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.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
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.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews G
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).
“Marauders” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“The Seventh” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“The Communicator” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode except for the concern about negatively affecting a race by exposing them to technology they’re not ready for, which could be a serious problem.
I give it three stars out of five.
“Singularity" See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars out of five.
“Vanishing Point” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it four stars out of five.
“Precious Cargo” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two 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).
“Marauders” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“The Seventh” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“The Communicator” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode except for the concern about negatively affecting a race by exposing them to technology they’re not ready for, which could be a serious problem.
I give it three stars out of five.
“Singularity" See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars out of five.
“Vanishing Point” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it four stars out of five.
“Precious Cargo” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars out of five.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews F
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).
“Carbon Creek” See this for a plot summary.
There is, as there usually is with episodes like this, some talk about the problems humanity had centuries before Starfleet (aggression, nuclear weapons, etc.).
The idea that Vulcans visited Earth basically a century before formal First Contact is interesting and the story is a good one.
I give it four stars out of five.
“Minefield” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode but a very good one. I give it four stars out of five.
“Dead Stop” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it four stars out of five.
“A Night In Sickbay” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it four stars out five. (I LOVE dogs and tell my dog to look at the TV every time Porthos appears)
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).
“Carbon Creek” See this for a plot summary.
There is, as there usually is with episodes like this, some talk about the problems humanity had centuries before Starfleet (aggression, nuclear weapons, etc.).
The idea that Vulcans visited Earth basically a century before formal First Contact is interesting and the story is a good one.
I give it four stars out of five.
“Minefield” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode but a very good one. I give it four stars out of five.
“Dead Stop” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it four stars out of five.
“A Night In Sickbay” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it four stars out five. (I LOVE dogs and tell my dog to look at the TV every time Porthos appears)
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews E
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.
The Original Series disclaimer:
Also, although this gap in my knowledge is not complete and I will often do research to make up for this, and we are only taking about around 70 episodes, I am not familiar with The Original Series, so if I say something and there’s an exception in that series, that simply means that I was off a little bit. Unfortunately, I don’t like TOS, have see each episode an average of once, on average about 10 years ago, and for various reasons I’m not going to familiarize myself with it anytime soon. Unfortunately I love the three series from 1990s, like Enterprise, and am going to do this anyway. I doubt it’ll more than very slightly affect something like 1% of the reviews I do of the 1990s series- when I’m done with those, that’ll be about 525 episodes, so about 5 reviews, and it won’t affect what I’m saying about real life politics, just what I say about ST, and then probably just a little bit.
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).
“Vox Sola” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars.
“Fallen Hero” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Desert Crossing” See this for a plot summary.
This is partly about a conflict generated by caste discrimination.
I give it three stars out of five.
“Two Days and Two Nights” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Shockwave” Parts 1 and 2 See this and this for a plot summary.
A non-political two-parter, but a good one, even if it involves the Suliban and the "Temporal Cold War" (that aspect of this series is something I don’t like). I like the part about Archer and Daniels being trapped in the future. I give four stars out of five.
The Original Series disclaimer:
Also, although this gap in my knowledge is not complete and I will often do research to make up for this, and we are only taking about around 70 episodes, I am not familiar with The Original Series, so if I say something and there’s an exception in that series, that simply means that I was off a little bit. Unfortunately, I don’t like TOS, have see each episode an average of once, on average about 10 years ago, and for various reasons I’m not going to familiarize myself with it anytime soon. Unfortunately I love the three series from 1990s, like Enterprise, and am going to do this anyway. I doubt it’ll more than very slightly affect something like 1% of the reviews I do of the 1990s series- when I’m done with those, that’ll be about 525 episodes, so about 5 reviews, and it won’t affect what I’m saying about real life politics, just what I say about ST, and then probably just a little bit.
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).
“Vox Sola” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars.
“Fallen Hero” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Desert Crossing” See this for a plot summary.
This is partly about a conflict generated by caste discrimination.
I give it three stars out of five.
“Two Days and Two Nights” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Shockwave” Parts 1 and 2 See this and this for a plot summary.
A non-political two-parter, but a good one, even if it involves the Suliban and the "Temporal Cold War" (that aspect of this series is something I don’t like). I like the part about Archer and Daniels being trapped in the future. I give four stars out of five.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews D
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).
“Rogue Planet” See this for a plot summary.
This episode tells us that decades earlier on Earth, hunting animals ceased. I have weak, negative feelings about hunting- I have basically nothing besides that to say on the subject.
I give it two stars out of five.
“Acquisition” See this for a plot summary.
This episode is about Ferengis, who practice raw capitalism. There is an exchange between Archer and one of the Ferengi about the Rules of Acquisition, a Ferengi code of conduct.
Ferengi: ... the most important one- “a man is only worth the sum of his possesions.”
Archer: Back on my home world that kind of thinking almost destroyed our civilization.
“Oasis” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it four stars.
“Detained” See this for a plot summary.
A very political episode. The internment of Japanese and Japanese-Americans in most of the US during World War II is mentioned as something similar to what the Suliban are experiencing.
One of the interned Suliban explains that, “they told us it was only temporary, it was for our own safety- ‘once the cabal has been destroyed you will be free to go back to your homes.’ We’re still waiting” (eight years on).
This brings up two things:
1) It kind of reminds me of people being detained without a trial in the War on Terror and how that will probably not end in a few or even several decades.
2) If they were really interested in the safety of the Suliban (who were being attacked violently by Tandarans), the government would have made it very clear that attacks on them were unacceptable, and backed that up with the Army.
In general a good illustration of bigotry and oppression. 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).
“Rogue Planet” See this for a plot summary.
This episode tells us that decades earlier on Earth, hunting animals ceased. I have weak, negative feelings about hunting- I have basically nothing besides that to say on the subject.
I give it two stars out of five.
“Acquisition” See this for a plot summary.
This episode is about Ferengis, who practice raw capitalism. There is an exchange between Archer and one of the Ferengi about the Rules of Acquisition, a Ferengi code of conduct.
Ferengi: ... the most important one- “a man is only worth the sum of his possesions.”
Archer: Back on my home world that kind of thinking almost destroyed our civilization.
“Oasis” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it four stars.
“Detained” See this for a plot summary.
A very political episode. The internment of Japanese and Japanese-Americans in most of the US during World War II is mentioned as something similar to what the Suliban are experiencing.
One of the interned Suliban explains that, “they told us it was only temporary, it was for our own safety- ‘once the cabal has been destroyed you will be free to go back to your homes.’ We’re still waiting” (eight years on).
This brings up two things:
1) It kind of reminds me of people being detained without a trial in the War on Terror and how that will probably not end in a few or even several decades.
2) If they were really interested in the safety of the Suliban (who were being attacked violently by Tandarans), the government would have made it very clear that attacks on them were unacceptable, and backed that up with the Army.
In general a good illustration of bigotry and oppression. I give it four stars out of five.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews C
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).
“Sleeping Dogs” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Shadows of P’Jem” See this for a plot summary.
There’s one very good bit of politics in this episode. When looking at an alien city from outer-space, Malcolm and Trip have the following exchange:
Malcolm: From what we can tell, the entire capital is surrounded by a shanty-town- there are almost as many bio-signs on the outskirts as there are inside the city.
Trip: Looks like these people have a lot to learn about building a free society.
Poverty does undermine how free a society is. First, the US Declaration of Independence includes “the pursuit of Happiness” as an unalienable right. And poverty seriously affects democracy in a negative way. If you look at everything involved with an election in a capitalist country, it’s sort of a cross between “one person one vote” and “one dollar one vote.” Poverty makes it difficult for people to pursue their dreams.
I give this episode four stars out of five.
“Shuttle pod One” See this for a plot summary.
Although very non-political and in some ways unattractive for me, this is, overall, one of my favorite episodes in ENT. It is almost entirely about two Enterprise officers in a shuttle craft facing death in space as they are completely isolated and are losing oxygen. Normally I wouldn’t be interested in that sort of thing, but I love this episode.
I give it four stars out of five.
“Fusion” See this for a plot summary.
The way that they talk about what happens to T’pol during and after the mind-meld, is very similar to how people talk about rape.
I like the message sent about rape, but because of other elements of the episode (I’m not a big fan of Vulcan episodes), I am giving it only two 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).
“Sleeping Dogs” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Shadows of P’Jem” See this for a plot summary.
There’s one very good bit of politics in this episode. When looking at an alien city from outer-space, Malcolm and Trip have the following exchange:
Malcolm: From what we can tell, the entire capital is surrounded by a shanty-town- there are almost as many bio-signs on the outskirts as there are inside the city.
Trip: Looks like these people have a lot to learn about building a free society.
Poverty does undermine how free a society is. First, the US Declaration of Independence includes “the pursuit of Happiness” as an unalienable right. And poverty seriously affects democracy in a negative way. If you look at everything involved with an election in a capitalist country, it’s sort of a cross between “one person one vote” and “one dollar one vote.” Poverty makes it difficult for people to pursue their dreams.
I give this episode four stars out of five.
“Shuttle pod One” See this for a plot summary.
Although very non-political and in some ways unattractive for me, this is, overall, one of my favorite episodes in ENT. It is almost entirely about two Enterprise officers in a shuttle craft facing death in space as they are completely isolated and are losing oxygen. Normally I wouldn’t be interested in that sort of thing, but I love this episode.
I give it four stars out of five.
“Fusion” See this for a plot summary.
The way that they talk about what happens to T’pol during and after the mind-meld, is very similar to how people talk about rape.
I like the message sent about rape, but because of other elements of the episode (I’m not a big fan of Vulcan episodes), I am giving it only two stars out of five.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews B
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).
“Fortunate Son” See this for a plot summary.
There is one little bit about torture, and StarFleet’s opposition to it. Besides that a non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Cold Front” See this for a plot summary.
This episode has something pretty rare in Star Trek- references to “Old Earth” religions, including Christianity. I like that, because it erodes this idea that the sort of progress among humanity that is central to ST requires ditching religion.
I give it three stars out of five.
“Silent Enemy” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars out of five.
“Dear Doctor” See this for a plot summary.
This is a fairly political episode. It’s partly about how the (seemingly) inferior of two humanoid races indigenous to same planet is treated almost like children. It’s a fairly good example of bigotry.
There is also talk about if, when and how Star Fleet should interfere in the affairs of other races (this is a hint of what will be known decades later as the Prime Directive, which is drafted sometime not long before the events in The Original Series). As far as I can tell, the exact text of the Prime Directive is not available anywhere, so that affects what I can say about it. I sort of like it, but generally support Star Fleet officers when they bend or break it. It also seems to never be explained if it only applies to another race’s domestic situation, or if it also applies in inter-planetary conflicts.
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).
“Fortunate Son” See this for a plot summary.
There is one little bit about torture, and StarFleet’s opposition to it. Besides that a non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Cold Front” See this for a plot summary.
This episode has something pretty rare in Star Trek- references to “Old Earth” religions, including Christianity. I like that, because it erodes this idea that the sort of progress among humanity that is central to ST requires ditching religion.
I give it three stars out of five.
“Silent Enemy” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars out of five.
“Dear Doctor” See this for a plot summary.
This is a fairly political episode. It’s partly about how the (seemingly) inferior of two humanoid races indigenous to same planet is treated almost like children. It’s a fairly good example of bigotry.
There is also talk about if, when and how Star Fleet should interfere in the affairs of other races (this is a hint of what will be known decades later as the Prime Directive, which is drafted sometime not long before the events in The Original Series). As far as I can tell, the exact text of the Prime Directive is not available anywhere, so that affects what I can say about it. I sort of like it, but generally support Star Fleet officers when they bend or break it. It also seems to never be explained if it only applies to another race’s domestic situation, or if it also applies in inter-planetary conflicts.
I give this episode three stars out of five.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Star Trek: Enterprise Reviews A
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).
“Broken Bow” parts 1 and 2 (see this for a plot summary)
There is only one bit of politics in this where Archer’s father discourages him from speaking about Vulcans in a way that’s bigoted. In general, the conflict between Starfleet and the Vulcans doesn’t seem (in general) to be racist on the part of the former.
On one hand, I’m not a big fan of the Suliban and “Temporal Cold War” aspects of this series. On the other hand, looking at the series premieres for the four series that I like, this one might be my favorite. In general, while watching this series for the 2nd or 3rd time (this is the 3rd or the 4th) I decided I really like this series- more than The Next Generation, and almost as much as Voyager and Deep Space Nine. I think that’s partly because it’s so interesting to see Starfleet at a point in it’s history where they are not as advanced technologically as they are in all the other series. I mean, they used shuttles almost all the time and only rarely used the transporter for people.
I give this two-parter four stars out of five.
“Fight or Flight” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Strange New World” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Unexpected” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Terra Nova” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars out of five.
“The Andorian Incident” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Breaking the Ice” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars.
“Civilization” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it 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).
“Broken Bow” parts 1 and 2 (see this for a plot summary)
There is only one bit of politics in this where Archer’s father discourages him from speaking about Vulcans in a way that’s bigoted. In general, the conflict between Starfleet and the Vulcans doesn’t seem (in general) to be racist on the part of the former.
On one hand, I’m not a big fan of the Suliban and “Temporal Cold War” aspects of this series. On the other hand, looking at the series premieres for the four series that I like, this one might be my favorite. In general, while watching this series for the 2nd or 3rd time (this is the 3rd or the 4th) I decided I really like this series- more than The Next Generation, and almost as much as Voyager and Deep Space Nine. I think that’s partly because it’s so interesting to see Starfleet at a point in it’s history where they are not as advanced technologically as they are in all the other series. I mean, they used shuttles almost all the time and only rarely used the transporter for people.
I give this two-parter four stars out of five.
“Fight or Flight” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Strange New World” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Unexpected” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Terra Nova” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars out of five.
“The Andorian Incident” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
“Breaking the Ice” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it two stars.
“Civilization” See this for a plot summary.
A non-political episode. I give it three stars out of five.
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