Archer - Dweeb or Hero?

[Alelou]

I could be wrong about this, but I suspect that in Enterprise, the writers intentionally set out to contrast a heroic captain of legend (a la Kirk) with the actual real-life leader who had to learn on the job and often had feet of clay. I have no serious bones to pick with Archer other than that he's simply not as interesting as Trip. Well, I take that back -- Season 3 Archer was interesting. He really won me over that season.

I take that scene in Babel One as teasing, too, but the first time I saw it I thought Archer might have been defending T'Pol a little against what appeared to be implied criticism from Trip ... or that Trip would have taken it better if he hadn't, in fact, been biting a little at T'Pol with his comment.

Archer teasing Trip is something that runs throughout the series, really.

[WarpGirl]

Mistakes I can get behind and find good things in. But he was praised for his mistakes in the first two seasons. I agree that in the first season he should make some mistakes. That's good storytelling. But they should have been touted as true mistakes that he paid for. I don't think Archer is evil really. But I can't take him seriously because he's so spoiled.

About the teasing I wouldn't take offence to it if they had some way of letting the audience know he was in fact teasing and not being cranky. Look at T'Pol's eyebrow in the scene, it goes higher then ever in shock. And Trip leaves. If Trip had shrugged and stuck around I wouldn't have gotten mad. But there was no reason for him to leave.

[Escriba]

T'Pol's brow arches (pun intended) because she actually thought Archer's behavior was partially right. Or, more precisely, that Trip praising Tellarites for being honest in front of her was a little... tactless. Or even a direct insult against her. She moves away from the wall shocked when Trip talks, not when Archer does so.

I could be wrong about this, but I suspect that in Enterprise, the writers intentionally set out to contrast a heroic captain of legend (a la Kirk) with the actual real-life leader who had to learn on the job and often had feet of clay.

Oh, that's interesting.

[WarpGirl]

Huh. I didn't think he was talking to T'Pol. What are you watching it right now? When I saw it he wasn't bating her, he was beiing a smartass like usual. But he was talking to two people not just her.

[Escriba]

Yep, I just watched the scene.

TRIP: (looking at the Tellarites) They don't hold anything back. It's refreshing.

Archer looks at him, intrigued. And a little WTF? Then he looks at T'Pol, who moves away from the wall with a clear WTF? face and she looks at Trip. Obviously she thinks he was talking about her.

ARCHER: (blinks and his face changes to a quick expression of worry for T'Pol -or maybe even for Trip- before he changes to a grim face) You don't feel free to speak your mind with the rest of us?
TUCKER: (smiling, and throwing a quick glance at T'Pol) No, you know what I mean.

And then comes the rest. So T'Pol is shocked for Trip, not Archer.

[WarpGirl]

Link!

[Escriba]

I've watched it in my DVD, but if you want a link... HERE (last part of the vid.)

[WarpGirl]

But he wasn't even looking at T'Pol when he made that crack. I don't see it.

[Escriba]

You don't, obviously T'Pol does She reacts to his words. She isn't affected for what Archer says, but she looks at Trip as if she wants to pin him into a wall.

[WarpGirl]

Conceded however he wasn't looking at her.

[Escriba]

Yep, he was looking at the Tellarites, and then at Archer.

[WarpGirl]

So because he wasn't looking at her I can't say for certain he was insulting her.

[panyasan]

I haven't seen this scene in a long time - but Escriba's explanation makes sense - because he was not looking at her. If you are frustrated with your ex-girlfriend and blurt this kind of things, you would not look at her - but she would know as would you. Archer is caught in the middle this.

[WarpGirl]

I'm sorry but how would Archer know what was going on, even IF Trip was insulting T'Pol. And really I saw no idication that he was, only that T'Pol thought he was. Why would Archer defend T'Pol when he has no clue what's going on with them?

[Escriba]

Because T'Pol reacted and looked at Trip totally shocked (for a Vulcan.) IMO, that's the only reason. Archer, as we know, isn't that perceptive.

We can't tell if insulting T'Pol was Trip's intention, maybe it was just subconscious, but we can see that T'Pol thinks it was directed against her.