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	Subtopic	Started By	Posts
	Archive through Nov 05, 2001 Last Post: Nov 06, 2001, 10:07 pm		10

Posted By: AspZelazny Nov 05, 2001 - 10:02 pm

Hi, fanuilh, good to see you! Got a kick out of this episode, too; it was better written than some, and it provided new insight into the Vulcans. After all these years, if you think about it, we really *don't* know all that much about them. If I remember correctly, the only time we've seen their home planet was in TOS with Spock doing his Pon farr thing ... and we have little information about their culture or ideals except from a very few Star Fleet Vulcan members. That could be like trying to judge American society after meeting 3 or 4 Marines, no?
(and, of course, Sarek ... but this was colored by Parental Issues, so who could think clearly?)

IMO, it was a kick to see good 'ol Weyoun back again as yet another ST bad(-ish) guy. He chews up the sets almost as well as Kirk did back in the Old Days. :-)

And I also agree that seeing Reed in action was interesting -- that guy's going to go far in Star Fleet, I betcha: Admiral, at least, within 10 years.

Posted By: Nomad Nov 06, 2001 - 07:28 am

Weyoun? Is that our Gem Hadar baddie turned Andorian?

Posted By: The Master Nov 06, 2001 - 11:26 am

Yep...that's the one. He also played (Ferenghi) Brunt. Horror fans best know him as the star of the legendary Reanimator.

Posted By: ZimNova Nov 06, 2001 - 07:09 pm

Funny thing...my cable went out on only the UPN channel so I missed the first 15 min. or so???

PC, I think the Andorians were using Archer as a punching bag because his crew showing up while they were on the planet was bad timing and they would not believe it was a coincidence.

I agree the *message* of this episode was that the Vulcans are not to be trusted and have their own agenda which does not necessarily include Humans. That Archer gave the Andorians the proof they were looking for shows he would rather help an enemy of the Vulcans, alienate a member of his own crew and possibly make new allies than preserve the status quo. We'll have to wait and see if Starfleet Command later questions his decision. He also could have been just a little PO'ed that the Vulcans lying resulted in his being beaten to a pulp.
I found it odd that T'Pol gave the order to the Enterprise to let the Androian ship depart.
She is the Science Officer who is *assigned* and not a uniformed member of Starfleet yes?
Now Spock was a Science Officer too but he was also second in command to Capt. Kirk.
Riker's rank was Commander thus *number one* (second in command) (Lt. Commander Data was third in line).
That would make Trip *number one* under Archer right? While Reed would have been the second ranking officer on the Vulcan sanctuary/secret base behind Archer.
As to T'Pol's knowledge of the base, that to me is still up in the air. Either the base's existence was on a *need to know* basis or Archer is right in not trusting her completely as well. It's hard to tell under her emotionless expression if she was lying or not. It will be interesting to see how their relationship develops over the next few ep.'s.

Posted By: The Master Nov 06, 2001 - 10:07 pm

Sub-Commander T'Pol is the second highest ranking member of the Enterprise crew, thus second in command (remember...they had a whole scene with her and Trip establishing that when Archer was knocked out in the premiere and she took command). Commander Trip is the second highest ranking Starfleet officer, but is third in command. Lt. Reed is forth, then you get Ensign's Hoshi and Mayweather, probably with Mayweather outranking Hoshi if push came to shove (helm over communications, but I'm not sure about that). Those are the only commissioned officers...the rest of the crew are grunts and non-comms. I don't think Phlox has a rank, but would have the normal "medical officer" discretion regarding fitness for duty.

I'm not totally sure what the Vulcan military structure is, but I think Sub-Commander is equivilent to a Starfleet Captain.

Posted By: ZimNova Nov 07, 2001 - 03:33 pm

Upon further review

Master, well I re-watched *Broken Bow* and you are correct...sort of.
When Archer is shot up T'Pol does take command of Enterprise. This action however is outside the military chain of command. Commander Tucker should have assumed command but gave way to T'Pol's claim to out rank him. As the basis for the command structure in the Trek universe is the U.S. Navy this would be like a Russian officer taking over a U.S. submarine in an emergency.

Had I written that scene it would have gone like this to avoid confusion or in any case *CMA* for having posed this question in the first place!
T'Pol; "I'm taking over command of Enterprise".
Tucker; "There is no way in hell I'm going to let a Vulcan attache have command of this ship!"
T'Pol;"Commander, we are in a crisis, the captain is wounded and I am the only one aboard who has the experience to complete this mission. As a Sub-Commander in the Vulcan High Command I also outrank you".

I guess T'Pol is in fact the *de facto* second in command but still to me this has to be a story device rather that a military command situation.