Acquisition

ENTERPRISE: "Acquisition" Discussion Thread...
Terry -- 27 Mar 2002, 20:30 EST

When intergalactic pirates board the Enterprise and stun the crew, unaffected Trip is the only one able to stop them.

Was that Neelix?!?!?! nim
janey -- 27 Mar 2002, 20:40 EST

Yes, and Weyroun and Balok.
Terry -- 27 Mar 2002, 20:46 EST

Aka Ethan Phillips (the leader), Jeffrey Combs (Krem - the cousin), Clint Howard (grumpy guy), and some other dude. Balok, for those who don't remember was the small alien from TOS's Corbomite Maneuver. I believe that that's the first time for him on Trek in thirtyfive years.

I never recognize Combs as a Ferengi until I hear his voice. OTOH, I easily recognize both Phillips and Howard. I think it's because they have ugly Ferengi-like features and so their makeup is less than for someone like Combs.

A slow boring predictable farce
Terry -- 27 Mar 2002, 21:04 EST

This was like one of those lame comedy films where all the funny moments can be captured in the trailer.

Four amusing moments. Trip's comment about "just because I'm in my underwear." (But I read that in a TV guide.) Using the Universal Translator on Portos. (But we saw it all in last week's promo.) Trip claiming Hoshi was his wife, Archer offering him gold to let her go, and their "fight". T'Pol playing the maiden-in-distress to Krem. (But I cringe everytime we see the oomahx thang. When will Braga stop using that crap?)

I didn't think the final scene between Archer and T'Pol worked. Too fast, too soon, too much trying to make T'Pol funny.

There were long stretches where nothing interesting happened.

Clint Howard was pretty good as irrascible Ferengi who beat up Archer and argued with everyone.

No more Ferengi on Enterprise please!
Eric -- 27 Mar 2002, 23:52 EST

Quick Non Spoiler Take : Well, it was better then Rogue Planet anyway... Not MUCH better but better...

______________________

SPOILERS that perform Oomax!

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Ok, i had serious worries about this one and to some extent i was right. Oh not for the continuity stuff, i can deal with that, but my problems is Ferengi on any show but DS9 are just annoying and great Divine they were annoying here!

The only thing that saved this was the crew interaction. Archer, T'Pol and Tucker worked very well together this week Jolene almost saved this episode from itself.

Not much to say this week but i do hope this is the last pointless episode this season. I can give them two bad episodes but it's time to kick it in gear again!

Blah : 6.5/10

Next week's trailer looked VERY good!

Eric

Well, now. That was really...
G'Inny -- 27 Mar 2002, 23:56 EST

...disappointing. I mean, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Trip run around in his underwear, but an episode needs more than that to be a success.

No, really.

I loathe the Ferengi, so I wasn't all that keen on seeing them again, but I like Ethan Phillips and Jeffrey Combs, so I was willing to give it a chance.

Which was my first mistake.

Ferengi are infinitely loathable and utter unsuccessful as either villains or even simple antagonists. How such contentious, avaricious, treacherous, myopic creatures ever manage to amass any wealth at all is a mystery to me. Hell's bells, how they manage to get off their own damn planet is a mystery to me. As is the fact that Trip didn't just break off a piece of 23rd century rebar and clobber them all from ambush. (Ditto for Archer. He could have dumped any one of a number of pieces of cargo on his Ferengi's punkin' head.)

That said, I was glad the writers at least addressed the "Trip skulking around without a weapon" issue by later establishing that the Ferengi took the weapons first.

How much do you want to bet Reed immediately redresses that little glitch?

I was also glad that they paid some attention to how the Ferengi got the knock-out gas on board by having it be in the artifact that Trip brought back from the planet.

How much do you want to bet Reed immediately implements new security procedures for bringing strange alien artifacts on board? BTW what the devil was Trip doing down on that planet alone? Do these people not have a buddy system?

There were some good bits: --Trip in the decon chamber in his underwear. --Trip running around the ship in his underwear. --Trip waking up T'Pol in his underwear. --Archer's sly water polo quip. --Porthos, who really is awfully cute for a completely gratuitous character. --The fact that, for two weeks in a row, Archer didn't act like a moron. --Hey, that's Clint Howard! And he did a pretty good job playing a Ferengi!

There were some bad bits: --The Ferengi language bit went on way too long. Couldn't we have had some subtitles? Of course, this really drives home the dramatic necessity of the universal translator. --Oomax. I'm with Terry--it's an embarassment to have to watch it. --There was some really bad blocking in a number of the scenes. --There weren't any good scenes of Trip and T'Pol snarking at each other. I *live* for those scenes, you know.

I hope next week is better.

Where've you been, Eric? You missed the big Kes thread
Terry -- 27 Mar 2002, 23:58 EST

this weekend.

P.S. Did you read the spoilers about the new Farscape pixie?

Why wasn't the artifact decontaminated?
Terry -- 28 Mar 2002, 00:01 EST

I know, I know, it didn't look cute enough in blue underoos.

I thought Blalock was channeling Nimoy...
Nina -- 28 Mar 2002, 08:11 EST

and she did it pretty darn well, too.

I wasn't expecting anything but a Ferengi farce, so I didn't mind this one terribly. Archer's still getting better; T'Pol was fun; Trip's a hunk in his underoos, and his defense of Hoshi and his mock fight with Archer both cracked me up. But I do have to wonder, along with Ginny, how the Ferengi ever got off their planet if they're THAT dumb and THAT afflicted by tunnel vision.

Maybe I was just in the mood for bad jokes last night.

Sikozu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (GI)
Eric -- 28 Mar 2002, 09:13 EST

Have i heard about the Pixie in Red????

[Sikozu image here]

I like what i have heard but i am a little worried that she looks a little to much like a Interan (Jool's race). Hopefully Kemper will make these Kolash (i think that is her race) different enough to keep them seperate.

There was a Kes thread???? Where! What about???

Eric

Two redheads on the same ship?
Terry -- 28 Mar 2002, 10:11 EST

Sounds like trouble to me.

The Kes thread is here. Or search for "COLD FIRE", "blonde on blonde", or just "Kes".

The good news is...
Vickie -- 28 Mar 2002, 10:14 EST

...that I had the presence of mind to pop a tape in the VCR and hit Record as I dashed out of the house at 7:45 pm last night, so I can watch this episode of Enterprise tonight.

The bad news is that Lila (Dog 1) did $471 worth of damage to Ozzie (Dog 2) in a dispute over a rawhide dog chewie, so I spent a big chunk of last night driving back and forth to the emergency vet clinic, which is, of course, nowhere near where I live. $471!!! I have a whole new respect for the power of dog jaws - and Lila is just your garden variety lab mix.

Vickie

Blonde on BLONDE!!! Are you TRYING to kill me??? ...NIM
Eric -- 28 Mar 2002, 10:17 EST

Click! Click! Click faster you stupid mouse!!!

Well, maybe it's good I stepped out...
Fliteman -- 28 Mar 2002, 11:58 EST

We don't even "meet" the Ferengi for 200 years, according to the Star Trek calendar, so... I don't want to see them NOW... I find it disturbing we have to resort to digging up "known" races already used in past Treks; Maybe it's too early in the show yet, but I want to see some relationships being built that *might* be the establishment of the Federation.

I've never liked the Ferengi. I've never respected anything ever done by the Ferengi. Even the guy dressed up as one at the Hilton in Vega$ annoys the bajeebers out of me...

I missed the last 1/2 or so to help my neighbor move the world's heaviest television and likewise the world's heaviest treadmill, but... from reading the above, sounds like I didn't miss much. (So, that WAS Clint Howard....)

Flite

It was OK, not as bad as some Ferengi episodes
D -- 28 Mar 2002, 13:23 EST

I'm surprised they managed to find a way to show first contact with the Ferengi without actually contradicting the canon established in TNG. If they never identified themselves there's no reason why anyone would associate the pirates who attempted to rob Archer's Enterprise with the Ferengi Picard's crew finally meet. Though I still think its unlikely there was no contact for almost 200 years, regardless of Archer's ultimatum.

These Ferengi seem more like Pakleds than their 24th century descendents. As bumbling as they sometimes appeared I can't imagine Quark et al ripping chairs off their tracks, or trying to take warp circuitry by just pulling it out of a panel, or grabbing everything they could indiscriminately.

For once lack of prior contact worked in this crew's favor. Archer & Trip could pretend the ship was carrying valuables and be believed and T'Pol could get close enough to use the nerve pinch without her actions being anticipated. By the Ferengi, that is; I saw that nerve pinch coming as soon as she started vamping the guard.

Interesting that they revived the energy whip, something that wasn't seen after that first TNG episode. And it seems they wrote more "Rules of Acquisition" by the TNG era.

This was a good example of the "swing and a miss" tendency for me and Ent.
Deb47 -- 28 Mar 2002, 21:32 EST

I thought T'Pol was "channeling Spock" in this ep's last scene when she "demonstrated" her ability to utilize "humor".

Archer, on the other hand, was not channeling Kirk. Instead of "enjoying the moment" of tomfoolery with his "humorless" Vulcan, he bites her head off.

No wonder she doesn't tease him more often.

I agree with whomever complained that all the funny parts were in the trailer. There seemed to be an endless amount of running around the ship that bored me quicker than the Ferengi language. And speaking of Boring Ferengi... why the heck would they waste time taking forks and test-tubes... seems like there would be more valuable things on board for them to steal, even if they could "only" find potential slaves.

Speaking of women... why would a species sooooooo different from our own become so enamored in such a short time? Is it just the result of living in close quarters for 1 month with Ferengi Neelix/Weyoon/Balok? (Not to be confused with Vulcan Blalock! )

And... if the PTB REALLY want to pander to me... could they please lose Trip's shirt at least ONE more time before the season ends.

D47

overall a disppointment
bern -- 29 Mar 2002, 15:02 EST

Because they were more "rogueish" and less "cutesy" than the DS9 Ferengis they reminded me a little more of the TNG variety, however, this ep failed to deliver for all the reasons already mentioned.

there were some fine performances particularly from Coombs, who never ceases to amaze me with the breadth of roles he is able to take on. Thanks for pojnting out Balok, wow! I wonder who else might crawl up from the past?

T'Pol's ability to lie, seemed a bit too easy for me, but I still wonder where they are going to take her character...fingers crossed that I finally find a reason to like her other than the fact that she is Vulcan, and kinda attractive.

TPTB get an "A" for effort but a D- for execution. Let's hope they learn from their mistakes.

bern

REVIEW: Never Ask When You Can Take
Terry -- 29 Mar 2002, 20:36 EST

ScoopMe! review of ACQUISITION

Satisfaction is not guaranteed -- Rule of Acquisition #19

I think you all are being a bit too hard on Acquisition
Vickie -- 30 Mar 2002, 11:34 EST

I finally got to watch this episode last night. Sure it wasn't perfect, but it was a good effort. Think back to season 1 TNG, when everybody still hated it. Acquisition holds up perfectly well in comparison to some of those episodes and it was at least as good as many of Voyager's episodes in any season.

Maybe I'm just crabby because I've had a rough week (think heavy-duty industrial-grade sandpaper), but I think people are judging Enterprise too harshly. I'll agree that there haven't been many (any?) knock-your-socks-off episodes yet, but most, like Acquisition, offered at least a few good moments and a bit of enjoyable dialog.

And besides, how can you dislike an episode that has Trip spending so much of the hour in his underwear and gives Porthos a speaking part?

Vickie

Well, I'm one of the ones who wants to like Enterprise...
G'Inny -- 30 Mar 2002, 15:32 EST

...and who doesn't waste a lot of time lamenting the passing of Voyager. I think what influenced my dislike of this episode are simply the Ferengi. I loathe them. Loathed them on TNG. Loathed them on DS9. Rolled my eyes at having to deal with them yet *again* on Voyager.

I also expected it to be funnier. But I don't find the Ferengi funny (I loathe them, you know), so perhaps I let my prejudices blind me a bit. I know that having the Klingons (who I also loathe) in "Unexpected" kept it from being a unequivocal hit out of the park for me.

It's still my fave, though.

Re: Klingons and Ferengi
Vickie -- 30 Mar 2002, 19:38 EST

You know I share your opinion of the Klingons, Ginny. I guess everyone else does, too, as I'm sure I've whined about them more than once around here. IMO, TOS Klingons = the characters I love to hate. TNG and subsequent Klingons = the characters I just, well, hate.

Neither am I particularly fond of the Ferengi. To be honest, in this episode I just thought of them as Neelix, Weyoun, and Ron Howard's goofy looking brother wearing funny masks and doing Bugs Bunny character imitations. Did you notice how Jeffrey Combs kept doing that buck-tooth doofus face?

Of course, with Trip running around in his underwear, I wasn't thinking too much about the Ferengi.

Vickie

Poor Connor.
G'Inny -- 30 Mar 2002, 22:17 EST

All that classical training and stage experience, and his first big break in television turns him into a 21st century Charlie's Angel. I'm not complaining, you understand, because I think the bright blue underwear scenes balance out the ever-present catsuit, and God knows I'm all for balance. It's also pretty obvious from this ep and the pilot why Dominic Keating quipped that Connor's nickname on the set was the Third Nacelle.

Re: I think you all are being a bit too hard on Acquisition
bern -- 31 Mar 2002, 08:02 EST

I don't know Vickie...It's not like Rogue Planet was all that great an ep, yet I found more to like in it...

Perahps the bar was raised knowing that Combs&Phillips were in it and my expectations weren't met...

I have no special like or dislike for either the Klingons or the Ferengi, yet I can appreciate episodes driven by either faction if there is *something* (ANYTHING) that grabs my attention, and this just had little...'cept for some great talent that really didn't save it...

still wanting to like Enterprise, and also waiting for season 2

bern

Thanks, Terry!!! (nim)
Mindy -- 31 Mar 2002, 18:59 EST

I agree.
Jason -- 31 Mar 2002, 22:50 EST

I finally got to see this episode tonight, and from what I heard everyone say, I was expecting a debacle.

Not that I was particularly fond of the episode, but it wasn't that awful. We've seen worse from Ferengi episodes. It wasn't insulting or offensive ("Profit and Lace"), it wasn't that crude and we've all seen dumber storylines and characters.

What I did like about this episode was that the humor was working well between the actual crew, and that's what's important. The lame Ferengi characters will probably never be encountered again, but there was some very nice chemistry between the (conscious) crew that hopefully will be built upon.

T'Pol and Archer's comedic adversarialness was reminiscent of TOS. (It could be fun to see T'Pol taunt Archer in the future.)

Archer's plot to retake the ship was confusing and overly complicated (and **WHAT** was going on with the fight between Trip and Archer?) but it was kind of fun to watch in a TOS "A Piece of the Action" kind of way.

I thought the epiosde was in all, very dull and drawn out. But it had some charms, and a Ferengi show could have been much worse.

Jason

ENTEPRISE: ACQUISITION (late opinion)
Mindy -- 2 Apr 2002, 09:39 EST

Hi, guys! Didn't post much the last few weeks as John was here from England and what with working and running around, didn't have any time to sit with you all. As you know, I missed ROGUE PLANET completely, but did manage to catch ACQUISITION on Sunday night. Here are my thoughts (oh, btw, I did read all of your opinions.)

First impression: Not horrible, not exactly good, either. Mostly "eh".

Why: Well, although I don't loathe the Ferengis like G'inny and others, I also don't like the way they've been portrayed since DS9. In fact, except for Quark, I found Rom and the mother and all of the others rather stupid. Okay, Rom was supposed to be stupid, but if he had been the exception rather than the rule, it would (imho) have worked better. Quark was his own man, which is why I liked him. He was sly, corrupt and selfish, but also capable of loyalty, friendship and insight. In other words, a well-rounded character. He also stayed true to the Ferengi culture--the biggest problem I had (in fact, I hated it!) was that by the end of DS9, with the ascension of Rom to Grand whatever-it's-called, the Ferengi were on their way to becoming good little Federation members, i.e., good old American imperialism had conquered the day, and our culture was about to overtake and destroy theirs. (Can you say "McDonald's," anyone?) I really objected to that!!!! It was a television microcosm of what we've done in the real world, which, as we all know, has led to the madness of world politics today. Okay, enough realpoliticks!

So I was hoping that ACQUISTION would bring us closer to the Quark-type of Ferengi, but nope, what we saw was a miasma of stereotypes. Not even one "Quark" among them! *sigh*

Second Impression: Given that, accepting that, I must say that I did enjoy the crew's interaction, i.e., Archer/Tripp/T'Pol--especially Jolene as T'Pol. Shades of Shatner/Nimoy-Kirk/Spock. Who said Blalock was channelling Nimoy? I think it was the reviewer over at Scoopme.com, and I agree. Jolene did an excellent job capturing the sarcastic, dry humor of Vulcans, i.e., Spock, Sarek and Tuvok. Tripp in his underwear--aside from the aesthetic and gratuitous factor, it didn't make sense to me that he didn't change into something a little bit "warmer." Wouldn't have to be a uniform, but even slipping on a pair of jeans over his undies would have made sense! After all, I don't think the entire ship is heated to spa-like temperatures! Loved the "Hoshi" bit! (Wonder what she'd say if she knew?) I thought the Archer/Krem stuff was lame and too easy to see coming, the most amatuer writer could have written their dialogue, but Bakula played it right, given the broadness of the humor.

Final Impression: As I said, "eh"...a "C." Would have been a "D" except for, as I said, the nice character bits.

Mindy

Re: ENTEPRISE: ACQUISITION (late opinion)
Diane -- 2 Apr 2002, 18:16 EST

Mindy,

I am glad you were late in posting, it reminded me to do the same. Easter just consumed my life last week.

I agree with most of what you said, the show was good, not something to write home about. It did have some laughable moments. What I really enjoyed were seeing Phillips and Combs in completely different roles, Blalock finally nailing T'Pal, and Conner and T'Pal really working together.

Blalock did a fantastic job, letting "her hair down" and playing her Vulcan part very naturally. Up to this point she has been too stiff and not relaxed in her roll (IMHO).

The only thing I didn't like was Bakula's portrayal. He played his part like an actor playing an actor. He just seemed like he played his scenes as a joke, he not's nailing his characater. Even Conner played his goofy lines seriously. IMHO, Bakula is the only weak link in this show. I am not buying his Captain Archer.

Even though ENTERPRISE is less than a year old, I feel it is still doing much bettter than TNG did its first year. I remember I stopped watching TNG during the first year and didn't start watching again until the Data does Sherlock Holmes episode. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed for ENTERPRISE.

DI

Thanks, Mindy and Diane
Vickie -- 2 Apr 2002, 20:33 EST

I'm glad you posted on Acquisition. I agree with most of what you both said.

And, as much as it pains me to say so, I also agree with what Di said about Scott Bakula. I loved Quamyum Leap. I loved Sam Beckett. I have liked Bakula in most other roles I've seen him in. But, as Di said, he is just not getting Captain Archer. I don't understand what his problem is. His other roles indicate that he has the ability, I wonder why his Captain Archer is so far off? And if you all tell the Scott Bakula Fan Club I said that, I'll deny every word.

It also makes me happy to hear someone else who thinks Enterprise is doing better than TNG did in its first season. That is plenty of reason to be hopeful for Enterprise's future.

Vickie

ENTEPRISE vs. TNG, 1st Season
Mindy -- 2 Apr 2002, 21:06 EST

Di, I completely agree with you...as weak at times as ENTERPRISE has been, it's heads and shoulders over TNG's 1st year. I think the only reason I kept watching TNG back then was because, as we all know, I have a "jones" for the Federation (freely admitted! ) In fact, the show (TNG0 really should have been cancelled, it was so bad. It's amazing how stiff almost everyone connected to TNG was that first year--especially, considering how wonderful the characters later became (imho), Stewart, Frakes, McFadden and Dorn. It might have been a function of the scripts--they were so dumb (for the most part) and weak that the actors had very little to work with. Even Wheaton eventually showed his acting cojones in the last year of his time on the show, with such episodes as "First Duty," the one when Wesley and Picard were stranded on the desert planet, and even the one with the virtual reality game. In fact, by the last year everyone was so comfortable and good in their roles--Sirtis invested Troi with more personality and stopped with the stupid "I sense pain" stuff--to be fair, I always thought that Sirtis got gypped when Whoopi Goldberg started playing Guinan (not tha she wasn't great). The kind of counseling Guinan offered, especially to Picard, was exactly what Deanna should have been doing, again, imho.

Kudos to Majel Barrett, however; from the first I thought she was marvelous as Luxwana Troi, and by the last seasons, she had really invested personality and a wholeness into the character that I absolutely loved.

Mindy

about TNG Season 1
D -- 2 Apr 2002, 21:31 EST

The same could be said for much of Season 2. I know I've mentioned it before but I didn't start watching until sometime in Season 3 & never saw the first episodes until after "All Good Things". Not sure I would have kept watching if I'd tried from the start.

In TPTBs defense they were basically starting from scratch, since the only Trek for almost 20 years had been three movies. If you haven't seen it the April Star Trek The Magazine is mostly about the first season of TNG.

Battle of the first seasons
D'Alaire -- 3 Apr 2002, 07:37 EST

Actually, I try not to--compare, I mean. Compare to Voyager, maybe at first (and only because I loved those characters so much from episode one), though even that wouldn't be fair to either series.

Different writers, different producers, totally different cimcumstances going into it all, not to mention the fan base's expectations and experience being different, make ENT and TNG not easily compared.

That said, I think there are maybe 3 or 4 first season TNG eps I remembered liking when I first watched that series, so I agree that it certainly had a ways to go in filling its characters in and finding its niche.

ENT enjoys a lot of built-in things that TNG had to work for (like earning its own regard, coming into its own without much expectation), and at the same time is subject to a great deal more critique because of that, despite (or because of) its place in the Trek timeline.

I'm making a hash of this, but I have to run very soon. I guess my point is that TNG's characters really did have to find a place in the Trek universe, via a production staff with very different objectives and goals, and our experience with them in that first season was quite different, while ENT's cast has a lot more to lean on, as do we.

That said, my opinion of the show hasn't much changed. (shrug)

D, my biggest problem with Season 2 of TNG was...
Mindy -- 3 Apr 2002, 09:59 EST

...the addition of Diane Muldaur (spelling?) as Dr. Kowalsi (name? spelling?). She was the choice of Gene Roddenberry (rumors of an affair between them have circulated for years, ever since she was featured in not one, but two TOS episodes), and she was written extremely curmudegonly, a female Dr. McCoy (hence her distrust of transporters and her constant picking on Data) without DeForest Kelly's charm--I've heard rumors that the reason Gay McFadden (again, spelling of her first name, I'm blanking out this morning, guys) left the second season was because of alcohol problems (?!)--anyway, I just felt that she never really blended into the ensemble--

Season 3 is absolutely the season when TNG found its voice and place! Ending with the fabulous "Best of Both Worlds"--which, btw, was the first cliffhanger for ST. (And the best--too bad they didn't have the ending figured out when they wrote Part 1!)

Mindy

Only TOS and VOY have had superb first seasons.
david g -- 4 Apr 2002, 15:33 EST

I can barely watch the 1st seasons of TNG or DS9--and i think even ENT is doing better than they did, at first.

still, the TNG characters are much, much more interesting than ENT's, and less...annoying.

Diana Muldaur is such a great actress, though
david g -- 5 Apr 2002, 09:32 EST

To be honest, i think they didnt know what to do w/her because of her age compared to the cast, so they wrote her as much older than she was!

I must say, i like Beverly well enough, but Gates McFadden is, while likable, a boring actress. except for "Remember Me," she really makes no impression on TNG.

and i prefer the more relaxed Troi we get after TNG is over.

really, when it comes down to it, Data and Picard are the only characters i find really compelling on TNG, with Worf ok, too.

I loved Ms. Muldaur on L. A. LAW, david! (nim)
Mindy -- 5 Apr 2002, 09:57 EST

Me two, Mindy! and on TOS, esp Is There in Truth No Beauty
david g -- 5 Apr 2002, 15:54 EST

for some reasons, that is not a popular TOS ep, but i love it...i was so angry they threw Roz down the elevator shaft. the show went DOWN with her!

DG

and, another REALLY late opinion
Lauren -- 7 Apr 2002, 01:45 EST

Besides the fact that 1/2 of the cast did nothing during this episode, and that a good chunk of the episode was spoken in Ferengi without subtitles so I had no clue what was being said, and we had to watch another piggish misogynistic Ferengi get someone to give him Oomox (SP?), and it's apparently the easiest thing in the universe to take over Enterprise, since a measly four Ferengi can do it easily, something really bugs the heck out of me about this one...

What the heck kind of consequences did the Ferengi suffer for their actions? They get set free? They get to go on their merry way? I mean, they take over the ship, start stealing everything they can, attempt to enslave the female members of the crew, beat the Captain and force him to do manual labor, and their only punishment is that the weakest of them takes over and the other three have to put up with it?

Now, I know I happen to be on record as being virulently anti-Ferengi (Quark excepted) but, even if these pirates had not been the aliens I happen to detest, I *still* can't see letting them go. If, during the era of ENT, neither Starfleet nor the Vulcans have any set procedures for dealing with space scum, then, the ending of "Acquisition" should have addressed this, with someone saying something like "We're only setting you free because we have no authority (or procedures, or regulations) to punish those of other races who break our laws (well, hopefully say it a bit more artfully than I just did)."

Anyway, although I didn't exactly loathe "Acquisition" (one good thing about having low expectations for an episode is that you're seldom disappointed), this ending really bugged me. Not only is Starfleet's most advanced vessal able to be very easily taken over, but Starfleet apparently no ability to appropriately punish hostile aliens who deserve it!

IMHO, Lauren