We open with the smart Girl, From history we totally know its Ami and totally know its Sailor Murcury, going about her school day, acing tests, eating lunch alone while at the same time hearing people talking about her. Interestingly they're not really making fun of her so much as making comments about her clear massive intelligence. Whats really interesting about this is that its not her personality that so much makes her an outsider as it is her high IQ and success in school that makes her hard to be friends with. I find this to be really interesting cometary on society since in school its hard to bring new people into social circles when they show a high aptitude like that.
After the credits we see Jadeite being questioned as to when he will bring Queen Beryl the Legendary Silver Crystal. Upon his apology She instructs him to collect more energy, revealing that the energy is being collected for the yet unnamed great ruler.
Usagi and Ami meet finally and Usagi brings her to the arcade for the first time, and encourages her to play the Sailor V game, which she hits the high score on, depositing her a pen as her prize, which Usagi is instantly jealous of and shakes the machine forcing it to deposit her a pen as well.
Ami leaves the arcade and hits her cram school where she's encouraged to use a study disk under the pretense that if she uses it she'll definitely become a doctor, her overall career goal. Her eyes go dazed.
Later on Usagi catches up with Ami at the library, who is being the studious student and studying for whatever class. On getting invited out to ice cream, Ami declines and heads off to cram school, leaving her disk behind. Usagi and Luna examine the disk at home and realize that its a brainwashing program and head off to Ami's rescue. On getting there, Usagi realizes she needs to get in and Luna instructs her to use her pen, indicating that its an item that gives her the ability to disguise herself as whatever she wants.
Inside Amy is under the brainwashing spell once again and as she is working the "teacher" sees the pen from earlier, takes it and throws it to the floor. Usagi bursts into the room after the teacher tries to force Ami's face into the screen and starts telling her not to be fooled by the fake teacher! Once the teacher realizes that her gig is up she shows her true colors. Luna tells her to transform in full view of Ami
On Usagi getting pinned in battle by the monster, Ami snaps out of her trance and awakens with her planetary symbol on her forehead. Luna instructs her to say loud "Mercury Power, Make Up". To which she does so and transforms into Sailor Mercury for the first time. Clouding the room with her Aqua mist, she blinds the monster enough where it inadvertently frees Sailor Moon, and then being pulled out of the way by Tuxedo Mask just before the monster attacks again and puts its hand though wall just behind where Usagi's head was just seconds before.
Sailor Moon finishes the monster and at the end befriends Ami, and cut to credits
This is getting really interesting and we're starting to see some hints of change in the details of the story line. First of all the senshi introductions are coming fast. Where in the classic anime there are typically several episodes in between finding and awakening each senshi, it starts out finding them very quickly. Also in the classic anime its Luna that gives each scout their transformation pen directly and usually in the heat of the battle. In Crystal, Mercury gets her transformation pen, probably still set up by Luna somehow, though prize slot of the Sailor V video game shes playing at the arcade.
There's also a major difference in how Luna discovered Ami. At first, Luna suspected her of being with the dark kingdom and was surprised that she was actually the next senshi they were looking for. So we're starting to see a little bit of divination from the classic anime and it looks like this is where the storyline starts following the manga a little bit more closely.
Next up, Act 3- Rei - Sailor Mars
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Monday, July 7, 2014
Hemlock Grove
Ok I'll admit it. Because of my own, I guess you can say, religious background, I'm fascinated by the mystical. So when I was tooling though Netflix and came across Hemlock Grove, my curiosity was peaked! Werewolves man! Often portrayed as these hideous looking man creatures, I was curious to see how Netflix would treat the mythos.
Sufficed to say... I have mixed feelings about the series. Season one is a short watch, only 12 episodes, with a little bit of star power going on here! My first thoughts were...OMG ITS JEAN GREY!!! One of my favorite actresses from the Bryan Singer X-Men Trilogy. I was sad to see her character evolve too quickly in the film series...and not having heard from her as an actress myself, though Im sure as an active actress she's been in a lot, I was looking forward to seeing her play whatever roll she had in Hemlock Grove.
So lets go ahead and look at this episode by episode and see how the first season stacks up!
Sufficed to say... I have mixed feelings about the series. Season one is a short watch, only 12 episodes, with a little bit of star power going on here! My first thoughts were...OMG ITS JEAN GREY!!! One of my favorite actresses from the Bryan Singer X-Men Trilogy. I was sad to see her character evolve too quickly in the film series...and not having heard from her as an actress myself, though Im sure as an active actress she's been in a lot, I was looking forward to seeing her play whatever roll she had in Hemlock Grove.
So lets go ahead and look at this episode by episode and see how the first season stacks up!
Star Trek: Enterprise Season 1 Episode 2: Fight or Flight
Star Trek has had its own boring moments in the past...but Im two episodes into the series and...Im already finding myself board to tears! You know what they say...the first couple of episodes, or sometimes seasons, the show is really working on finding itself and developing the characters and can be pretty slow...but they at least try to make things a little exciting. But so far not so much here.
The episode starts out with Seto Hoshi pining over a bug she picked up on a planet they explored a little of between episodes....for the entire opening...and then dramatic prelude to the opening theme. What the hell kind of opening is that? There's nothing interesting to really keep my attention. I dont care about this bug, its not a major plot point for the episode. Its just there...stop talking about it already and get to the meat of the episode.
But wait there's more. T'Pal and Cappy Archer, have this long conversation about exploration and how Vulcans don't share the same fascination with it as humans do. Really? Is that why its clearly established in Star Trek First Contact, which time frame is one hundred years in the past from the time Enterprise takes place, they the Vulcans are on a survey mission? Surveying is part of exploration...so according to cannon, yes the are interested in exploration.
And then Hoshi interrupts....with more exposition about the damn bug. wait a minute...I thought I said I didn't care about the damn bug. Its clearly not part of the plot and its certainly not an interesting enough subject to be a side plot...so drop it already. Also, a better subplot thats hinted at and becomes more important later is that Hoshi is feeling rather...useless and is regretting leaving earth, but its not said in so many words by her. Instead of letting the fact she feels this way to develop with the storyline, they decide to have Doctor Plox just blurt it out with annoyance. Thanks. that could have been an interesting thing to watch develop but lets not actually develop it thanks. I mean...why would you want to keep the viewers attention? That's just crazy talk!
By the way, we're now 5 minutes into whats supposed to be the meat of the plot.
Meanwhile, Reed and Mayweather are in the armory teasting out the torpedo weapon system, which is apparently out of alignment. Reed talks about how annoyed he is that they left earth without making damn sure the system worked, which I agree with. This causes contention later. THIS would have made a better plot point if it had been featured before the opening credits...instead we get a bug. Awesome choice.
So we cut to Trip and Plox in the mess hall...with a little more exposition about the damn bug...and then we get to the point with Trip being all antsy about not having anything to do other than his job in engineering. He's got a point. I'm getting antsy just waiting for something to actually happen. I feel your pain Trip! You must be board about all that lame medical exposition that the doctor is telling you about that has nothing to do with how you're feeling. Im glad the doctor has had an exciting week, but damn son you're rubbing it in. You're a bit of a douche. Just saying.
Ten minutes in by the way...still bored to tears.
Finally after about 15-20 minutes something happens! Finally they make a discovery! A ship adrift, no one answering the hails. After arguing with and then totally ignoring (thankfully) T'pals Debbie Downer attitude, Archer decides to board and investigate, bringing Reed and Hoshi with him (which took them over twenty minutes of the episode to get too). But even then they spend a few minutes on exposition as they're putting on the space suit gear. They find that the entire crew has been murdered. Returning to the ship after their basically unexciting trek over to the downed ship, he goes into downer mode like T'pal and leaves.
I have to ask this before continuing on...Why does Archer have to start his conversations shouting? We can hear you, calm down.
Archer later regains his balls from the over emotional downer Vulcan, and returns to find out what exactly was going on. Its determine that the aliens who attacked the ship was after something from their bodies, for whatever reason and said aliens were too return...and they do.
Here's where the weapon system subplot comes back and why I feel that would have been better to focus on at the beginning rather than the damn bug. they are attacked by the same race that attacked the downed ship and they cant defend themselves. It created conflict, a point of stress, tension. But instead it was a short lived conflict, they got help from another ship that was from the same race as the murdered crew.
Hoshi's emo subplot came into play finally as she tries to use the translation program to decipher the language that the crew of the race whose ship had been attacked initially. It doesn't work and we see just how much she doubts herself, throwing every excuse in the book as to why she can't do it. Archer forces her hand and she successfully translates, letting the alien know that, his belief that they were the attackers, was wrong and he helped them escape and then destroy the alien vessel that was actually responsible.
they make new friends and then...they end on Hoshi and Plox releasing the bug on a planet...the bug...the god damn bug...cause that was the thing they felt was the most important thing to return to, the thing that they felt was the thing that the audience would care about the most.
The kindest thing I can say about this episode is that it was lackluster at best. It was uninteresting, It barely held my attention, its plot was blah, they focused on the wrong things at the wrong times. It was just a mess.
and I have 95 more episodes of this. God help me if the writing and directing continues to be this bad...
The episode starts out with Seto Hoshi pining over a bug she picked up on a planet they explored a little of between episodes....for the entire opening...and then dramatic prelude to the opening theme. What the hell kind of opening is that? There's nothing interesting to really keep my attention. I dont care about this bug, its not a major plot point for the episode. Its just there...stop talking about it already and get to the meat of the episode.
But wait there's more. T'Pal and Cappy Archer, have this long conversation about exploration and how Vulcans don't share the same fascination with it as humans do. Really? Is that why its clearly established in Star Trek First Contact, which time frame is one hundred years in the past from the time Enterprise takes place, they the Vulcans are on a survey mission? Surveying is part of exploration...so according to cannon, yes the are interested in exploration.
And then Hoshi interrupts....with more exposition about the damn bug. wait a minute...I thought I said I didn't care about the damn bug. Its clearly not part of the plot and its certainly not an interesting enough subject to be a side plot...so drop it already. Also, a better subplot thats hinted at and becomes more important later is that Hoshi is feeling rather...useless and is regretting leaving earth, but its not said in so many words by her. Instead of letting the fact she feels this way to develop with the storyline, they decide to have Doctor Plox just blurt it out with annoyance. Thanks. that could have been an interesting thing to watch develop but lets not actually develop it thanks. I mean...why would you want to keep the viewers attention? That's just crazy talk!
By the way, we're now 5 minutes into whats supposed to be the meat of the plot.
Meanwhile, Reed and Mayweather are in the armory teasting out the torpedo weapon system, which is apparently out of alignment. Reed talks about how annoyed he is that they left earth without making damn sure the system worked, which I agree with. This causes contention later. THIS would have made a better plot point if it had been featured before the opening credits...instead we get a bug. Awesome choice.
So we cut to Trip and Plox in the mess hall...with a little more exposition about the damn bug...and then we get to the point with Trip being all antsy about not having anything to do other than his job in engineering. He's got a point. I'm getting antsy just waiting for something to actually happen. I feel your pain Trip! You must be board about all that lame medical exposition that the doctor is telling you about that has nothing to do with how you're feeling. Im glad the doctor has had an exciting week, but damn son you're rubbing it in. You're a bit of a douche. Just saying.
Ten minutes in by the way...still bored to tears.
Finally after about 15-20 minutes something happens! Finally they make a discovery! A ship adrift, no one answering the hails. After arguing with and then totally ignoring (thankfully) T'pals Debbie Downer attitude, Archer decides to board and investigate, bringing Reed and Hoshi with him (which took them over twenty minutes of the episode to get too). But even then they spend a few minutes on exposition as they're putting on the space suit gear. They find that the entire crew has been murdered. Returning to the ship after their basically unexciting trek over to the downed ship, he goes into downer mode like T'pal and leaves.
I have to ask this before continuing on...Why does Archer have to start his conversations shouting? We can hear you, calm down.
Archer later regains his balls from the over emotional downer Vulcan, and returns to find out what exactly was going on. Its determine that the aliens who attacked the ship was after something from their bodies, for whatever reason and said aliens were too return...and they do.
Here's where the weapon system subplot comes back and why I feel that would have been better to focus on at the beginning rather than the damn bug. they are attacked by the same race that attacked the downed ship and they cant defend themselves. It created conflict, a point of stress, tension. But instead it was a short lived conflict, they got help from another ship that was from the same race as the murdered crew.
Hoshi's emo subplot came into play finally as she tries to use the translation program to decipher the language that the crew of the race whose ship had been attacked initially. It doesn't work and we see just how much she doubts herself, throwing every excuse in the book as to why she can't do it. Archer forces her hand and she successfully translates, letting the alien know that, his belief that they were the attackers, was wrong and he helped them escape and then destroy the alien vessel that was actually responsible.
they make new friends and then...they end on Hoshi and Plox releasing the bug on a planet...the bug...the god damn bug...cause that was the thing they felt was the most important thing to return to, the thing that they felt was the thing that the audience would care about the most.
The kindest thing I can say about this episode is that it was lackluster at best. It was uninteresting, It barely held my attention, its plot was blah, they focused on the wrong things at the wrong times. It was just a mess.
and I have 95 more episodes of this. God help me if the writing and directing continues to be this bad...
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Sailor Moon Crystal Act 1- Usagi-Sailor Moon
Finally...after two years of waiting, it begins. The new Sailor Moon: Crystal is finally airing and I couldn't be more excited! Sailor Moon has always had a special Nostalgic spot in my heart. So now that the first episode is out...how do I feel? Just as excited as I did watching episode 1 of the series way back when I was a kid.
Now the first episode of Crystal is much like the episode from the classic. Usagi wakes up, runs out habitually late for school...and in the process comes across Luna. Unlike the classic series where she finds a group of bully boys abusing her, Usagi accidentally steps on her. I rather like this change, just because I cant stand animal abuse and using it as a point to move the plot along is rather offensive. Accidentally stepping on Luna because Usagi wasn't paying attention to what she was doing to me was a much better choice.
Of course Usagi makes to school...late as usual and ends up having to stand in the hall where she decides to eat. Ms. Haruna catches her, and of course yells at her, holding up a test that Usagi had taken and failed with a thirty percent. which is the kiss of death in Japanese culture. Before she returns home her and Naru and a few other friends visits the Jewelry store Naru's mother owns.
She meets the Mamaru character there, who is his cocky self...and wearing a tuxedo? The exact tuxedo that he wears as Tuxedo Mask... I found this choice to be a little bit of a plot problem. Why? Its because it makes him too easy to recognize by the characters. The audience is going to be well aware of who he is of course...but there's no mystery there. Sure it may take a bit for Usagi to catch on cause she's kind of dense, but the other scouts were always very perceptive. If he shows up like that when they come into play, wont they catch on when he shows up as Tuxedo Mask in battle. I mean all he has is a mask and a top hat to add, otherwise the cloths are exactly the same
On leaving the Jewelry store, Usagi realizes that she doesn't have enough for anything and with her failing grade, she wont be able to ask her mother for anything. She returns home where her mother finds out about this failing grade. Her mother kicks her out for a short time.
Later on, Naru's mother is shown not to be her mother but instead an agent of the Dark Kingdom sent by Queen Baryl to collect energy thats later to be given to the sleeping ruler of the Dark Kingdom
Interestingly...Queen Baryl is not yet reveled! I thought this was interesting since she's clearly in the credits and would have made more sense, but at the same time I kind of see what they are doing. building up for the reveal of the Dark Queen. its only the first episode so I'm really looking forward to seeing how this version plays out.
Returning home came with the returning of Luna, reviealing to Usagi that she is a Sailor Soldier, and that she is to fight the growing crime in the city and is to find the princess that would bring peace. Thinking its a dream Usagi rolls over and pretends to be asleep. Luna then gives her that fateful broach. And tells her to say "Moon Prism Power Make Up!" which Transforms her into Sailor Moon.
I have to say it: The transformation sequence in this is stunning. Less reveling than the original but at the same time so much more involved. the animation is stunning! Just exactly what it should be, while at the same time giving a very nice call back to the original transformation animation. Its just beautiful!
Sailor Moon shows up in time to to rescue Naru and her mother and destroy the evil monster. Usagi still thinks its a dream until she shows up wide eyed and bushy tailed at school, and overhears the other girls talking about exactly what she did the night before. Realizing it was not a dream she looks worried about whats going to happen next as she looks out the window at a blue haired girl realizing that its about to rain, and then running off...which is obviously foreshadowing the next Sailor Scout to show up.
All in all, I loved it! It was good to see new Sailor Moon up on the screen again! And I cant wait for the next episode which will air on the first and third Saturday of every month on Hulu. Thank God DIC or Saban didn't get their grubby hands on this or the premiere would have been awful. We'll see how this series goes, but so far I'm really liking it.
Now the first episode of Crystal is much like the episode from the classic. Usagi wakes up, runs out habitually late for school...and in the process comes across Luna. Unlike the classic series where she finds a group of bully boys abusing her, Usagi accidentally steps on her. I rather like this change, just because I cant stand animal abuse and using it as a point to move the plot along is rather offensive. Accidentally stepping on Luna because Usagi wasn't paying attention to what she was doing to me was a much better choice.
Of course Usagi makes to school...late as usual and ends up having to stand in the hall where she decides to eat. Ms. Haruna catches her, and of course yells at her, holding up a test that Usagi had taken and failed with a thirty percent. which is the kiss of death in Japanese culture. Before she returns home her and Naru and a few other friends visits the Jewelry store Naru's mother owns.
She meets the Mamaru character there, who is his cocky self...and wearing a tuxedo? The exact tuxedo that he wears as Tuxedo Mask... I found this choice to be a little bit of a plot problem. Why? Its because it makes him too easy to recognize by the characters. The audience is going to be well aware of who he is of course...but there's no mystery there. Sure it may take a bit for Usagi to catch on cause she's kind of dense, but the other scouts were always very perceptive. If he shows up like that when they come into play, wont they catch on when he shows up as Tuxedo Mask in battle. I mean all he has is a mask and a top hat to add, otherwise the cloths are exactly the same
On leaving the Jewelry store, Usagi realizes that she doesn't have enough for anything and with her failing grade, she wont be able to ask her mother for anything. She returns home where her mother finds out about this failing grade. Her mother kicks her out for a short time.
Later on, Naru's mother is shown not to be her mother but instead an agent of the Dark Kingdom sent by Queen Baryl to collect energy thats later to be given to the sleeping ruler of the Dark Kingdom
Interestingly...Queen Baryl is not yet reveled! I thought this was interesting since she's clearly in the credits and would have made more sense, but at the same time I kind of see what they are doing. building up for the reveal of the Dark Queen. its only the first episode so I'm really looking forward to seeing how this version plays out.
Returning home came with the returning of Luna, reviealing to Usagi that she is a Sailor Soldier, and that she is to fight the growing crime in the city and is to find the princess that would bring peace. Thinking its a dream Usagi rolls over and pretends to be asleep. Luna then gives her that fateful broach. And tells her to say "Moon Prism Power Make Up!" which Transforms her into Sailor Moon.
I have to say it: The transformation sequence in this is stunning. Less reveling than the original but at the same time so much more involved. the animation is stunning! Just exactly what it should be, while at the same time giving a very nice call back to the original transformation animation. Its just beautiful!
Sailor Moon shows up in time to to rescue Naru and her mother and destroy the evil monster. Usagi still thinks its a dream until she shows up wide eyed and bushy tailed at school, and overhears the other girls talking about exactly what she did the night before. Realizing it was not a dream she looks worried about whats going to happen next as she looks out the window at a blue haired girl realizing that its about to rain, and then running off...which is obviously foreshadowing the next Sailor Scout to show up.
All in all, I loved it! It was good to see new Sailor Moon up on the screen again! And I cant wait for the next episode which will air on the first and third Saturday of every month on Hulu. Thank God DIC or Saban didn't get their grubby hands on this or the premiere would have been awful. We'll see how this series goes, but so far I'm really liking it.
Sailor Moon Crystal
Ok...I have a confession to make. I love Sailor Moon...I'm 34 and I've watched the series since I was 13. At first in secret since my parents didn't approve of entertainment that involved magic of any kind, and then after that I watched the series, as much of it as I possibly could, when the final part of Sailor Moon R and then S and Super S was added to the dubbed Sailor family in the early 2000s. You have no idea the level of happiness I felt when they had done that.
Faults of the dub: they didnt stay true to the story really. I mean look at what they did to it to make it more American friendly! The changed many of the names, they cut out the so called foul language the original had. They cut out scenes, and whole episodes in some cases, to hide "unacceptable" content for children. They even tried to hide the fact, and poorly I might add, that two of the later introduced Sailor Scouts, namely Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, were not only openly gay, but lovers! Cousins my ass! They even cut out the whole last season, known as Sailor Stars, because the new scouts that originate outside our galaxy were guys that transformed into girls! They try to say that the ratings declined but I call bullshit on that. Guess what? Ive seen it! It was awesome!
Besides its glaring dub defects, it was still a great series regardless. I even tracked down the subtitled uncut version, which is fantastic by the way! If you haven't watched it you really should. Its awesome!
Knowing all of this, you can imagine how ecstatic I was when I found out early 2013 that the creator was remaking the series in the vain that it would be closer to the manga series, which I have not read, and many of the original Japanese voice actors playing the same rolls as they did in the original! I always wondered what the manga was like but never had the money to actually buy it for my collection...which I guarantee is something I'm going to be doing shortly!
How is the series going to stack up? We will soon see! The nice thing is that it sounds like this time as the series is introduced to other countries, it will be translated in a way that keeps the tone of what the series is actually like...unlike the mess that was left us when DIC and Saban had the reins. Since this is a new series, Im really excited that reviewing it will be from the point of view of a person watching it for the first time and not from one where its already been watched several times and its old news.
Faults of the dub: they didnt stay true to the story really. I mean look at what they did to it to make it more American friendly! The changed many of the names, they cut out the so called foul language the original had. They cut out scenes, and whole episodes in some cases, to hide "unacceptable" content for children. They even tried to hide the fact, and poorly I might add, that two of the later introduced Sailor Scouts, namely Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, were not only openly gay, but lovers! Cousins my ass! They even cut out the whole last season, known as Sailor Stars, because the new scouts that originate outside our galaxy were guys that transformed into girls! They try to say that the ratings declined but I call bullshit on that. Guess what? Ive seen it! It was awesome!
Besides its glaring dub defects, it was still a great series regardless. I even tracked down the subtitled uncut version, which is fantastic by the way! If you haven't watched it you really should. Its awesome!
Knowing all of this, you can imagine how ecstatic I was when I found out early 2013 that the creator was remaking the series in the vain that it would be closer to the manga series, which I have not read, and many of the original Japanese voice actors playing the same rolls as they did in the original! I always wondered what the manga was like but never had the money to actually buy it for my collection...which I guarantee is something I'm going to be doing shortly!
How is the series going to stack up? We will soon see! The nice thing is that it sounds like this time as the series is introduced to other countries, it will be translated in a way that keeps the tone of what the series is actually like...unlike the mess that was left us when DIC and Saban had the reins. Since this is a new series, Im really excited that reviewing it will be from the point of view of a person watching it for the first time and not from one where its already been watched several times and its old news.
Enterprise: Season 1 Pilot Episode "Broken Bow"
Enter the first episode. We start out with young Johnathan Archer painting a model of...something...and and awkward conversation about Vulcans withholding technology that would have helped them reach warm 5 flight....and then an immediate cut to a chase scene between a Klingon and two aliens...who are apparently without...bones in a farmland field on earth. The Klingon leads them into a silo and blows them up escaping them but is shot by the farmer who owned the land...
And then we cut to the first problem with the series...the opening. Back in the early 2000's, a good much of television was trying to be trendy with the music the opened with...and apparently it was decided that Enterprise should be no different...It wasn't well received and I would say rightly so. Don't get me wrong, "Faith of the Heart"is a great song, powerful and uplifting. Russel Brand is a great singer, but a pop song in a show about the start of Starfleet and the Federation just didn't fit the feel and tone of the series.
Cutting to the Starfleet command of the day, where the injured Klingon is being treated. Archer learning that the Klingons want their man back offers to take the newly commissioned Enterprise, first starship of the Federation, to bring back the Klingon back to his homeworld of Kronos. Here's where I end up having a second problem.
The Vulcans: they seem far too emotional to actually be Vulcans. Vulcans have had centuries by this time to suppress their emotions and the only time one really showed any was Spock because of his half human blood and Spocks half brother Sybock because he abandoned the Vulcan teaching and opened himself to emotion. So seeing a Vulcan actively showing emotion was...anything but refreshing. Unless a Vulcan is seriously ill with something that effects their control, there should be no reason that a true Vulcan should show that much emotion. But here we are... Vulcans that seem to be just as much an infant to controlling their emotions as the human race is to faster than light space travel. It was very...illogical if you can excuse the pun.
So on their way to the Klingon home world, they run into the Sulaban, a race just about as evolved humans are, but augmented by what is apparently species from the future, the 27th century, fighting a temporal war. The Klingon is kidnapped off the Enterprise, and is tracked back down by the crew with the at first reluctant help of Sub commander Tpal, the temporal war plot of the episode is established and with the ending on the Sulaban cluster ship, it seems its going to be the tone of the entire series.
Archer retrieves the Klingon successfully, returns him to Kronos to the Klingon High Council...and then is sent out on their first exploratory mission.
Watching the first episode I felt like they were trying to some extent copy the success of Star Trek Voyager. It certainly had the same feel for me, the character set up was very much the same. Captain Archer is a new captain, as was Captain Janeway. You had the logical Vulcan Tpal who, although not security, is very much a Tuvok character. You have Mayweather who is very much a Tom Paris. Commander Tucker reminded me of the temperamental Belanna Torres. Hoshi Sato, our resident Linguist was your basic Harry Kim character. You have Doctor Plox, which even though not holographic, is very reminiscent of the Doctor from Voyager. In short, it felt like the creators was trying to recreate the Voyager crew without the Voyager crew.
Now mind you I never really watched Enterprise when it originally aired, so I'm really hoping that the cast grows beyond the Voyager stereotypes and really makes the series their own with their own distinct and fleshed out archetypes.
And then we cut to the first problem with the series...the opening. Back in the early 2000's, a good much of television was trying to be trendy with the music the opened with...and apparently it was decided that Enterprise should be no different...It wasn't well received and I would say rightly so. Don't get me wrong, "Faith of the Heart"is a great song, powerful and uplifting. Russel Brand is a great singer, but a pop song in a show about the start of Starfleet and the Federation just didn't fit the feel and tone of the series.
Cutting to the Starfleet command of the day, where the injured Klingon is being treated. Archer learning that the Klingons want their man back offers to take the newly commissioned Enterprise, first starship of the Federation, to bring back the Klingon back to his homeworld of Kronos. Here's where I end up having a second problem.
The Vulcans: they seem far too emotional to actually be Vulcans. Vulcans have had centuries by this time to suppress their emotions and the only time one really showed any was Spock because of his half human blood and Spocks half brother Sybock because he abandoned the Vulcan teaching and opened himself to emotion. So seeing a Vulcan actively showing emotion was...anything but refreshing. Unless a Vulcan is seriously ill with something that effects their control, there should be no reason that a true Vulcan should show that much emotion. But here we are... Vulcans that seem to be just as much an infant to controlling their emotions as the human race is to faster than light space travel. It was very...illogical if you can excuse the pun.
So on their way to the Klingon home world, they run into the Sulaban, a race just about as evolved humans are, but augmented by what is apparently species from the future, the 27th century, fighting a temporal war. The Klingon is kidnapped off the Enterprise, and is tracked back down by the crew with the at first reluctant help of Sub commander Tpal, the temporal war plot of the episode is established and with the ending on the Sulaban cluster ship, it seems its going to be the tone of the entire series.
Archer retrieves the Klingon successfully, returns him to Kronos to the Klingon High Council...and then is sent out on their first exploratory mission.
Watching the first episode I felt like they were trying to some extent copy the success of Star Trek Voyager. It certainly had the same feel for me, the character set up was very much the same. Captain Archer is a new captain, as was Captain Janeway. You had the logical Vulcan Tpal who, although not security, is very much a Tuvok character. You have Mayweather who is very much a Tom Paris. Commander Tucker reminded me of the temperamental Belanna Torres. Hoshi Sato, our resident Linguist was your basic Harry Kim character. You have Doctor Plox, which even though not holographic, is very reminiscent of the Doctor from Voyager. In short, it felt like the creators was trying to recreate the Voyager crew without the Voyager crew.
Now mind you I never really watched Enterprise when it originally aired, so I'm really hoping that the cast grows beyond the Voyager stereotypes and really makes the series their own with their own distinct and fleshed out archetypes.
Friday, June 27, 2014
To Bodly Go Where No One Has Gone Before
Ah yes, Behold that which is Star Trek! The series has been around fifty years now, and with six series and twelve movies, with a thirteenth likely on the way, scores of books, fan made episodic series and Walter Konieg backed Star Trek Renegade on the way, Star Trek is arguably the most popular and most enduring series to date.
Though with all the movies that have been coming out representing the alternate reality Jim Kirk years hitting theaters, many believe that Star Trek in the Episodic format is what made the series so great because of the amazing storytelling it involved.
But like any enduring series, Star Trek has its dark side...
back in the early years when Paramount Pictures tried their hands at having their own broadcast network, Called the United Paramount Network, or UPN, they decided they wanted to go for a fifth round with the Star Trek franchise and Boom, Star Trek Enterprise was born!
Staring Scott Bacula As Captian Johnathon Archer, Jolene Blalock as Sub-comander T'Pal, John Billingsley and Dr. Phlox, Dominick Keating ans Malcom Reed, Anthony Montgomery as Travis Mayweather, Linda Park as Hoshi Sato and Connor Trinneer as Charles 'Trip' Tucker, the premise of Enterprise was that it told the story of the events that formed the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet. It was to be UPN's flagship series!
The series was met with mixed reviews. Some felt it was awesome, others felt that it was the worst of the series. Whatever the reason, the ratings were lack luster and the show itself tanked after its fourth season. What caused it to tank so badly where the other series were an overwhelming success? Well lets take an episode by episode look at Star Trek Enterprise and find out why this show warped into disaster!
Though with all the movies that have been coming out representing the alternate reality Jim Kirk years hitting theaters, many believe that Star Trek in the Episodic format is what made the series so great because of the amazing storytelling it involved.
But like any enduring series, Star Trek has its dark side...
back in the early years when Paramount Pictures tried their hands at having their own broadcast network, Called the United Paramount Network, or UPN, they decided they wanted to go for a fifth round with the Star Trek franchise and Boom, Star Trek Enterprise was born!
Staring Scott Bacula As Captian Johnathon Archer, Jolene Blalock as Sub-comander T'Pal, John Billingsley and Dr. Phlox, Dominick Keating ans Malcom Reed, Anthony Montgomery as Travis Mayweather, Linda Park as Hoshi Sato and Connor Trinneer as Charles 'Trip' Tucker, the premise of Enterprise was that it told the story of the events that formed the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet. It was to be UPN's flagship series!
The series was met with mixed reviews. Some felt it was awesome, others felt that it was the worst of the series. Whatever the reason, the ratings were lack luster and the show itself tanked after its fourth season. What caused it to tank so badly where the other series were an overwhelming success? Well lets take an episode by episode look at Star Trek Enterprise and find out why this show warped into disaster!
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