Archer - Dweeb or Hero?

[Linda]

What Elessar said. But when Archer did take command or put on some hardass, people call him "Super Archer". The guy can't win for loosing. But he did do stupid things like take his dog down to that planet where he urinated on a sacred tree... What were the writers thinking? I never heard what Bakula thought of his character. Are there any interviews of him?

[WarpGirl]

Archer's death knell for me was in "Rouge Planet" he took off after the alien shape-shifter without a weapon or a communicator! Now I know Kirk could be pretty gun-ho about stuff like that. But at least he went prepared, he might lose both the weapon and communicator later, but he had tem at the start. What kind of irresposible idiot goes into an alien enviornment and potentially hostile situation like that? It left me with the felling that the man has no critical thinking skills. Or a death wish. Either way, not good qualites in a leader.

[Asso]

Do you know what it means "being a piece of wood"?
I have to be honest, this was the impression I took from Archer. It seemed to me he and his character, and - I must admit - also Bakula were wooden. Yes.

[WarpGirl]

Of all the people to cast as a Star Trek Captain Scott Bakula was not even on my radar. I freaked out when I heard. I was like 'oh no this cannot be good' and it wasn't. No offense to his fans or anything he's just not my cup-of-tea. Bad guy or good guy he plays the same type over and over again. Don't get me wrong I would have hated Archer no matter who played him, but the casting didn't help me tolerate him.

[Asso]

...Bad guy or good guy he plays the same type over and over again. ...

Here, in Italy, Bakula wasn't known, he hadn't any fan, but, honestly, he didn't anything in the show to drag people toward Enterprise. (Not to mention toward him).

[evcake]

Do you know what it means "being a piece of wood"?
I have to be honest, this was the impression I took from Archer. It seemed to me he and his character, and - I must admit - also Bakula were wooden. Yes.

I think the word you're searching for is "blockhead" Most of my problems with the captain are with Bakula.

What are the odds that many a hero is also a doofuss?

[JadziaKathryn]

I thought Asso was referring to wooden acting. Like Robert Beltran's Chakotay, to use the biggest Trek example. (Although, to be fair, they didn't give the man much to work with.) I guess my issue was hardly ever with Scott Bakula's acting and much more with the wildly inconsistent and sometimes downright idiotic writing.

Sometimes they gave him good moments, though. That line when - I think it was Silik - said, "You've changed," and Archer replies, "And not at all for the better." I like that because it reflects all the trauma of the Expanse (which was often papered over) and also shows a realistic response for someone who underwent such an experience.

[Asso]

"Blockhead"? Yes, thanks, Evcake . But, here, when we say "piece of wood", we want to mean also "without any expression", but - listen to me - not the same way we know Vulcans are used to be.

[Aquarius]

^Ah. I get it. Here we just say they're "wooden", but yeah, basically the same thing as a piece of wood.

[WarpGirl]

Why do people seem to think what Archer did with Sim was right? It was murder, he grew a sapient being just to harvest what they needed and then dispose of him like trash. I don't blame T'Pol for kissing Sim at all. BTW there is a huge difference between a sentient being and a sapient one. A sentient being is capable of sensation and feeling, a sapient being is capable of reasoning and conscious thought. He and Phlox should have been convicted of war crimes! Don't get me wrong I don't wish Trip dead, but come on that's about as amoral as it gets. The Captain of a ship is its moral compass, and Archer is a very poor compass.

[Asso]

Why do people seem to think what Archer did with Sim was right? It was murder, he grew a sapient being just to harvest what they needed and then dispose of him like trash. I don't blame T'Pol for kissing Sim at all. BTW there is a huge difference between a sentient being and a sapient one. A sentient being is capable of sensation and feeling, a sapient being is capable of reasoning and conscious thought. He and Phlox should have been convicted of war crimes! Don't get me wrong I don't wish Trip dead, but come on that's about as amoral as it gets. The Captain of a ship is its moral compass, and Archer is a very poor compass.

Your thoughts are my thoughts, particularly about Archer, but also about Phlox, and if you read my "Human Mood" part one, you can find plenty of my feelings about that.
But all this falls within the deceitful way with which the Authors wanted to push ahead the story, and the kiss isn't taken out from this design.
Actually, in regard to this kiss I have my own ideas, and they will be displayed on "Human Mood" part two, which - I hope - will be ready soon.
Anyway, for me a fact is certain: it has been a dirty trick the one that the Authors made to T'Pol, Sim and Trip. Once again they wanted to shuffle the cards, so as to put a bit of itchiness in the story.
Personally I don't like these subterfuges.

[WarpGirl]

Phlox did a very bad thing when it came to Sim but a good case could be made for coercion. 1. Phlox isn't a member of Starfleet therefore Archer isn't obliged to follow Starfleet protocol when dealing with him. If Phlox had refused Archer could have done several things such as: Drop him off on a planet, where it would be unlikely that he could return to his family; after all it is the Expanse. Or he could have been confined aboard Enterprise in solitary confinement. And as we saw in the episode "Doctor's Orders" Denobulans do not do well alone. It's entirely possible that he could be driven insane in those circumstances. Now I'm not saying Archer did that because he didn't. But it wouldn't have been out-of-character considering what he did sanction. 2. I think Phlox decided that he had a greater moral obligation to remain aboard Enterprise because the crew was going into battle and there was no other doctor to replace him. If he had left in protest he would have been sentencing dozens of people to their deaths. Even minor injuries can become fatal if not treated properly. I think that Phlox was in a nearly impossible situation but it doesn't excuse what he did.

Either way the majority of the blame falls on Archer, it was his order and he had the power to see it was enforced despite all of the objections from both Phlox and T'Pol. Still it was far from a heroic act. You can't tell me that before Enterprise shipped out to the Expanse Trip didn't handpick his Engineering staff so that in case something happened to him there would be people with the skills necessary to carry on. He wanted revenge for Lizzy and he's not stupid he knew that there was a good chance he could die on that mission. He would have made sure he was prepared for as many eventualities as possible.

Creating Sim was an act of selfishness on Archer's part disguised as a sacrifice for humanity. Trip would have never approved of it.

[Asso]

Creating Sim was an act of selfishness on Archer's part disguised as a sacrifice for humanity. Trip would have never approved of it.

Trip would have never approved of it.
Exactly, and I think many consequences did follow, with regard to Trip's esteem for Archer.
I have some ideas about the look our engineer showed during Sim's funeral, and also about the real Sim's feelings for Archer, for Phlox and for T'Pol. Yes, also for her.

[WarpGirl]

I haven't seen the episode yet so I can't speculate.

[Ezinma88]

Dweeb or Hero?

I think the answer's pretty straight forward and can be summed up by the following three words..... NIGHT IN SICKBAY.

Hmmm...Am I praising Archer's loyalty or lamenting his ability to throw a tantrum when things don't go his way? If you're not sure, then you need to watch the episode again.

E88

FYI BnB, Archer's meeting with Eldest Mother T'Para is one of my favourite EVER fan-fic scenes.....and I really have read a shameful amount of fan-fic.