Although, I must say, I didn't really have a problem with "Acquisition." I can completely believe that after two centuries that the NX-01's single encounter would be forgotten about. After all, what could Archer report? Not much except for "Yeah...um...these aliens with big ears who like gold a lot raided us...and...um...yeah..."
-MMoM
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Cartman
just made by the Presbyterian Church
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"...and...um...I forgot to ask what species they belong to...yeah..."
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I'm surprised Captain Kirk's monologue didn't run ". . . to seek out new life and new civilisations - and actually ask their names this time. . ." 8)
quote:Originally posted by E. Cartman: "...and...um...I forgot to ask what species they belong to...yeah..."
What makes you think they would have told him? Besides, when someone raids your ship and anesthetizes your crew, it wouldn't exactly be the first thing that comes to mind to ask "So what planet are you guys from?" It wasn't a friendly sort of contact, y'know? And since the Ferengi have no empire or anything, and just act as individual pirates/entrepreneurs, there's no reason for them to proclaim who they are---unlike the Klingons or Romulans who try to intimidate their opponent by shaouting "We are the Klingons!" or "This system is under the rule of the Romulan Star Empire!"
-MMoM
-------------------- The flaws we find most objectionable in others are often those we recognize in ourselves.
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Um... the whole point of their mission is to see what's out there. They can't be doing that very well if they can't provide a name to go along with the description... and a name to match the reports that they hear from other races along the way.
Y'know, like how Picard's crew had received reports and information regarding the Ferengi from other races, and therefore knew something of what to expect when they talked face-to-face. (Sorta.)
Hell, for all Archer knows, those big-eared pirates could have been Romulans!
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
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Why not? Starfleet certainly doesn't have a monopoly on exploration of the galaxy. Even inside the Federation, it's perfectly reasonable to believe that some individuals or small private groups set out and met the Ferengi at some point. Or alternatively, the Ferengi could have visited some planets and then left, and then later on the Federation visits them and hears stories about the Ferengi.
The official First Contact is not necessarily the real First Contact.
The only thing that doesn't make sense about it is ENT's handling of the matter... that the Ferengi have been operating in what will become Federation space for close to 200 years before they're finally encountered by any official Federation representatives. That's what doesn't make sense.
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
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Well, I personally have some small complaints about a scenerio in which the Federation's greatest nemesis has never actually come into contact with them. I mean, conflict is implicit in the definition, but how exactly do you struggle with a group you've never even encountered?
"If you don't buy Farpoint we'll sell it to the Ferengi."
"Oh no! We don't even know what Ferengi ships look like, or what their capabilities are, because no one has ever had any contact with them ever. But we're certainly very afraid of them indeed."
Of course, the writers felt the same way almost before the Ferengi were introduced, and thankfully abandoned the whole premise, leaving future episodes of Star Trek free to show the Ferengi with their hands in pies far and wide without having to claim that they somehow only got there within the last few years. I mean, central to the whole idea of being successful in business is having connections, which are hard to come by if you're a hermit. I have a hard time believing that a Starfleet Intelligence agent could get within five light years of Bajor during the later years of the Occupation and not hear about Quark, for instance.
So, to sum up: I think that the Ferengi character was changed so much that any information given in the early days is suspect. (Similar to Spock being a member of the conquered Vulcanians.) I also think that the initial setup for the Ferengi as given in "Encounter at Farpoint," "The Last Outpost," and "The Battle," isn't workable.
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quote:Originally posted by Bernd: Does anyone have the exact dialogue from "The Tholian Web"? I remember that Commander Loskene appeared on screen in a very mysterious fashion (oh well, the score may have made it appear mysterious), and that the crew were watching in awe. There was something about entering Tholian territory, and the Enterprise didn't know about that. Is there anything that would have to be interpreted as a first contact?
Spock and the Tholians agreed to a certain amount of time to rescue Kirk for the next interphase, after the attempt to get Kirk the first time and time was up the Tholians began to attack the Enterprise; at which point Spock noted something to the effect of "the Tholians renouned punctuality". 'Renouned' generally means "well-known", as I believe, Kasidy mentioned Tholian punctuality in "For the Cause" and her supposed rendezvous with a Tholian Freighter. I also recall when I last watched this ep that Spock didnt seem all too suprised to learn that that ship was the Tholians, a reaction I've noted T'pol to have when she knows something but hasnt shared it much with the crew of the Enterprise (ex. "Minefield"). I would say that if anything the Tholians, by the time of TOS were not a first contact species.
As for the Gorn, I rewatched "Arena" and although they noted that whatever they were, were "not warm blooded" that does not necessarily mean that they would be able to instantly associate "cold blooded" with Gorn. As for not knowing their ship could be as easy as a new design for the Gorn that they were not familiar with. I think there is a possibility to pull a good Gorn story out of Enterprise if it is well written.
Finally I thought I would offer a few suggestions of races they could use in Enterprise that would make for a better story than the "Alien of the week": 1) Any species mentioned in TOS or TNG not actually seen that fit the bill. (Ex. Barolians from "Unification") 2) Any species we saw in the Federation Counsil during Kirks trial or the Khitomer Conference. Such as an inspiring episode involving the species that was the Federation President duing ST6 or the helm officer of the Saratoga in ST4. 3) Benzites, Betazoids, Bolians, Katarian, Miradorn, Sheliak, Talarians, Yridian, Tellarites(obiously an advanced race if they had ships in the 20th Century), Tarellian ("Haven" TNG) or Orions (the first species Trek ever introduced in "the Cage")!!
Just a though, by the way, HI, Im relatively new, old to the forum, new to the member list, let me know what you think! Thanks
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And the Romulan Senator Tal'aura didn't want to be late for the meeting with the Tholian Ambassador.
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quote:Originally posted by The_Tom: *shrug* I wanted to write something nonspecific to link with and had a mild attack of Teutonicism. Anyway, this is, like, the best news in some time. Even Moore never got around to getting the Tholians back.
Ahhh - but they didn't do it on DS9 cause they needed a story that required them - not like Enterprise which I presume has several 'sweeps' items up it's sleeves for the years ahead.
Tholians - I'm gonna guess are a sweeps - desperation item.
The Gorn will be next.
The maybe the Tellarites.
Then T'Pol doing some lesbian pon-farr thing.
Then the piece de resistance (scuse the pun) they'll bring along a Borg episode.
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