Review of
By the Book
Published:
January 2002
Reviewer Rating:
Avg User Rating:
(3.44)
Archer and his crew of the NX-01 Enterprise visit a planet of humanoids with the intention of making first contact with the residents. But the indigenous population has a very structured society with rules and conventions that the Enterprise crew doesn't fully comprehend. And why don't the residents acknowledge the southern continent of their world?
While this really could have been a story for just about any Star Trek crew, what makes this one so unique as an Enterprise-Era story is that it's the first time a human crew has attempted a first contact. Archer himself is biased by how the Vulcans treated their relationship with humanity and he doesn't want to be like that to any society he meets. But as the complications and faux pas pile up, he starts to realize just how complicated this type of mission is and just how easy it could be to disrupt a fledgling society. Throughout the series up to this point, Archer has found himself confronted with his own bias and he grows more and more understanding of the Vulcans' behaviors. He may not quite get that chip off his shoulder, but understanding does bear out wisdom.
There's a secondary story about Travis Mayweather and some other crew creating and enjoying a role playing game during their off hours. This will serve as an amusement to anyone who is a regular, or even casual player. While this side plot doesn't really feed the main story at all, some of the players figure in. It's a nice way to get deeper into a few of these side characters that you wouldn't normally get to see much of. In fact, a few are picked up from one of the Season 1 episodes in which they were supporting cast. Nice to see them again.
A fun piece of Star Trek history that fans of any era could enjoy.
While this really could have been a story for just about any Star Trek crew, what makes this one so unique as an Enterprise-Era story is that it's the first time a human crew has attempted a first contact. Archer himself is biased by how the Vulcans treated their relationship with humanity and he doesn't want to be like that to any society he meets. But as the complications and faux pas pile up, he starts to realize just how complicated this type of mission is and just how easy it could be to disrupt a fledgling society. Throughout the series up to this point, Archer has found himself confronted with his own bias and he grows more and more understanding of the Vulcans' behaviors. He may not quite get that chip off his shoulder, but understanding does bear out wisdom.
There's a secondary story about Travis Mayweather and some other crew creating and enjoying a role playing game during their off hours. This will serve as an amusement to anyone who is a regular, or even casual player. While this side plot doesn't really feed the main story at all, some of the players figure in. It's a nice way to get deeper into a few of these side characters that you wouldn't normally get to see much of. In fact, a few are picked up from one of the Season 1 episodes in which they were supporting cast. Nice to see them again.
A fun piece of Star Trek history that fans of any era could enjoy.
