Trek sure likes serving up a good ghost story now and then. TOS had its seasonally apt and trick-filled episode "Catspaw." ENT gives us an early Halloween treat with "Strange New World."

Each series also likes to - pardon me - "trip" out the characters early in the run so we viewers can observe their emotional core, as seen in TOS's "Naked Time" and TNG's "Naked Now." (All the Decon-free Naked's that is.) And boy did we get a far-out "Trip" this time.

Whoda thunk Tucker's really a twitchy-fingered gun-waving Southerner? We've already learned he can't drive without running into something stationary. Now we're to think he further can't seek out new life without wanting to squish it under his boot? I hope this experience integrates itself into his otherwise optimistic outlook.

(Here I had been wondering if news reports were following the NX-01 mission. If not, at least "Vulcan Nightly Cam" is! It might be nice to hear what folks back home on Earth have to say a few more steps down the path.)

Confirming fan suspicions, we also glimpse a new pilot replacing Mayweather at helm. Travis got good screen time though, and he seems like the most welcome storyteller around distant campfires. I do so hope we get deeper background for him - can you identify easily with someone who sees home not as a place, but rather as a way to get around from place to place?

Sadly but inevitably the immaculate phase of Enterprise passes this week, fallen victim to silly plot excuses (the landing party remembers the big heavy phase-pistol carrying case, but not the light and shiny food packs) and pharmacotreknobabble (a "stray neutron" in tropolycine does what?). I liked the new crewmembers and hope to encounter them again.

Trading treat for trick though, we enjoyed some useful close-ups of the shuttlepod and Launch Bay, took a long linguistic lesson in Vulcan, frolicked along with Porthos the beagle, and last but certainly not least, witnessed ENT's first Vulcan nerve pinch! Caught me (like Mayweather) totally cold - what a nice surprise!

Reflecting the nature of bad trips everywhere, in times to come we may recall the first two episodes as comparatively better. I'm still not sure whether or not any bottomless pits or silicon-based rock creatures exist on that strange new world and as a simple viewer, I prefer plain steak-and-potatoes (as does Archer!) in my Trek.

But it was still alot of fun. Maybe 'tis the ghost of George Web who squeaks the Captain's floor!


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