this for a plot summary.
Although it’s part of the Xindi story line which is fairly political, this episode is relatively non-political. I give it three stars out of five.
“Exile” See this for a plot summary.
Although it’s part of the Xindi story line which is fairly political, this episode is relatively non-political. I give it three stars out of five.
“The Shipment” See this for a plot summary.
This episode includes some efforts by Archer to be sort of diplomatic in his mission to find the Xindi weapon. But he kind of goes back and forth between trying to co-opt an important Xindi he captured and, on the other hand, threatening to kill him.
At one point Archer has the following exchange with Malcolm.
Archer: I thought we were here to stop a war, not start one.
Malcolm: They struck first.
Archer: Because they were told we were going to attack them. They think they’re acting in self-defense. By destroying this complex, we’ll be confirming their worst fears about humanity.
Malcolm: Let’s not forget the 7 million people who were killed.
Disappointingly, this desire for revenge seems to affect Archer, as he indicates that he now favors destroying the complex. He does, however, order something that will protect the community nearby.
I give it three stars out of five.
“Twilight” See this for a plot summary.
The political aspect of this is the genocide of humanity. Besides that, it’s very non-political, but I love the story. I give it five stars out of five.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews K
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
These episodes are more or less part of the Xindi storyline that lasts the entire 3rd season of Enterprise. For some introductory comments from me and a link to a plot summary of the first episode of this storyline, see this where I discuss the episode. “The Expanse” (which is the last episode of the 2nd season).
“The Xindi” See this for a plot summary.
Although it’s part of the Xindi storyline which is fairly political, this episode is relatively non-political.
I give it four stars out of five.
“Anomaly” See this for a plot summary.
This has one aspect that needs to be discussed, although it doesn’t “highlight the progressive politics of ST.”
While interrogating a prisoner taken during a devestating raid on Enterprise’s supplies, Archer first threatens torture and then actually engages in it.
The prisoner says, “I don’t think you’d be very comfortable torturing another man. You and your crew-mates are far too civilized for that, too moral.”
Archer replies, “I need what was stolen from me. There’s too much at stake to let my morality get in the way.” Then some hours later, needing another piece of information, he puts the prisoner in an air-lock and has it slowly de-compress until the very last second when he lets the prisoner out.
This sort of thing happened one other time in Star Trek. See this, where I discuss the two-parter “Equinox.” In that episode it was made fairly clear that Starfleet opposes torture- that doesn’t happen with this Enterprise episode.
I give this episode three stars.
“Extinction” See this for a plot summary.
Although it’s part of the Xindi storyline which is fairly political, this episode is relatively non-political. I give it two stars out of five.
“Rajiin” See this for a plot summary.
Two political bits:
1) There’s opposition to the trafficking in people (slaves, and in this case, specifically female slaves).
2) Archer once again indicates his willingness to violate someone’s human rights (this is not an example of progressive politics in ST; but it is the exception to the rule).
Rajiin: If I say anything else, they’ll kill me.
Archer: .... how do you know I won’t do the same?
I give this episode three stars out of five.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
These episodes are more or less part of the Xindi storyline that lasts the entire 3rd season of Enterprise. For some introductory comments from me and a link to a plot summary of the first episode of this storyline, see this where I discuss the episode. “The Expanse” (which is the last episode of the 2nd season).
“The Xindi” See this for a plot summary.
Although it’s part of the Xindi storyline which is fairly political, this episode is relatively non-political.
I give it four stars out of five.
“Anomaly” See this for a plot summary.
This has one aspect that needs to be discussed, although it doesn’t “highlight the progressive politics of ST.”
While interrogating a prisoner taken during a devestating raid on Enterprise’s supplies, Archer first threatens torture and then actually engages in it.
The prisoner says, “I don’t think you’d be very comfortable torturing another man. You and your crew-mates are far too civilized for that, too moral.”
Archer replies, “I need what was stolen from me. There’s too much at stake to let my morality get in the way.” Then some hours later, needing another piece of information, he puts the prisoner in an air-lock and has it slowly de-compress until the very last second when he lets the prisoner out.
This sort of thing happened one other time in Star Trek. See this, where I discuss the two-parter “Equinox.” In that episode it was made fairly clear that Starfleet opposes torture- that doesn’t happen with this Enterprise episode.
I give this episode three stars.
“Extinction” See this for a plot summary.
Although it’s part of the Xindi storyline which is fairly political, this episode is relatively non-political. I give it two stars out of five.
“Rajiin” See this for a plot summary.
Two political bits:
1) There’s opposition to the trafficking in people (slaves, and in this case, specifically female slaves).
2) Archer once again indicates his willingness to violate someone’s human rights (this is not an example of progressive politics in ST; but it is the exception to the rule).
Rajiin: If I say anything else, they’ll kill me.
Archer: .... how do you know I won’t do the same?
I give this episode three stars out of five.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews J
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Cogenitor” See this for a plot summary.
This is very political, or something close to political. It reminds one of slavery, especially the part about not being taught to read. In some ways, I support what Trip did- the Cogenitor had the same intellectual capacity as the other Vissians. On the other hand, if all Cogenitors were emancipated (no longer required to act as cogenitors and no longer kept ignorant), many/most/all would probably refuse to do what they had done for centuries- play an important role in reproduction. To one degree or another that would be a problem.
There’s also the tragic ending which makes me wonder if Trip did the right thing.
I give it four stars out of five.
“Regeneration” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. Something about a Borg encounter during that period in the history of Starfleet is really cool. I give it five stars out of five.
“First Flight” See this for a plot summary
A non-political episode. It does however, take us even further back in the history of Starfleet, which I like. I give it four stars.
“Bounty” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars out of five.
“The Expanse” See this for a plot summary.
This episode kicks off the storyline that pretty much dominates the entire 3rd season. The first 1-2 times I watched it I thought it could be described as inspired by a non-progressive response to 9/11. There’s no doubt that it was inspired by 9/11 and there is one moment that comes close to endorsing torture, and in general, at first glance it’s sort of similar to the US and the War on Terror. Based on what I remember from the last time I watched this series about 13 months ago, it’s not as bad as what I thought the first 1-2 times. It’s possible I’ll say something slightly different as I re-familiarize myself with the details, but the effort Enterprise makes to stop a future attack seems like a good one. Archer makes some effort at a diplomatic solution and engages some of the Xindi in dialogue, convincing some of them that Earth is not their enemy.
This episode, which is the last in the 2nd season, ends with Enterprise entering the Expanse to look for the Xindi, gets four stars out of five.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Cogenitor” See this for a plot summary.
This is very political, or something close to political. It reminds one of slavery, especially the part about not being taught to read. In some ways, I support what Trip did- the Cogenitor had the same intellectual capacity as the other Vissians. On the other hand, if all Cogenitors were emancipated (no longer required to act as cogenitors and no longer kept ignorant), many/most/all would probably refuse to do what they had done for centuries- play an important role in reproduction. To one degree or another that would be a problem.
There’s also the tragic ending which makes me wonder if Trip did the right thing.
I give it four stars out of five.
“Regeneration” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. Something about a Borg encounter during that period in the history of Starfleet is really cool. I give it five stars out of five.
“First Flight” See this for a plot summary
A non-political episode. It does however, take us even further back in the history of Starfleet, which I like. I give it four stars.
“Bounty” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars out of five.
“The Expanse” See this for a plot summary.
This episode kicks off the storyline that pretty much dominates the entire 3rd season. The first 1-2 times I watched it I thought it could be described as inspired by a non-progressive response to 9/11. There’s no doubt that it was inspired by 9/11 and there is one moment that comes close to endorsing torture, and in general, at first glance it’s sort of similar to the US and the War on Terror. Based on what I remember from the last time I watched this series about 13 months ago, it’s not as bad as what I thought the first 1-2 times. It’s possible I’ll say something slightly different as I re-familiarize myself with the details, but the effort Enterprise makes to stop a future attack seems like a good one. Archer makes some effort at a diplomatic solution and engages some of the Xindi in dialogue, convincing some of them that Earth is not their enemy.
This episode, which is the last in the 2nd season, ends with Enterprise entering the Expanse to look for the Xindi, gets four stars out of five.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews I
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“The Crossing” See this for plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars out of five.
“Judgment” See this for a plot summary.
This episode is about the Klingon judicial system. Apparently it used to be a “forum for the truth,” and the defendant would often be acquitted, but now it invariably finds people guilty.
It also highlights some other ugly aspects of the Klingon state and society. Although we hear about teachers and lawyers and even universities, we also are reminded very much about how warriors are seen as VERY important, and how ANY victory is praised, even those against innocent civilians. We also learn that the Klingons would annex nearby planets, take all the resources, and then leave, providing nothing for their new subjects. Archer says something about how settling differences through violence is something found in Earth’s history.
Archer’s lawyer has some good things to say about the Klingon judicial system.
Archer’s lawyer defends him to such a degree that he is sentenced to the same penal colony as Archer. When one of Archer’s men comes to the penal colony to rescue them, they have the following exchange.
The lawyer: I can’t go with you.
Archer: Why not?
The lawyer: I’ve been an advocate for 50 years. And I spent the last 20 of them standing in that tribunal, playing my part, holding my tongue. And all the while honorable men were being sent to places like this without the benefit of a defense. And then I was assigned your case. You told me that on your world a few courageous people made a difference. I’m not sure I have the courage, but I know I’ll never be able to restore honor to my people living as a fugitive.
Archer: You realize what that means- you said most prisoners here don’t survive a year.
The lawyer: Most prisoners here have very little to live for.
As I have said about the Romulan Star Empire and especially the Cardassian Union, this kind of dissent in favor of democracy and freedom and civil rights, is very inspiring.
I give it four stars out five.
“Horizon” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars out of five.
“The Breach” See this for a plot summary.
About half this episode is about two alien races who, more or less, absolutely hate each other. Phlox is a Denobulan, and a man who was rescued by Enterprise is an Antaran.
Dr. Phlox: When I was quite young I wanted to take a trip to an arboreal planet near our system. It was a park of sorts with a... great variety of exotic animal life. Some friends and I had planned the journey for months, but a... week before I was supposed to leave, one of my grandmothers took me aside and told me I couldn't go.
Sub-Commander T'Pol: Why not?
Dr. Phlox: She said the planet was tainted. Antarans had lived there once; even though they'd been gone for years, she believed the place had been spoiled by their presence.
Sub-Commander T'Pol: Did you go?
Dr. Phlox: No. But when I had children of my own, I took them there. I was determined not to raise them as I was raised.
Sub-Commander T'Pol: Your children were fortunate to have a father who taught them to embrace other cultures.
Dr. Phlox: [gloomily] I certainly tried...
There’s another good exchange:
Dr. Phlox: You also asked me if I have children; I have five. And no, I never told them my grandmother's stories. When they asked me about the Antarans, I told them the truth, as best as I knew it. I told them about our military campaigns against your people. About how we had demonized you, turned you into a faceless enemy. I wanted them to learn to judge people for what they really are - not what the propaganda tells them.
Hudak (the Antaran): How would you know who we really are?
Dr. Phlox: I don't. But I am proud to say that my children would consider my grandmother's attitude archaic - all of them but one.
Overall it’s a pretty good illustration of racial hostility and ignorance and racist propaganda. At the end, though, the Antaran talks about interacting with more Denobulans on his voyage home, and how he’ll try to move past his hatred for them, something he made some progress on with Phlox.
I give it three stars out of five.
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“The Crossing” See this for plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars out of five.
“Judgment” See this for a plot summary.
This episode is about the Klingon judicial system. Apparently it used to be a “forum for the truth,” and the defendant would often be acquitted, but now it invariably finds people guilty.
It also highlights some other ugly aspects of the Klingon state and society. Although we hear about teachers and lawyers and even universities, we also are reminded very much about how warriors are seen as VERY important, and how ANY victory is praised, even those against innocent civilians. We also learn that the Klingons would annex nearby planets, take all the resources, and then leave, providing nothing for their new subjects. Archer says something about how settling differences through violence is something found in Earth’s history.
Archer’s lawyer has some good things to say about the Klingon judicial system.
Archer’s lawyer defends him to such a degree that he is sentenced to the same penal colony as Archer. When one of Archer’s men comes to the penal colony to rescue them, they have the following exchange.
The lawyer: I can’t go with you.
Archer: Why not?
The lawyer: I’ve been an advocate for 50 years. And I spent the last 20 of them standing in that tribunal, playing my part, holding my tongue. And all the while honorable men were being sent to places like this without the benefit of a defense. And then I was assigned your case. You told me that on your world a few courageous people made a difference. I’m not sure I have the courage, but I know I’ll never be able to restore honor to my people living as a fugitive.
Archer: You realize what that means- you said most prisoners here don’t survive a year.
The lawyer: Most prisoners here have very little to live for.
As I have said about the Romulan Star Empire and especially the Cardassian Union, this kind of dissent in favor of democracy and freedom and civil rights, is very inspiring.
I give it four stars out five.
“Horizon” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars out of five.
“The Breach” See this for a plot summary.
About half this episode is about two alien races who, more or less, absolutely hate each other. Phlox is a Denobulan, and a man who was rescued by Enterprise is an Antaran.
Dr. Phlox: When I was quite young I wanted to take a trip to an arboreal planet near our system. It was a park of sorts with a... great variety of exotic animal life. Some friends and I had planned the journey for months, but a... week before I was supposed to leave, one of my grandmothers took me aside and told me I couldn't go.
Sub-Commander T'Pol: Why not?
Dr. Phlox: She said the planet was tainted. Antarans had lived there once; even though they'd been gone for years, she believed the place had been spoiled by their presence.
Sub-Commander T'Pol: Did you go?
Dr. Phlox: No. But when I had children of my own, I took them there. I was determined not to raise them as I was raised.
Sub-Commander T'Pol: Your children were fortunate to have a father who taught them to embrace other cultures.
Dr. Phlox: [gloomily] I certainly tried...
There’s another good exchange:
Dr. Phlox: You also asked me if I have children; I have five. And no, I never told them my grandmother's stories. When they asked me about the Antarans, I told them the truth, as best as I knew it. I told them about our military campaigns against your people. About how we had demonized you, turned you into a faceless enemy. I wanted them to learn to judge people for what they really are - not what the propaganda tells them.
Hudak (the Antaran): How would you know who we really are?
Dr. Phlox: I don't. But I am proud to say that my children would consider my grandmother's attitude archaic - all of them but one.
Overall it’s a pretty good illustration of racial hostility and ignorance and racist propaganda. At the end, though, the Antaran talks about interacting with more Denobulans on his voyage home, and how he’ll try to move past his hatred for them, something he made some progress on with Phlox.
I give it three stars out of five.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews H
This is one of my posts where I “review” Star Trek episodes. I will be giving each one a star rating. I sometimes will make some comments about non-political parts of them that I like or don’t like. I’ll sometimes use the issues raised in the episode to discuss similar issues in real life. And I will sometimes simply high-light the progressive politics of ST. ST is in-line with the three original themes of this blog, as I explain in the first ST post where I offer some general thoughts about ST.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Catwalk” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it four stars out of five.
“Dawn” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Stigma” See this for a plot summary.
This episode basically uses a Vulcan disease and the stigma attached to it to discuss HIV and AIDS. A minority of Vulcans practice mind-melds which transmit the disease (Pa’nar Syndrome) There are some good lines which, as I said, are basically talking about how people with HIV/AIDS are treated. Here’s some of the better lines:
What the bigots say-
A Vulcan Dr.: “We find their behavior unacceptable- and since Pa’nar Syndrome is transmitted by these people, it’s cure is not a priority”
Another Vulcan Dr.: “Pa’nar Syndrome is a disease that is unique to an undesirable part of our population.... We don’t condone the intimate acts that these people engage in- they defy everything our society stands for.”
From Archer and T’Pol-
Captain Archer: “My number one priority here is the health of my 1st officer. If these doctors have data that can help her, I plan to get it.”
T’Pol: “They haven’t elected to do anything. They’re born with this ability.”
Archer: “We don’t hold a candle to you when it comes to narrow-mindedness.”
I give it four stars out of five.
“Cease-Fire” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode (although we do see that Andorian women have combat leadership positions). I give it three stars out of five.
“Future Tense” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Canamar” See this for a plot summary.
To a small degree this is about a law enforcement system where suspects are frequently arrested without justification and are then invariably convicted and sentenced to a penal colony. At the end, Archer says, “my engineer and I were falsely arrested. We almost wound up in Canamar. Makes me wonder how many others don’t belong there.”
I give it four stars out of five.
I’m not very familiar with The Original Series and there might be some small amount of material there that would affect what I say about Star Trek (i.e. how often religion is mentioned)
Lastly. multi-culturalism is such a pervasive theme in ST that I only comment on it when it goes beyond the norm (i.e. inter-species partners).
“Catwalk” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it four stars out of five.
“Dawn” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Stigma” See this for a plot summary.
This episode basically uses a Vulcan disease and the stigma attached to it to discuss HIV and AIDS. A minority of Vulcans practice mind-melds which transmit the disease (Pa’nar Syndrome) There are some good lines which, as I said, are basically talking about how people with HIV/AIDS are treated. Here’s some of the better lines:
What the bigots say-
A Vulcan Dr.: “We find their behavior unacceptable- and since Pa’nar Syndrome is transmitted by these people, it’s cure is not a priority”
Another Vulcan Dr.: “Pa’nar Syndrome is a disease that is unique to an undesirable part of our population.... We don’t condone the intimate acts that these people engage in- they defy everything our society stands for.”
From Archer and T’Pol-
Captain Archer: “My number one priority here is the health of my 1st officer. If these doctors have data that can help her, I plan to get it.”
T’Pol: “They haven’t elected to do anything. They’re born with this ability.”
Archer: “We don’t hold a candle to you when it comes to narrow-mindedness.”
I give it four stars out of five.
“Cease-Fire” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode (although we do see that Andorian women have combat leadership positions). I give it three stars out of five.
“Future Tense” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Canamar” See this for a plot summary.
To a small degree this is about a law enforcement system where suspects are frequently arrested without justification and are then invariably convicted and sentenced to a penal colony. At the end, Archer says, “my engineer and I were falsely arrested. We almost wound up in Canamar. Makes me wonder how many others don’t belong there.”
I give it four stars out of five.
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