The Seventh

ENTERPRISE: "The Seventh" Discussion
Terry -- 6 Nov 2002, 21:14 EST

Col. Custer leads his regiment into the Little Big Horn in search of a few Indi- T'Pol and Archer embark on a top-secret mission to capture a fugitive who has eluded Vulcan authorities for nearly 20 years.

I enjoyed this one for a change.
Terry -- 6 Nov 2002, 21:26 EST

I guess that I just find T'Pol a good character and like it when Archer at least resembles a good character. So I won't bitch about how emotional Vulcans seem to be or about it's the first time I heard about Vulcan honor being so important. Maybe she's not very Vulcan but I like T'Pol when she is all irrational and upset.

I like seeing the old Star Wars cantina motif with all the aliens in the bar. And Bruce Davidson is always fun to watch when he guest stars.

I found it curious that the writers established that Trip is not ready for command. I'm surprised that he was able to tell Chef what he wanted to eat for dinner. Or was it only after he got back to him later?

Here are two things I will complain about. First, it's so typical of Trek that Menos would turn out to be a smuggler of nasty poisons after all. (And I knew it would happen from the first.) No ambiguous endings allowed - good guys make no mistakes. Second, is it a rule that Archer has to throw at least one juvenile snit at the Vulcans *every* episode? "If the Vulcan High Command doesn't like this water polo match, I can change ..." Shut up, Jon-boy, just shut up.

I wasn't overly thrilled...
Fliteman -- 7 Nov 2002, 13:32 EST

**minor spoilers ahead**

**Okay - I warned you**

I wanted Menos to be innocent. I smelled the biotoxins also, but I didn't WANT to. What he complained about, being innocent in act and only guilty in not following the command to return was a more engaging story. When he turned out to be dirty, I wasn't surprised, but was sad to see it go that way.

I thought T'Pol did some fine acting (or the girl who plays her, at any rate), but I don't like to see teary-eyed Vulcans. I am glad to see Archer accept her for how she is - not exactly emotionless - and still show her the respect the 2nd in command deserves.

Like Terry - I sorta wanted Tripp to take over - not put off decisions, but make BAD ones - that woulda been kinda funny. To have him so inept makes me wonder what kind of department head he is.

This one was so-so for me. Better than last weeks, though.

Flite

Re: ENTERPRISE: "The Seventh" Discussion
D -- 7 Nov 2002, 13:36 EST

The Seventh:

I missed the first 10 minutes so I'm not sure about the details of T'Pol's mission; I came in about the time Archer told her he was going with her.

Now we know why T'Pol was so familiar with the Monastery and so upset about its being used for espionage, even if she'd remembered being there as basically going on a retreat. I'm sure some people will complain about her letting her emotions show, but it is consistent with Tuvok's reactions in "Flashback"; when a Vulcan starts to recover a repressed memory emotional control is effected. She had the exact opposite career path to Tuvok - he started as a science officer, then when into Security. Given her experience its not surprising she'd want out of police work. One thing that puzzled me though was why she had to kill the other man. Enterprise's phase pistols have a stun setting and Vulcan technology is supposed to be so far ahead of Earth's I assumed they would have had weapons capable of stun settings sixteen years earlier.

Could have done without the Trip subplot. He is a full commander and the second officer, and as Chief Engineer he had a lot of people working for him. Its not very believable he'd be so hesitant. Plus he has been in command before, though usually when there's a crisis. Maybe its just the routine stuff he hesitates about.

Agree with Flite on this one
Roxanne -- 7 Nov 2002, 20:09 EST

I would have liked the twist to be that he was innocent, but that T'Pol had to bring him in anyway because that was her mission.

T'Pol does a very good job. Too bad that they had to spoil it with Archer and Trip. Ah well.

Roxanne

Any excuse for decontamination...
Mike D -- 7 Nov 2002, 22:03 EST

...'The Seventh' was okay to me for only two reason.

-I like T'Pol episodes and seeing the relationship between her and Archer develop. Enjoyed her last line to Archer about if he ever needed someone HE could trust.

-Archer was better than usual, especially in the second half.

Oh and is it my imagination or is he looking for reasons to get T'Pol back into decontamination...maybe to make that dream of his come true from a few episodes ago...

T'Pol - "I checked his ship, Captain, and it was full of spent injector casings like he said".

Archer - "Darn, now you'll need to go through decontamination".

Later....

Acher - "Oooops now I"M contaminated by the casings too, guess I'll need to join YOU in that decontamination chamber and do your back...double darn" . "Sorry, no room for you Travis".

That hounddog! (and I don't mean Porthos).

Mike

I have to agree...
Fliteman -- 8 Nov 2002, 11:06 EST

I um.... sorta really enjoy scenes with T'Pol in decontamination.

Really.

Flite

Re: Any excuse for decontamination...
Carus -- 8 Nov 2002, 18:16 EST

I had the same reaction Decontamination really seemed to be on his mind, I'm glad someone else noticed too, I was thinking where did that line come from, don't always go through decontamination? They should even if they were just visiting Risa, hey maybe especially if they were visiting Risa.

Or instead of Risa. (NIM)
Terry -- 8 Nov 2002, 19:26 EST

T'Pol can get decontam'ed any time. But include Archer and Porthos out, please.

" T'Pol does a very good job. Too bad that they had to spoil it with ..."
Deb47 -- 10 Nov 2002, 20:35 EST

Well, I finally got to see the repeat of "Seventh" and I have a couple of questions.

One, why isn't T'Pol Captain?

Two, why does Archer feel so comfortable in her presence that he acts like such a Jacka-- for the first half of the episode?

Three, why does T'Pol feel she can trust Archer when he goes out of his way to humilate her in front of the crew during their mission "briefing"?

Four, why would the Vulcan High Command send a former agent who had to go through "desensitivity training" after her last encounter with Menos back after him again? Is that really logical?

Five, isn't "honor" an emotional construct best associated with the Klingons, not the Vulcans?

Six, just how old IS T'Pol anyway, since "30 years ago" is before her time but 17 years ago isn't?

Seven, why isn't T'Pol Captain?

Oh.

I asked that one already.

I actually liked parts of this one. I liked the fact that secret Vulcan communications can still get through Starfleet's security and the fact that T'Pol showed her good faith by notifying Archer of his impending mission.

I liked the fact that we got some decent backstory on T'Pol... a former security agent/bounty hunter turner guilt ridden Serpico. And that she knew enough to ask for extra help on this mission, although she couldn't fathom why at the time she asked for it.

I could have done without the lurid innuendoes about T'Pol getting "very close" to Menos on Risa... the struggling/restrained T'Pol in the flashback scenes, and the Captain's fixation on the decon chamber when they returned to the ship... not to mention the ineffectual Trip as acting Captain. Heck, Ensign Kim did a "better" job handling a call from the Borg Queen than Trip did with a flyby from a Vulcan.

("Captain... I think it's for you." remains one of my all time fav Kim lines!)

Oh well... I'll just pretend T'Pol is Captain... and who knows... if Archer does get hanged next week...

D47

"The Seventh": My problem with this episode is mostly...
Mindy -- 13 Nov 2002, 21:47 EST

...about T'Pol's lack of "Vulcan-ness" in this situation...she seemed very young and very inexperienced and very "Hoshi," if you all know what I mean.

This is in no sense against Jolene Blalock...I am very impressed with her acting cojones and abilities...reminds me of Jeri Ryan's abilities, to get past her looks and catsuit *smirk* and reveal the actress beneath....

I also still don't get why T'Pol asked Captain Archer along....and for an undercover mission, they sure brought along a full complement, didn't they? I thought it was just going to be T'Pol and Archer...why was Merriweather there?? Extra ballast?

Anyway, if anyone can explain to me what the plot reason behind T'Pol bring Archer along, I'd appreciate it. (I do get the dramatic reason, i.e., showing the building of trust between the Vulcan and the Terran.)

Mindy