Geek 15 Mar 2007 03:57 pm
Star Trek: Enterprise
I’ve just finished watching the first season of Star Trek: Enterprise (yes, I know that I’m a few years behind). For those not familiar with the series, this is a prequel to all other Star Trek TV series and films, and it follows the adventures of the crew of the starship Enterprise NX-01, the first human ship to reach warp 5. The first episode is set in the year 2151.
I was never really “into” any of the Star Trek series, and I don’t think I ever watched a full episode of any series other than Enterprise. That said, I had a fair idea of the “feel” of the Star Trek universe; I did watch some of the movies, and, anyway, Star Trek is part of popular culture.
However, living in Australia, I have to say one thing: the quarantine procedures of the Enterprise crew are appalling! Granted: scientifically speaking, the series leaves a lot to be desired (in one of the episodes, two crewmen land on a comet and walk around in what seems like Earth gravity…). Ditto for social and practical issues; it’s definitely no Battlestar Galactica, you’ll never see engineering going into a strike or the crew looking for a planet to mine for fuel. But, still, they should be aware of the risks of coming into contact with alien life forms. And they get bitten by that at least twice in the first season; you’d expect them to learn after the first one.
However, coming to think of it, the Vulcans are as cavalier about biological isolation as the humans (and any other humanoid race we’ve seen). Is everyone living in denial?
