The crew's deception was too obvious, even for the Ferengi, do they have a lower Intelligence level?
Irrelevant question from the episode: If our civilization almost collapsed because of commerce, then why are the Ferengi still using commerce? Is their greed involved? It's all confusing.
posted
I'm still spiting blood. My comments are in the Tech forum. Let's just say I was less than impressed.
-------------------- "God's in his heaven. All's right with the world."
Registered: Apr 2001
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Flower Man
Ex-Member
posted
These Ferengi were gullible even by Ferengi standards. This is true. However, I think continuety freaks would be pleased to hear that the Ferengi never did reveal to the Humans who they were.
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posted
I don't think the writer made the Ferengi reveal themselves because they find out who they are later in the future, they have to follow the Federation history..
posted
Me doth think that the creative staff art deadth in the head.
Is it impossible for them to come up with an original idea? Isn't that what this little time travel thing is about? If we're going to be 200 years in the past then let's try a little harder than just "use the Ferengi, but don't say their name!"
-------------------- Later, J _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ The Last Person to post in the late Voyager Forum. Bashing both Voyager, Enterprise, and "The Bun" in one glorious post.
posted
Essentially all dramatic comedy works according to the basic principle that the characters are relatively static and the audience has a pretty good idea how they will behave, while the situations in which they are placed is the variable. The narrowest outcome of this is the traditional "situation comedy"... Frasier or Kramer or Chandler are constants while the pickle they find themselves in changes week-to-week. And while we can always guess how they'll react to each twist of the plot, that isn't the point. We still laugh. In fact, part of the reason we laugh is that we subconsciously know what's going to have to happen next.
Now, granted, as you break away from the standard sitcom breed of comedy this breaks down a bit. But the general principles hold true: comedy generally needs a fixed axis on which we can slide the actual plot-of-the-week up against to create funny situations. Every major stand-up comic may well change their jokes from show to show, but they still cultivate a static persona. Eddie Murphy was always Eddie Murphy. Jerry Seinfeld was always Jerry Seinfeld. Tim Allen was always Tim Allen. Likewise, pretty much all the humour in Trek has relied on the more static characters. Short of having them actually crack jokes, slippery multinote characters rarely ooze humor... Kirk was rarely as funny as Spock or McCoy were, for instance. O'Brien/Bashir funny moments were generally on account of them being their same old selves, same with Odo/Quark, or Worf/Anyone.
The Ferengi serve as that kind of fixed axes in Enterprise. I've read no end to various whingey posts saying they should have been Orion pirates instead or some bull like that. For heaven's sake, the reason the Ferengi were used is that the casual viewing audience already has a reasonable familiarity with the culture and knows where the humour will go. DS9 did Ferengi comedies and not alien-of-the-week comedies for that very reason.
-------------------- "I was surprised by the matter-of-factness of Kafka's narration, and the subtle humor present as a result." (Sizer 2005)
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
But this is not DS9, which had a Ferengi in the cast where that kind of comedy can be pulled off. When I first heard that the show was going to be set before the original series, I thought that it would be a homage to 1960's series. And now I see TNG era species on the show. I feel that the producers have forgotten the past fans and aimed on getting a new base since Trek became a franchise after Gene's death. The show should try to be more original than brining in TNG aliens and hoping that the episode is seen by new viewers than the older ones.
-------------------- "It speaks to some basic human needs: that there is a tomorrow, it's not all going to be over with a big splash and a bomb, that the human race is improving, that we have things to be proud of as humans." -Gene Roddenberry about Star Trek
Registered: May 1999
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quote:When I first heard that the show was going to be set before the original series, I thought that it would be a homage to 1960's series. And now I see TNG era species on the show. I feel that the producers have forgotten the past fans and aimed on getting a new base since Trek became a franchise after Gene's death.
Yes, I completely agree. IMO, B&B are trying really hard to make this show similar to TNG (a ratings hit) regardless of the time period it's set in, instead of trying to be a little daring and make it a truly unique show. Yes, I'll admit that there ARE some things about the show which does make it different from past Treks, but overall, if we're just going to expect plots that are just rehashes of "Rascals" (with the same aliens, even!), then I could just be watching TNG reruns on TNN instead of this show.
-------------------- "A film made in 2008 isn't going to look like a TV series from 1966 if it wants to make any money. As long as the characters act the same way, and the spirit of the story remains the same then it's "real" Star Trek. Everything else is window dressing." -StCoop
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
Well.. I watched it. As a whole - it wasn't one of the 'finer' eps this season.
But it wasn't bad. And it wasn't great... I was happy to see Ethan Phillips again...
Jeffrey Combs... will forever be one of my fave ST Guest Stars... No matter what the character - he plays it with class and talent.
But - Yes... Ferengi equalled Stupid in this one - and that was a little wrong. But it DID show that they were scavengers - that perhaps their technology was more - 'acquired' then developed.
The one GREAT thing I liked in this episode was the - 'back and forth' between Archer and T'Pol...
She actually showed HUMOUR!!
[ March 28, 2002, 21:10: Message edited by: Alshrim ]
-------------------- "Well, I mean, it's generally understood that, of all of the people in the world, Mike Nelson is the best." -- ULTRA MAGNUS, steadfast in curmudgeon
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
I didn't say I was laughing my butt off.. My point was - that at least they are showing a ... erm... 'friendship' growing between Archer and T'Pol.
But ya... it wasn't the fastest paced story..
[ March 29, 2002, 04:28: Message edited by: Alshrim ]
posted
I had no warning about this episode until I saw the preview shortly before the show went on. The thing is, Jeffrey Combs's makeup was so much the same that I thought it actually WAS Brunt, doing some time travel thingy. I was kinda sorry it wasn't a time travel ep, cuz that would've been funnier (well, Brunt of all people). Ethan Philips was great, though his makeup also looked like exactly like one he used before. I love that they're using the same actors, but it's just way too obvious.
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