This has been a fairly strong trilogy so far - assuming this third part, which introduces AND resolves the Aenar part of Andorian culture, doesn't seem too tacked-on, we'll hopefully have a winner here. What to look for:
-Just how the hell telepathy is boosted by technology - and how T'pol gets to do just this in the context of the episode.
-How the Romulans of this era compare to the others, and how the convenient notion that the Aenar they've been using fits into the "never seen us!" mythology.
-Hopefully, some combined fleet action with the Humans, Vulcans, Andorians and Tellarites finally wiping out the Flea. However, I'm guessing that there won't be any elves or pigs this time out.
-A lot of Andorian stuff! This is a planet we've never seen. Look to see how the Andorian "look" ties into their territory, including their antennae working to their advantage.
-Speaking of which, Shran should be fully compensated by now for his missing extremity. A shame that we'll never see him at full strength again before the show ends.
Mark
Posted by Doctor Jonas (Member # 481) on :
Shran==Martok?
Would be nice if someone with some knowledge of the Andorian lore written on the Last Unicorn Games' RPG books watches this and sees how many elements are taken from it. So far, the duel thing is going strong.
Posted by Captain Stark (Member # 70) on :
They mentioned a ship named Ticonderoga. It was a transport vessel that was destroyed by the marauders. Odd question. Was there any mention of the Ticonderoga in the closing credits?
Thanks in advance.
Posted by Krenim (Member # 22) on :
Andoria is a moon of a ringed gas giant. Neat.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
I rather think that was supposed to be another planet in the same system. Could be wrong, though.
Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
Since the Aenar live in the 'Northern Wastes' of Andoria, it is obvious that Andoria is that barren ice moon.
Anyway, Andorian cities are underground. Shran didn't see the sun until he was 15. Sometimes, the temperature reaches above freezing point for a few days. That would be considered a heat wave. Remember Kasidy Yates wanted to take Sisko on a honeymoon to the 'Andorian mountains'. Nothing like the surface of a barren ice world for romance!
We actually get a nice view of the Aenar city in a cave. It's technologically advanced, and Shran mentions a dampening field. Perhaps this is why the 'blueskins' only (re-)disovered the Aenar 50 years ago. The interior set looks like a re-use of the Soval torture chamber.
The crew build their own 'telepresence' setup in Sickbay. They can't control the drone, but they can interfere with it. They need an Aenar to operate it.
Icebores are rather unlikely little worms that generate enough heat to melt through ice.
The antennae have a function in the balance system, since Shran is still walking like a drunk.
The Romulans have built another probe, and have repaired the other.
The Earth transport Ticonderoga has been destroyed by the Romulans. The probe fakes the appearance of a Tellarite freighter. It's a re-use of the Retellian freighter from "Precious Cargo".
Both drones are destroyed, and the Aenar is killed. That pretty much ruins the chances of more Romulan tricks using the telepresence thing.
Trip has been asked to transfer to Columbia twice, but now he wants to transfer himself. I expected Archer's immediate refusal, but it seems that Trip will be going to Columbia.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
quote:Originally posted by Harry: Since the Aenar live in the 'Northern Wastes' of Andoria, it is obvious that Andoria is that barren ice moon.
I meant that the "moon" (Andoria) is actually a planet, and the gas giant is the NEXT planet in the system. I don't know why this makes any difference, though.
Posted by Manticore (Member # 1227) on :
Awfully close to be planets. In fact, insanely improbably close.
But then again, we've seen worse.
Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
I don't understand how a subspecies like the Aenar can be so technologically advanced yet be so isolated from the rest of the planet. That'd be akin to South American tribesmen having cars and cell phones, wouldn't it?
Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
There are enough ways to explain that away. Contact was made around 2100, so there's enough time for stuff to happen. It was specifically called the 'Aenar compound', and it was equipped with dampening fields. It could have been specifically built for the Aenar by the blueskins.
Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
That's true.
I just can't see how an isolated colony with limited contact can stay technologically current. It's trade, commerce, exchanging of ideas that keep propelling civilizations forward.
And I thought the question if the Aenar could have built the marauder to be a bit out there. Pacifists aside, there is no way they could keep that a secret. They'd need all the advanced technology they could find, plus a construction area (possibly orbital).
I just can't imagine the Andorian government or military missing something like that, especially if it's on the same planet.
Yet, Shran's mane objection was that they were pacifists. LOL
Posted by machf (Member # 1233) on :
quote:Originally posted by HerbShrump: That'd be akin to South American tribesmen having cars and cell phones, wouldn't it?
Well, that may surprise you, but in fact they do nowadays.
Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
Does everyone have a car and cell phone but me? Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
quote:Originally posted by machf:
quote:Originally posted by HerbShrump: That'd be akin to South American tribesmen having cars and cell phones, wouldn't it?
Well, that may surprise you, but in fact they do nowadays.
It would suprise me if they invented or produced those cell phones.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Well I just finished watching "The Aenar". Very good episode. A solid finish to the "Andorian Trilogy". Liked it lots! Why doesn't Trip just start humping T'Pol's leg!?! Posted by Vice-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
That would be unprofessional Andrew... that's why. Also, that would be reserved for May sweeps.
I'm still confused though as to why the Romulan Nemesis uniforms were used... other than the fact that it's cheaper than making new ones. And that flea looks like something from The Forge in Star Trek: Voyager Elite Force.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
Those "Nemesis" uniforms were actually first introduced in DS9.
Posted by Manticore (Member # 1227) on :
quote:Originally posted by HerbShrump:
quote:Originally posted by machf:
quote:Originally posted by HerbShrump: That'd be akin to South American tribesmen having cars and cell phones, wouldn't it?
Well, that may surprise you, but in fact they do nowadays.
It would suprise me if they invented or produced those cell phones.
I simply interpreted it as the Aenar got the tech from the Andorians after discovery, not that they invented it themselves.
Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
The fact that the room Shran was tended to had writing on the walls suggests that the Aenar didn't build the place.
Posted by machf (Member # 1233) on :
quote:Originally posted by Manticore:
quote:Originally posted by HerbShrump:
quote:Originally posted by machf:
quote:Originally posted by HerbShrump: That'd be akin to South American tribesmen having cars and cell phones, wouldn't it?
Well, that may surprise you, but in fact they do nowadays.
It would suprise me if they invented or produced those cell phones.
I simply interpreted it as the Aenar got the tech from the Andorians after discovery, not that they invented it themselves.
Yep. No need to reinvent the wheel, after all.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
quote:Originally posted by AndrewR: Those "Nemesis" uniforms were actually first introduced in DS9.
I don't think so. While I haven't any screencaps to back me up, I seem to recall that the DS9 uniforms were similar but not the same. They were like a half-way point between the TNG and Nemesis ones.
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
Why would the Ticonderoga be mentioned in the end credits?
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
One possible bit of evidence that the Andorians built the compound for the Aenar: the place had lights. Why would a blind species need lights?
B.J.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
I'm curious as to how a species - a bipedal one at that evolved on Andoria. They geothermal vents, Shran mentioned?
Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
Perhaps the planet wasn't always so cold
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Well, considering how cold Andoria appears to be, one might ask the same question of the Andorians. I mean, OK, the fact that they're just people with antenna and blue blood sort of trumps any evolutionary argument we might make, but still. The sort of life on Earth that is like us (mammals, say) have evolutionary histories rather dependant on conditions allowing for liquid water more often than once every few years, and the sort of life that doesn't care what the surface temperature is (for instance, those hydrothermal vent communities) isn't much like us.
The strangest thing about the Aenar city, anyway, would probably not be the writing or the lighting, but the nice big picture windows. Their tunnels were well lit, too, apparently naturally. (Well, again, they were well lit so that we could watch along at home, but you would think that, if we were meant to think the tunnels were dark, they would at least have been lit like standard TV-night. ((Which is to say darker than normal, but not quite so dark as in reality, so as to not completely hide the picture.)))
Having said that, large ice sheets would be a great way to isolate populations for long periods of time.
I was kind of expecting the Aenar to be a bit more primitive, as well. Like, I was imagining the way human populations have tended to remain isolated; technologically innovative cultures have larger socio-economic "footprints," if you will, and are easier to see, in the sense of, you know, noticing that they are out there. Like, for instance, China and Rome, who were indirectly engaged in trade along the Silk Road before "first contact" (in a sort of formal sense, I guess, as per this page) Meanwhile, so-called "primitive" cultures in isolated parts of the world have small footprints and have evaded discovery well into the modern era.
I'd be a little surprised if any managed to remain hidden after the invention of faster than light travel and other extreme examples of technowizardry, but living deep underground might help, and I don't think anyone mentions whether that dampening field was natural or not. (That was sort of a lame mechanism to allow for the, uh, one lady's last minute confrontation with her peers, though, wasn't it? I think it would have worked just as well if they had simply been under too much material for the transporter to work or the sensors to function with optimum resolution.)
Incidently, this is the first episode of Enterprise I've seen since last year's season finale.
(I liked how, at least in this installment, none of the Romulans seemed to be particularly excited about their mission; just duty-bound to it.)
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
The Romulans were actually written quite... Romulan-like... loyalty, distrust etc. Even a little compassion on the part of the Scientist.
Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
I wondered about Andor too. If it's that frozen, where and how do they grow enough food to sustain themselves? They had to do that long before they became as technologically as they are now.
Food, fresh water, raw materials, etc...
Posted by Manticore (Member # 1227) on :
Star Trek has never made biological sense, so I'm just gonna nod my head happily and ignore the errors. Posted by Harry (Member # 265) on :
Remember that what we saw were presumably the 'Northern Wastes' Shran spoke of. Perhaps there is more geological activity further south, with natural 'ice caves' or even completely open space to allow for animals and Andorians to evolve/survive.
Remember, Andoria is supposed to have a horse-like creatures (zabathu) as well as 'Andorian bulls'. So there have to be some really large, old ice caves somewhere.
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
I imagine it being similar to parts of Alaska or Antarctica. It's very cold, but there is a lot of bare ground and some vegetation. Even with few plants, there are some pretty large animals in those places. (Even the Mastodon and Mammoth survived during the ice age, which was a much more unforgiving time.)
B.J.
Posted by Topher (Member # 71) on :
It could also be that life on Andor/ia evolved in a climate similar to Earth, but Andor/ia entered an ice age recently (geologically speaking) and Andorians adapted to the conditions.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
There aren't, of course, any large animals on Antarctica, or, indeed, in the interior, any animals at all.
Shran said that the part of the planet (moon?) he was from was so fortunate as to climb above 0 C every few years.
I'm no climatologist, but if the entire planet was iced over you'd be looking at a Snowball Earth (Snowball Andoria, I guess) scenerio. But note that no complex multicellular life had to survive through that here, since none existed yet.
Andorians seem perfectly comfortable in the temperature ranges prefered by humans and even by Vulcans. So I guess that whatever the overall climate on Andoria, there have to be large warm regions or lengthy periods of warmer weather, generated one way or another.
Posted by Captain Stark (Member # 70) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lee: Why would the Ticonderoga be mentioned in the end credits?
I run a Star Trek fan club called the USS Ticonderoga. We helped donate to many past advertisements for The Enterprise Project. A reward was our name (with several other actor fan clubs) was placed on several of the ads. This ad actually resulted in a Paramount employee working on the show who contacted us to say thanks for supporitng the show. As it turns out she use to live in our neck of the woods. After the episode first ran on Friday the end credits were extreemly squished so UPN could run promos. One of my crewmembers thought he had seen a thank you in there. We've had a chance to review the credits again (I didn't have my VCR set up at the time) and discovered that there was no reference to the Ticonderoga in the end credits. Sunday's viewing had normal credits at the end of the episode.
I posted the question here just minutes after getting the call from the person who thought they saw a thank you. I know that there are a lot of people on this forum who go over Treknology with a fine tooth comb. I figured if anyone else had noticed it, it would be someone here.
Posted by Mucus (Member # 24) on :
quote:Originally posted by Sol System: There aren't, of course, any large animals on Antarctica, or, indeed, in the interior, any animals at all.
These guys would take exception to that Actually, who knows...maybe they aren't even native to the planet but colonised it long ago.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
"Andorians seem perfectly comfortable in the temperature ranges prefered by humans and even by Vulcans."
Beyond that, even. Shran said he was somewhere in near-100°C temperatures for weeks, and all he did was lose half his body weight.
Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
I like the idea of the ice age happening really recently, say within the last several hundred years.
If a major ice age hit Earth now, for example, there'd be more of a chance we'd survive because we have the technology and tools to deal with it and adapt.
Now, if the ice age hit 10,000 years ago and continued to last until now, I think we'd be in a lot worse shape
Posted by machf (Member # 1233) on :
quote:Originally posted by TSN:
"Andorians seem perfectly comfortable in the temperature ranges prefered by humans and even by Vulcans."
Beyond that, even. Shran said he was somewhere in near-100°C temperatures for weeks, and all he did was lose half his body weight.
Hmmmm... he said something about "temperatures barely below the boiling point of water" or such, but he didn't say under which atmospheric conditions (pressure is important!), and didn't give an exact temperature reading.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
I'm tempted to nixpick Tim for his wayard minus symbol there, but it wouldn't really be a nixpick since that symobl actually changes the sentence fundamentally, unlike most of his anal attacks.
And the pressure might be important, but it would still produce atmospheric conditions rather outside what humans would be able to live in.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
I noticed the hyphen was potentially confusing, but I left it in. It didn't seem like it would work without it.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
"Shran said that he was in near 100�C temperatures for weeks."
Seems to work fine, Nix.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
I disagree, Kavanagh.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
You gentlemen will have to settle this over a game of baccarat.
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Strip baccarat.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
THE ANDORIANS PLAY CHESS TO KEEP WARM!! Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Fifteen yard penalty, Monkey of Mim. Go hit the bench for this quarter.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
One other thing: while I realize that communciation delays have never ever been anything other than an occasional plot device, I would have liked at least some mention of bandwidth and/or delay problems with the Romulan setup. Though I guess we can infer that they, along with the cryptological difficulties exploited by the Enterprise crew, exist, since the Romulans don't appear to aggressively pursue the technology. (Their warships in the future all have crews. Or do they?)
I don't mind that it wasn't used, since it was one of the more forgettable parts of a largely forgettable film, but could they have used Remans? Their telepathic powers, alas, seem pretty powerful.
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
I agree with you, Sol. There should have been a big lag going on with remotely controlling a starship that far away from Romulus. I would have rather like to have seen the control interface, the Aenar, and the Romulan officers on board a cloaked ship (maybe the ones from "Minefield"?) following the WarFlea. After all, we never heard mention of Enterprise tracing the communications frequency, so it's likely the Romulans would have remained undiscovered.
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
I was assuming that it would be revealed that the Aenar's telepathic skills would have some bearing on any comms lag. . . The ep didn't make any inroads on that, however, beyond assuming that telepathic people could handle the interface better. They didn't explain in what way, though, or how the set-up actually worked - was it a direct-neural jobby, or merely a fancy VR rig?
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
I don't suppose anyone was trying to make parallels between Andoria and its apparent inspiration as a moon of a ringed gas giant, in light of the fun we've been having on Titan recently...
Mark
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
It's kind of weird that Andoria is a moon, though. Like, I am surprised they were let into the United Federation of Planets, instead of being politely shunted off to, say, the League of Moons, which I imagine as being a bit like the Chicago Cubs or the Ottoman Empire or something. You know, you admire them just for showing up.
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
*LAUGHS* The League of Moons *LAUGHS* - I love that... CLASSIC! heheheheheheh.
I wonder then if there is The Association of Planetessimals.
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