Because I love to babble about Sci-fi, even shows past (but new to me)
Well, starting this week there's going to be a lot of BSG to review, so I better get this one in today.
At long last I caught up on Season 1 of Star Trek: Enterprise, as I'd never seen it when it originally aired. Why? Because I have a somewhat irrational dislike of Scott Bakula, and that by itself caused me to not have interest in the series. I was also a bit wary of how they'd handle the "prequel" side of the Star Trek Universe. But thanks to the wonders of Netflix, changing one's mind and getting caught up in a hurry is a pretty cheap endeavor.
On Scott Bakula, I remain unenthusiastic. I feel like a bit of a bastard saying so, since by all accounts he is The Nicest Person To Walk The Earth: making time for cast and crew alike, visiting dying kids in the hospital, etc, etc. Really. Apparently he is just that nice a guy. OK, cool, but I just don't like him as an actor - he's bland and unconvincing, with no eye candy to make up for it. Like I said, I feel like a bit of a dick for saying that, but if you don't dig someone, ya can't force it.
FWIW, a large part of my opposition to Bakula as the Captain was precisely because he was a well-known actor. Personally, I prefer the sci-fi actor recycling to be confined to cameos (e.g., Michele Forbes, Nana Visitor on BSG), or the occasional Bester-like recurring character. But not any of the leads. That way you can be excited about the cameo, but not have to compartmentalize their identity. This is why I never play the "who should be the next Doctor" game - if I'm familiar enough with their work to imagine an actor for the role, then said actor is automatically disqualified.
On Season 1 storylines - I can only imagine how challenging it was to do prequel work, constantly having to limit technology with ST:TOS in mind. I mean, computer voice recognition and microcircuitry is something we have now, but Kirk's vessel doesn't? Anyway, I give them a pass for that, because it's a choice of either dialing down the tech or ignoring TOS.
The interplay of humans/Vulcans and the Vulcan/Andorian stories were pretty interesting, but the Temporal Cold War storyline, while not dull, does kind of seem out of place in the series. I get the impression there were two undercurrents at work in the production team - one that strived for prequel authenticity, the other gravitating towards more modern Star Trek philosophy.
Anyway, the rest of the cast are [mostly] a bunch of hotties of varying believability in their roles. I suppose my favorite so far is Cmdr. "Trip" Tucker, as he's an excellent actor, tends to get the best storylines, and looks really awesome in his underwear (which he parades around in at least twice during S1). T'Pol is also a hottie (think Seven of Nine reborn as a Vulcan) but she kind of delivers her logical Vulcan demeanor as anything varying from "comatose" to "pretty emotional". I am going to be charitable and assume she was still learning the role. Malcolm (the Brit) nails being weird, neurotic, and socially maladjusted, but I really have a hard time buying that he's their weapons officer. Hoshi too is a convincing neurotic, but unlike Malcolm, manages to make herself the most annoying person on the ship. Travis Mayweather, the helmsman, is a veritable underwear model of physical perfection, but he seems to be shaping up to the "the guy the writers don't know what to do with" (e.g, Geordi in TNG, Harry Kim in Voyager). This is surprising considering they give him a great backstory about being raised on transport ships, etc. But what happens? He's always left "piloting the ship", or he goes down to the planet, and immediately has to sit out the mission because he broke his leg or something. And then there's Doctor Phlox, who's a bit of a Neelix clone, but with half his face paralyzed (watch him talk, virtually no muscles on the left side move).
Anyway, it seems decent enough thus far that I'll venture into Season 2.
At long last I caught up on Season 1 of Star Trek: Enterprise, as I'd never seen it when it originally aired. Why? Because I have a somewhat irrational dislike of Scott Bakula, and that by itself caused me to not have interest in the series. I was also a bit wary of how they'd handle the "prequel" side of the Star Trek Universe. But thanks to the wonders of Netflix, changing one's mind and getting caught up in a hurry is a pretty cheap endeavor.
On Scott Bakula, I remain unenthusiastic. I feel like a bit of a bastard saying so, since by all accounts he is The Nicest Person To Walk The Earth: making time for cast and crew alike, visiting dying kids in the hospital, etc, etc. Really. Apparently he is just that nice a guy. OK, cool, but I just don't like him as an actor - he's bland and unconvincing, with no eye candy to make up for it. Like I said, I feel like a bit of a dick for saying that, but if you don't dig someone, ya can't force it.
FWIW, a large part of my opposition to Bakula as the Captain was precisely because he was a well-known actor. Personally, I prefer the sci-fi actor recycling to be confined to cameos (e.g., Michele Forbes, Nana Visitor on BSG), or the occasional Bester-like recurring character. But not any of the leads. That way you can be excited about the cameo, but not have to compartmentalize their identity. This is why I never play the "who should be the next Doctor" game - if I'm familiar enough with their work to imagine an actor for the role, then said actor is automatically disqualified.
On Season 1 storylines - I can only imagine how challenging it was to do prequel work, constantly having to limit technology with ST:TOS in mind. I mean, computer voice recognition and microcircuitry is something we have now, but Kirk's vessel doesn't? Anyway, I give them a pass for that, because it's a choice of either dialing down the tech or ignoring TOS.
The interplay of humans/Vulcans and the Vulcan/Andorian stories were pretty interesting, but the Temporal Cold War storyline, while not dull, does kind of seem out of place in the series. I get the impression there were two undercurrents at work in the production team - one that strived for prequel authenticity, the other gravitating towards more modern Star Trek philosophy.
Anyway, the rest of the cast are [mostly] a bunch of hotties of varying believability in their roles. I suppose my favorite so far is Cmdr. "Trip" Tucker, as he's an excellent actor, tends to get the best storylines, and looks really awesome in his underwear (which he parades around in at least twice during S1). T'Pol is also a hottie (think Seven of Nine reborn as a Vulcan) but she kind of delivers her logical Vulcan demeanor as anything varying from "comatose" to "pretty emotional". I am going to be charitable and assume she was still learning the role. Malcolm (the Brit) nails being weird, neurotic, and socially maladjusted, but I really have a hard time buying that he's their weapons officer. Hoshi too is a convincing neurotic, but unlike Malcolm, manages to make herself the most annoying person on the ship. Travis Mayweather, the helmsman, is a veritable underwear model of physical perfection, but he seems to be shaping up to the "the guy the writers don't know what to do with" (e.g, Geordi in TNG, Harry Kim in Voyager). This is surprising considering they give him a great backstory about being raised on transport ships, etc. But what happens? He's always left "piloting the ship", or he goes down to the planet, and immediately has to sit out the mission because he broke his leg or something. And then there's Doctor Phlox, who's a bit of a Neelix clone, but with half his face paralyzed (watch him talk, virtually no muscles on the left side move).
Anyway, it seems decent enough thus far that I'll venture into Season 2.
Tags: sci-fi
Mood: 
weird
posted by Skunque at
2:53 PM
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