ST:Enterprise 04x11 (solid Hard scifi story)

Tim

Creative Writer
whilst this series has been a breath of fresh air to the franchise, a closer timescale with less polished Star Fleet regimented characters, it isn't very often that they implement a solid hardcore scifi story like this episode.

i believe there are a lot of very good writers out there that could come up with a pletora of stories for the programme makers to pick from, to ensure that each and every story is both realistic and complicated enough to satisfy the most intelligent and demanding viewer

this episode is an example of what can be done. food for thought for the programme makers, and an episode that they will have a hard time trying to replicate, although with the correct writers and director, it can be done.

it goes to show that flashy scifi effects and money poured on set pieces are not necessary to get the best viewer feedback.

script, character interaction, timing and direction, plus emotional storylines can prove to be more effective. i'm not saying i can do without the occassional large scale flashy space combat scene, but many an episode not including such has not lived upto expectations.




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SPOILERS BELOW - STOP READING NOW IF NOT SEEN YET
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Here we have a bodiless civilisation standing back and observing physical beings with a view to first contact and their milleniums old protocols of never interfering with them, even though by their lack of interference they display their lack of humane behavious, something they have lost in their transition to another level. The beings jump from body to body to view the situation through different roles and even their experiences of being in the bodies (including pain) stir something long forgotten in them and at least one of the pair of aliens is able to use his intelligence to know what they are doing is wrong and then takes action to correct their moral mistakes.

how much of this is just for a good story, or is it one of the occassional episodes striking back at the original franchise series' set further in the future where Starfleets non-intervention policy. this is sometimes felt by fans to be too restrictive and inhumane is debateable. i cannot remember the episode now, but in DS9 when the stations doctor, the genetically modified Bashir demonstrates his humane qualities even though he has been tampered with by staying on a planet suffering from a plague to ease their suffering unto death even when he believes no cure can be found, but still limited in technology and resources due to the first contact laws Starfleet has.

after much thought, you realise that first contact between two radically different technological societies could cause severly damaging and possibly self destructive results. do you give longevity to a race that is already over populating their planet, that has trouble feeding themselves if the wind blows a blade of grass in the wrong direction? do you give clean and limitless power to a planet at war with itself, knowing they might try to change that technology into WMD's? do you expose a conglomerate of peaceful planets who have long ago sorted their own strife and infighting out to a planet at war with itself, with ways of thinking and religions where individuals, countries, races, religious groups, could decide to carry out their leaders/gods teachings into a bastardised bombing/butchering campaign against peacefull species who have forgotten the drive to fight back?

these types of stories show us that misunderstandings, rascism, sexist and religious beliefs will probably never allow anyone watching us on earth to approach and bring us into the fold until we are one world, one nation. in other words, never!
 
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