Things that didn't make sense in "the_abomination"

[Silverbullet]

Okay, perhaps I am too hard. I have seen too much horror in my life so it takes a lot to move me.

I never shed a tear at my Father's funeral or would at my Mother's. Dauughter or grandchildren, yes but other than that dry eyes.

I will fess up. Archer is my least liked character on Enterprise by far. I could never warm to the character. So the thought of T-Pol crying over him revolts me. Sorry.

Besides it came out of the blue. NOthing in previous episodes ever hinted at anythng but respect for his rank as Captain and some reagard as a person. But that was it. It was so OOC that I was stunned when I first watched the episode. turned off the TV right after and had to wait until the Episode came back around in reruns to see the whole thing.

Bakkula worked with what he was given I will admit that but I am no fan of bakkula either. So that is my dirty little secret. I will probably be pilloried for this.

Flay away.

[Alelou]

You thought that was a secret?

I think it must be really incredibly difficult watching and enjoying Enterprise when you don't like the Archer character at all, but I know you're not the only one here who feels that way.

If I felt that way, I don't think I would have bothered to watch, no matter how hot young Mr. Tucker was. Archer is, after all, the lead character, even though I think the writers had more fun with Trip.

[pdsldl]

You thought that was a secret?

I think it must be really incredibly difficult watching and enjoying Enterprise when you don't like the Archer character at all, but I know you're not the only one here who feels that way.

If I felt that way, I don't think I would have bothered to watch, no matter how hot young Mr. Tucker was. Archer is, after all, the lead character, even though I think the writers had more fun with Trip.

I can't speak for Silverbullet but for some of us it was the TnT relationship that drew us in. I like Bakula but hate Archer as a character. I even like Trip on his own and was intrigued by the idea of a female Vulcan. I read Trip centric fanfic but it's not the same as TnT. Most of the stuff I watch has a romantic quality to some character that appeals to me and not just a romantic relationship but more of how they approach their life and the world around. Maybe its more about their passion for something outside themselves. It's easy to pick out the good in something and ignore the less desirable. It's all in the way you look at it.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

I think it must be really incredibly difficult watching and enjoying Enterprise when you don't like the Archer character at all, but I know you're not the only one here who feels that way.

Well, I don't like Archer but ENT is still one of my favourite Treks, despite its flaws. And I didn't like Janeway either, but I watched VOY anyway, even despite it probably being my least favourite Trek. And don't bring out the pitchforks when I say I'm not that fond of Picard (rule-by-committee-and-surrender) either.

I often say that I like Star Trek despite its Captains, not because of them.

Kirk and Sisko would be the exceptions.

[Alelou]

I always thought Kirk was a bit of a horse's ass, but at least Shatner handled comedy well so I liked him in those episodes and the other actors 'sold' this egomaniac as their captain so I was willing to go along. To me, Bakula's acting was generally less objectionable than Shatner's -- not counting the MU episodes -- but his character was not as well written as Kirk's.

There aren't any Trek crewmembers I truly despise, though, with the possible exception of Dr. Pulaski (not so much because of her character, but because I couldn't stand Diana Muldaur, even in TOS). Though I'd say early Troi definitely tested my gag reflex.

[Dinah]

I realize I'm a little late to the discussion, but, although a small part of T'Pol may have been crying for Archer -- and that's probably the conclusion most people drew -- I think she was really crying because she was into an untenable position. Archer had just flown off on his suicide mission leaving the fate of Earth in her hands. She knows the trellium has affected her emotional control. She also knows that it won't be long before the Xindi locate Enterprise. She knows she's in no condition to be in command. And even if she was, she doesn't really know what to do. If I was her, I'd be crying, too.

Her response to Trip is not surprising. He reminds her of her duties and her obligations. That's not what she wants to hear. By now, she's probably figured out that they're all about to die and it was going to be her fault. Also, it she's a Vulcan; she wouldn't want to be seen on the bridge in her present condition. She knows she can't control what she's feeling. If she loses control, that wouldn't exactly inspire confidence in the crew.

When she stalks off to the launch bay with Trip in hot pursuit, I think she wanted to Archer. Yes, I think she wanted to rescue him, but not because of her deep affection for him. I think she was pissed as hell at him for dumping everything in her lap. Archer was thinking about his needs; he couldn't bring himself to put someone else in a "certain death" situation (although even junior officers and NCOs are often put in just such a situation and manage to give the order). He never seemed to consider the position in which he was placing T'Pol or the other senior officers. Yes, he trusted them to carry on, but it's almost like he didn't have any other ideas. If this didn't work, he wouldn't be around to try to pick up the pieces -- if there were any pieces left to be picked up.

[Alelou]

I'm pretty much willing to take Archer's explanation that he gave Travis at face-value. (Some combination of guilt and not being willing to send even one more person to his death.)

I also think T'Pol's solution was not without merit, though it took her too long to execute it and she probably should have mentioned it earlier, even to Archer. As a Vulcan she might indeed have gotten somewhere with them, or at least have attempted to act as a neutral envoy. Indeed, it might have been the best solution from the beginning, if it had ever been given a chance to work.

[Asso]

I can't speak for Silverbullet but for some of us it was the TnT relationship that drew us in. I like Bakula but hate Archer as a character. I even like Trip on his own and was intrigued by the idea of a female Vulcan.

The same for me.

I realize I'm a little late to the discussion, but, although a small part of T'Pol may have been crying for Archer -- and that's probably the conclusion most people drew -- I think she was really crying because she was into an untenable position. Archer had just flown off on his suicide mission leaving the fate of Earth in her hands. She knows the trellium has affected her emotional control. She also knows that it won't be long before the Xindi locate Enterprise. She knows she's in no condition to be in command. And even if she was, she doesn't really know what to do. If I was her, I'd be crying, too.

Her response to Trip is not surprising. He reminds her of her duties and her obligations. That's not what she wants to hear. By now, she's probably figured out that they're all about to die and it was going to be her fault. Also, it she's a Vulcan; she wouldn't want to be seen on the bridge in her present condition. She knows she can't control what she's feeling. If she loses control, that wouldn't exactly inspire confidence in the crew.

When she stalks off to the launch bay with Trip in hot pursuit, I think she wanted to Archer. Yes, I think she wanted to rescue him, but not because of her deep affection for him. I think she was pissed as hell at him for dumping everything in her lap. Archer was thinking about his needs; he couldn't bring himself to put someone else in a "certain death" situation (although even junior officers and NCOs are often put in just such a situation and manage to give the order). He never seemed to consider the position in which he was placing T'Pol or the other senior officers. Yes, he trusted them to carry on, but it's almost like he didn't have any other ideas. If this didn't work, he wouldn't be around to try to pick up the pieces -- if there were any pieces left to be picked up.

I wanted to quote entirely what Dinah wrote because it is entirely me.
Thanks Dinah!

[Silverbullet]

I watched Enterprise in spite of Archer. I watched it for the other characers hoping against hope that they would be developed and given a chance for more screen time. Needless to say I was disappointed. Nevertheless, what I did see of the other characters made the Series for me. Had the writers toned down the Archer character much more made him a decent commanding Officer who trusted his subodinates and assigned them missions that he knew was dangerous but as commander it was his responsiblity to do that. also, as commander it was his place to be on board in times of extreme danger not galavanting off on a suicide mission. Not to leave the ship in command of a person who wasn't even n officer. she was a civilian. not in the VHC or Starfleet she had no authority at all so she could not be held responsible if the ship was blown to hell and gone.

It was those things that made the series annoying at times but salvaged by the characters of Trip and T-Pol and to a lesser degree Hoshi, Malcom and poor Travis.

[panyasan]

I don't dislike Archer. He is not a favorite of mine, either. In the first seasons I thought he was kind of okay. He didn't bother me much. Trip Tucker annoyed me, I didn't really care about T'Pol. So I wasn't a shipper. I remember watching A night in sickbay and going: , tension, what tension, I never noticed that before. So even for non-shippers that was totally out of the blue.
Also in Azati Prime - still no shipper, but I really started to like Trip and T'Pol - when T'Pol cried - I thought: this is weird, it doesn't make sense. After Home I rooted for TnT and after Terra Prime, I was totally moved and wanted them to have a good ending with each other.

Then *the_abomination*. The show was intented to make us love Archer, but it did the opposite for me. I have a hard time believing Trip was the writers favorite - after they way they handled him in *the_abomination* - but maybe they thought Archer was a fan favorite, so they made this all about him. Problably I don't like to be told which person I have to like. (Now I am back to my orginal "I don't care much about Archer"-attitude). To a lesser degree, I didn't like Hoshi at all in *the_abomination*. Her remarks about Trip in *the_abomination* came across like a backstabbing colleague.

I read somewhere that as a writer you succeeded if you provoke emotions. In that case, the writers of *the_abomination* succeeded very well.
It made me write first post ever on HoT. I wrote this a couple months after I first saw *the_abomination* and I think it shows what a effect this episode had on me and how it doesn't made sense.

From that review:

"But the most why I did not like *the_abomination* is because what they have done with TPol. In my view she is a stronge, intelligent, indepedent, but vulnarable person. I think she had feelings for Trip for season one, but repressed them, but sometimes just showed. She repressed them because of the rules in Starfleet and Vulcan, and maybe because Trip seems not fitting for her. She is interested in finding a different way of living, more with expressing her emotions, but is afraid of being made a Vulcan without logic (and put in exile and she really cares about her planet) and hurting people if she has more emotions (like she is being hurt herself.)

She does not want to confronted with her feelings (that why she did not liked the NP sessions in the beginning), but in the sessions they build up some kind of friendship. With Sim she discoveres a different, nice side of Trip and she hears about his feelings for her. Maybe a glimmer of hope.
But in Harbinger Trip seems not so interested in her and even does the same things with a different woman and shares more. Thats hurts and she takes action in to her own hands (very controled) and gets noticed.
I do not believe Trel. D had any thing to do with it, because she is very much in control . Later on, when Enterprise is under attack, she is getting very emotional, that is the moment she starting to feel the effect of Trel. D more. But very quickly she is in control again. So I do not think Trel D had a great impact on her actions, but she still feels ashamed.

So after that she goes back and forward between heart and feelings (shown in her actions) and her thinking how she should as a real Vulcan (as shown in her words). Trip seems to give up, but at the end at Terra Prime they seems to come together again.

In TAVT we see a very despaired TPol looking at Trip as the man she really loves and Trip is hurt, but just pretends he does not care. They talk about us..and about that they missed us... So some relatonship did develop after Terra Prime... maybe to be banned by Starfleet and the Vulcans..
A very sad ending... But that is not all. We have to watch Archer and TPol. He gives her a hug (and it is problably the first time they had any contact in this way) and she is left alone with the remarks of Archer, showing her no respect for her and her culture still ringing in her ears. All alone is what you get after 10 years working with people from a different culture and helping them.

So there you have it.. the last message of ENT. Not like the finale of TNG (friendship restored), or like DS9 (everybody gets a new destination) or Voyager (finally home) or even TOS (in the movie Kirk saving his crew).
The last message is hurt, pain and no room of other cultures or opinions...
No closure, no, nothing, no hope. Maybe that is why is I do not like *the_abomination*."

In a way, when you look at the tradition of Star Trek, *the_abomination* doesn't make sense at all.

[Aquarius]

The last message is hurt, pain and no room of other cultures or opinions...
No closure, no, nothing, no hope.

Yeah, that's pretty much it.

[Aikiweezie]

The last message is hurt, pain and no room of other cultures or opinions...
No closure, no, nothing, no hope.

Yeah, that's pretty much it.

I never thought of it like that but I think you are 100% right.
"Faith of the Heart," huh? Nope, no closure, no nothing, no hope, no progress.

THAT'S why we hate the episode, in a nutshell, really. It all boils down to that doesn't it?

[Aquarius]

Well, that, and instead of giving us the closure we expected and needed, they turned it into the Will Riker Show.

[Asso]

The last message is hurt, pain and no room of other cultures or opinions...
No closure, no, nothing, no hope.

Yeah, that's pretty much it.

I never thought of it like that but I think you are 100% right.
"Faith of the Heart," huh? Nope, no closure, no nothing, no hope, no progress.

THAT'S why we hate the episode, in a nutshell, really. It all boils down to that doesn't it?

I agree totally.

[Silverbullet]

Panaysan, you summed the Abomination perfrectly andperhaps the whole TnT relationship. Thank God for Fanfics. They ease the pain and hurt of the Abomination.

Trip or T-Pol could not have been favorites of the writers and certainly not of the
BeeBs. How in Hell they could miss the fact that both wre fan favorites is beyond me. Only
explanation is that they were so enamored of Archer that they were blinkered.

Still believe that had Enterprise been a true ensemble series like all of the other Trek series it would have lasted at least seven perhaps more. we will never know will we?