If you're on Ep12, the next one is the one to pay close attention to: "Signs and Portents".

Do the writers feel it’s absolutely necessary to “sell” an episode by including a TOS reference?

Another “pandering” episode. Could have been a fairly so-so one if they’d just leave the ST Encyclopedia alone.

And all because of that one reference, you say?

Yep. Picture this scene: a warm, tender embrace (number and sex of participants optional), turns continually steamier with the action getting more serious. You, as the viewer, find yourself interested (level of interest and physical response optional).

The scene continues to grow in intensity as your, um, response, grows accordingly. At a critical moment, one of the characters
Well, at least, that’s how I reacted to it. Hell, if not for that, I might be able to ignore the "reset button effect."

These guys are about as subtle as I am.

I haven't read through the thread yet, but I just manged to catch this ep last night. Easily one of, if not the best, Enterprise episodes so far. Furthermore, I'd say this is in the top 20 Star Trek episodes of all time. I know I might get blasted for saying that, but it had so many good qualities, nice pacing, great acting by - wait for it - I think every cast member. I especially liked how the "aliens" were written and how each actor managed to pull them off and keep their identities seperate from the crew members.

Edit: Just finished going through the posts...I'm almost in shock at how much you all are ripping Enterprise. Especially the "leave the ST cannon alone and don't make any TOS or otherwise reference." First of all, any SW fan would be in heaven if they had a show that could given them continuity week in and week out to a people, place and "universe" that they cared so much about. ST fans should only be so lucky... Also, look at it this way - they have have had a handful of cartoons and specials and 6 movies. ST has 10 movies and something like 800+ episodes of TV. I would expect more of you all. Also, I've been a ST fan now for about 20 years (maybe a little less) and I didn't even get the Organian reference. I though "humm, that sounds familiar but I'm not sure where..." Well I'm fine with a mindwipe, especially if it fits with how they test the Enterprise crew in 150 more years.

You DO realize this is Star Trek Enterprise? By your criticism every episode can be classified as pandering. Whenever they mention the Andorians, Klingons, Vulcans etc. They can make connections to something that will happen in the future..it does not make it pandering.

I too am very surprised at the ripping this show gets. In general Star Trek has always been ripped. The funny thing is, for all the greatness these people hold the original series up to, it barely lasted 3 seasons due to ratings decline(would have lasted only 2 seasons were it not for letter writing campaign).
If TOS is your point of reference.....?

Good ol' Day syndrome.

How many more syndromes are you going to label the people who disagree with you? Well, here's one for your books ... it's called The Show's Not Good Syndrome. This episode certainly started strong, giving us more character development for Hoshi in 10 minutes than we've had in nearly 4 seasons, but then it got incredibly hokey and sputtered to the finish. Enterprise is its own television show, and it's either good or it isn't. How people feel or felt about other series is immaterial. People's nostalgia for the Original Series is not a license to suck. "The show's been on forever ... they're out of ideas" is not an excuse. If you're out of ideas, don't have a show on the air. 38 years ago, perhaps some of these episodes don't suck, but it's not 1966. Get with the freakin' program. Television has evolved, and there's way too much creative storytelling on the air to keep feeding us these uninspired stories. Regardless of how people feel about other series, the simple truth is that Enterprise isn't very good, and that's all that matters.

das

I don't understand your argument. Enterprise started with a 7.0 rating and is down to a 2.2 rating right now. The last episode of original Trek had a 8.8. You can't compare ratings from yesteryear to today with things like cable and 500 channels, but classic Trek would be in the Top 30 today with a rating like that.

Both original Trek and Enterprise are on the same ratings path: it'll be the demise of Enterprise as well.

My argument isn't so much against TOS as in those people who hold the original in such exalted status when in reality it performed no better than today's shows.

As for syndromes...haha...I did mean Good ol day syndrome( i knew something was off)...but here's another..how about can't change the channel syndrome.

Except it's not a valid comparison. You may as well say Ben Franklin is no better than I am, because I use electricity too.

das

Did you fly a kite with a brass key attached during a lightning storm?

I'm afraid to see das' answer to that question.

I don't understand why (most) people these days bag on Enterprise. I mean it's Star Trek, what else do you want?

Well written Television??
If they cant put on good TV, then maybe Paramount should finally stop spinning Trek shows off of each other.

Yes, kind Sir. Another example of attempted (and failed) pandering that happened about the same time they [supposedly] changed the theme song, IIRC.
These days? These days?!?

Some of us have been bagging on this since the first episode. I believe I may have been the first. You have missed out on some fun stuff.

Fact is, the true sukage is coming forth yet again, for they can't hold back the uncreative juices any longer. They've shot their wad and are going to revert to true form.

The REAL nature of the weekly Enterprise thread shall return from whence it sprang. And we shall revel in the weekly sukfest once again!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

I need to revise my earlier Enterprise related low rating number, it's worse than I thought (although, these are only "fast national" rating numbers):

Final ratings for last Friday night's episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, "Observer Effect", reflect the lowest viewership ever received by a new episode of the series.

Of course this probably signifies the nail in the coffin no matter what the exes "tell" us.

So unfortunate given that this, IMO, was one of the best Enterprise episodes to date.

It is what it is and I will gladly enjoy the rest of the season, beats DS-9 with Sisco's baseball stories and Bajoran prophet arc's any day of the week.

Too bad I seem to be in the minority and actually like the show. Wonder what the nay sayers will whine about when there is no ST on network tv. It's almost as if they want it to get cancelled to prove their point because Enterprise didn't measure up to their standards, don't watch then.

I tried to come up with some witty comeback, but I just can't top that. That's the funniest thing I've read all month.

I didn't think "Observer Effect" was bad. While there was some sloppiness to the script, and the ending made absolutely no sense, it was about 200% better than anything Enterprise gave us in the first season (the only other season I watched fully). At least this episode was mildly interesting... those early episodes were dull. Is it enough to make me hope the show stays on the air? No, not really.

Here's hoping the next arc is better.