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| "Strange New World" | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 14 2005, 09:12 AM (160 Views) | |
| Fesarius | Jun 14 2005, 09:12 AM Post #1 |
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Admiral
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Strange New World - June 13, 2005 In this episode we have the first appearance of Crewman Cutler (Kellie Waymire). We also have the first mention of 'Menshara Class.' Hoshi understands that this means a planet which is suitable for human life. This designation will be shortened to 'M Class' and 'Class M' in TOS. Cutler strikes up a conversation with T'Pol, and in doing so, attempts to compliment the taste of Vulcan food. However, T'Pol is strictly business. Once on the planet, the crew lines up for some pictures to be taken. This is a nice touch, and it shows that they are having a good time together. My eldest daughter observed that the planet had two moons. I immediately thought of Genesis II and couldn't get Alex Cord out of my mind after this. Odd that I would think of him what with all of the Trek people that were in that film. The segment around the campfire, with Travis telling his 'ghost [ship] story,' was entertaining. The X-500 Class freighter is mentioned, and Trip recalls that they haven't been in service for several years. The campfire scene also had a wonderful overhead shot of the team huddling closely to the fire. I like little things like this, and wish that more innovative (even culminative) angles and/or techniques had been used in ENT. When the winds really begin to pick up, Travis mentions that they are traveling at eighty KPH. I believe that this is just under fifty (49.6) miles per hour. If so, then Trip's comment that these winds were nothing compared to those that accompany hurricanes traveling up the coast of Florida makes a whole lot of sense. The alien bug that got into Trip's sleeping bag, and that he wanted to stun with his phase pistol, looked very much like the one we see in the TNG episode Conspiracy--quite ugly, I might add. Ethan Novakovich is the first one affected by the pollen, and he freaks out fairly quickly. He is also one of the first persons (after Archer in Broken Bow) to be subjected to the transporter device. He is beamed safely aboard Enterprise, but because of the interference, arrives with several bits of metal having penetrated his skin in various areas. When Trip 'saw' the first rock figure, it was quite creepy. Thoughts of Yarnek entered my mind, but since the planet was not one of molten lava, I dismissed such thoughts. The paranoia really kicks into high gear once Cutler thinks she has seen T'Pol talking to two aliens. When she accuses T'Pol of lying, I was dismayed. Archer nicks a rock with the right wing of the shuttlepod. Reed informs Archer that plasma coolant begins to leak, and strongly suggests that there is no way that they can land in these conditions, especially given the coolant leak. This forces he and Reed to abandon their rescue attempt of the others. When Trip points the phase pistol at T'Pol, I had no idea whether or not he was going to shoot it. Phlox informs Archer that tropolisene is the hallucinogenic (and psychotropic) compound found on the planet. We hear the Vulcan language a lot in this episode. It occurred to me that it is a language we do not hear (relatively speaking) all that often in Trek. We learn that T'Pol is affected by the compound, but not nearly as badly as the non-Vulcan crewmembers. T'Pol barely flinches when Trip fires the phase pistol to her left, hitting the rocks behind her. We learn of the Omega training mission on Titan. Archer and Trip took part in this training. Despite the interference, Reed is able to transport the medicine to within two meters of the opening of the cavern. We learn that Archer--and possibly T'Pol and Trip--know of the existence of a silicon-based lifeform. He uses this example as part of the ruse he pulls on Trip. When I heard this, I of course thought of our friend the Horta. I also wondered if Archer had ever vacationed on Janus 6 at some point. Hoshi speaking to T'Pol in her native language was a treat. Again, I was quite impressed with the closing music. I mentioned before that it was stately; I would like to add that it has an almost procession-like quality to it. For all of those who complained about the opening theme music over the past four years, I submit that this music might have been a pleasant alternative. Notable lines: "Is that snow on those mountains?" (Cutler). "17% oxygen, 81% nitrogen." (T'Pol). This is what the atmosphere of the planet is described as being comprised of by T'Pol. "Scan for marker buoys ... beacons ... man-made satellites." (Archer). "Looks like no one's planted a flag just yet." (Reed). This is a nod to colonization of sorts, and it shows Reed's sense of humor somewhat. "Where no dog has gone before." (Trip). The line is in reference to the fact that Porthos was brought along on the mission. This makes sense, since research (as Archer later states, and does so much to the chagrin of T'Pol) is not the sole reason why they have chosen to explore this planet. "Is there a problem Captain? We were scheduled to rendezvous fifteen minutes ago." (T'Pol). T'Pol wondered where the remainder of the landing party was. It turns out that they lost track of time since they were just having a good time. "The pod had been drifting in space for sixty-three years." (Mayweather). At first I though that this was an exaggeration, but when Travis got serious at this point during the telling of his story, I rescinded my skepticism. "Let me guess. No ghost stories on Vulcan." (Trip). "Has anyone heard the one about the haunted comet?" (Trip). "You'd make a good two-meter man. Too bad we don't have a pool on board." (Archer). The Captain is trying to compliment Reed on his hands for water polo, but the comment is lost on the Lieutenant--or if he does understand it, doesn't really care too much about it. "Perhaps you imagined seeing them." (T'Pol). T'Pol is correct in her assessment, although no one--including the viewer--knew this at the time. "If there's someone back there, I intend to find them." (T'Pol). At this point in the episode, we don't really know who is seeing what, or whom is imagining what. T'Pol was IMO checking out the situation sincerely. "Your emotions are beginning to affect your judgement." (T'Pol). "The readings are in Vulcan. You won't be able to understand them." (T'Pol). Although she is telling the truth, Trip snags the instrument out of her hands, and then starts mentioning conspiracies and the like, and begins to blame T'Pol for everything. "You've held things back before. You might be doing it again." (Trip to T'Pol). "And I have a phase pistol pointed at my head." (T'Pol). "Get to the Bridge. I want a weather report." (Archer to Reed). This line for me was actually kind of funny. "When it [a stray neutron] started to break down in his bloodstream it released an undetectable toxin." (Phlox on Novakovich). In this scene Phlox believes that he has failed the Captain terribly, and one can see and sense the remorse he is feeling. I don't know what the writers wanted initially to do with the events as a result of this exchange, but the fate of Novakovich could have gone either way at this point. We learn later that he makes a full recovery. "I've got four people down there, Doctor. I need to know if they're going to be dead in the morning." (Archer). "It's imperative that you innoculate yourselves as soon as possible." (Archer). "She says play-acting isn't exactly a Vulcan tradition, but she'll do her best." (Hoshi). "I hope she knows the difference between stun and kill." (Archer). This line hearkens back to Broken Bow, in which Reed comments that it would be best to know the difference between (i.e., not confuse) the two settings. "There were no rock people. We were all hallucinating." (T'Pol). This is a chilling line, given the context of the preceding events. "Challenge your preconceptions ... or your preconceptions will challenge you." (Trip). This line is in reference to a tenth-grade biology teacher Trip had years ago, from whom he learned and recalled this line. |
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| Dr. Noah | Jun 14 2005, 09:16 AM Post #2 |
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Sistertrek's Asian Correspondant
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I have to admit, I have a crush on Crewman Cutler.
I really loved this episode. The whole idea of the paranoid officers hallucinating rock people working with T'Pol was a powerful plot device. Not only do the actors get to be extreme due to basically being drugged, but the story plays up the distrust between the human members of the crew and T'Pol. |
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| Fesarius | Jun 14 2005, 10:02 AM Post #3 |
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Admiral
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Noah, Yes, very much so (the extremes). I thought Trip was quite abrasive during his 'moments,' but it probably had to be this way in order to be fully convincing. The rock people were done quite well, I thought--esp. the ones that didn't stand on their own, but rather emitted from the larger edifice. I loved that effect. It was that one scene near the first third of the episode that had me thinking of Yarnek, BTW. Kellie Waymire.... <sigh> |
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| Dr. Noah | Jun 14 2005, 10:09 AM Post #4 |
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Sistertrek's Asian Correspondant
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Yeah, the special effects were well carried out. I liked watching the rock people separate from the walls, it was very visually well done. It was cool too how Archer figured out how to trick Trip and getting T'Pol to pretend that she is talking to the rock people. Also, it was cool how the transporter screwed up. It shows that they're still trying to figure out how to work it. |
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| gdog243 | Jun 14 2005, 12:38 PM Post #5 |
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Rear Admiral
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This episode was kind of painful to watch, but it wasn't because of the quality. Just seeing Killie Waymore in the role again since her death was a bit strange, and it was so sad that she died so young.
As for the episode itself, it wasn't bad, but probably so far the third weakest episode of the season for me (I'm up to Breaking the Ice and Unexpected and Terra Nova were kind of clunckers) but it was still interesting. I guess the whole alien possessed thing (Which has happened in every single first season, but TNG did it the best ) is just wearing thin.
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| Deleted User | Jun 14 2005, 03:34 PM Post #6 |
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Deleted User
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I get what you mean. I saw her in a Voyager episode a few weeks ago, and had the same reaction. Good episode though, one of season one's best, and so early on.
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3:38 AM Jul 11