Marauders

ENTERPRISE: "Marauders" Discussion
Terry -- 31 Oct 2002, 09:13 EST

While looking for fuel, Enterprise finds a colony terrorised by Klingon raiders.

A poor man's "The Seven Samurai"
Terry -- 31 Oct 2002, 09:33 EST

Of course, my opinion of nearly all Enterprise eps is that they're written like a paint-by-the-numbers coloring book.

Compared to most, it wasn't bad. But none of the characters ever reached beyond cliche.

What's up with no one ever dying on this show? A mine rips an enormous hole in the ship - no deaths. A battle with seven Klingons - no one is even bleeding. And then they just let them go. Right, like they won't be back and blow up the town and their deuterium from orbit.

I couldn't help but thinking when someone said the only solution which wouldn't make things worse was to kill the Klingons, "Well, why not?"

Deuterium is so valuable? Bull. It's heavy hydrogen and by far the most common element in universe. The talk of pumping it out of the ground and purifying it is nonsense. You're not going to find pure hydrogen on a Earth-type planet. It would be easy picking it up on a gas giant or even in interstellar space.

And people thought T'Pol's brown uniform was bad; just check out that *hideous* white catsuit! I have greater respect for Jeri Lynn; she carried herself with greater grace in her silver getup than T'Pol in this monstrosity.

My interest in ENT has descended to season seven Voyager levels. I'll watch but don't mind looking at the paper or leaving the room for a few minutes. ENT on average is about as good as Voyager at its worst. Archer is just a terrible captain; no wonder no one remembers him in the future.

I've read many comparisons to...
D'Alaire -- 31 Oct 2002, 10:06 EST

..."A Bug's Life" and "The A-Team."

Both work for me, from what I've read in spoilers and reviews.

As for me, this was week 2 that I've had no interest in watching on Wednesday, judging from the promo/blurb. Saturday, I'll probably at least turn ch.20 on at 7 (or is it 6?), and I'll probably be making pine cone wreaths while it's on, myself.

While the occasional ep manages to catch hold of me, I'm still not going out of my way to watch it anymore.

Ah well, I am liking Firefly (for however long it stays around), so at least I have *some* new sci-fi to enjoy nowadays.

Well, "A Bug's Life" is pretty much a remake of
Terry -- 31 Oct 2002, 11:36 EST

"The Seven Samurai" as is "The Magnificent Seven". Small group of warriors come to help poor community preyed upon by larger group of bad warriors. They train the wretches in self-defense, supervise the building of defenses, lead them in battle, and engage in the toughest fighting themselves. And then leave after the bullies have been defeated.

Most remakes leave out the social class warfare and social change elements of the story. In the original, the samurai and the peasants were far from the ideals of noble warrior and humble farmer. And the bandits represented (out-of-work samurai turning to robbery) what the samurai could have and might still become one day.

I hear "A Bug's Life" was sort of a animated comedy version of that with circus bugs instead of warriors. And "Marauders" is just a real, real, real dumbed down version. (But who expects real intelligence from Trek these days? It's all platitudes, stereotypes, bloodless action, and clothed nudity.)

Yep! ENTERPRISE: The "A" Team
Diane -- 31 Oct 2002, 12:03 EST

That all I can say. Maybe it is a good thing that Dwight Schultz (A Team's Murdock) was on TNG and Voyager.

Last night's show was a pretty bland and boring evening. Predictable story and lame action. And, what's with the white Emma Peal suit for T'Pol--didn't that style go out in 1970?

Nothing much to say about this one. Next week might be better. Burce Davidson is guest star and he always puts in a great performance.

Di

Not great but an improvement on ?A Night in Sickbay?.
D -- 31 Oct 2002, 14:10 EST

While it might not be sensible in general to take on a bunch of Klingons, this group deserved what they got. They acted more like schoolyard bullies than honorable Klingons, and hopefully, now that the victims have fought back, leave these people alone and pick on others who won?t.

Once they decided to take them on Archer?s plan was pretty good. For a change they even thought of the little things, like disguising the fact they?re human (and Vulcan). And succeeding had an immediate benefit for Enterprise and potential benefits for Starfleet, and Vulcan, Andoria, and anyone else who needs deuterium. Their primary objective may be exploration and First Contacts, but if they want to continue they also need to find reliable sources for material and repairs. [I won?t touch on the issue of whether deuterium is really abundant and couldn?t be mined this way; they could have used any commodity.]

Hohsi?s obviously been keeping up her target practice. With her teaching background she was a good choice to help in the training.

Ah! Didn't know that.
D'Alaire -- 31 Oct 2002, 14:51 EST

I hadn't seen ABL either, and it's been a million years since I watched any of those originals.

But I did LOL with the A-Team reference. Though, in all fairness, at least A-Team didn't try to be anything but what it was: Pulp action/adventure worthy of drinking games with its regularity.

I have no idea what ENT is trying at, aside from demographics.

Somebody with a better memory, who's been watching from Day One, please help me out here.
Nina -- 31 Oct 2002, 16:19 EST

I could swear that last season we saw Malcolm teaching Hoshi to shoot, and that she was very much the novice.

I started paying attention around 8:15 (soundly distracted by Real Life during the first few minutes), and wasn't taping. So I haven't much to say this week, except that I did wonder about the above nit.

The original Klingons were schoolyard bullies
Diane -- 31 Oct 2002, 16:21 EST

Bully was Rodenbury's premise for the baddie Klingons. I actually thought the writers were correct in protraying them this way. Have to have some reason why they hated the Federation before the Kitamer Accords.

I just wish they had gotten people who could act. At least TOS Klingons were good bullies.

Di

I thought the idea was that Hoshi had been practicing
Terry -- 31 Oct 2002, 16:26 EST

and by now had become quite the markswomen.

Okay, Maybe The Episode Wasn't Great , But . . .
Michelle -- 31 Oct 2002, 19:55 EST

Did you see those 'guns' Mayweather is packing? Hubba Hubba! Gotta love the sleeveless t-shirt!

Michelle (my apologies - husband is out on training maneuvers) LOL

Re: "Marauders"
Deb47 -- 31 Oct 2002, 20:27 EST

So... do we really think ganster Klingons who've been dishonored in each others eyes by a bunch of panty waisted aliens that suffered their murderous rage once before would just beam out and never come back?

Heck... they CAN beam out.. Why not just beam away from the fire circle the first time and beam back into the hills behind the colonists and kill them all?

And if they're quaking in their boots because the colonists stood up to them, what about the other 5 still up in orbit who want their share of the treasure?

And..., if the crew is smart enough to switch to light colored clothes for desert planet away missions, why not choose "loose" fitting clothes too?

(Sorry... idiotic question. )

I actually was grudingly going to compliment Archer in his ep for the way he talked to the colony's leader in this ep... but the silly way the ep ended has turned me off on the show itself.

"Nice" to see Hoshi's been practicing her shooting. Its obvious from the ease with which Archer and the colonists communicated that Enterprise doesn't need a linguist anymore.

D47

Everybody seems to be down on T'Pol's white jumpsuit/catsuit. I'm not sure why.
Mindy -- 31 Oct 2002, 21:08 EST

I enjoyed seeing the entire landing mission out of the navy blue regulation uniforms and seeing T'Pol out of the gray. I thought "it's about time." People do generally like to change their outfits from day to day, and I believe that even the armed services does offer changes in the regulation wear...I mean, at the least, combat gear, dress whites, and "everyday" uniforms, right?

And frankly, I thought the white catsuit was pretty and brought out Black's looks better than the gray. So sue me.

As for the story, well, I found it hard to keep attention...didn't think about the SEVEN SAMURAI/MAGNIFICIENT SEVEN connection, or the A-TEAM or A BUG'S LIFE connection either, I just thought it was like a western, and for the most part Westerns bore me...of course, there are some I totally love: SHANE, THE SEARCHERS, HIGH NOON...but I don't expect the current PTB on ENTERPRISE to be able to write such subtle stories unless they totally plagarize instead of doing a "homage."

Basically my problem with ENTERPRISE this week was "so what?" What did we learn that was new about the characters?...okay, Linda Parks once again shone as Hoshi as the communications officer demonstrated remarkable skill in marksmanship, along with a an ability to teach it (but then, she was teaching when Archer shanghaied her!)...btw, I thought the part when T'Pol was teaching the colonists how to deal with a batlak was really stupid...in the first place, she didn't even show them the correct way to hold the d#mn thing! Secondly, I don't think colonists would be that unable to defend themselves...the simple fact that they are colonists would indicate having some survival skills, which would include self-defense.

Oh, well.

I have to admit, and I'm ducking the tomatoes, that I actually enjoyed "A Night in Sickbay" better than this one. At least that episode had some decent fantasy!!!!!

Mindy

P.S.: Maybe I'll like it better on Sunday.

I agree, Mindy.
G'Inny -- 31 Oct 2002, 23:32 EST

My first thought upon seeing T'Pol in the white jumpsuit was, "Wow, she looks about ten times better in that white outfit than in the Vulcan camouflage she usually wears." I also thought her wig looked better this ep.

I liked it, too, Mindy.
Nina -- 1 Nov 2002, 10:24 EST

She looked good in that outfit, IMO. Best part of the episode. (I am sad to say.)

If I remember correctly...
Sherry -- 1 Nov 2002, 13:07 EST

Hoshi said that she'd done well in marksmanship at the academy. That was some time ago, and I can't remember whether the firearms on the Enterprise were new since then (I'm not thinking about the Vulcan phasers, of course).

I imagine she hadn't had much experience in shooting since the academy. But with Malcolm's training and practice, she's likely increased her skill.

Of course, I only saw a few minutes of the episode, so I won't know until Saturday evening how much better her shooting seems to be here.

Sherry

Can't wait to read Samuel T's version.
Deb47 -- 1 Nov 2002, 22:49 EST

Oh, and I've found a friend who's been taping "Firefly" so I can see what all the shouting's about.

D47

Thanks, Terry and Sherry.
Nina -- 2 Nov 2002, 19:44 EST

I saw the reprise tonight, but wouldn't you know that was the one scene from which something (probably Tabitha June Kitty and Captain Kate screaming for a share of the supper I was cooking? ) distracted me completely.

I liked this episode a lot better on the second viewing, thank goodness. All the problems other posters have mentioned were still very much present, but somehow not as glaring.

T'Pol for captain!!!

Re: Can't wait to read Samuel T's version.
Deb47 -- 9 Nov 2002, 15:25 EST

Well, we had to wait quite a while for his take on "Marauders"... and the reason is obvious. He kept falling asleep in it.

http://www.subspacebbs.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16153

I think Sam should take his own advice and find something else to do... He's so unhappy he's not even fun to commiserate with anymore.

Well... except the part where he compares T'Pol and B.A. Barracus!

"A tie!!!"

D47

Yes, he should do that.
Nina -- 9 Nov 2002, 16:55 EST

But those A-Team comparisons cracked me up, I have to admit!