OEEG: Dear Doctor

Sonnenburg · Post by **Sonnenburg** » 2008-05-21 10:47pm

Well, it's finally here, Dear Doctor. There's really nothing more for me to add than I've put in the review. If you don't know, this is the point where Phlox and Archer decide to commit genocide and pat themselves on the back for it. Try not to vomit.

Review

FaxModem1 · Post by **FaxModem1** » 2008-05-21 11:26pm

I remember seeing this episode in high school. I thought the whole 'Who am I to play god?' line was stupid then, and I was a lot more stupid then.

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2008-05-21 11:42pm

"God damn. Blalock demonstrates what skills helped her get this part."

The only good part of this episode.

This episode turned me so utterly off Enterprise that I didn't watch anything else until that 'Regeneration' -just out of morbid curiosity- and some of the season 3 episodes. It just...the blood pressure builds as I think of it.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2008-05-22 12:11am

I'M IN HELLLLLLL!

OKaaaaay...

Anybody remember the Babylon 5 second season episode "Confessions And Lamentations"? Roughly similar situation unfolds, with a disease raging through the Markab population on the station, one which is virulent enough to actually spread quickly through their population and, quite possibly, jump species to infect the rest of the station population. Alright, in part, there's a "selfish" motivation driving Stephen Franklin to bust his ass trying to find a cure, but in the end he actually is trying everything within reason and unreason almost to try to save the Markab before they are annihilated because he simply cannot stand about and let them all die. He finally discovers the cure, produces enough to treat the station's Markab population —who for religious reasons all locked themselves in one section of the station (and helped spread the disease further amongst themselves)— and by the time they get the first dosages to the Markab, it's too late. Sheridan and co. open the hatch on a morgue, to their horror. And Delenn, who went to minister to them, emerges on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

This piece-of-shit episode of Boobyprise was the exact polar opposite of "Confessions And Lamentations" and encapsulates in one vile package everything I came to hate about it, about Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, and the "creative" staff of this awful, awful show.

BTW, a "1" grade is generous for this one.

Sidewinder · Post by **Sidewinder** » 2008-05-22 02:26am

(While brushing his teeth.) The things I do to keep this job. Ick! At least the Captain didn't ask for a rimjob.

Trust me, it's for your own good. Now bend over and cough.

Patrick Degan wrote:Anybody remember the Babylon 5 second season episode "Confessions And Lamentations"?

I do. I also remember a 1993 Entertainment Weekly article on sci-fi, which mentions the possibility the producers of 'Deep Space Nine' stole ideas from 'Babylon 5'.

Anguirus · Post by **Anguirus** » 2008-05-22 12:41pm

Wow, I'm left pretty speechless here. I decided to check Memory Alpha to see if they acknowledged any controversy over this episode. No mention of it, but I thought this tidbit was interesting:

# The ending was changed by UPN who wanted Phlox and Archer in total agreement about what should be done, rather than retain the original ending which left Archer and Phlox in conflict.

So apparently UPN didn't say "Don't allow our heroes to condemn an entire species to death." They just said "Make sure our heroes agree to do it."

Perhaps it would not have seemed AS reprehensible if Phlox was losing sleep over it or something, as opposed to blatantly congratulating himself and Archer for their horrific actions. And yeah, the comparison to B5 is quite instructive.

What a pile of crap.

Ryushikaze · Post by **Ryushikaze** » 2008-05-22 01:57pm

Wasn't there another ending, where one of them (Phlox, I think), tried to sneak the cure to the people via a PADD, that got axed? I recall reading something of the sort a few months back, probably on these forums.

But yeah, the episode as is... yeah... both Phlox and Archer are in pretty much every way scum. Go team Star Trek, for telling us that genocide is okay when it's Starfleet (or their predecessors) deciding to do it!

Ted C · Post by **Ted C** » 2008-05-22 02:14pm

Let's not forget that the premise is also a recycle of the diary format of "Data's Day" from TNG. As long as we're bashing B&B, we might as well bash their lack of originality, too.

What were they thinking, anyway? Didn't we establish back in "Pen Pals" that sitting back and watching a species die was a bad thing? Maybe not, since the threat loomed again in... what was it? "Homeward"? With Worf's human brother?

This one, though, takes the final step that the TNG writers never would. It actually goes through with letting an entire species die for the sake of "non-interference".

After an episode like that, the Xindi seem like the righteous hand of God come to cleanse the universe of the evil Federation.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2008-05-22 05:33pm

In the second part of Redemption, both Picard and a Starfleet Admiral claim that the Prime Directive forbids Starfleet from interfering in what is "by definition an internal matter".

(weird treaty the Feds have with the Klingon government that allows that, but that's another problem)

I can totally buy it. In a society where it is acceptable to murder your superior officer for failing to do his duty, in a society where the Chancellor is willing to get into a knife-fight with whatever jerk swaggers into the council chamber and claims he's doing a shitty job, in a society where Worf got named Chancellor for killing Gowron... I can totally see the treaty with them and the Federation basically saying the Federation would stay out of "internal affairs" like this (because how is the Federation supposed to judge who's really right? And really, wouldn't Klingon custom or whatever basically say 'well whoever won probably deserved to win then'?), and I can totally see Gowron trying to bullshit his way past that clause.

Note that I'm not saying the clause is or isn't there - just that I find it totally plausible that the Feds would make a treaty like that with the Klingons. And if anyone feels compelled to yell about how dumb it is to make a treaty like that... well, it's totally in character for them.

Swindle1984 · Post by **Swindle1984** » 2008-05-22 06:41pm

Ted C wrote: After an episode like that, the Xindi seem like the righteous hand of God come to cleanse the universe of the evil Federation.

"I am the flail of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you." - Temujin (Genghis Khan)

Frankly, Wong's Imperial rhetoric of invading the "evil" Federation to save the species of the Trek galaxy is pretty close to the mark.

Sidewinder · Post by **Sidewinder** » 2008-05-22 07:12pm

Uraniun235 wrote:I can totally buy it. In a society where it is acceptable to murder your superior officer for failing to do his duty, in a society where the Chancellor is willing to get into a knife-fight with whatever jerk swaggers into the council chamber and claims he's doing a shitty job, in a society where Worf got named Chancellor for killing Gowron... I can totally see the treaty with them and the Federation basically saying the Federation would stay out of "internal affairs" like this (because how is the Federation supposed to judge who's really right? And really, wouldn't Klingon custom or whatever basically say 'well whoever won probably deserved to win then'?), and I can totally see Gowron trying to bullshit his way past that clause.

Note that I'm not saying the clause is or isn't there - just that I find it totally plausible that the Feds would make a treaty like that with the Klingons. And if anyone feels compelled to yell about how dumb it is to make a treaty like that... well, it's totally in character for them.

Considering what a fucking mess Klingon politics is, the Federation would be stupid to NOT have a treaty like that. Seriously, how would the Federation have benefited from getting involved in a Klingon Civil War? Its government leaders are too goody-two-shoes to do take advantage of either side's "gratitude."

Straha · Post by **Straha** » 2008-05-22 07:46pm

The problem with that is Picard has interfered directly with Klingon internal matters before. He even, IIRC, appointed the Chancellor when he was judged as the Arbiter. in the episode where he makes them recite their life stories. It'd be one thing for there to be an Iron Clad Prime Directive where it goes:

A. Don't interfere with Pre-Warp civilizations unless matters of survival/genocide are at stake.
B. Don't interfere with the internal affairs of other nations except when vested Federation interests are at stake.

But it obviously doesn't work like that and is spread either as thick or as thin as the writers of the episode want it to be.

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2008-05-22 08:43pm

Oh crap. Once again, the writers demonstrate they know NOTHING about genetics and evolution.

Fatal disease caused by gene
Disease is spreading
Not everyone has the disease
Cure--selective breeding

Hell, such a fatal disease should eliminate the gene from the population, but NOOOOOOOO, evolution has a plan for these people and its GOING to cause the gene to spread among the population, no matter what!!!

Morons.

Ted C · Post by **Ted C** » 2008-05-22 10:37pm

Darth Servo wrote:Oh crap. Once again, the writers demonstrate they know NOTHING about genetics and evolution.

Fatal disease caused by gene

Disease is spreading

Not everyone has the disease

Cure--selective breeding
Hell, such a fatal disease should eliminate the gene from the population, but NOOOOOOOO, evolution has a plan for these people and its GOING to cause the gene to spread among the population, no matter what!!!

Morons.

And it's a sign of just how oblivious all the technobabble and sermonizing can make you that I hadn't even noticed that little detail before.

Sonnenburg · Post by **Sonnenburg** » 2008-05-22 10:47pm

Enjoy this exchange:

PHLOX: This epidemic isn't being caused by a virus or bacteria. The proteins that bind to their chromosomes are deteriorating. Their illness is genetic. It's been going on for thousands of years, but the rate of mutation has accelerated over the last few generations. Based on my projections, the Valakians will be extinct in less than two centuries. I wish I had better news.
ARCHER: What about a cure?
PHLOX: Genetic abnormalities on this level are very difficult to reverse.
ARCHER: But not impossible.
PHLOX: No. I still believe the Menk immunity could be the key to a cure. I plan to study them in more detail.

Now ask yourself one question: If the disease is not being caused by a virus or bacteria, then what is this Menk "immunity?" Let's trust the decision on who lives and who dies to someone who thinks that it's medically significant that you can't catch genetic abnormalities by casual contact.

Anguirus · Post by **Anguirus** » 2008-05-22 11:21pm

As a biology major, that is the intellectual equivalent of getting kicked in the balls.

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2008-05-23 12:18am

I never really watched Boobyprize so I might not have all the details of the episode right just from reading Chuck's review. But is it fair to say that these idiots had no problem working on a cure at first? Wasn't it only after they found out it was genetic that their moral stupidity kicked in and told them to commit genocide?

So these guys would have no issues researching a cure for the common cold but would go all Janeway on someone trying to cure hemophilia or cystic fibrosis?

I think Chuck has invented a new term for the language.

Janeway: genocidal; a level or five above 'going postal'

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2008-05-23 12:23am

Sonnenburg wrote:what is this Menk "immunity?"

Not that the writers would ever think of such an obvious low tech idea but its clearly "they don't fuck the Valakians, or at least wear a condom every time"

Drooling Iguana · Post by **Drooling Iguana** » 2008-05-23 01:38am

Sonnenburg wrote:Now ask yourself one question: If the disease is not being caused by a virus or bacteria, then what is this Menk "immunity?" Let's trust the decision on who lives and who dies to someone who thinks that it's medically significant that you can't catch genetic abnormalities by casual contact.

I'm beginning to think that Dr. Phlox got his MD at the same place as Dr. Zoidberg.

Sidewinder · Post by **Sidewinder** » 2008-05-23 02:25am

Drooling Iguana wrote:I'm beginning to think that Dr. Phlox got his MD at the same place as Dr. Zoidberg.

It's SCARY when cartoon characters intentionally portrayed as morons (Fry, Bender, and friends) prove themselves to be more competent than the entire cast of 'Enterprise'.

eyl · Post by **eyl** » 2008-05-23 06:42am

Destructionator XIII wrote:So maybe what happened after this episode is Starfleet or the Federation government looked back and said 'what the fuck happened here' and put in the 'if they ask, it shall be granted' loophole to the PD to hopefully prevent it from happening again.

It was my impression that the PD didn't exist at this time, hence Archer's rather clunky phrasing when wishing Starfleet with issue a 'directive' to get him off the hook in these situations (real command presence, BTW, wishing the buck could be passed like that).

If the writers did intend this to showcase the need for the PD, they missed the boat big-time. I would have had the Enterprise interfere in a situation and then have that backfire horrendously (to the point of xenocide) - so then the PD would be an attempt to prevent a recurrence rather than a CYA policy for Starfleet captains. This could also account (to some extent) for the religious fervor with which the PD is regarded in TNG - the results of interference would so terrible that SF officers are effectively conditioned not to intervene, even when it seems justified (it would be better to place such a disaster in the period between TOS and TNG to account for the different ways the PD is regarded in those series, but we need to work with what we have)

apocolypse · Post by **apocolypse** » 2008-05-23 12:48pm

One of the other things I really hated about this ep was the way that they completely (imo) shoved the PD down everyone's throat...in crayon. Hell, Archer even had to say "directive" in his speech at the end, because I guess the audience is too stupid to understand subtle hints and foreshadowing. I like to be spoken to as if I was retarded, thank you.

El Moose Monstero · Post by **El Moose Monstero** » 2008-05-23 01:06pm

apocolypse wrote:One of the other things I really hated about this ep was the way that they completely (imo) shoved the PD down everyone's throat...in crayon. Hell, Archer even had to say "directive" in his speech at the end, because I guess the audience is too stupid to understand subtle hints and foreshadowing. I like to be spoken to as if I was retarded, thank you.

That sort of thing was basically Enterprise's modus operandi - every time I tuned in, there seemed to be another 'see, see, we invented that thing that you thought was really cool in the other series because we're so frickin' badass; this is what continuity is, honest'.

The one that always sticks in my craw is forcefields - poorly developed by starfleet until the texas ranger and the upper class twit of the year come along; by their powers combined, they are more intelligent that the Starfleet corps of engineers and magically fix it.

Junghalli · Post by **Junghalli** » 2008-05-23 02:53pm

You really have to wonder about the mentality of people who write episodes like this.

I mean, what kind of person writes something like this and thinks Archer's actions sound anything other than morally repugnant? Even scarier, what kind of review board gives it a pass and doesn't realize the awesome superdickery in the premise.

Darth Servo · Post by **Darth Servo** » 2008-05-23 04:31pm

Junghalli wrote:You really have to wonder about the mentality of people who write episodes like this.

I mean, what kind of person writes something like this and thinks Archer's actions sound anything other than morally repugnant? Even scarier, what kind of review board gives it a pass and doesn't realize the awesome superdickery in the premise.

The kind that has been rehashing old trek scripts for 10 years and never really understood the original point.