quote:
Originally posted by geoschmo:
Ok, this is coming from a confirmed Star Trek nut. I even read a bunch of the books. So I will try to be as objective as possible. If you haven't seen it yet, and plan to, stop reading now. 
On balance Enterprise is very good. Trek shows are notorious for the weak characters early on. They usually take a couple seasons to hit their stride. This one shows more promise than TNG and Voyager IMHO. Not quite as good as DS9, but close.
Things I liked:
1. Effects. Very good. The Enterprise looks very cool. The space scenes and combat on Rigel were very well done. I hope this wasn't just a matter of all the stops being pulled out for the pilot episode. Keep it up.
2. The Vulcans. Finally! We get to see the less appealing side of them. Up till now they have been much too prissy. This has the potential to make them a much more believable race. I always thought that there was no way such a pacifistic race could survive in a galaxy with Klingons, Romulans, Cardasians, and the like. Nice to see them in a little more coniving and manipulative light.
Things I hated:
1. The theme song. What is up with THAT?!?! Please tell me that was only a one time thing and they aren't going to play that every time. Is this Star Trek or a car commercial? That sounded like that hideous UPN Yoyager/Seven Days promo thet've been playing the Last couple years. That has GOT to go!
2. The decontamination scene. "Star Trek with a side dish of soft porn." All I can say is from looking at the Vulcan science officer, that gel must have been really cold. 
3. And can anybody please name for me the #1 most overused plot device in Star Trek? Anyone, anyone, Buehler? If you said Time Travel, go to the head of the class! So now who's the new bad guy? Someone from the future! Please tell me we've seen the Last of him. Somehow I think not.
Geoschmo
I agree with your assessment in the broad sense. In fact, I would have said exactly what you said in comparison to the other Trek series if you hadn't beaten me to it.
Yes, it's not quite as good as the DS9 pilot, but otherwise pretty good.
The "decontamination" scene was a classic example of Treknology being twisted to serve marketting ploys. If they were exposed to some sort of alien pathogen, they would need air-tight quarantine,
internal treatment (like 'anti-biotics' or whatever the equivalent would be at that time) and a full external scrub down, including their HAIR. Deh! But, they needed an excuse to show off Blalock's body, so they invented the gel scene.
Blech... this is the usual pandering to the gonad crowd. T'Pol will be in the cat suit all the time, I'm sure. Just like 'Counselor' Troi and her spray-on suit rather than a real uniform, or Seven of Ninety-nine bustline.
The badguy is not 'from' the future, unless you are referring to the indistinct figure he was talking to. He's merely an "agent" for whoever is intervening from the future. He's been genetically engineered by them, and is 'paying' for his sooper-tuneup by doing their dirty work.
Oh, and BTW, the most over-used Trek plot device is the TRANSPORTER. It saved the hero's bacon again in this pilot, you'll notice. I don't doubt they'll use it to 'restore' damaged/mutated characters several times just like a save in an adventure game. Another of the classic faults of Trek.
[This message has been edited by Baron Munchausen (edited 27 September 2001).]