posted
Well, I finally saw Nemesis today. I first saw Star Trek V in the theater, and I haven't missed seeing a Trek film on the big screen at least once since then.
I missed this one. Oh well, can't say I regret it.
THE ARGO
Everyone bitches about the Argo. Seems to me that vehicles like this would be perfect for the Dominion War, for ground scouting where sending a shuttle would bring a heck of a lot of disruptor fire your way. It makes sense that Starfleet would equip their ships with vehicles capable of driving, to negotiate regions on worlds which might for whatever reason interfere with either the transporters or flying vehicles. As for why the Argo is aboard the Enterprise, who knows. Maybe Starfleet had a few thousand of these things lying around somewhere, and decided that instead of letting them collect dust, they might as well do some good on a starship.
As for run on the surface ... Picard's anxiety to try out the Argo didn't sit well with me, it seemed out of character. We had the approaching ion storm to rule out using the transporter. It really would've been THAT hard to say something like, "there's no place near the positronic readings to land a shuttle, but we can land ten kilometers away and take the Argo..." As for the ambush, my guess is that Shinzon left them there for two reasons: a) to stop any random passerby from investigation (“What?! B4 got picked up by a Bynar transport? Daaaamit!”) and b) to throw Picard & Co. off the track of why B4 is there. Instead of thinking, “Wow, we find B4, and then we get sent to Romulus and meet Shinzon ... maybe there’s a connection”, the hope would be “Let’s see, we find B4, some group attacks us, we should figure out what they want -- oh goody, now we get to go to Romulus. Oh well, this can wait.”)
DATA
Okay, I’ll admit it. I liked Data’s death. I didn’t like Data dying, but I liked how he went. It wasn’t sentimental, it was what he had to do, and he knew it. I liked the reaction on Picard’s face when Picard realized what was going on, and I really really really liked the last look between Data and LaForge before Data “flew” to the Scimitar. LaForge knew -- of course he did, and ... I don’t know, I just liked the way Data went, putting himself on the line for his ship and his crew, in perhaps his most human act: sacrificing himself for his shipmates.
What I DON’T like, is the concept that B4 might replace Data in the next movie. “Oh, he’s got his memories, it’s Data. Give him a rank.” B4 may have Data’s memories, but that doesn’t mean he can comprehend them. My hope is that B4 is sent to “grow up” with Admiral Haftal and Cmdr. Maddox. Assuming that B4 is able to evolve to Data’s level (pre-Academy), I would hope that B4 have to go through the same process as Data before pulling a rank: enter Starfleet Academy, graduate, and serve on assorted Starfleet ships, just like his younger brother.
Shinzon
I don’t buy this character at all. First off, I hate the clone concept. Second off, I hate that he was, for all intents and purposes, a slave who rose to command Romulans ships in the Dominion War, and apparently won quite a few victories. I don’t see the transition from slave to not just warrior, but warrior chief.
For me, the character would have worked better if he had been a human -- a real human, not a clone - captured in some forgotten skirmish a few decades earlier. Thrown into the Reman mines to die, he eventually finds himself with a drafted Reman corps of warriors, and somehow shows through his actions he’s worthy of command -- puts himself to the attention of a Romulan commander. Works his way up in the ranks, nursing his anger at both the Federation (which he blames for not rescuing him from the horrors of the Reman slave camps), and the Romulans (used him as a slave, now as a warrior) ... considers the Remans his only “friends” ... his motive to destroy the Romulan senate and destroy Earth are not because he’s a clone, but because he was a truly innocent child, forgotten by the Federation, abused by the Romulans.
Nemesis and Classic Trek
Many parallels. First off, “The Wrath of Khan”: Data’s death to Spock. Both sacrificed themselves to save their crew. Both have an out: Spock’s memories to McCoy, Data’s memories to B4.
“The Undiscovered Country”: the discussions of change, the whole concept of the mission of peace. Even the “firing while cloaked” starship.
The Assorted
I’m glad Riker got some lines. Even Troi. As usual, Geordi and Crusher were ignored. Worf even got the cold shoulder.
Different Plot Ideas?
This is random, I know.
What if the Senate actually had offered a peace initiative to the Federation, with Shinzon perhaps serving as a Senator (plotting a coup). Shinzon plants B4, hoping to ensure that the Enterprise is the ship sent -- for mostly the same reason as he does, to have a “spy” who can inform him of the Federation’s protocals. Enterprise arrives, Shinzon has already committed the coup, and attempts to blindside Picard & Co., while mustering his forces to strike a hard blow at the Federation, rendering them unable to assist the resistance forces within the RSE which are attempting to contact the UFP for military aid.
I would have very much preferred if Riker and Troi were already aboard the Titan. An A- and B- plot line could work here: the Titan and Enterprise enroute to Betazed, both detouring to investigate B4. With Enterprise called away to Romulus, Titan continues the investigation of B4 and the mysterious militia forces. Eventually, Riker & Co., put the plan together and show up (ala Excelsior) at the end to help Picard beat the Scimitar.
On the other hand, I also wouldn’t have minded seeing Picard die, and Riker being given the Enterprise over the Titan. Call me sentimental, but William T. Riker has, to my opinion, more than earned his right to sit in not just any center seat, but that onboard the Enterprise.
Regarding Voyager cameos ... I didn’t care for Janeway, I don’t like her as a character. A few past DS9 and Voyager characters could easily flesh out Riker’s Titan crew (assuming we go with the A & B plot theory) ... Kim at Ops, maybe Bashir as CMO or Nog at conn. Since the “B - Titan” plot wouldn’t get much screen time, these characters wouldn’t upstage any of our TNG family more than Crusher and LaForge already are, at least . And in a way, it would make sense for DS9 characters to be on Titan and even Enterprise -- Worf would most likely recommend all of the Starfleet crew from the station to Picard or Riker. I suppose we could’ve seen O’Brien, but I don’t think he’d be willing to accept an assignment he couldn’t take his family with him.
Now this next is completely fanboyish: I would have loved to seen Tomalak leading the resistance to Shizon. Imagine: Shinzon hails Enterprise, urges Picard to give up his crew after the initial attack in the nebula -- why must they die? Picard gives a variation of his "Defector" speech, "If the cause be just, and honorable, they are willing to give their lives." This time it's a bluff -- he doesn't have three Klingon warships backing him up, but he's hoping that Shinzon read up on the "Defector" affair and might be fooled into thinking that Picard has hidden help. And then, lo' and behold, Worf says "...Romualan Warships decloaking!" Romulan warships decloak, and it is our classic Season 3 foe: Tomalak - our new Romulan ally hailing Shinzon, "Are you prepared to die today, Shinzon?" Yes, I know, utterly fanboyish. But if this was going to be the cool movie Logan promised it would be, THIS is what I expected.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
. And in a way, it would make sense for DS9 characters to be on Titan and even Enterprise -- Worf would most likely recommend all of the Starfleet crew from the station to Picard or Riker. I suppose we could’ve seen O’Brien, but I don’t think he’d be willing to accept an assignment he couldn’t take his family with him.![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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