The Communicator

The Communicator
D -- 14 Nov 2002, 19:55 EST

Just realised its Thursday night and no one has started a discussion of last night's episode.

Re: The Communicator Hmmmmm
Deb47 -- 14 Nov 2002, 20:20 EST

Maybe the lack of discussion will be a better eyeopener to TPTB than a discussion?

Okay, I'll admit, I saw it.

Where should I begin?

I find it absolutely amazing that the military on that planet have X-wing fighters that can challenge a suliban cell ship... and yet their culture has yet to "split an atom" (as suggested by Archer) much less can identify the type of energy spewing from the phase pistol at first glance.

But perhaps I'm being too harsh.

I still haven't figured out the purpose of Tripp losing his hand(s?) to the cloaking device. I innocently thought it would be integral to the story... like his invisible hand reaching out to lift the noose from Archer's neck... or something.

Oh well... I'm being too pickyune.

I'm still fascinated by the lack of personal ackowledgment during the introspection scene between Archer and Reed and aliens from another planet. Archer was commenting on how good it was that he Vulcans "waited" until Humans were ready for warp travel before contacting them. I would have had him add how badly HE STILL FELT about their interference in Human development. About how put down he felt as a second class race to the Vulcan's superior knowledge, and how much worse it would be for these humanoids given the fact that they were "ages" earlier in their development than Earth was at its first contact.

But then... that's probably just me.

And... speaking of being picky... why doesn't the Communicator have a "vibrating" mode? One where they can surreptiously notify the owner to "call home" rather than alerting the whole room (or at least the alien holding the danged thing) that you exist and what your RANK and NAME is!????!

Oh well. I guess these authors have never worn a beeper in church, or a movie theater and discovered the joys of SILENT communication!

WAIT JUST A SECOND!

HOW the HECK did the alien know WHAT T'Pol was saying? HE doesn't have a universal translator hooked up to that danged thing!

Oh... right. We discovered in "Mauraders" that Star Trek doesn't need translators anymore.

One positive.

No decon gel this week... but then again, it was only Archer/Reed/Hoshi in the decon chamber.

D47

I only have three words to say about this episode.....
Mike D -- 15 Nov 2002, 10:54 EST

USE THE *(&^ing TRANSPORTER!!!!! Okay, maybe I had four words to say .

Good points, D47.

Now for some of my comments:

The transporter had to be safer than using that silly alien cloaked craft to rescue Archer, and it would have lessened the risk of leaving two shuttles behind and even more technology if the worst happened. Including cloaking technology even the Enterprise crew shouldn't understand yet. Even if they can't locate humans to easily from the ship with sensors yet, they can still beam down a team, do the rescue and beam up.

And I have always had major problems with the idea of when a culture is "worthy" of first contact. But that's another discussion I've been through time and again. What makes warp capability so special? What if some culture is devoted to medicine and peace instead of space exploration and would still like to meet other races to share ideas? Does that mean they aren't advanced enough for first contact? I have debated this before.

But in the end, nitpicking aside, I did sort of enjoy the F/X.

I guess that thing with Tripp's hand was just for comic relief.

I also thought it was interesting how little anyone felt like discussing this, there was a time when people started posting five minutes after a Trek episode ended.

Mike

Yeah. Interesting, isn't it?
Vickie -- 15 Nov 2002, 13:14 EST

The discussions of Firefly, 24, and Alias are buzzing right along, while no one seems interested in saying anything about Enterprise. How sad that TPTB have managed to drag the Star Trek franchise so far down that we won't even bother to talk about it. We're the same people that spent 7 years debating Kathryn Janeway's hairstyle!!

I thought The Communicator was just plain stupid, right from the opening scene. Reed's communicator fell out of his pocket? Good grief, man, I take better care of my car keys on a trip to my local grocery store!! Stupidity on top of stupidity on top of stupidity.

At least I have Firefly and Captain Tightpants to look forward to tonight.

Vickie

TPTB need to take some chances
D -- 15 Nov 2002, 14:37 EST

This whole season seems to be paint by the numbers. Nothing really bad (except Night in Sickbay) but nothing great either. I was fooling around with the computer during the first 15-20 miinutes, something I never would have done while watching a first fun Voyager.

As to the episode:

If ever there was a good reason for improved transporter technology this is it. In TNG, DS9 or Voyager they could have done a scan for human lifesigns & Fleet tech and beamed them up. And the procedure to make humans look like whatever alien race they?re visiting wouldn?t have been prosthetics but actual surgical alterations that wouldn?t have come off in a fight. Of course if it was one of those shows the building would have been shielded or some natural phenomena would have prevented them getting a lock, or the aliens would have scanned the captives and realized their DNA was different so a rescue operation would still have been necessary.

At least they realize that leaving advanced technology could alter the planet?s development and try to get it back. Unfortunately it seems they caused more cultural contamination as a result of being captured and rescued than would have been the case from leaving the communicator behind.

The planet seems to be in the equivalent to the Cold War. Are the people who captured Archer and Read NATO or the USSR? Appropriate that Enterprise used the pod they took from the soldiers in the Temporal Cold War. And at least the writers remembered it was onboard.

Re: Postng 5 minutes after show ends.
Deb47 -- 15 Nov 2002, 19:03 EST

Heck, Mike... I remember some early birds jumping in during commercials to give an act by act update!

Good point about the transporter... and its not like its not been used already to transport humanoids. Archer in the 1st show... Reed and company in the Pjem show.. and the redshirt in the "lose my senses to pollen" show.

You know, I recently actually ENJOYED a thread at the trekbbs. It was basically odes to Janeway with various and sundrie professions of loyalty to the Auburn Queen.

I guess its time to crack open an old tape and warm up the VCR.

As if I need an excuse.

D47

Re: Cracking open old tapes
janey -- 19 Nov 2002, 19:55 EST

I just did that last week. I watched "Resolutions" for the first time in years (only because I just got it on tape recently). I really think the last time I saw it was the night it originally aired.

Bust open a tape. It is so worth it. The HOJ is hard to deny.

Speaking of Cracking open old tapes,
D -- 19 Nov 2002, 21:20 EST

maybe we should revive "Voyager Revisited" during December when everything goes into reruns? We'll need things to discuss in addition to Nemesis and Lord of the Rings.

Re: Revisiting..
Deb47 -- 20 Nov 2002, 00:05 EST

Heck... things are so slow DURING new Enterprise weeks, we could discuss Voyager too and not tax the board.

Speaking of revisiting... I finally saw two eps of "Firefly" tonight, and I have just one question.

WHY is FOX making noises like they WON'T renew it????????????????????

I think I'm already infatuated.

D47

Re: Revisiting..
Jules -- 20 Nov 2002, 09:47 EST

I keep looking at the board mission statement at the top of the page and trying to think of a reasonable rewrite for it. At the moment I'm inclining towards....

The Coffee Nebula Board is for the discussion of Star Trek: Voyager, Enterprise, and other sci-fi/cult shows, especially if they're called Firefly, Alias, Smallville or 24... etc

But I think I'll just leave it as it is for a while longer, because right now that "other sci-fi/cult shows" bit says all that's really necessary.

Re: disappointments.
Deb47 -- 20 Nov 2002, 19:31 EST

One of the hardest part of my day is when a client asks me if I like the new Star Trek. They rightly expect me to launch into a glowing review after checking out the decorations in my office, and yet all I can muster is a weak "eh?" and rush onto other subjects.

Now... if they just would ask me about "Firefly"...

D47

Re: Cracking open old tapes
Shadda -- 20 Nov 2002, 19:57 EST

When I watched "The 37's" a few weeks ago I got to thinking about all the characters that got left in the Delta. I really wish they had ended the show differently in that I wish that B'Elanna, Tom, Seven, and Harry could have figured out transwarp technology. With the help of "alien" technology, of course, making it a bit more believable. Then we could go back to the Delta Quad and visit all those people. Anyone for talking to the Viidians again? Now that they've found a cure.

Shadda

Re: Visiting old friends.
Deb47 -- 21 Nov 2002, 20:26 EST

The Doc could find his first "true" love... Denara Pel...

Seven could find HER first and ONLY true love... Axum...

Chakotay could visit with Valerie...

or Riley...

Heck... if he could remember her he could even visit with Kellin.

Kim could visit with the alien Tal...

Or with the human turned alien Lindsay...

Even Janeway could visit with those who've loved and lost her...

Neelix...

Jaffen...

Kashyk...

Kes...

(That one was for the missing Eric!)

D47

Alas, poor Erick!
Terry -- 21 Nov 2002, 22:15 EST

I knew him, Deborah: a fellow of infinite lust -- of most excellent pixies... Where be your posts now? your rants? your gushes? your flashes of misspelling, that were wont to set the board on a roar? Not one now, to mock your're spell checker?

Re: Voyager Revisited
janey -- 21 Nov 2002, 23:24 EST

Oh can we? I'd really like that. I swing through here as often as I can but I don't really watch the other shows you all do so I pitch in when and where I can. I'd love to revisit the good old days...when Trek was Trek and the Auburn Queen ruled us all.

*sigh* I miss that show.

Re: Visiting old friends.
Sherry -- 22 Nov 2002, 12:57 EST

I'd most like them to be able to renew their contacts with Neelix. And especially after the inFURYating return episode, to visit Kes and find that she's exploring her newly discovered gifts.

Sheryr

Can do.
Jules -- 22 Nov 2002, 15:21 EST

I got a bit bogged down with other things for a while (and have actually forgotten which episode we got to*), but I see no reason why we can't pick up where we left off.

Are there any more Enterprise episodes before the Christmas break? Or indeed, episodes of the shows that are getting more substantial threads? I think we can easily accommodate them all simultaneously, but I could do with a few days leeway before we get started.

* Although I'm working on the archive again at the moment, so I should be able to remedy that fairly quickly. Those threads are about ready to go.

There's a new ENT next week.
Terry -- 22 Nov 2002, 16:27 EST

Actually, despite my better judgement, I find the TV Guide blurb makes it sound interesting. About Hoshi and the transporter.

Im sorry I didnt keep up with Firefly
david g -- 22 Nov 2002, 21:20 EST

only saw ep 1--i guess i didnt want to get into another show with a shaky future...but i do hope they re-air it soon, over winter break...

hmmm, i love John Doe as far as new shows...dont think there's anything else, though.

You'd love it, David. It's HoYay-licious.
G'Inny -- 22 Nov 2002, 21:57 EST

Besides being funny as all get out. And that Mal...he surely knows how to wear a tight pair of pants.

It's never too late.
Jules -- 23 Nov 2002, 07:06 EST

After all, they haven't even shown the pilot episode yet.

And sometimes a brief but satisfying run is a better thing than getting a guaranteed number of years of something that's just ho-hum. I really hope that Firefly does go the distance, but if it doesn't I'm going to enjoy it until the axe falls.

Me, too, Jules.
Nina -- 23 Nov 2002, 09:06 EST

Better a single season (or even HALF a season)! of "Firefly," than seven of "Enterprise."

Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Nina (Typo Lady today - trying to get monitor height readjusted in honor of new lenses in my progressive bifocals. My fourth set in the past decade, and I love them; but I do this dance every time my prescription changes!)