Warp Five 218: Against Cultural Norms / by C Bryan Jones

“Fusion” 20th-anniversary reflections

Running Time: 47 minutes 13 seconds
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When a Vulcan ship shows up, Archer is ready for more of the charming conversation made famous by Captain Vanik. What he gets is something altogether different. The captain of this ship, Tavin, says he and his crew are on a mission of exploration. But what they are exploring isn't space but rather emotions. Sound crazy? Well, not all Vulcans are in love with logic, and this group, known as the V'tosh ka'tur, would not be welcome at the High Command. Once aboard the Enterprise, an engineer named Kov gets a chance to dispel the rumors he's heard about people of Earth, while his crewmate Tolaris takes far more sinister actions towards a fellow Vulcan, T'Pol.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we explore “Fusion” and the difficult but important subjects it covers. We discuss the different approach the series took with Vulcans, the predatory nature of Tolaris, and how the interaction between Trip and Kov—being open to honestly talking to those who are different from you—could make a difference in today's divisive and reactionary world.

Chapters

Intro (00:00:00)
Vulcan Variety (00:02:38)
Tearing Down Cultural Norms (00:08:24)
Outliers and Broad Brushes (00:15:58)
Contrast and Communicate (00:21:26)
Inside T’Pol’s Mind (00:27:20)
Developing Vulcans (00:37:24)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:40:05)
Closing (00:42:37)

Hosts

C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production

C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

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