Okay, see, this is more like it. Last time, I enjoyed "The Forge" but there was something about it that felt kinda off or something- like it wasn't quite as interesting as I'd hoped (as I said, I have trouble with the "across the desert" episodes). This week, I don't feel that at all.
I loved the opening scene. Unlike the weak little non-trailer of the previous week, this one sucked me right into the ep. Soval is officially booted out, though I'm not sure if this is a permanent thing or just something temporary. Either way, it's great. I'm really taking a liking to Soval these days. If he doesn't return to the Vulcan government when this is all said and done, I hope he finds a career with Starfleet. "There's a great deal that needs to be said, excellency, but no one is willing to listen."
So, we at last meet Miss T'Pau, and I immediately noticed that the actress that plays her is HARDLY acting like an ordinary Vulcan. Her emotions are so far out there it's insane. In fact, every Vulcan except Soval, Surak, and T'Pol is just bursting with emotion. At first, I was a bit put off, but then I started to feel like this is the way it actually is suppose to be. Vulcans on both sides are just totally lost right now, so it makes sense that they don't act right.
What I was happy to learn is that the writers actually didn't take the easy way out with T'Pol and Archer's confrontation with the Syrannites. The Syrannites are certainly not shown as beneveolent, perfect saviors of Vulcan, and T'Pol doesn't just magically accept them within the first two minutes of meeting them. The Syrannites are screwed up themselves, just like the High Command, and the only difference is that the Syrannites are actually working towards a better way. So it's not so black and white.
Yay, T'Pol's mom returned! It was cool to see T'Pol and her mom's role reversed from the last time they saw each other. T'Pol is now the one with the "What's happened to you?" attitude, and her mom is the one seeking approval. Good stuff here.
Roxanne Dawson has gotta be one of my favorite ENT directors, and it's a shame she only gets a few per season. They seem to like sticking her with the eps that have something wierd going on, like the ep with the web-like lifeform, or last season's "Exile." She always finds a way to draw you deeper into the scene, using all kinds of awesome visual tricks. The Surak scenes were done quite well, as was the rest of the ep.
More irony arises when we realize that Archer, a human that's never trusted Vulcans, is going to be the one to set their culture back on track. Genius! Love it!
Dr. Phlox was absent for the entire episode (excluding the clip show), but on the bright side, we did get a little extra Mayweather. He wasn't just flying Enterprise this week. He was flying a modified Shuttlepod.
Well, at least we know he's still alive...
T'Pol's mom, however, is not alive. When the High Command bombarded the Syrannite's hideout, she apparently went back to get T'Pol. This was a particularly sad ending. I didn't expect that she would actually die- especially not so soon. This I believe may be what opens T'Pol's mind, and will start her on the road to becoming truly Vulcan. The moment just after her mom's death was done quite well- it looked almost as if T'Pol was trying to hold her emotion in, but the tears were flowing anyway. Sad, but good.
From the previews, I had zero hopes for this ep- in fact, I thought it would be one of my least favorites of the season so far. In fact, it's probably one of the best ones, imo. I give it an A. And the third and final part to the ep looks AWESOME! Bring on the Andorians! This is going to rock.
I loved the opening scene. Unlike the weak little non-trailer of the previous week, this one sucked me right into the ep. Soval is officially booted out, though I'm not sure if this is a permanent thing or just something temporary. Either way, it's great. I'm really taking a liking to Soval these days. If he doesn't return to the Vulcan government when this is all said and done, I hope he finds a career with Starfleet. "There's a great deal that needs to be said, excellency, but no one is willing to listen."
So, we at last meet Miss T'Pau, and I immediately noticed that the actress that plays her is HARDLY acting like an ordinary Vulcan. Her emotions are so far out there it's insane. In fact, every Vulcan except Soval, Surak, and T'Pol is just bursting with emotion. At first, I was a bit put off, but then I started to feel like this is the way it actually is suppose to be. Vulcans on both sides are just totally lost right now, so it makes sense that they don't act right.
What I was happy to learn is that the writers actually didn't take the easy way out with T'Pol and Archer's confrontation with the Syrannites. The Syrannites are certainly not shown as beneveolent, perfect saviors of Vulcan, and T'Pol doesn't just magically accept them within the first two minutes of meeting them. The Syrannites are screwed up themselves, just like the High Command, and the only difference is that the Syrannites are actually working towards a better way. So it's not so black and white.
Yay, T'Pol's mom returned! It was cool to see T'Pol and her mom's role reversed from the last time they saw each other. T'Pol is now the one with the "What's happened to you?" attitude, and her mom is the one seeking approval. Good stuff here.
Roxanne Dawson has gotta be one of my favorite ENT directors, and it's a shame she only gets a few per season. They seem to like sticking her with the eps that have something wierd going on, like the ep with the web-like lifeform, or last season's "Exile." She always finds a way to draw you deeper into the scene, using all kinds of awesome visual tricks. The Surak scenes were done quite well, as was the rest of the ep.
More irony arises when we realize that Archer, a human that's never trusted Vulcans, is going to be the one to set their culture back on track. Genius! Love it!
Dr. Phlox was absent for the entire episode (excluding the clip show), but on the bright side, we did get a little extra Mayweather. He wasn't just flying Enterprise this week. He was flying a modified Shuttlepod.
Well, at least we know he's still alive... T'Pol's mom, however, is not alive. When the High Command bombarded the Syrannite's hideout, she apparently went back to get T'Pol. This was a particularly sad ending. I didn't expect that she would actually die- especially not so soon. This I believe may be what opens T'Pol's mind, and will start her on the road to becoming truly Vulcan. The moment just after her mom's death was done quite well- it looked almost as if T'Pol was trying to hold her emotion in, but the tears were flowing anyway. Sad, but good.
From the previews, I had zero hopes for this ep- in fact, I thought it would be one of my least favorites of the season so far. In fact, it's probably one of the best ones, imo. I give it an A. And the third and final part to the ep looks AWESOME! Bring on the Andorians! This is going to rock.
), and it honestly had me misty-eyed... not bursting with tears, but ya know...
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