mrbadger wrote:...Enterprise had singing in the theme music, SINGING!!! The moment that started I knew I was going to have trouble enjoying the series. And they weren't even allowed to be anything more than e Holodeck simulation in the final episode anyway. The series started badly and ended badly.
Sad, yes, but possibly inevitable.
I agree on the rabid support from Trekkies. They'll back anything, just because they're happy to get a new show. But, on the sidelines, they'll complain and criticize that which they defend to others.
I had the same feeling about the music. I was shocked. Then, I realized that the producers wanted the show to appeal to a new, young, audience and they knew they couldn't just rely on their static fanbase if the show was to be a success - It had to create new fans. So, one of the things they did was to push a theme through the music. I eventually grew to like the song, though, and realized it fit the theme very well.
There is one thing, though, that I really didn't like - No Yuri Gagaran in the opening montage. I think that was a travesty against Roddenberry's legacy. The opening was heavily Americanized, which makes me happy, but didn't include even a short clip of the contributions of other nations. Sure, the US has done a lot and, for the most part, has helped to lead the way. But, that was never Roddenberry's message. (The "HMS Enterprise" shot was the only non-American inspirational shot in the montage.) Maybe it was a lack of footage, dunno. The Soviets were very closed about that sort of thing.
Additionally, on grabbing new fans, they did something I personally appreciated, but thought was a bit too heavy-handed that early in the series - T'Pol's "Shower Scene."
That's such a blatant attention grabber for angsty teenages. Tsk tsk.. (But, pls more k tks..
)
pjknibbs wrote:My problem with Enterprise was that it wasn't gritty *enough*, considering we basically have a (relatively) small ship with only 80-odd people aboard, (Also, why did the ship only have 83 crew? Usually crew requirements go down as technology advances, but Kirk's far more advanced ship had over 400 crew)...also thought they had a few cop-outs in there--we have shields.. so instead we get "polarised hull plating"..
I agree. They did do a lot more than previous shows in painting a sort of "Wild West" kind of theme. (Just grasping, there. More like a Horatio Hornblower adventure, but without the overwhelming presence of Hornblower or the real/implied strength of the Empire.)
In a bid to ramp up some attention and drama, they pushed hard for a main storyline plot, which is something that has been tried before, but generally doesn't work well. (IMO, it isn't done well, that's why it doesn't work well...) The interdimensional conspiracy thingie was "OK", but it's akin to "saving the world" and you can only ever do that once.
It was a tiny ship, comparable to a WWI submarine. I think that's good, since it makes everything more intimate. Sadly, we didn't get to meet and then kill off crewmembers too often.
On polarized hull - Saw through that, huh?
Yeah, they wanted that mechanic for "press button for drama." The thing is that they didn't use it very well and, as you say, it became a bit droll and transparent. BUT, there's "realism" to consider, here, and despite appearances, ST has adopted a sort of "realism" in some ways. (Or, they insist they do, which is a load of crap...) I don't think it was a bad mechanic, since they had to give the ship some sort of protection for practical reasons. But, I think they should have eventually, instead, found some old alien "shields" on a black-market, somewhere, and had those jury-rigged into the ship's systems, quietly avoiding telling their superiors about such unconventional defenses. (ie: You do what you have to do to survive and welcome things that help you do that, even if it's "alien.") They could have done a really nice episode for that and then used it as a plot device in other episodes. (ie: Gotta uninstall the shield unit for our inspection, hide it in T'Pol's lavatory or sumthin')
mrbadger wrote:...The story was compressed into four seasons because it was going to get canned making season four awesome, then they gave it another season, so a load of irrelevent rubbish had to be tacked on.
Don't talk to me about Voyager's ending... OMG, what a terrible way to go. DS-9 at least had that big war thingie going for it and that counts as a sort of "ending movie." (Spanned several episodes)
B5 is one of my favorite series of all time and it's because it was written, from beginning to end, with one story in mind and layed out by one man. Straczynski had a story in mind, wrote it, produced episodes along those lines with the idea that the should would "end here" and then... they demanded a bit more. "Okey dokey." And, we ended up with crap that didn't belong in a Bab5 series at the very last. Overall, though, the long-plot format was a darn masterpiece.
There are beautifully written moments in Bab 5, wonderful lines, great setups, an expanse of mystery and frightening alien power, political skullduggery, comic relief and a hefty dose of "human values." Some things are a bit hokey, sure. Some bits and pieces a bit eye-cringing or with a bit too much forced drama. And, there are some bits that were added to try to expand appeal, IMO. Though, the romance thing between Ivanova and Winters may have been planned, not sure.
The point is that you can easily identify what doesn't belong in the series. It stands out in stark relief. To me, that shows that Straczynski was doing things "right" in many ways.
Going to go watch some Londo clips... Saw Jurassic and a 'con, once. (Won't say I "met" him.) Wow, he was such a nice guy and happily jawing it up with fans. He, Furst, Katsulas and Mummy were the standout actors/characters in that show, though many had their moments.)
PS - Wow, a lot of commentary by me in a thread that's supposed to be a bit more episodic... Sorry.
