The politics of Enterprise

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
When Gene Roddenberry created the series he clearly had an agenda that was counter to any ethnocentric tendencies in american culture. Best demonstrated by the two first episodes of TNG that goes totally counter to the evil empire aired by Reagan at the same time. I have always wanted to write a paper on this, especially because according to most media theories it should be near impossible to launch a high budget series with such an underlying morale.



When Enterprise started I thought of it as too far from the Star Trek feel. And when 911 happened and I saw the reaction from the american media I thought it would be impossible to go counter to the prevailing attitude. But last seasons overall theme (an unknown enemy suddenly attacks earth preemptive because it is believed that earth will attack them) and especially the last three episodes (Especially the Vulcan High Command is a good mirror of how those critical of the Bush administration say it is going on. And those oppose to that are shown as heroes. And the alternative to war is shown as a lost but more right approach to conflict) can be analyzed as a massive critique against the current administration.



Thoughts? Am I putting too much into it?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 17
    hhoganhhogan Posts: 117member
    You forgot about the augments arc. That also deals with current issues (stem cell research, cloning, etc)
  • Reply 2 of 17
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    I think that this season will see the beginning of the formation of the Federation and development of the Prime Directive. Should be an interesting season.
  • Reply 3 of 17
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Then there was that thrilling episode where they chastised the Bush admin for wanting to reform social security.
  • Reply 4 of 17
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Scott

    Then there was that thrilling episode where they chastised the Bush admin for wanting to reform social security.



    Oh Scott. What episode are you talking about?
  • Reply 5 of 17
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Enterprise season two, seems a lot better than the first season. But I have only seen the first four episodes.



    Archer seems to have a lot of problems with the prime directive. He is one of my favorite captain.

    Kirk was fantastic, but he was a caricature of a captain

    Picard, was a brain, but too much vulcain like

    Cisko was great until he became surnatural (son of gods)
  • Reply 6 of 17
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Powerdoc

    Enterprise season two, seems a lot better than the first season. But I have only seen the first four episodes.



    Archer seems to have a lot of problems with the prime directive. He is one of my favorite captain.

    Kirk was fantastic, but he was a caricature of a captain

    Picard, was a brain, but too much vulcain like

    Cisko was great until he became surnatural (son of gods)




    Ah but the Prime directive hasn't even been made yet. They are only now realizing that they need something like the PD.
  • Reply 7 of 17
    Powerdoc, you forgot Janeway...
  • Reply 8 of 17
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hardhead

    Powerdoc, you forgot Janeway...



    Ah yes, the captain with the best tits. Of course that's only because she's the only captain who's, well, a she.



    Ok, I'll go back to my corner and be quiet now.
  • Reply 9 of 17
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hardhead

    Powerdoc, you forgot Janeway...



    I did not see this serie yet. I could buy DVD, but I know that I will finish to see it on the TV. I did not want to invest the price of an Emac to have the 5 seasons.
  • Reply 10 of 17
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Powerdoc

    I did not see this serie yet. I could buy DVD, but I know that I will finish to see it on the TV. I did not want to invest the price of an Emac to have the 5 seasons.



    Don't waste your money.
  • Reply 11 of 17
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Outsider

    Don't waste your money.



    I swear that I will follow your advice (on that one) ...
  • Reply 12 of 17
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    I prefer the reasonable and intelligent Scott Bacula to the prickish leader roles in the Stargate series (both SG-1 and Atlantis). Richard Dean Anderson, especially, gets on my nerves, and I wonder how he ever rose to being an Airforce general before I relize it's just a dumb scifi show. And to think, he used to be Mr. Nice guy himself, MacGyver!



    Picard is still the best captain, IMO, followed by a tie between Cisco and Archer.
  • Reply 13 of 17
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by tonton

    I love Stargate (have the complete seven season series on DVD) and I think RDA is great in the role. If you've ever watched the series, you'd know that the character is by no means prickish. He's actually a really nice, responsible guy who had at one time become cynical because his son shot himself with his duty pistol. The role was originally given to Kurt Russell, for God's sake. He's supposed to be a jerk. But I like how the writers of the series have given him sympathy, leadership and a sense of duty to do what is right, where originally he was suicidally reckless.



    Watch the series and you'll get it.



    But I agree. Picard is the best captain.




    I only started really getting into the series in the past year but he still doesn't come off as 'right'. Maybe it's because he's surrounded by 3 very intelligent co-workers, Carter, Tealc, and Jackson, and his humor is very dry.



    I suppose he does make a good commander and has SG experience, but since he's in charge of the first SGC team and therefore is the first line of contact with new beings and civilizations, they should have written him as more mild mannered. IMO.
  • Reply 14 of 17
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Outsider

    I only started really getting into the series in the past year but he still doesn't come off as 'right'. Maybe it's because he's surrounded by 3 very intelligent co-workers, Carter, Tealc, and Jackson, and his humor is very dry.



    I suppose he does make a good commander and has SG experience, but since he's in charge of the first SGC team and therefore is the first line of contact with new beings and civilizations, they should have written him as more mild mannered. IMO.



    On second thought, maybe that's not good TV.
  • Reply 15 of 17
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    After looking the 6 first episodes of Enterprise season 2, my opinion is that the Suliban are behind this war.



    The suliban said that the human will destroy them by giving them a vision of the future, and they gave an another version for the humans saying that the Xindi will destroy them with a secret weapon.

    The more the Xindi and humans are trying to avoid their fates, the more they follow the suliban plan.
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