I think I'm going to have to love the writers for the furrowed shout-out but I still hate Quantum.

Sorry if this got opened late or early... with the forum DNS change I'm just opening what I can when I can. Please don't post here until you're supposed to or you'll get a spanking on the bottom.

Random thoughts:

Captain Hernandez, is it really appropriate to flirt with another captain while hailing him? Or in sickbay in front of his crew? I don't even remember what she said now but I remember wincing a little and thinking it was uncomfortable.

Archer's Klingon Chair Dance made me laugh. His new furrows seem less severe than his old ones.

Trip and T'Pol. Ugh. Are they eight years old? I used to be sort of on board with that 'ship but now I just want to shoot them both into space every time they have one of their little childish encounters. I fully expect him to pull her hair and her to whine that he has cooties.

But the good stuff: Phlox and his Klingon counterpart. The whole episode could have been just them and I would have been happy.

Phlox makes everything better.

Vote for your favorite episode and you could win one of Quantum's uniforms!!?? GAG! Not enough Tide in the world.

I do have to give Furrows one point, he actually PET HIS DOG. Actually TOUCHED Porthos... I haven't seen him do that in years...

So if the Enterprise goes below warp 5, the ship will blow up. They didn't need Trip's help. Keanu Reeves could have helped out - starship, bus - same thing, right?

So now they wasted 2 eps to explain ridged or no ridged Klingons. Even though the story was good, I was happy with Worf's explanation that they don't talk about it. They could have used these 2 eps for something better.

Anyhooo, in TNG ep The Emissary, K'Ehleyr was brought on board to intercept Klingon's that had been in stasis from Kirk's time. These Klingons had ridges! Are they going to waste another ep to explain why Kirk never saw any ridges on his Klingons?

Oh, and Quantam with perma-furrow. Maybe with those, now he can concentrate on his acting while they last.

Well to be fair, I don't think the show is implying that every Klingon will look like a TOS Klingon. I'm more puzzled by the group of Klingons who were on both TOS and DS9 (I forget their names, they were Dax's friends). I guess they got ridge reconstructive surgery.



Big word there. Seeing Phlox threatening the Klingons was the highlight of the episode.

I also loved when the Columbia swooped in to save Enterprise and Hernandez goes for the cliched I Just Saved Your Butt Remark only to get static over the comm system.

That was pretty funny. I really wish it had happened to Shran instead, because you know Combs would have nailed that reaction.

I thought this episode was cold and mechanical. This happens next, and then this, and then this. It really had very little focus on the feelings of the characters involved, possibly because there were too many. And I'm still confused about stuff. The disease was created as a side effect of the Augment process, but the cure also makes the Klingons look smooth? And they got Augments before, but can't now? They can't just re-make more Augments and be more careful about avoiding enhanced viruses?

Did anyone else lose track of the timeline? The Klingon Admiral said he'd be there in three days. Then Phlox keeps doing tasks that he says will take an hour. Another hour. Another. Suddenly the Klingon Admiral is there. What happened to the three days?

Also, they could have made the shout-out to keckler a little clearer. The word "furrow" should have been used, so there could be no doubt.

So, what, Reed is off the hook after his sabotage? How stupid.

The Trip transfer was pretty cool, but kinda dumb, in that instead of climbing up the line under his own power they could have just winched in the line with him at the end, or at least released the connection when the ships were getting too far apart, right? But the Trip cold jumpstart of Enterprise was cool all the way.

Phlox was cool as usual, glad to see it was him who saved the day, rather cleverly too. Bonus points to Phlox for figuring out a way to have Archer suffer greatly in the process. (Would have been funny if Dr. Klingon whispered, "why not just make the antidote in the medical replicator?" and Phlox replied quietly, "shhhhut uuuup . . .")

Invading Klingon space, interfering in internal Klingon matters, firing on their ships, sending deadly viruses to their ships -- the Klingons should be on the warpath, even though they started it by kidnapping Phlox. Earth and the Klingons should already be at war after the whole Augment story. Stupid wimpy Klingons.

Word, word and WORD. Loved him threatening the Klingons; "Of course, if you destroy the colony, treating you will be difficult." Priceless.

Still pissed they wasted TWO EPISODES on explaining a make-up difference, but there were some fun bits in each, and taking into consideration the show's PTB didn't know about the cancellation when these eps were written and shot, I'll give it a reluctant shrug and let it pass. At least until it strikes me again how POINTLESS the entire exercise was, even had the series not been canceled.

So am I the only one who'd like to see Gary Graham and Eric Pierpoint get some scenes together before the finale? I am? OK; just checking.

Bakula actually behaved like he had an infinitesimal clue on how to treat a dog; will wonders never cease? And it only took him four years, too. Nice to see the writers continuing to give him stuff to work with, nearly-too-late-in-the-day though it may be.

Like snarky Malcolm much better than sobbing Malcolm, although the "Oh, you've told me the truth now, so everything's peachy-keen" bothered me, too.

And just as the UPN Promo Monkeys can't seem to let a week pass without reminding us - TWICE this time around - that the series is ending, we also had to have another blasting of Trek history, since now a cold restart of matter/anti-matter engines has been done before Spock tries the theoretical cold restart in The Naked Time.

Guess it's just not an ep of Enterprise until it makes someone's head explode.

Why was Reed the only one trained in warp people intership transfer? Wait... why am I even asking *sigh* Is it too much to hope that in the series finale Section 31 will kill him?

Archer really just should've kept the ridges.

Phlox is awesome when he goes all badass.

Heh, imagine Archer doing the klingon chair dance with the Columbia rave lights in the background.

I miss Shran.

ROFL! I am going to keep that image for when I need something to cheer me up. Bravo (or brava, depending; can't tell from the screen name) mysticowl!

And I call serious bullshit on the "voting" over at UPN.com. We get a choice of just ten eps, and Zero Hour isn't even one of them? WTF?!


ETA Twilight is one of the choices, so the fix isn't completely in.

Can someone edit that? It'd be the funniest thing ever.

I liked the episode. Phlox rocks my world.

I have a question...How did the Columbia catch up to Enterprise (which was moving at max speed)

Well, since the Enterprise got some upgraded technobabbles a couple of eps ago that allowed her to go over Warp 5-point-whatever-it-was-before and Columbia was still in space-dock when Trip transferred, it seems likely Columbia got the technobabbles as well.

Although why the hell Columbia was headed in the same direction as the Enterprise in the first place is another question altogether.

A real meh episode, good parts were Phlox infecting the invasion fleet, John Schuck who makes a great Klingon, and Archer's chair dance.
I don't know why they had to let Reed out of the brig, he was the only one who could watch Trip climb up a rope? The sfx of this part of the show was fun to watch though.

When Archer started doing his chair dance, I wondered why Phlox didn't just sedate him. You don't need to be awake for your immune system to work. But hey, I'm not complaining... anything to see Archer suffer is fine with me.

Perfect! I'd really like to know what Klingon Klub music would sound like.

I couldn't see for crap during the Phlox scenes, which was annoying. I know Klingons seem to favor dark environments, but couldn't they have brought in a lightbulb so their abducted doctor could see to do his work? And by extension so that I could see him do his work? Or were the sets really cheap and they were trying to disguise the fact by keeping rhe lights low?

Four episodes to go and I still hate Archer, I go so far as to say my Archer hate grows each episode. Now he helps Phlox to save the entire Klingon race? And WTF was he doing beaming down to the colony by himself with only a phase pistol? What is he SuperQuantum now or something?

How cool did Enterprise and Columbia look during the space walk? I'm shallow I like bright pretty things.

Is Tpol actually vulcan?

That was cool (right there with you, raeblackman; I love shiny, too). In fact the whole Trip-on-a-Rope sequence was mondo cool.

Another it's-probably-just-me-moment, but when they told Columbia to flip over, did anyone else get an beasties-having-sex Animal Planet docu vibe?

Just me again? OK, then.

I had a big rant prepared but the boards were down and I forgot most of it. Have to start writing stuff down.

I'm getting tired of the Trip/T'Pol "I'm fine, No I'mfine" thing. Just do it already. Sheesh.

Of course Quantum had to be the one to get the virus for the "good of the outfit". [rolls eyes]

So who did Eric Pierpont play? I couldn't make him out with all make up.

.

I loved Phlox talking to Admiral? Captain? Krell. "Hello, Admiral Krell, this is Dr. Phlox." His tone just cracked me up.

While the Trip transfer was cool looking, it went on far too long and was essentially pointless. Trip is the only engineer that knows about a cold start? He couldn't send over the instructions? Noooo, he had to do it himself?

As for needing Malcolm to bring Trip over, it actually sort of made sense. Of all the people, he's been transporting and grappling the most.

When T'Pol said she would walk with Trip, I sarcastically cooed that she wanted to hold Trip's hand. Hubby commented, that's not what she wants to hold. Yeah, he's twelve.

But why couldn't anyone give a brief explanation to Trip about Malcolm? "Malcolm is in the brig for destroying evidence and hindering our investigation." Done. Boy, that was hard.

And boy, do I feel foolish. In the "Affliction" thread, I claimed that it wasn't the virus that caused the smooth head, it was the Augment DNA. I guess they created the anti-viral treatment using the Augment DNA and that explains why the ridges disappeared? Did I totally miss that? And, although it's never explained, I guess the virus doesn't affect humans. I mean, it makes sense either way, but they never even mention it. That's sloppy, sloppy writing.

Speaking of Augments, wah, wah, wah Klingon woman. Poor you. Now, go die.

I didn't hate the episode, but it just seemed so...pointless. Except for the Phlox scenes and the Porthos scenes. They beat up Phlox! Those bastards!

ETA, USS Deviant, you beat me to the punch, twice!

The virus does effect humans, that's why Phlox was able to infect Archer.

Harris (harrison?) is no Sloane, and Reed can't ACTUALLY think he can get out of Section 31 just by lamely stating that Archer is his only commander.

I want to see a Section 31 series. It'd probabally be all Alias-y, but minus the Rambaldi and the Jennifer Garner. Bashir and Reed, Super Spies.

Robert Hewitt Wolfe, who wrote the episode of ds9 where the forhead query was originally brought up, stated on board that he has never seen Enterprise. When he was told of the virus idea, he said that was basically what he'd assumed had happened.

I like the horny female captain. She's kinda cute, and she gave Furrows a mercy fuck when he needed it. I'd serve under her any time. Yes, she might abuse her power and force me to do things for her. Please.

It was awfully contrived that the vaccine needed a human host and Furrows was the only one around. He's just got to be the one that saves the day, even when Phlox is the one that is doing all the work.

When T'Pol took Trip for a little walk, I thought she was going to say "Good work, asshole. You abandon Enterprise and the ship is almost destroyed because you weren't here. For the good of everyone, we need to discuss this like adults." Instead, we get "How are you sleeping?" "Fine, and you?" Why are the writers dragging this out? There are not too many episodes left.

I agree with the other posts that the flat-head Klingon thing did not need even one episode to explain, let alone two. I see it as more evidence that the writers are short on ideas.

For those curious as to what those who worked on previous treks had to say.

Why did the antivirus cauise the smooth foreheads?

Because it didn't. It was an antivirus, not a vaccine. When given to an infected Klingon, it interrupted the retroviral rewrite on the Klingon DNA during the disease's first phase - after the ridges go bye-bye, but before the onset of the whole Augment strength, superior intellect, and sudden unpleasant death stuff set in.

Honestly, I think there was enough to complain about, even when one manages to stay awake and sober during the visits from the Exposition Fairy...

now that they have explained why there were smooth headed klingons in Kirk's time they now have to explain why there arent any in Picards time


All in all the arc was pretty good, but this 'issue' wasnt exactly on the top of the priority list and they knew this might be the last season when they wrote this arc and it seems like it was a waste of the limited remaining. They should have put 'explain smooth forehead Klingons' to the todo list of a possible Season 5. now they have two less episodes to wrap up the whole 'birth of the Federation' arc which is essentially the 'meta-arc' of Enterprise.

I think they did that with the "ridge reconstruction" line. Basically the Klingon version of Nip/Tuck. Minus the disturbing Famke Jansen-ing

Well...maybe not. Wasn't she on TNG?

This episode hurt my eyes to watch. Really painful. Word to USS Deviant for saying pretty much everything I wanted to say.

I have 4 cures but only one will work? What the...? Did you forget to label them or what? Coincendentally, though, we have 4 Klingons standing right here, though.

And the acting during the Archer pain scene? Seriously, at some point, the director should to tell SB to just stop. Archer was supposed to be in pain, not us.

And Trip couldn't just talk to someone over the comm about how to reboot the engines? Maybe he and T'Pol could have met in their whitespace to discuss it.

Hardcore fans have been wanting to know what the deal was with the foreheads for about 25 years. I guess the writers finally decided to shut them up.

When Hernandez told Quantum to "make it quick", many unkind, unspoken lines about his "quickness" went through my head. And then I had to pour bleach over my brain because of the mental images.

I'd be worried that none worked. However, if he said he had four different doses it would make more sense. Lethal, non-effective etc. And it would make sense that the wouldn't quite know at that point which one would work the most effectively. However, you wouldn't want healthy volunteers, you'd want infected. I mean how are you going to know if it's effective if the person's not sick?! Right?

And what the hell did he even need the antibodies for? He mentioned something about speeding up the process. How? I think I might just have to watch it again without a demanding two year old. But it didn't seem like it wasn't explained clearly.

Who cares about the technobabble; all I can say is "Yay, Phlox!" It's too bad this show sucks; he's the best ST doctor since McCoy.



Um, frenchtoast, there's already one on the show. You might have noticed him; his name is "Archer".

Good moments, but I'm still somewhat annoyed by the premise. OK, really annoyed.

I think your explanation fits the evidence, Irish Wolf. Thanks for clearing that up. It's still a little difficult to believe that so many Klingons have already been infected that we're going to see nothing but smooth-heads in Kirk's time. But as I said in the spoiler thread when this was revealed, no explanation is going to be perfect and answer all the questions.
That's a good question. Possibly Enterprise could drop to Warp 5 (Archer said they couldn't go below Warp 5), while Columbia could push to 5.2. But that should have taken a while for them to catch up.
Great point. Reed didn't actually do anything, except haul Trip up when he got there.
No idea. If Trip can climb a rope without being flung backward at warp speed, then why can't a shuttle transit the space between them? Why couldn't they put the shuttle on the rope? Why not use a winch and cut the rope from Columbia so it wouldn't break?
Well, he became Vulcan to save the Vulcans, so it's only fair that he becomes Klingon to save the Klingons. Next up, he'll develop psychic powers and save the Betazeds, turn blue and save the Andorians, and put a worm in his stomach and save the Trill.

That whole arc was a waste of time. No wonder the show gets cancelled when they're writing episodes explaining things that only Intense Trekkies care about. What's next, an arc on Cardassia invading Bajor? Or V'Ger landing on that computer planet? Kirk replacing Pike and what happened to Majel Barrett's "Number One" character?

Just stupid TV, and how convenient of Quantum to launch a rescue mission to save Phlox from a Klingon base and NOT TAKE ANY UH-OH'S WITH HIM! Why did he storm into a Klingon base alone? So he can be the only human there?

Columbia and Hernandez were underused and wastes of time, but I wasn't even shocked by that, since this show has always been about poorly executed good ideas. Hernandez outranks T'Pol but lets her take the lead in a space battle, which makes her pretty much Captain Extra. Even Sulu was a more effective captain in Trek VI.

The final stupid nail in the stupid coffin was TPTB using a reset button on the whole Reed story. The Section 31/spy/brig stuff was pointless when he just gets his job back in the end with no consequences. If they would've promoted him to Lieutenant Commander after...I don't know...SAVING THE EARTH!...maybe we could've seen him demoted or something. Even Tom Paris got demoted for disobeying!

Oh, god, I hurt my stomach laughing at that one!

I thought the ships totally looked like they were mating. Weren't they? Couldn't they have transported Trip from one ship to the other with the transporter, or did I miss something? Still, it was a cool visual.

I also thought about Archer being "quick" when he uttered that line to his former squeeze. Seems like he would be.

Anyway, I now have reason 367 for hating Archer--the way he looked at Trip when Trip cracked that he should keep the furrows because it makes him look intimidating. Archer looked like someone had shoved a hot poker up his constipated ass. No humor in this guy, at all.

Win one of his uniforms?! Gah!!! Disinfect it, stat!

As for the whole explaining the forehead thing, when I realized that's what they were doing last week, I thought it was kinda cool. But it went on way too long, and the "medicine" involved was confusing. Loved Phlox and the cool Klingon doctor, though. Wish Trip and T'Pol would be honest with each other. Get together, already!

I think that would violate a TNG episode where they "originally" came up with the idea that you could match warp speeds for transport. Other than that, you can't transport at warp.

I can kind of understand having Malcolm be the more experienced at weird transporting (and not just the scrambling of molecules) for tactical reasons. He is also experinced with the grappler. What pisses me off about that more was the fact that Trip couldn't just send them the f***ing information rather do what appeared to be a really dangerous "trial". Is he the only competent engineer in Starfleet? Is a cold start not in the manual?

I giggled at Malcolm's look in the last scene after he turns and cuts off Harris. "And stay off, you're not coming back on, are you? Good, just shut up." It was so silly glaring at the inanimate monitor. I doubt that's what he was going for.

Archer's look to Trip at the end--sheesh, get a sense of humor, Archer.

I still fail to see how General Phil didn't grasp when they were getting dosed with the different strains that this was in no way helping to create stable Augments. I could sort of understand why he had 4 different strains but he didn't know which one would work. He had found the "switch" as he said, but I guess there are different ways of turning it off. Then he needed something from the Klingons to make the antiviral agent.

But, that brings up the question, why did they need human antibodies from Archer? Supposedly that would speed up the process, but how? why? Should I care? Nope. Because apparently it also makes sense to transport down to a hostile situation with no Uh-Ohs. Okay, then.

I'm not even going to touch the poor science explaining the Klingon foreheads or Phlox's cure. That would have to be one powerful virus to destroy a large section of bone in someone's skull (and ONLY in their skull). Apparently the damage was genetic in nature, which makes even less sense. When your genes are mutated (by, say, a radioactive spider bite), you don't suddenly change your appearance or gain special powers. It would be passed on to your children. I'm working on a project related to gene therapy. If we could change people's hair color, I'm sure it would be in the literature. I'm still not clear what the deal was with the four strains or why he had to inject Quantum with the virus.

Suffice it to say that if you buy into all that, then it does make a pretty neat retcon for the whole Trekverse. So Kirk has more contact with the smooth-headed Klingons (perhaps the smoothies led a coup that made them the rulers during TOS), and in the 24th century, the bumpy foreheads have resumed control. The "shame" of the smoothies would explain why Worf says, "We don't talk about it with outsiders."

I felt so bad for Trip at the end when he was making a joke to Quantum about how the ridges make him look "intimidating." I was like, "Awww, he loves him!" Then Captain Asshat had to ruin it with a dirty look.


Can't. Stop. Giggling.

Me too. But seriously, a little banter between former lovers wouldn't be out of line. Archer could show a little appreciation to the only woman in the Trek universe that can stand to be in the same room with him. She uses little notes of familiarity, like calling him "Jonathan," while he acts like they never met. He says "Enterprise to Columbia, thanks for the lift" rather than addressing her personally. And when he asks her if she has any plans for the next few days and her she responds with "what did you have in mind," you know that she was thinking that he would offer her the something better than an invitation to help rescue Phlox. Poor Captain Hornypants, she'll probably lose her shot at Trip too.

Phlox threatening the Admiral made the episode for me. It was just... too funny.

Regarding the UPN "Vote", my money's on Similitude, Twilight, and... I guess... Cogenitor?

If one wins Quantum's uniform, can one request it be delivered to keckler on a silver platter?

I first thought that, but then I realized that Enterprise could also turn around and go to Columbia, closing the distance between the two of them rather quickly.

Yes, but I remember in... Voyager, I think, it being observed that at Warp speeds, only travel in one direction was possible ("Faster than light, no left or right" as Paris (I think!) put it).

Of course, Enterprise could have easily been heading toward Columbia's position, or even some point in space where Columbia could have met it.

I kind of appreciate the Klingon look explanation, but it does make me wonder why all those effected didn't go ahead with cosmetic surgery. You'd think it would be in much demand. Of course, since "millions" were effected and the change is passed down to children, I suppose by Kirk's time it wasn't really a stigma anymore.

And in fairness to TPTB, those saying these episodes are a waste of time when they need to be addressing the Federation Founding with only a handfull of episodes left, I don't think they were notified of the cancellation until there was only like, 2 episodes left unproduced. You can't simply unmake shows already in various forms of production.

I think it's a waste of time regardless of whether the show was cancelled or not. And the explanation now makes less sense than the lack of explanation did before. So now we have two strains of Klingons? Flat and bumpy headed? But we only see flat heads during TOS? It stretches my disbelief beyond willing suspension to say that Kirk only encountered flat heads and the following Trek people never encountered flatheads. So now I'm not only annoyed that they wasted two episodes on a make-up change, but they also canonized a ridiculous explanation.

The Trip transfer looked cool, but I remember it being more exciting when it was called Speed.

My husband loves this show to the point that he makes me read this thread for Enterprise info because it hurts him to see the mean things people write. But, even he was at a loss in regards to this episode. He actually screamed "Does the theory of relativity not exist in the future!!??" at the tv when Trip was making like Keanu. Then, he bitched about how Worf's answer was good enough and was all "the word of Worf is sacred". So yeah, he's a big dork. He giggled and snarked the whole time--except for when Phlox was on. When one of the dorkiest dorks who ever dorked is making fun of things, you're dooooomed.

I just need a small piece of Bakula's uniform to perform the voodoo ritual that will make him fall in love with me. I will make him sing to me every day :) I kid, I kid. I'll make him play the piano too.

I would have preferred it if Trip had been pulled over by Lt. ManWhoKnewTooLittle (rather than wasting precious time on shimmying), but I won't dwell on it except to say that long before Keanu this stunt was attempted, in space, by John Lithgow in 2010.

Is it canon that the brow ridges are bone? I rocked myself to sleep with a fanwank to the effect that they are cartilage or something similar.

Quite possibly, faster-than-light travel has caused it to be revised, at least. I believe it already has been.

That's not to say that the trasnfer didn't have problems. Why didn't Reed just pull Trip up? Why didn't he just release the winch? On a larger scale, why did Columbia just happen to be there? Oh, and why does Malcolm have to be such an ass? Travis was doing a damn good job- keep your mouth shut, buddy.

That said, it was a tres good sequence. When it started, I went, "Oh, so this is what Coto was talking about. Yeah!" And that made up for it all.

Speaking of Malcolm- he can't erase files? Worst. Spy. Ever. But that tracking shot at the end- into his cabin and then out the same way- was cool too.

Come to think, coolness trumped improbability a lot in this episode. My head started spinning with each new condition of Phlox- have four doses, have to use a human, etc.- but the overall effect was cool. Yeah, the whole TOS thing makes even less sense than before, let alone Kor & Co. in DS9 and even Worf's line in T&T. (Nor do we know how that whole non-warrior vs. warrior thing from a couple of seasons back works into this.) To be fair, I think Klingons appeared in only, I think, five or so TOS episodes. But to really make your head spin, try this one: When the Excalbians created a "Kahless," he had a smooth forehead. Of course, he wasn't real, but still.

A few nitpicks:

-When Dr. Klingon said his "caste" was warriors, I think he meant "clan." After all, "warrior" is a caste.

-They have to go to Phlox for cheese? Isn't there a whole galley for that? Doesn't the captain have a fridge in his cabin?

-Wasn't it the UFP Charter that had Section 31? Odd way of picking a name, but at least we now know there aren't Sections 1-30.

-You're told that your holding a canister leaking a virus- and you throw it across the bridge? Maybe some Augment DNA would help you, bub. (ANd here I was thinking that Soong would be let out to help, redeem himself and stay out, yadda yadda. Hey, worked for Malcom.)

-She couldn't have told him his son died honorably? She was lying about his being dead, after all. (I assume she was.)

So. An episode full of BS. but good BS. And then there were six...

I assumed that Reed didn't release the winch because it would recoil too fast and injure Trip. Why Reed didn't manually winch it up, considering time was of the essence, is mind boggling. Rather than up the dramatic tension, the audience is screaming, "Pull him up. Pull up the winch. SHEESH!"


Maybe they don't let dogs in the galley after the last time he was there? But why would Phlox agree to give Porthos cheese considering it makes Porthos sick?


I think she assumed that the hew-mons would kill him. Also, they assumed that their plan would work and Enterprise was at that point space dust. I also think they were trying to show how, since she was an Augment, she was displaying feelings of superiority. The whole stupid salute thing, humans are inferior etc. She just bugged anyway. The huge eyebrows just look ridiculous without the cranial ridges.

Regarding the cranial ridges, are they bone or a softer substance? Phlox said that they would feel a tingling in the cranial ridges. Would you feel a tingling in bone?


Word and amen. But, I enjoyed his assholishness (is that a word) to the Klingon prisoner. But what was the face that he made at his food. And it was good to see everyone on the bridge give him some nasty looks when he returned. Will we see any repercussions from his behavior? Doubtful, which is a shame.

I never thought they should do a whole arc to explain a makeup change, and I still don't. And I can wank a lot. I can buy that in Kirk's time they knew all about this, and that the Klingons finally perfected cranial reconstruction between TOS and TMP. I can even buy that most people in TNG time didn't really know about it (sort of). But I can't for one minute believe that Bashir wouldn't have known about it. This wasn't an internal Klingon matter. They used human augment DNA. It was human ships who saved the day. Well, really it was Phlox who saved the day (which was absolutely awesome, by the way), but he was serving on a human ship at the time.

That said, I thought the whole arc had a tongue-in-cheek quality that I thoroughly enjoyed.

When I realized how they were transporting Trip, my reaction was, "They are not!" And they did. And the effects were really cool. And then they rebooted the warp drive. And that still makes me giggle. And of course Trip is staying on board Enterprise for awhile. He's a main character, and he still has to resolve the whole T'Pol thing. This is television.

Phlox saves the day!
Archer pets Porthos!
Malcolm gets a plot!
Archer gets perma-furrowed!

What more could I ask for? A reasonable main plot you say? I guess I'm not that picky.