(2x03) Breakfast at Jonathan's: Minefield!

[entkayjay]

Yay, discuss!

[Aquarius]

This episode kind of disappointed me in some ways. Yeah, I know, for the sake of having an action/adventure show, they often send the captain out to do things that a real captain of a real ship would never do. Suspension of disbelief and the fact that it isn't as interesting if he sends out the person whose job it actually *is* to do it, etc. But this situation was one of those glaring examples where I can't silence the "hey, wait a minute--" voice in my head. Jon's a test pilot, not an engineer and not a bomb dude. Trip should've gone, or someone from Reed's own department. You know--someone qualified.

I know. It is what it is. but it was one of the big WTFs for me.

They made up for it with Dirty Trip, though. I have never seen a man look so hot through soot. And T'Pol--I'd never noticed before, but she was absolutely stunning in this ep. I need to watch closely...I don't know if there was some subtle change to her makeup for Season Two, but here and in Carbon Creek, Jolene looked truly amazing. And the few scenes where she and Trip were together? Absolutely .

[Honeybee]

I think they did acknowledge onscreen that Jon wasn't exactly behaving by the book, but it still bothers me. If he dies, the mission is over and they established in Shockwave II (and every time Daniels shows up) the mission is important. I also fully recognize that it's more dramatic and it led to this professional bonding between Malcolm and Jon.

Plus, I think there's a little bit of "Young Picard gets his heart stabbed" here - and we are expecting Jon to learn from this. His hot headed, take charge attitude can be a positive and a negative.

I wanted more Romulan stuff as well. I wanted perhaps T'Pol to be more scared, in her Vulcan fashion, of these ominous people. The mine is a threat, but it feels like more of an accident - oops, we hit a minefield, instead of we stumbled upon some seriously scary people here. I would have liked to see the tone more like Regeneration.

It is really cool, however, how this establishes just how much Jon cares for his crew. His biggest strength as a captain has always been having the right people behind him, and that's explored really well here. He knows that personal relationships are essential on these deep space missions - because they are more like a family than just a crew. That speaks very well to Jon's character.

And I must say, I love competent Malcolm. And despite the whole big thing through the leg, he was very in control and professional.

And I agree, Aquarius, scruffy Trip is awesome. And T'Pol looks gorgeous in this episode, though they are definitely B players.

[Aquarius]

I think they did acknowledge onscreen that Jon wasn't exactly behaving by the book, but it still bothers me. If he dies, the mission is over and they established in Shockwave II (and every time Daniels shows up) the mission is important. I also fully recognize that it's more dramatic and it led to this professional bonding between Malcolm and Jon.

Plus, I think there's a little bit of "Young Picard gets his heart stabbed" here - and we are expecting Jon to learn from this. His hot headed, take charge attitude can be a positive and a negative.

I agree with all of this. But the pragmatist in me says, if I were the one out on the hull with a mine claw stuck through my leg, who do I really want helping me? Test Pilot Guy? Or Engineer and/or Security Guy Who Knows What He's Doing? Sorry--I see my captain coming in that sitch, my first thought is "I'm dead," not "Oh, good."

[Honeybee]

Being the guy in charge is a unique skill set, isn't it? You really have to learn to delegate, and we do see Jon doing that often. He makes a lot of good decisions here, too, such as not being willing to sacrifice Malcolm or his leg and having Trip ready his plan, but making it a last resort.

I think, yes, we do have to suspend the disbelief that he would crawl out there on the hull in person. Wouldn't happen in RL, but it made for great character moments.

[creek_chub]

Malcolm is an ok character, but not one of my favorites, and this episode highlights why. He gives up hope waaaay too easily. I know it's a TV show and there needs to be tension but seriously, aren't living beings supposed to have the instinct to fight for survival? Jeez, Malcolm! Archer shouldn't have to order you to think of a way to live.

[Honeybee]

You know, come to think of it, after Shuttlepod One, Malcolm's pessimism feels a little like a throw back to pre-Shuttlepod One Malcolm. Although, I'm 100% sure that the writers meant this as a continuation of that character trait as seen in Shuttlepod One.

I'm of two minds. 1) Being paranoid and pessimistic might make you a better security officer. You always mistrust, plan for the worst. 2) As you say, it can lead to giving up too easily. Although, it can't be argued that Malcolm wants to die. His joy at being rescued is as palatable as Trip's at the end of Shuttlepod One. Perhaps we're supposed to think Malcolm is loosening up around peers (like Trip in 2D2N) but still can't, at the outset of this episode, open up to the captain. We certainly do see a relaxed version of Malcolm in 2D2N, and flashes of that Malcolm in Shuttlepod One as well.

[Aquarius]

I don't equate paranoia and pessimism with characteristics that make a good security officer. Paranoia is irrational. Pessimism means being doomed to fail before you even get started--because you're already convinced you're going to. A pessimist is going to give up the minute the bad guy shows up--oh it doesn't matter what I do, I'm screwed any way--that kind of thing.

Cautious? Yes. Willing to sacrifice one's self to save the ship? Check. But a self-defeating attitude doesn't make a good security officer. Planning for contingencies makes a good security officer. And, I would think, a good security officer would keep trying until the bitter end.

[EntAllat]

I'll have to wait until I get a chance to rewatch the episode before I can comment on it, since I've learned that I discover things I hadn't seen or noticed before with each rewatch.

However, I did want to say that I find the idea that "Malcolm gives up too easily" very interesting because that's not what went through my mind the first time I watched this episode. The problem is, I'm finding I can't articulate why! Maybe it'll clarify for me (or change) when I do watch the episode again.

[entkayjay]

*sigh* Happy place.

This is A/R subtext at one of its finest moments. Other eps being Silent Enemy, The Communicator, most of Season 3 in bits and pieces, and of course Affliction.

Both Jon and Malcolm are explored quite in-depth in this piece, with much revealed and reinforced about what we already know about both of them. And a very nice beginning to the trust we see so openly between them professionally throughout Season 3. Malcolm may have started out with reservations about Jon's command methods, but in the final episode he was going to follow Captain Archer to his next assignment. For someone with Malcolm's stubbornness and level of professionalism, that's saying a lot in the way of development of their relationship, both as canon and as subtext.

Archer is hands-on, do-it-yourself even as a captain -- whether that's a good thing or a bad thing to be. It simply is what he does. (And funnily enough, it seems to happen a lot when Malcolm is involved... the number of times that Archer "saves" Reed is actually quite embarrassing, lol... just talk to someone with a very strong Malcolm!Muse.) He does let his people do their jobs, but part of being a good Captain is being able to read what those people need. In watching their interaction I saw that he knew, instinctively, how to bring Malcolm back around to focusing on what was important -- engaging him with that commanding voice, using his rank. Anyone else out there would not have been able to do that. Not Trip, not someone under Malcolm's command. Maybe his father, god help us all.

Did Jon know that going out? No, but that was just Jon, being Jon.

I'd probably think that for someone with aquaphobia, pinned to the hull of a ship in outer space by a spike through the leg, oh and it's a mine no less, being a bit pessimistic about his situation is the least of concerns. Malcolm probably would have sat there all day if they had all the time in the world. But there was a hostile alien species firing warning shots past their bow, and at the end of the day Malcolm's job is to protect the ship at all costs. He's trained to give his life for the janitor if necessary. And there was his captain saving him instead. That probably triggered an even bigger "well, I have to do my job here, dammit" feeling in him. Including a big heaping helping of "in spite of your too-relaxed command style. Sir."

ARCHER: ... If I were the kind of captain you think I should be I'd bust your ass back to crewman.
REED: Begging your pardon, sir, but if you were that kind of captain we wouldn't be having this conversation. You'd have cut me loose by now. (Emphasis added.)

That wasn't Malcolm giving up. That was Malcolm trying to do what he believed at that moment Jon should have been doing because in his mind, if they didn't, the Romulans were going to blow them all up. And then he would not have done his job of protecting the ship and everyone in it. Duty is HUGE to Malcolm, on both a personal and professional level, to the point of being a neurosis at times, at least in fanon.

And Malcolm is indeed a bit neurotic to begin with, after all.

More thoughts soon, I hope. So much more to say!