I'm currently taking a history class about the early American period, mainly from 1789 to 1825. Though the class focuses on the presidential administrations, we're currently reading the published journals of Lewis and Clark. It's a very enlightening read, about what these guys went through to pave the way for future exploration.
Hmmm... pave the way for future exploration, huh? Gee, where've I heard that before?
A lot of the perceived problems with "Enterprise" have been mentioned previously, but I'm starting to realize just how easily they could be avoided, simply based on historical precedent. The issues of transportation, crew discipline, contact with natives, supplies, weather, shelter... all of these can easily have some sort of analogue to the NX-01's mission. Though Lewis and Clark were hardly diplomats in their own right, they were practical, businesslike people. They weren't simply wandering around the western North American continent looking to sightsee and meet some new people -- they were supposed to chart the area, survey its features, observe local tribes, and record information for future expansion.
Obviously there's a great practical difference between the US's prejudiced and racist expansionary policy and the Earth/Federation goal of peaceful coexistence and respect for other cultures. But at the same time, I think that there would be a lot that should be the same, too. For instance, once the Enterprise made it past Vulcan explored territory, there would be great difficulty in interacting with other cultures. A universal translator can be useful and make the First Contact rather straightforward... but think about what can happen if things go wrong?
Lewis and Clark's journals repeatedly describe encounters with various tribes where there was difficulty communicating intentions, where all sorts of gifts were exchanged, and rituals performed (like the now-stereotypical smoking of the pipe). There was even a point where one tribe was so friendly they pleaded with the explorers to stay for days on end -- only it turned out to be a cover to rob them of their supplies.
Then there's the issue of the crew. Lewis and Clark were fairly sturdy individuals overall (though there was still some trouble and moments of self-doubt). However, the same can't be said of the entire crew -- even on the first few months of the journey the captains had to deal with crew discipline and some fairly serious issues. Humans in the 22nd century may have "evolved," but I can't believe that they're completely perfect. In unexplored space, surrounded by unknown alien cultures and months or even years away from home, nerves should inevitably fray. Yet why don't they?
To stop rambling now...
It's a real shame when you start looking at it from this perspective, what ENT could be, and what it is. Berman and Braga have promised great things to show the first era of Human exploration in space. Yet none of the issues mentioned above would really have changed too much about the overall series idea -- even hoohah like the Temporal Cold War isn't excluded by simply altering the perspective of the ship's mission a little bit. It should still be possible to portray a bold, daring, and difficult expedition into the unknown. Yet instead, we see a boatload of clueless space cadets wandering around and starting interstellar conflicts. I don't buy that part about Humans still in the learning process (vis a vis Vulcan "parenting") -- yes, learning to interact in the galactic community is going to take a long time to figure out, but it doesn't mean that the first people out there have to approach the mission like wide-eyed children.
Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
!
And also,
?
.
Good post. Maybe. But does ! outweigh ?, or does * threaten to overwhelm them all?
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Good points MM, I never thought about it that way...
Jeff, yes....
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Well thanks Jeff, but I'd like to know what "!" and "?" and "*" are supposed to mean in this context... Posted by The_Tom (Member # 38) on :
quote:Originally posted by MinutiaeMan: Lewis and Clark's journals repeatedly describe encounters with various tribes where there was difficulty communicating intentions, where all sorts of gifts were exchanged, and rituals performed (like the now-stereotypical smoking of the pipe).
I totally agree. Wouldn't it be cool if B&B made an episode where they have to do this elaborate ritual involving someone cutting chunks off a log in order to apologize for transgressions that had little by way of cultural equivalence?
quote: There was even a point where one tribe was so friendly they pleaded with the explorers to stay for days on end -- only it turned out to be a cover to rob them of their supplies.
Well, sure, but clearly Star Trek already did these stories several times on Voyager, so for them to even consider having anything with a highly specific plot element even remotely like this on Enterprise would be ripping off themselves and defecating in Roddenberry's urn.
quote:Then there's the issue of the crew. Lewis and Clark were fairly sturdy individuals overall (though there was still some trouble and moments of self-doubt). However, the same can't be said of the entire crew -- even on the first few months of the journey the captains had to deal with crew discipline and some fairly serious issues. Humans in the 22nd century may have "evolved," but I can't believe that they're completely perfect. In unexplored space, surrounded by unknown alien cultures and months or even years away from home, nerves should inevitably fray. Yet why don't they?
God, I hate that stupid Archer character. He's so unprofessional and immature. And Trip's a rude idiot who's too clueless to have ever been let on a ship like the Enterprise, always shouting and mouthing off aliens. The two of them do nothing but try to bait T'Pol into saying things they'll get mad at her for. And, I mean, shouldn't Reed by on a psychiatrist's couch somewhere?
quote: Berman and Braga have promised great things to show the first era of Human exploration in space. Yet none of the issues mentioned above would really have changed too much about the overall series idea -- even hoohah like the Temporal Cold War isn't excluded by simply altering the perspective of the ship's mission a little bit. It should still be possible to portray a bold, daring, and difficult expedition into the unknown. Yet instead, we see a boatload of clueless space cadets wandering around and starting interstellar conflicts.
"Humans in the 22nd century may have "evolved," but I can't believe that they're completely perfect."
quote: I don't buy that part about Humans still in the learning process (vis a vis Vulcan "parenting") -- yes, learning to interact in the galactic community is going to take a long time to figure out, but it doesn't mean that the first people out there have to approach the mission like wide-eyed children.
"Humans in the 22nd century may have "evolved," but I can't believe that they're completely perfect." Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
quote:"Humans in the 22nd century may have "evolved," but I can't believe that they're completely perfect."
My point is that for a mission of such importance, there should be a hell of a lot more planning involved, and a lot more caution.
I'm not saying that "Enterprise" is a horrible show, not at all. I watch it every week and enjoy it for the most part. If it sounds like I'm bashing, I'm not really.
What I'm trying to say is, that considering what Archer and company are setting out to do, they could possibly be more aware of the difficulties they could face along the way. Like diplomacy -- something that Archer is seriously deficient at. Even Lewis and Clark new enough not to get involved in many local conflicts or start new wars.
Posted by newark (Member # 888) on :
You expect this from Berman and Braga? ROFLMAO
Seriously, when I have studied the history of humanity's explorations into the unknown in the past, the very first expeditions were done first by rafts to nearby islands and then a flotilla of ships to more distant lands. There is an advantage in numbers. I think when we venture further into space, far beyond our solar system, we will send a small fleet of ships. There will be two or three ships-a command ship, a supply ship, and possibly a third ship.
The Enterprise would not be on her lone. She would have a companion ship. This ship would carry the necessary components for repair and supply. Furthermore, the Enterprise would be cramped and uncomfortable. The humans who would travel in this ship would be highly trained and psychologically and physically fit for the mission.
The impression I get from the series is one I would expect from people based in Los Angeles. The Enterprise is a really cool bus with weapons and shielding traveling from Los Angeles to Inglewood or any other nearby city. Every now and then, they wander into gangland and get roughed up. Or, they drive into a community neighborhood with the local convenience-gas station for stocking up on supplies.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
There is one major difference between ENT and L&C. ENT isn't completely out of contact w/ Earth. L&C were out there totally on their own.
Posted by Masao (Member # 232) on :
"The purpose of Enterprise is exploration. It's the Lewis and Clark expedition of the 22nd century. Since the whole premise is that we don't know what's out there, it's a little hard to have more specific plans, or stake our claim on new (to us at least) planets. We don't want to go back to Earth for awhile, because we want the audience to continue to have the sense that Enterprise is farther than any other Earth ship has travelled. The crew has to improvise at times because when they left Earth they have very little idea of what to expect."
Posted by Snay (Member # 411) on :
!!!!!
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
quote:Originally posted by Masao: "The purpose of Enterprise is exploration. It's the Lewis and Clark expedition of the 22nd century. Since the whole premise is that we don't know what's out there, it's a little hard to have more specific plans, or stake our claim on new (to us at least) planets. We don't want to go back to Earth for awhile, because we want the audience to continue to have the sense that Enterprise is farther than any other Earth ship has travelled. The crew has to improvise at times because when they left Earth they have very little idea of what to expect."
Hmpf. This shows that the writers really DON'T know much about the Lewis and Clark expedition. To start out with, even though no one in 1803 really knew much about the specifics of the geography, they at least knew where the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains were. And doesn't the NX-01 at least know where the stars are? Hell, today's astronomers can do that!
At the same time, the conduct of the NX-01's mission is quite simplistic. Lewis and Clark were faced with all sorts of dangers that could easily have ruined the entire journey -- from running out of food, to bad weather nearly capsizing their pirogues, to incompetent or mutinous crew members. We've seen some of this in the course of the first season or so, but it's not nearly as "bold" or "daring" as one should expect for the Very First Space Exploration Mission�.
Then there's the issue of communications. Lewis and Clark were completely cut off from contact with home, they had nothing but their own wits and the equipment they carried with them.
Just to prove that I'm not a total ENT-basher, I will mention one aspect that is more of my perspective -- after watching 650 hours of "Star Trek" before ENT came on the air, it's pretty hard to buy into the wonder and excitement of exploring the unknown, after we've spent thirty-five years doing just that. Yet if you read Captain Lewis's impressions written when he first discovered the Great Falls of the Missouri -- though he's self-deprecating, I got a wonderful sense of awe and majesty at a man's first look at one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. It may be me, since it's all stuff I've seen before, but ENT has not yet really managed to evoke that same sense.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"Crew members"? Lewis and Clark had crew members?
Posted by Toadkiller (Member # 425) on :
quote:Originally posted by TSN: "Crew members"? Lewis and Clark had crew members?
Well, yeah. They most likely called them team members or soldiers or whatever vice a naval sounding term. But, they did not go out there by themselves....who would have carried the coffee?
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
quote:Originally posted by TSN: "Crew members"? Lewis and Clark had crew members?
Well, duh! They had a team of thirty people in the expedition from Fort Mandan onwards. Plus the kid. Do you really think that they'd travel three thousand miles back and forth across uncharted wilderness by themselves?
"Crew members" may not be the technical term, but it's still perfectly applicable. Everyone in the party (aside from the two hired interpreters and Sacagawea and her newborn kid) were Army officers or enlisted men. This was a planned, organized expedition and run with military discipline.
An interesting fact that I neglected to mention before is that Lewis and Clark's party fought in only one battle during their entire journey, and lost only one man -- to disease.
Posted by Fleet-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
Well, that's interesting to know since my history book usually showed only Lewis and Clark. As far as Enterprise is concerned... forget about it.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Yeah, back in grade school they seemed to suggest that L&C hopped in a canoe in St. Charles and started rowing. And picked up Sacagewea somewhere along the line.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Like a road trip, huh? Posted by LET CAPTAIN = MIKE THEN GOTO 10 (Member # 709) on :
yup, they did it on spring break, even got back in time for their exams. but then their parents saw them topless in the commercials for 'Frontiersman Gone Wild on Spring Break 3'.. Mark Twain based his book 'Dude, Where's My Wagon' on their adventures.
Posted by The_Tom (Member # 38) on :
Incidentally, the fact that Lewis and Clark had such a low body count should shut up those who bitch about how Archer isn't losing redshirts like flies.
I think a huge reason that Enterprise's exploration seems a little too aimless for some people's tastes is that in an effort to get away from Voyagerishness there isn't a fixed destination. I mean, it's not like the NX-01 will arrive at Regulus next season, dock at Earthbase Astoria, say hi to the local officials, and everyone will put their feet up and get pissed in celebration.
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