posted
There's a set visit article on TrekWeb, hinting at the new tech we can expect in the new season. Notes:
>Stage hands wheel a cart full of photon torpedo >tubes down the street, while production designer >Herman Zimmerman and costume designer Bob >Blackman bustle about.
Looks like some action happens in the armory in the first episode or two. One wonders if the Marines take it over - and what all this does to Reed in the first place.
>Behind the captain's chair is the conference >area, usually shown with the cast standing >around a large computer console table. >Surprisingly, swing-out chairs are attached >under the console that I don't think we've ever >seen on screen.
These chairs have been seen before, though the principals rarely (if ever?) use it. NDs have been seen using them in the background on occasion.
>Engineering is lit across the room, all the >computer monitors displaying Starfleet read-outs >and diagnostics. Each individual screen is >powered by its own Macintosh Cube, housed in a >small control room just a few yards away.
You know, you'd think that there would be a more efficient (and cheap!) way to do this...
>Next door are stages 8 and 9, where alien >exteriors and additional Enterprise sets are >housed. Although details surrounding the Xindi >are closely kept under wraps, there are several >new sets that will greet viewers next season. >One is a small conference-type room called the >command center, where the characters will meet >to discuss strategy in their encounters with >adversaries.
Given they didn't mention the mess hall set, I'd imagine this is another redress of that room, as it has been used as a ward room or "interrogation" room before. I further speculate that this is the new headquarters for the marine detachment that'll keep things separate from the bridge.
This can be nixed however if we can prove that the mess hall is really attached to the corridor set. I don't think it is, as I can't recall if we've ever seen action in the corridors that leads directly to the mess hall; they just built part of the corridor to lead into it. Have we?
>The Enterprise may also take prisoners this >year, with a new brig set adorned with metal >bars more akin to the 21st century than the >distant 24th.
ABOUT BLEEDIN' TIME. And yet, we'll probably see prisoners escape just as easily... Regardless, I'm glad they had a decent reason - the refit - to add this set. They pretty clearly didn't have one before.
And concerning the Marines:
> Previous reports have indicated that the show >would welcome a small contingent of military >"commandos" onboard to help defend against the >new alien threats and at least one of them is >said to be a woman.
>According to the site, 'McKenzie' is a "a young, >tough and sexy girl soldier," though no >information is yet available on the actress cast >to play her.
I guess this is okay... We haven't really had a Vasquez-type character for a while. I'm thinking a Kira or Ro at this point, or possibly an older Dizzy Flores. Yeah, bring back Dina Meyer after her waste in "Nemesis"! Mrrowr!
However, we still have lots of questions to answer re: the commandos. How many are there? What kind of weapons will they use? Will they have armor in addition to their (doubtlessly) different uniforms? Will they use their own transportation? Will they stick around after Enterprise is done in the Expanse?
posted
All the reports so far hark on about the military nature of these Marines/Commandoes. Which might mean they come from some other Earth organisation: national or international? (like it'll matter since they'll all have American accents).
It was obvious that they'd use the introduction of the Marines to increase the totty-count; almost as predictable it'd be the female eye candy they'd go for, I guess they're not hoping to entice any new female viewers any time soon. 8)
posted
Reading between the lines of the Forrest-Archer chat in "The Expanse" and looking at Berman and Braga's assorted comments over hiatus, I'd say it's all but a certaintly they'll be from an entirely separate agency to Starfleet and in different uniforms.
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posted
I'm rather enjoying the idea of some serious military things going on onboard, and the dynamics that could introduce, especially if we see, in the moments when they come together, hints of how the Federation's Starfleet will be organized.
But! As Tom said, it was made pretty clear that these soldiers are completely seperate from Starfleet, which is not a military organization. Well, ok, sure. NASA isn't a military organization. But it does raise the question as to just what they are. They don't seem to be a dedicated scientific organization. In fact, none of the main characters who are actual Starfleet members seem to be scientists, unless you count Hoshi as one. So just what is Starfleet doing out there? Coast Guard-esque duties, one might guess? (Though, really, that would make them at least quasi-military.) And yet Archer seemed to have little in the way of official authority over the various Earth ships they've encountered. Starfleet doesn't seem to be sending ships to ride shotgun with freighters, at least. (Though, for all we know the individually owned and operated ship traveling alone might not make up the bulk of 22nd century human shipping, and Starfleet does provide escort duties elsewhere.)
Anyway, I'm all for clarification of Earth's Starfleet's purpose, is what I guess I'm saying. I'm kind of dreading episode after episode of "Oh, no, the mean soldiers want to overreact again!" however. A few "Hey, that's a good idea." episodes would be nice.
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posted
I hope that the stage crew can come up with some really GOOD looking weapons for these new badasses to tote around. Not that there's anything wrong with the traditional "smooth-n-clean" Starfleet look, but if they're gonna have tough guys on board, I want to see them with REAL GUNS.
Well, not real guns with bullets, exactly, because bullets would be dangerous due to the increased likelihood of causing a hull breach.
(And I might comment that we at "Renaissance" had the idea of putting Marines on the Enterprise about a year and a half ago. Granted, we never actually KEPT them on board, but we did seriously consider it at the time. -- Heh... we'd thought about going back and bringing them on the ship later, but if we do that now it'll be perceived as a ripoff... )
Ahem, anyway, I want to see weapons that mean business. Lots of high-tech gizmos that make real combat in the 22nd century truly interesting. Not just more of the old "point-and-shoot" with beefier-looking people...
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posted
Question is, are we looking at increasing the regular cast list? Because surely the Marines need some sort of leader, in order to present the human face of Sol's inevitable "Oh, no, the mean soldiers want to overreact again!" scenarios? In which case we'd have two more main cast actors.
Oh, yes - guns, guns, guns, guns, guns! Not sure which ep this comes from, but I take it this is the sort of thing we'd like to see?
posted
I'm guessing that several of the Marine characters will be recurring regulars, but not additions to the regular cast. Their CO, though, I could see joining the main cast.
I'm also guessing that T'pol's new, non-Vulcan uniform will be showing some skin. Bare arms is my guess.
Maybe increases in the regular/recurring crew list will allow TPTB to kill off someone other than a character of the week/redshirt. They won't, I know but still, it would be a change and if they're doing some fighting, casualties might be expected...
As for where the marines come from I suppose there must be some kind of United Earth Army or Marine Corp, even if it's just for the defence of Earth.
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posted
I should note that Enterprise contains one of the very few scenes of proper tactics ever to appear on Star Trek. Specfically, in, um, that episode set on Coridan, where the Vulcans are shooting at some...Coridanians? who are down behind barrels and things, and, instead of the typical Old West interminable shoot out, simply break out a larger weapon and blow them up, barrels and all.
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posted
Yeah, the only reason the Vulcans weren't annihilated was because they had the script on their side. Their entire operation was idiotic right from the very beginning: single entry point, loud and hey-we'-re-here style. They were pinned down almost immediately after breaching the wall.
If they were up against competent foes, they'd all be dead, even if the foes only had 20th century small arms. If either side had some of sort indirect fire weapon, like hand grenades, the fight would have lasted all 20 seconds. "We have experience in these types of operations?" Bull. ST writers couldn't write a proper combat in built up areas to save their own life.
As for soldiers onboard NX-01... I pointed this out a while ago, more than once, too. It appears that Earth still has a terrestrial military organization in place. It's the only way to account Reese's backstory, how he chose Starfleet over the Navy. The conversation between Forrester and Archer also points out without a doubt that Starfleet, at the time, isn't a military organization (some would argue that even the 24th Century Starfleet isn't military, but they're nutty).
I'm guessing that as encounters between humans and hostile aliens increase, the Earth government eventually realize that a space-based military force is required. Rather than start something aside from Starfleet, the duties were given to Starfleet. And since terrestial combat opeartion is over shadowed by space combat operation, the atmospheric bound military branches of the past were either eliminated, downsized, but either way, encorporated in Starfleet.
Another reason for this could be the creation of the Federation. With Starfleet responsible for overall defense of the empire, independent military organization within each member would only serve to cause strife, and maintain the difficulty of operating as a single political entity.
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