Regeneration (ENT)
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 3:19 pm
http://sfdebris.com/videos/startrek/e149.php
I really like the idea behind the story, but the execution could be better. Actually, that sums up the entire series. Anyway, I think the biggest misstep of the story is Phlox developing a cure for the Borg nanites. I think a much better plot thread would have been for one of the guards get infected instead, and then have Phlox trying to cure him only for nothing to work. You could get some good drama and pathos out of Phlox's interactions with the guard and Archer dealing with a member of his crew slowly fading away with nothing to do. Unlike most euthanasia subplots, there could also be a third option: What if you cryogenically froze the crewman instead? Then new methods of curing could be attempted from time to time as medical science progressed. Would that be too cruel? Would that be too much of a security risk? If you did that, what would you tell his next of kin?
For the inexplicably incomplete Borg hail, I think in this case you could afford to not be quite so obsessed with maintaining continuity. History was already changed in First Contact, and you could just as well argue that they should've found Cochrane's mentions when digging through information of any possible earlier encounters with the Borg. Alternatively, at least make the message garbled and conveniently block out the word "Borg" and handwave that as the communications equipment getting damaged in the initial takeover and the Borg did not consider that high priority in their repairs and modifications.
I really like the idea behind the story, but the execution could be better. Actually, that sums up the entire series. Anyway, I think the biggest misstep of the story is Phlox developing a cure for the Borg nanites. I think a much better plot thread would have been for one of the guards get infected instead, and then have Phlox trying to cure him only for nothing to work. You could get some good drama and pathos out of Phlox's interactions with the guard and Archer dealing with a member of his crew slowly fading away with nothing to do. Unlike most euthanasia subplots, there could also be a third option: What if you cryogenically froze the crewman instead? Then new methods of curing could be attempted from time to time as medical science progressed. Would that be too cruel? Would that be too much of a security risk? If you did that, what would you tell his next of kin?
For the inexplicably incomplete Borg hail, I think in this case you could afford to not be quite so obsessed with maintaining continuity. History was already changed in First Contact, and you could just as well argue that they should've found Cochrane's mentions when digging through information of any possible earlier encounters with the Borg. Alternatively, at least make the message garbled and conveniently block out the word "Borg" and handwave that as the communications equipment getting damaged in the initial takeover and the Borg did not consider that high priority in their repairs and modifications.
