Enterprise's "Bounty" more errors for ratings?

[Mijoro]

Sorry, but I gotta vent.

From TrekToday:

After contracting a virus on an away mission, T'Pol begins to prematurely experience severe symptoms of Pon Farr, the Vulcan mating cycle in which she has to mate or else die. She begins to make advances on Phlox as well as Reed in her burning desire to mate, forcing the crew to find a solution. Meanwhile, Archer is kidnapped by a bounty hunter who has been hired by the Klingons to bring him back to their planet where a bounty has been put on his head for escaping from their prison (from the "Judgment" episode).



Here we go agin. Hot Vulcan Babe™ + "in your face" sexual hijinx = ratings?

I thought only Vulcan MALES experienced the Pon Farr - it appeared to me T'Pring seemed in perfect control of herself when Spock entered the pon farr in "Amok Time", and they were supposed to be joined together.

[erhershman]

Either you or this site is getting the episodes mixed up. This is "Bounty," being shown in two weeks, not "The Expanse." (the latter is the season finale.)

And as for T'pol's thing, have they ever actually said in the shows that it's only for Vulcan males? And the obvious solution is: if it bothers you that much, just don't watch it. It's as simple as that.

But I agree, it is kind of a stupid marketing trick.

[AslanC]

Isn't it in Star Trek III where Savvik says it?

Or was it in the actual TOS Ep Amok Time?

I was always lead to believe it was only the males and then Peter David changed it with Selar.

Any of the Trek experts know?

[Ergi]

I certainly don't consider myself an expert but I also believed that only Vulcan males experienced Pon Farr, especially after having seen Amok Time.
If howerver both sexes undergo the cycle then the Vulcan tradition of arranged marriages would make sense. That way you can be sure that your offspring has a receptive partner when his or her time comes. Either only children of similar age have been selected to marry in the future or their cycles are synchronized during the process. If really females have Pon Farr, too, then arranged marriages might have been what helped the Vulcan race to survive.

"Oh, I'm sorry darling. I'm not in the mood, today. What about in three years."

[Dan Gurden]

Yep. As far as I had always been aware the Ponn Far was a male initiated thing. However, Voyager showed that once a male undergoes Ponn Far and begins the initiation of mating with the female, that said female also begins to exhibit symptons of the Blood Fever.

So while T'Pring was fully in control when she manipulated Spock, it is not out of bounds for her to really loose control and get into the 'Wild Thing' when things got close and personal .

Also, Peter David did at least use similar logic with Selar, with the Vulcan doc's ponn far delayed due to Psychic Shock after the death of her mate during mating and melding... So we can forgive him that too.

And this episode at least has an external reason that quite magically begins the process...

So while it is, unarguably a cheap marketing ploy, it is not entirely out of bounds or outside of 'Trek' reasoning which has been shown to do almost anything in the past...

At the end of the day, its about as neutral as you can get, not directly contradicting any Trek Canon, while simaltaneously giving extra ammunition to the Voyager, Peter David and Enterprise critics... As they say, you cant please all of the people all of the time... So if your not pleased, turn off the TV and read a book or something...

[Mijoro]

Originally posted by erhershman
Either you or this site is getting the episodes mixed up. This is "Bounty," being shown in two weeks, not "The Expanse." (the latter is the season finale.)

You are correct, sir! (post edited.) As for not watching the ep: I haven't felt the need to see a season 2 ep so far, and I don't think that's going to change. Of course, your mileage may vary.

Without starting another new vs. old thread, I guess what really irks me is the reliance on "cheap marketing ploys" (thanks, Dan) to sell a Trek episode. I realize it's all about the ratings, but I'd like to have seen Trek take the high road. "Burning desire to mate" indeed.

Like I said - I just gotta vent.

[erhershman]

Originally posted by Mijoro
Of course, your mileage may vary.

It does indeed. I've seen every single ENT episode so far (I don't watch the reruns though.)

Which tells you I absolutely hate Enterprise, right?

[qerlin]

(shrug) I f they do it right, why not?

Our campaign's always had both sexes go through ponn far -- though I always kinda figured the mating fever thing was more a build up due to the repressed emotions thing; creates a hormonal imbalance as they keep their drives bottled up then POP they bust out and gotta **** something. (Personally, I figured the ponn far cycle could vary in length due to your self-control & maybe there might be variation due to the hormonal patterns of the particular gender...)

But that's just me...

[Rayaru]

It isn't only males. Read the Vulcan's Heart book series.

[erhershman]

Originally posted by qerlin
(shrug) I f they do it right, why not?

Our campaign's always had both sexes go through ponn far -- though I always kinda figured the mating fever thing was more a build up due to the repressed emotions thing; creates a hormonal imbalance as they keep their drives bottled up then POP they bust out and gotta **** something. (Personally, I figured the ponn far cycle could vary in length due to your self-control & maybe there might be variation due to the hormonal patterns of the particular gender...)

But that's just me...

I agree. And anyway, even if they have said in a movie or episode somewhere that it was only Vulcan males, I treat all Trek episodes and movies, from any of the five series, as having the following disclaimer before each episode.

ALL INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

It works wonders for getting over canon "changes" (and I use that word in its broadest possible sense, since I don't consider any of Trek to be truly set in stone.)

Originally posted by Rayaru
It's isn't only Vulcan males, read the Vulcan's Heart book series.

I didn't think it was. But regardless of whether it's males or both males and females, it is still kind of a cheap marketing trick. Although IMO T'pol is a cheap marketing trick in and of herself, even when not experiencing a Vulcan sex drive. I think it was Berman who commented in an interview, when asked whether T'pol would experience ponn farr, said that they would do that "if they needed to boost ratings." Which, to met, translates as "it's only a matter of time." And what do you know?

I'll be fine with the episode so long as she keeps her clothes on. Her "silhouette undressing" thing in "Carbon Creek" was just stupid, and I won't rehash what everyone has already said about the decon scene in "Broken Bow."

Originally posted by Dan Gurden
So if your not pleased, turn off the TV and read a book or something...

True enough.

So long as it's not a Star Trek book... those are notorious for being inconsistent with the show. In a TNG novel, Tasha's homeworld was a colony called New Paris.

[Liz Not Beth]

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[Liz Not Beth]

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[qerlin]

Originally posted by Liz Not Beth
Burning Desire To Mate?!

What's wrong with that??!!??!!

Yeah, but see...Vulcan do it every seven year, not every seven seconds...

[Liz Not Beth]

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[First of Two]

Truly.


First "been feeling like a Vulcan myself, lately" of Two