And it embodies the Spirit of Trek, all of Gene Roddenberry's ideas are here in one fell swoop in this swell episode of "Enterprise".
Writer/Producer Dan O'Shannon of Cheers and Frasier worked well with Brannon and Rick to create this peep into Vulcan/Human history - And not one Temporal Causality Loop, Suliban Temporal Transporter, or any Department of Temporal Investigations Agents were used, this is a true Period Piece, true to the depicted Terran History around the time of Sputnik. I know, because I lived in that time. And this is how it looked.
Although T'Pol is telling this Fish Tale to Archer and Tripp, the character who wins the big prize is "Mestral" played by the great J. Paul Boehmer, who adds Vulcan to his list of Trek Aliens - He has been a Cardassian, a Borg, and a Nazi Soldier in Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise. This is perhaps his best character and a most Logical Vulcan. Also, what I didn't know is that his name is Homage to The actual inventor of Velcro, "George de Mestral". Which gives added meaning to this episode.
I had reviewed the Vulcan Enterprise Episodes of Season Four and had commented that the Vulcans were no longer acting like Vulcans, instead acting like angst and testosterone ridden teenagers with only Pon Farr on their minds.
Here, the characters of T'Pol/T'Mir and Mestral as well as "Stron" (Michael Krawic) and "Captain Tellus" (Ron Marasco) are true Vulcans, following the standards set by Leonard Nimoy, Mark Lenard ("Sarek"), Zachary Quinto, Tim Russ, and Alexander Enberg ("Vorik" from Voyager and "Taurik" from Next Generation Season 7 "Lower Decks"). I was pleased to see this, because Leonard Nimoy had set a Standard for Vulcans in The Original Series and all of those actors had followed suit to perfection.
The Season Four Enterprise "Vulcan Trilogy" The Forge, The Awakening, and Kir'Shara had changed Vulcans into petty, squabbling politicians and it is just not believable that they would act as they did, speak as they did, with venom and deceit.
But here, they do justice to all Vulcan canon.
This is why I consider this episode not just the best of Enterprise, but of the whole Trek Franchise. In The Original Series, the Vulcans were basically the heart of the show. Later, Klingons, Romulans, Ferengi, Bajorans and Cardassians and even Vorta and Jem'Hadar were added to the lists of uncountable Aliens. In all of Trek, we have seen parades of unidentified Aliens, drinking in Bars, sitting at the Helm, walking the corridors of The Enterprises, Serving bar in Ten Forward, and as Senators serving the Federation Council and even as Presidents of the Federation.
This episode was presented without gimmicks, without Technobabble and with a lot of Humanity. And it is probably the most touching depiction of T'Pol in the whole run of the show.
In making shows about Aliens, Trek quite successfully at times reflects on The Human Condition-Especially in the Interactions with "Hoomans". In Quark we saw a Barkeep with real heart, in Odo, we could see the Entire Human Race and that the good outweighs the bad. But The Vulcans are perhaps the best friends Humanity has ever had. It is in our exploration of Vulcanity that Humanity can be really be observed.
Ironically, Archer and Tripp think T'Pol had pulled their legs. Vulcans can imply, obfuscate, and misdirect, but Vulcans Never Lie.
Writer/Producer Dan O'Shannon of Cheers and Frasier worked well with Brannon and Rick to create this peep into Vulcan/Human history - And not one Temporal Causality Loop, Suliban Temporal Transporter, or any Department of Temporal Investigations Agents were used, this is a true Period Piece, true to the depicted Terran History around the time of Sputnik. I know, because I lived in that time. And this is how it looked.
Although T'Pol is telling this Fish Tale to Archer and Tripp, the character who wins the big prize is "Mestral" played by the great J. Paul Boehmer, who adds Vulcan to his list of Trek Aliens - He has been a Cardassian, a Borg, and a Nazi Soldier in Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise. This is perhaps his best character and a most Logical Vulcan. Also, what I didn't know is that his name is Homage to The actual inventor of Velcro, "George de Mestral". Which gives added meaning to this episode.
I had reviewed the Vulcan Enterprise Episodes of Season Four and had commented that the Vulcans were no longer acting like Vulcans, instead acting like angst and testosterone ridden teenagers with only Pon Farr on their minds.
Here, the characters of T'Pol/T'Mir and Mestral as well as "Stron" (Michael Krawic) and "Captain Tellus" (Ron Marasco) are true Vulcans, following the standards set by Leonard Nimoy, Mark Lenard ("Sarek"), Zachary Quinto, Tim Russ, and Alexander Enberg ("Vorik" from Voyager and "Taurik" from Next Generation Season 7 "Lower Decks"). I was pleased to see this, because Leonard Nimoy had set a Standard for Vulcans in The Original Series and all of those actors had followed suit to perfection.
The Season Four Enterprise "Vulcan Trilogy" The Forge, The Awakening, and Kir'Shara had changed Vulcans into petty, squabbling politicians and it is just not believable that they would act as they did, speak as they did, with venom and deceit.
But here, they do justice to all Vulcan canon.
This is why I consider this episode not just the best of Enterprise, but of the whole Trek Franchise. In The Original Series, the Vulcans were basically the heart of the show. Later, Klingons, Romulans, Ferengi, Bajorans and Cardassians and even Vorta and Jem'Hadar were added to the lists of uncountable Aliens. In all of Trek, we have seen parades of unidentified Aliens, drinking in Bars, sitting at the Helm, walking the corridors of The Enterprises, Serving bar in Ten Forward, and as Senators serving the Federation Council and even as Presidents of the Federation.
This episode was presented without gimmicks, without Technobabble and with a lot of Humanity. And it is probably the most touching depiction of T'Pol in the whole run of the show.
In making shows about Aliens, Trek quite successfully at times reflects on The Human Condition-Especially in the Interactions with "Hoomans". In Quark we saw a Barkeep with real heart, in Odo, we could see the Entire Human Race and that the good outweighs the bad. But The Vulcans are perhaps the best friends Humanity has ever had. It is in our exploration of Vulcanity that Humanity can be really be observed.
Ironically, Archer and Tripp think T'Pol had pulled their legs. Vulcans can imply, obfuscate, and misdirect, but Vulcans Never Lie.