I just finished watching the “Enterprise” third season premier, “The Xindi.” The show itself was rather dull; so far, this series has yet to hit the level of enjoyability of “Star Trek” or “Next Generation.”
What’s particularly amusing is the continued use of Jolene Blaylock almost entirely as a sex object. From the beginning, they’ve used the lamest ploys to get her in scanty outfits. I thought the bizarre ritual of having to decontaminate in one’s underwear by smearing ointment all over oneself was the lowest point, but tonight’s episode easily exceeded that. I have no objection to seeing Blaylock’s body; indeed, as best I can determine, displaying it is her primary talent. But that’s not really supposed to be the point of a sci-fi show, let alone one in the Trek universe.
Update (1312): Apropos Jen and Kathy’s comments, I am reminded that the only thing new here is the blatancy. While Uhura in a mini skirt may not have been exploitative in the context of 1966-69, clearly the only reason to have the Deana Troi character on TNG was her sex appeal. They even put her in a different uniform in order to accentuate her bosom. I don’t recall a comparable character on DS9 and didn’t watch Voyager much, although I seem to recall that they introduced a blonde Borg female toward the end of that run.
