Rate ST:ENT "Observer Effect"

[Eric R.]

Well have a go at it.

For a complete Episode Review at trek nation go here http://www.treknation.com/reviews/en...r_effect.shtml

[Capt. K. Vaughn]

I probably would have given this episode a 6 if the Observers had not been Organian. But once again certain aspects of TOS are being revised. *sigh*

Regards,
CKV.

[Rayaru]

I probably would have given this episode a 6 if the Observers had not been Organian. But once again certain aspects of TOS are being revised. *sigh*

Regards,
CKV.

What do you mean?

[Pantoufle]

I gave it a 8, i like that episode very much

About the organians, it's most likely that they will go thru a reevaluation of their code/regulations whatever that is because of the humans and will have another behavior in the next century.

They did talk about making first contact with a species which they didn't for a very long time so why not.

So i don't find it too hard to link those organians to the future organians

[Sea Tyger]

CKV --

I don't see it that way. "Errand of Mercy" is still a perfectly valid piece of Trek history with "Observer Effect" in place. And, it makes perfect sense that the Organians observe other species.

(I had honestly forgotten that we were talking about the Organians in the threads yesterday...so, it was a pleasant surprise to me to hear their racial name.)

Excellent episode. An 8.

[Balok]

I was less disappointed with this episode than the writer of TrekNation, but I felt a number of her concerns were dead on the money.

But my biggest complaint was that this was entirely out of character for the Organians, as they demonstrated themselves to be in "Errand of Mercy". For races that think in centuries, a radical revision of personal conduct in less than a century seems unlikely. In the TOS era, the Organians find the negative emotions of corporeal beings highly painful. So much so that they do a disgusting thing (to them) and intervene to prevent a war. Yet just a hundred years earlier, they went out of their way to immerse themselves in suffering creatures, merely to learn what an elementary psychology primer could have taught them? It seems unlikely. This episode lost two points from me just because they used the Organians -- I'd have been far happier if the aliens hadn't identified their species.

Another problem was the silicon virus. Not that such a thing couldn't exist; we assume silicon life is possible in the Trek-verse (despite scientific theories that suggest complex silicon life is unlikely). But a virus co-opts the host's cells to make copies of itself; that's what causes the illness; the loss of normally functioning cells and the toxic byproducts of cell death. A silicon virus couldn't reproduce in a carbon based body. They even alluded to this imcompatibility when Phlox stated that the immune system couldn't deal with the virus -- of course not, any more than the virus could use human cells.

After a number of strong early outings, last week's and this week's episodes represent considerable drops in quality, from my perspective.

[IceGiant]

I'm with CKV anf Fesarius on this one. And I don't have high hopes for Babel

[Rayaru]

I just pulled "Errand of Mercy" off the shelf and watched it. I think the portrayal of the Organians is for the most part consistent. They don't like to get involved; before this incident, that was the unbreakable "Prime Directive" of their society. In the ~100 years between "Observer Effect" and "Errand of Mercy," they have been led by less conservative, traditional factions of their society to allow interference in extreme circumstances (e.g. standing on the precipice of galactic war breaking out over their planet).

This ep. had both good writing (I loved the dialouge between the possessed Reed and Travis; and how funny was it to see Phlox and T'Pol standing in the decon window :P) and good acting (the scenes with Trip and Hosi were well done). I think it could have benefitted from the red shirt effect (i.e. kill off a red shirt before Hoshi), but it was deserving of the above average "7" that I gave it.

[Snake_Plissken]

I gave it a 6 because no matter what happened, you new that they would press on the "reset button" at the end of the episode, as there was no way any of the main characters would die anyway. I think that is a huge problem when you tie the drama to the fate of the main crewmen.

Also I think that the theme of 'aliens taking over the crew' has been done to death in ST.

And I too thought that the Organians from that episode jived somewhat with the ones in TOS. The TOS ones were non-violent super powerful gun-grabbing hippies, while the ENT ones were more like X-Files aliens who see humans as cattle. Watch out for the anal probe!!!!!!!!

There was however some very solid writing involved, good dialogue. Archer is a kick-ass captain.

[Jem'hadar]

I thought this was a good episode & gave it a 7. I liked seeing the reverse side of the Prime Directive, w/ the humans being the primitive species that could be saved if only the more advanced species got involved.

The aliens didn't cause the infection, they merely observed it, even though they did have the power to end it. While I can understand their reason for non-interference, I didn't understand their test for intelligence. I don't think anyone can say that a species w/ warp-capable ships is not intelligent, although they may be less technologically advanced. The aliens, for all their incredible abilities, seemed to suffer from a form of species-centrism. They seem to believe that only themsleves, or other noncorporeal lifeforms w/ the same abilities, are sentient. All other physical species were treated as lab experiments. It's a form of racism really.

In any event, it was a decent episode, although we all knew that neither Tripp nor Hoshi would actually die.

[Balok]

The alien dialog was very well done, and the actors displayed considerable skill in portraying themselves as possessed -- even the body language was subtly different.

I'd have liked the episode more if they hadn't used the Organians, that's all.

It's certainly possible; in fact, highly likely, that Organians do not think with a single mind, and there could surely be factionalism there -- but in "Errand... " their speech suggested that they found close proximity to violence painful. Yet, here, they're immersing themselves in suffering.

[black campbellq]

It was okay. The makeup effects on the sick were top-notch.

I like the aliens were Organians...Coto's bunch seem to be trying to connect the current series to TOS more consistently.

The 'reset button' comment is well-taken: I never really feel the characters are in any danger.

[Calcoran]

All right, I'm eating my toes right now. Not my foot, because it still wasn't a great episode, but it was decent nonetheless.
Although the subject has been done to death in ST, highly evolved aliens observing the cast as they do their best to pass whatever sort of test aforesaid aliens felt like throwing at them. Still, the whole thing was well acted. Not terribly innovative, but well acted. The aliens as they waded from body to body and the cast managed to act convincingly, the Doctor, Archer. Nice.
Minor gripe, as already stated above: If Trip and Hoshi's immune system could not deal with the silicon virus, how come the silicon virus could use their body. Poison them, why not, but develop as a virus, .

Errr ... now that I think about it, silicon virus, at least had it been T'Pol I'd have understood . Or do you reckon T'Pol's been infected by it from the beginning of the show ... maybe she'd grown immune to it too. Sorry, sorry, couldn't resist .

All right, babel one now ... I'm quite eager to see this one I must say .

[REG]

These Organians seems to be scientists rather than the ones in TOS, which I believe are probably the leadership. And though they are more advanced than humans, they seem to have their own "Prime Directive" to abide.

Although I can see the resemblance between this and Q's experiments on humanity. Thought they act with disdain, they are quite fascinated with us. Why? I don't know. Unlike them, I have never been impressed with humanity.

[Balok]

These Organians seems to be scientists rather than the ones in TOS, which I believe are probably the leadership.

Supposedly, the Organians have no leaders. Of course, at the same time they said that, they were pretending to have a primitive agrarian society.

And though they are more advanced than humans, they seem to have their own "Prime Directive" to abide.

Evidently there are some rules that govern their behavior. Even Q answered to some authority. There have been a few aliens (like Nagilum) who apparently do not exist as part of a larger polity. But the Organians seem not to be in that category. Still, each of them is enormously powerful compared to other life forms. What need do they have, any longer, for government?

Although I can see the resemblance between this and Q's experiments on humanity. Thought they act with disdain, they are quite fascinated with us. Why? I don't know. Unlike them, I have never been impressed with humanity.

Q at least implied that his people were interested in humanity because of its potential. But we don't know that there isn't a Q assigned to every lesser race.