4.04: Borderland

[Dave]

This is the first instalment in the three-episode arc which will feature Brent Spiner as an ancestor of Dr. Noonien Soong, Arik Soong.

Manny Coto: "[Arik Soong] is more of a Dr. Frankenstein. He is not a benign individual. He has brought to life 20 embryos from the Eugenics era. So you have Soong who's leading a band of Khan Noonien Singhs, so to speak. He believes that genetic engineering was on the right track!"

I find it very interesting that Manny Coto has used the similarily named Dr. Noonien Soong and Khan Noonian Singh and drawn them together. I didn't think this ancestor story was such a good idea at first, but maybe it will actually remove a nit from 'trek' for a change instead of creating another one.

 

[Dave]

more rumours on this storyline...

This episode arc sounds good, Enterprise might turn a corner with this this story. I certainly hope it is as good as it sounds...

The genetically enginered supersoldiers of the Eugenics Wars will be called "augments". The leader of the group will be 'Malik' and in his early twenties, determined to live up to Arik Soong's wishes for his kind to demonstrate humanity's greater potential. 'Raakin' will be slightly older and similar to Malik, but won't make it through the episode. Both men are described as "toned" and "perfect looking," qualities also needed for 'Persis', a female augment in her early twenties: "the perfect woman."

Arik Soong is a notorious criminal, and Coto even compared him to Hannibal Lecter - "He's tried to escape many times, and he's feared, because Earth is still terrified of anything having to do with the Eugenics Wars." But his help is essential in tracking down the renegade "genetic supermen" who could ignite a war with the Klingons.

The Enterprise will get its latest new crewmember in 'Lucas McGregor', a twentysomething who may recur and who is captured along with 'T'Pol' (Jolene Blalock) by an imposing Orion in charge of slaves. Coto has stated that the Orions and their green "slave girls" would be involved in this storyline. The Borderland is a region between Klingon and Orion Syndicate space, according to Coto, and Soong's actions threaten to spark a war with the Klingons. To that end, this first installment of the arc will also include a run-in with a Klingon crew.

Arik believes that genetic engineering was on the right track! He wants to improve humanity, and he believes that the Eugenics Wars were an aberration, that these individuals are the future of humanity. Of course he's wrong - they get away from him. They get out of control, and it becomes this three-episode saga that's kind of like 'Apocalypse Now' - Enterprise becomes kind of like a ship going up river, trying to find these individuals, with Soong on board.

 

[Dave]

Orion slave girls too!

from SciFi Wire

Enterprise Seeing Green

Bobbi Sue Luther, who plays a green Orion slave girl in an upcoming episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, told SCI FI Wire that she had fun bringing back an iconic alien species not seen since the original series. "I felt really honored to be on the set that day," Luther said in an interview. "And everybody really gave me props because it was the first time in 30 years that they've seen a girl like me. So everyone was really excited about that."

The race was first introduced in the pilot episode of the original Star Trek series, "The Cage," and memorably reprised by Susan Oliver in the later episode "When Gods Destroy." Luther said that her character is reminiscent of the Orion slave girls of the past. "[The producers] wanted the original feel to my character," Luther said. "That kind of animalistic, predatory nature. I feed off of men."

The landmark episode, titled "Borderland," will also show male Orions for the first time. "Orion males are slave traders," Luther said. "They're green and they're huge and they've got piercings. They're really magnificent-looking creatures. There was The Big Show [aka Paul Wight], a wrestler. These guys are six, seven feet tall. They're just enormous. And then you have little me next to them."

For the role, Luther was airbrushed with multiple coats of green makeup, an arduous process that took nearly five hours. But it was nothing new for the model-turned-actress. "My fiance is a creature effects guy, so he's made me up before," she said. "A lot of people on the set were like, 'Oh, this must be new to you.' And it wasn't. So that was cool. I'm familiar with the process of airbrushing and prosthetics and things like that. I had no prosthetics on, myself. I was wigged, I had beauty makeup on and a lot of green makeup on my body. ... But it really was so much fun and I really would do it every single day. It's a little different than just putting on a little foundation, but it's definitely well worth it."

A relative newcomer to acting, Luther said the cast and crew were very accommodating and made her feel welcome on the set. "I just want to thank all the cast members and crew members who were on the set that day for all their support and the things they taught me and how wonderful it was," she said. "It's not easy being green, but it's really easy being on Star Trek." The new season of Star Trek Enterprise premieres Friday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. "Borderland" is scheduled to air Oct. 29.

 

[Dave]

I seem to be talking to myself here. Is that a sign that no one likes the ideas or they are too stunned by them to respond?

This report has some more on the genesis of the story, although it seems to have ultimately gone in a different direction:

from SciFi Wire

Enterprise Raises Khan

Manny Coto, writer and executive producer of UPN's Star Trek: Enterprise, told SCI FI Wire that Brent Spiner's upcoming guest appearance will take place in a four-episode arc dealing with the Eugenics Wars, first mentioned in the original Star Trek episode "Space Seed" and its movie sequel, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. "Originally for this season I wanted there to be an arc that involved the Eugenics Wars," Coto said in an interview at a screening of the fourth-season premiere in Los Angeles. "They were my favorite part of the Star Trek lore, and I always loved Star Trek II, and I really wanted to do something about the Eugenics Wars and the Eugenics warriors. The U.S. government has a repository of virulent diseases, and I thought, 'What if Starfleet has something similar, where they kept diseases, but on top of that they kept embryos from the Eugenics Wars?' These were like baby Khans [Ricardo Montalban] essentially, and what if someone got ahold of them and tried to resurrect them?"

Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation's Data) will play a criminal ancestor of Noonien Soong, the scientist who created Data. Coto, who joined the production team of Enterprise last season, said that he originally intended the arc's nemesis to be Col. Green, a despotic character from the original series episode "The Savage Curtain," but rewrote the character for Spiner when he expressed interest in appearing on Enterprise. "Originally it was going to be Col. Green, who was briefly mentioned in the original series, but when I heard that Brent Spiner was interested I tailored it towards him," Coto said. "We made him into a scientist who believed in genetic engineering, and he believed that this was the great future of mankind. He conceived this plan to steal the embryos and raise them to adulthood. But what happens is they get away from him. They go on basically a rampage, and they're like mini Khan Noonien Singhs. They're wreaking havoc in this place called the Borderland, which is near the Klingon Empire, and he's threatening to start a war with the Empire."

Spiner got involved with Enterprise through his friendship with executive producer Rick Berman, who co-created The Next Generation. "Brent and Rick are good friends, and Rick threw out the idea that maybe [Spiner] wanted to be on Enterprise," Coto said. "At the beginning of the season I was developing this whole augment story, and Rick came in and said, 'You know, guys, we've got Brent wants to do some Enterprise.' I said, 'Great.' So I basically moved Col. Green out and put Brent in as the character." Season four of Enterprise premieres Oct. 8 in its new Friday 8 p.m. ET/PT timeslot.

Col. Green is still rumoured to appear later in this mini-arc of stories.

 

[Stryker]

This episode arc sounds good, Enterprise might turn a corner with this this story. I

I hope it is good too


With Brett Spiner in it....should be interesting


I hope.....fingers crossed


I have watched them all since day 1.


Just call me a Trek Junkie



I live for it and another sci fi tv series and thats about it.


Stryker

 

[McHorde-Trooper]

I seen this episode and I must say it was pretty good.
I'm looking forward to the next couple of episodes.

Maybe Enterprise has taken a turn for the better.

Though I'm not a fan of the status of the resident Vulcan's damaged relationship.

 

[Mariel]

Originally posted by Dave
I seem to be talking to myself here. Is that a sign that no one likes the ideas or they are too stunned by them to respond?

I stay away from the posts until I've seen the episodes.
I enjoyed this episode, but I missed last weeks. T'Pol is married now? And these augments, are they the for-fathers of Kahn and his group?
:blpaw:

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by Mariel
I stay away from the posts until I've seen the episodes.

That's the best idea, unfortunately I can't help myself, and we have to wait longer than you do.

Originally posted by Mariel
And these augments, are they the for-fathers of Kahn and his group?

I can't help with the marriage until I see the whole episode. As for the augments, I read that they were concurrent with Kahn's group, but reading the spoilers for next week, maybe they ARE meant to be the forefathers. In 'Space Seed' TOS they were said to be from the 1990's, yet they were found in a starship that could not have existed until after Archer left Earth. It's very confusing.

 

[Eway]

I downloaded the episode last week and finally watched it Saturday. I'm not sure if I was distracted or if I was just not that engaged but I was not really intrigued until the end. I'll watch again tonight and share my updated thoughts!!!

 

[Brit Chick]

I dunno, maybe its cos I liked seeing the familar (although human) face of Brent Spiner, but I enjoyed this and think that Enterprise finally has a good story arc that I get interested in. I have to admit to not actually watching a good chunk of last season simply cos I got bored. They promised better storylines this season so I've started watching again - so far its a good start

 

[Dave]

Hmmmmm!

I've been away to the North in a land where there is no 'sky' and my video recorder recorded 'Dead Like Me' instead of 'Enterprise' :evil:

At least I did record 'Dr Who'!

And I'm sure I can catch the recap of the story this week. Please tell me -

T'Pol is really married now - yes or no?
These Augments are frozen as embryos at the same time that Khan's group left Earth in suspended animation, or later on?

 

[ray gower]

I think we can say, with reasonable certainty, T'Pot is married. Just the nuptails have not been affirmed via the traditional wedding night exercises.

So far Khan hasn't been mentioned either.

That Soong is a highly intelligent bloke, who is as mad as a hatter and totally dettached to those around him (just like Data). But yet to see any major intelligence on behalf of his augments.

 

[Dave]

I've read the close captioning for this episode now via the internet and the Augments were frozen as embryo's during the Eugenics Wars. Starfleet should review it's Security and it's Health and Safety procedures in its medical research facilities, and stop hiring maniacs.

I think that the Augments could still be very intelligent, but growing up alone from the age of 10 on an isolated planet would be lacking in education. Who actually looked after them after Soong was captured, and what is it that they actually want now?

I don't see why starting an Intergalactic War does not concern them; they would still be caught in any crossfire.

At this point no one is probably aware that Khan left Earth. Khan and his followers are a much more dangerous prospect than these Auguments, since they were actually warriors in a real war before they left.

I think that completely banning all genetic research was probably a very severe reaction by Earth. I would think that the UFP might review that decision before the 24th Century, but this subject was already coverered in Deep Space Nine with Julian Bashir.