With
about a month left for me to celebrate Star Trek’s 50th before the
official date, you’re probably gonna see a few Underrated Trek articles
while I try to cover as much as I can before that cut off. And I am
hoping to have something extra special for the official date (September 8
if you’re wondering) but I still haven’t decided. And yes I could and
may very well do more Star Trek after that date but certainly not into
October (which is Halloween of course) or the rest of the year.
Anyway…..
Welcome back to Underrated Trek, where I take a special look at Star Trek episodes that I love…which may not be the most popular or even liked by most. So I have tried to cover all the series as much as I can this year, but I’ve neglected two. Voyager hasn’t had an underrated article in a long time so one is due. But first there is another that is even more overdue. Sometimes an episode will topical, and the creators decide to be controversial at the same time–giving us a horrible mess that insults the characters. This is:
Premise:
Dr.Phlox recites a letter to a colleague about his observations of the crew. Meanwhile the crew encounter The Valakians who beg them to assist with a medical emergency their species is facing.
The crew arrive on the planet and discover there is a second less evolved race who in unaffected by the medical crisis. Phlox discovers that the Valakians are dying out because of a genetic disease and the answer to the cure is the less evolved race, the Menk.
Archer debates giving Valakians warp drive and ultimately decides against it. Phlox has discovered the Valakians gene pool has reached a dead end while the Menk’s are awakening. He has found a cure but is not sure it would be ethical to provide it. Archer wishes they had “prime directive” for decisions like this, but since they don’t will have to remember they aren’t out here to play god. They provide Valakians with medicine that will reduce the symptoms for a decade while The Menk’s continue to evolve.
What I Liked:
The episode starts out as a nice little day in the life episode, kind of like TNG’s “Data’s Day”. And the first part of the episode before they run into the aliens is harmless. Speaking of Date episodes being ripped off here, Phlox has a love interest in this episode and he seeks advice from the crew. Much like Data did in TNG’s “In Theory”. Did someone consider Phlox Enterprise’s version of Data? I guess both are interested in the human condition and trying to more closely emulate human behavior…guess I answered my own question.
Everything else aside for a minute I still like the speech Archer gives referencing the future prime directive. So much so I am going to share it :
What I Hated:
Ok so why is this episode so controversial? Because Archer and Phlox have the means to help this race, who are doomed, but choose not to even if it mean they die off. Why? Because the disease is part of the natural evolution of the species and Phlox feels that curing them would interfere with that evolution. See if the Valaxians die off the Menk will become the dominant species. And Phlox thinks that’s how it is supposed to be. So if they cure the disease that could stop the Menk’s evolution since the Valaxians would continue to be dominant. Phlox uses the metaphor of imagining aliens gave Neanderthals the ability to become superior to Homo Sapiens. So Archer refuses. Ok….a few things here-
I think the end of the episode is a bit harsh. they could have met somewhere in between. We’ve seen instances in other Trek series where a species was helped because of special circumstances. For example, TNG’s “Symbiosis” ended a similar way with Picard refusing to give the aliens their medication. Why was this different? The aliens in that episode weren’t going to be wiped out! In TNG’s “Pen Pals” Picard saved one girl because she “asked for help”. In TNG’s “Homeward” when Worf’s brother rescues a group of people from a dying planet, Picard doesn’t tell Worf to beam them back because they “were supposed to die”. He helps them since that’s the right thing to do. Or how about “A Private Little War” when Kirk provides guns to one tribe to even the arms race between two villages. This was because the Klingons helped the other tribe so Kirk believed doing this was restoring the balance. In Voyager’s “Thirty Days” Janeway doesn’t act but it’s because the aliens are aware of their options and decide against Voyager’s solution (for selfish reasons but whatever). It was their choice, end of argument. But at least they knew the situation Janeway didn’t lie to them about it. Oh and lest I forget, the prime directive didn’t exist in this episode!
Finally, Some criticize that it seems like Archer is more worried about pleasing Phlox, and I respectfully disagree. I don’t think that is what he is worried about. What does bother me though is the arrogance Phlox shows. First he disregard medical ethics for scientific ethics which is ridiculous. What doctor would refuse to treat someone because of unforeseen outcomes? Then he is arrogant about it. He has made this decision and that’s it..end of argument! And when Archer does change his mind, despite making good points against the argument, Phlox is relieved and even indicates that he would have looked down on Archer had he not changed his mind. That’s awful! Archer is allowed to disagree with his stupid opinion. For all the arguing Spock and McCoy did at each other you knew they always respected each other. Is Phlox indicates respecting his colleagues s conditional? He seems perfectly content with the fact he’s doomed all these people! The funny thing is in the original script Phlox realizes all of this and keeps it secret from Archer, which honestly may have been worst.
Generally speaking, I hated Phlox, he was creepy and weird. So an entire episode around him bores me and I missed Tripp he barely appears. There is a subplot about a woman flirting with Phlox which is really stupid and feels like boring filler.
Fast Forward Moment:The opening teaser is simply Phlox coming into Sick-Bay and feeding his animals. Wow, what a way to grab your audience and pull them in! Yawn
Anyway…..
Welcome back to Underrated Trek, where I take a special look at Star Trek episodes that I love…which may not be the most popular or even liked by most. So I have tried to cover all the series as much as I can this year, but I’ve neglected two. Voyager hasn’t had an underrated article in a long time so one is due. But first there is another that is even more overdue. Sometimes an episode will topical, and the creators decide to be controversial at the same time–giving us a horrible mess that insults the characters. This is:
A few months ago I metaphorically put my
foot in mouth when I cited this as a great episode. Um, no not quite.
The controversy hurts it and I will get into that. So I decided the best
way to find out how I really felt about this one was to sit down and
re-watch it. What did I think? Let’s discuss.
Premise:
Dr.Phlox recites a letter to a colleague about his observations of the crew. Meanwhile the crew encounter The Valakians who beg them to assist with a medical emergency their species is facing.
The crew arrive on the planet and discover there is a second less evolved race who in unaffected by the medical crisis. Phlox discovers that the Valakians are dying out because of a genetic disease and the answer to the cure is the less evolved race, the Menk.
Archer debates giving Valakians warp drive and ultimately decides against it. Phlox has discovered the Valakians gene pool has reached a dead end while the Menk’s are awakening. He has found a cure but is not sure it would be ethical to provide it. Archer wishes they had “prime directive” for decisions like this, but since they don’t will have to remember they aren’t out here to play god. They provide Valakians with medicine that will reduce the symptoms for a decade while The Menk’s continue to evolve.
What I Liked:
The episode starts out as a nice little day in the life episode, kind of like TNG’s “Data’s Day”. And the first part of the episode before they run into the aliens is harmless. Speaking of Date episodes being ripped off here, Phlox has a love interest in this episode and he seeks advice from the crew. Much like Data did in TNG’s “In Theory”. Did someone consider Phlox Enterprise’s version of Data? I guess both are interested in the human condition and trying to more closely emulate human behavior…guess I answered my own question.
Also the first whole half of the episode is
decent, it feels like traditional Trek. The crew beam down to
investigate a problem and we learn more about the aliens who are having
the problem. No problems here. In many ways this feels like a good Trek
episode since it is missing some of the goofiness that permeated
Enterprise. But sadly it lost it’s way as I’ll get to.
Everything else aside for a minute I still like the speech Archer gives referencing the future prime directive. So much so I am going to share it :
Someday… my people are going to come up with some sort of a
doctrine, something that tells us what we can and can’t do out here,
should and shouldn’t do. But until somebody tells me that they’ve
drafted that directive… I’m going to have to remind myself every day…
that we didn’t come out here to play God.
What I Hated:
Ok so why is this episode so controversial? Because Archer and Phlox have the means to help this race, who are doomed, but choose not to even if it mean they die off. Why? Because the disease is part of the natural evolution of the species and Phlox feels that curing them would interfere with that evolution. See if the Valaxians die off the Menk will become the dominant species. And Phlox thinks that’s how it is supposed to be. So if they cure the disease that could stop the Menk’s evolution since the Valaxians would continue to be dominant. Phlox uses the metaphor of imagining aliens gave Neanderthals the ability to become superior to Homo Sapiens. So Archer refuses. Ok….a few things here-
I think the end of the episode is a bit harsh. they could have met somewhere in between. We’ve seen instances in other Trek series where a species was helped because of special circumstances. For example, TNG’s “Symbiosis” ended a similar way with Picard refusing to give the aliens their medication. Why was this different? The aliens in that episode weren’t going to be wiped out! In TNG’s “Pen Pals” Picard saved one girl because she “asked for help”. In TNG’s “Homeward” when Worf’s brother rescues a group of people from a dying planet, Picard doesn’t tell Worf to beam them back because they “were supposed to die”. He helps them since that’s the right thing to do. Or how about “A Private Little War” when Kirk provides guns to one tribe to even the arms race between two villages. This was because the Klingons helped the other tribe so Kirk believed doing this was restoring the balance. In Voyager’s “Thirty Days” Janeway doesn’t act but it’s because the aliens are aware of their options and decide against Voyager’s solution (for selfish reasons but whatever). It was their choice, end of argument. But at least they knew the situation Janeway didn’t lie to them about it. Oh and lest I forget, the prime directive didn’t exist in this episode!
I think the big problem is in the final
choice Archer makes. Because the thing is, they have the means and have
been asked for help. Archer not giving them warp technology makes
sense, but what’s wrong with curing these people exactly? And hanging
the argument on an argument for evolution is weak.You could argue that
every time a doctor helps a sick patient they are interfering with
“natural evolution”. That’s what medicine is all about when you get
right down to it (Archer makes this very point!!). As soon as the
Enterprise crew offered to help the people of the planet they changed
the destiny of those people. What if they do find a cure because they
had extra time thanks to the serum they did acquire? Is that going
against evolution? What if they the Menk end up getting a disease
similar, and they die off? Even Archer points out that they are worried
about things that “might” happen decades from then. Bottom line if they
had just stumbled onto these aliens and and they had idea who the crew
were or anything, you’d have an argument. Or if they explained the cure
but for some reason it was refused, fine (for instance, why not make the
doctor a Menk and when he hears the solution he is so worried about his
species he refuses to accept the medicine-that would have been better!
Ok it’s been done before, but still). But for Archer and Phlox to look
the Valaxians in the face who asked for help and LIE to them would seem,
again as Archer says at one point, to be a violation of ethics. And
yes, against what Trek is all about.How come Archer made all the right
points but came to he wrong conclusion? I truly think the creators were
going for controversial and that’s fine but you also have to do it in a
way that makes sense and his consistent with the characters (Phlox would
never act like he does here)
Finally, Some criticize that it seems like Archer is more worried about pleasing Phlox, and I respectfully disagree. I don’t think that is what he is worried about. What does bother me though is the arrogance Phlox shows. First he disregard medical ethics for scientific ethics which is ridiculous. What doctor would refuse to treat someone because of unforeseen outcomes? Then he is arrogant about it. He has made this decision and that’s it..end of argument! And when Archer does change his mind, despite making good points against the argument, Phlox is relieved and even indicates that he would have looked down on Archer had he not changed his mind. That’s awful! Archer is allowed to disagree with his stupid opinion. For all the arguing Spock and McCoy did at each other you knew they always respected each other. Is Phlox indicates respecting his colleagues s conditional? He seems perfectly content with the fact he’s doomed all these people! The funny thing is in the original script Phlox realizes all of this and keeps it secret from Archer, which honestly may have been worst.
Generally speaking, I hated Phlox, he was creepy and weird. So an entire episode around him bores me and I missed Tripp he barely appears. There is a subplot about a woman flirting with Phlox which is really stupid and feels like boring filler.
Fast Forward Moment:The opening teaser is simply Phlox coming into Sick-Bay and feeding his animals. Wow, what a way to grab your audience and pull them in! Yawn
Final Thoughts:So was I wrong to put it on a
list of the greatest Trek episode ever? Yes. I admit it. Ok the ethical
debate is really good but the resolution hurts the episode. However
there is an even bigger problem-it’s boring! Man does it drag. Maybe the
reason I always remember Archer’s speech is because it woke me up when I
first saw this snoozefest. Not the worst Enterprise would offer, by
far, but sorry it feels like it’s trying waaayyy to hard.
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