Web Critics Look At 'Desert Crossing'

See Also: 'Desert Crossing' Episode Guide

There were some pretty wide-ranging opinions on display about the second new Enterprise episode to air last week, 'Desert Crossing'.

Here's a round-up of some of the comments about the episode so far:

• ScoopMe's CJ Carter didn't have much to say about the episode.

  I wish there was more to talk about with this episode, but it was thin. On the plus side, it wasn't the worst attempt Trek has ever done with a modern events allegory (it isn't even the worst Enterprise attempt), but the lack of plot, depth, and SF trappings doesn't make it a must-have for the video library, either.

  
  For the full review, follow this link.

• "If I had to use one word to sum up 'Desert Crossing,' that word might be ponderous," wrote Tim Lynch at Psi Phi. "It doesn't do anything offensively bad or that seems actively out of character, but from a dramatic standpoint it does something that's almost worse: it's dull. Extremely dull."
  In the complete analysis the episode was given a 4/10 rating.

• O Deus at TrekWeb failed to be impressed by the episode. "Written by Andre Bormanis, who has produced some of Enterprise's best episodes previously, 'Desert Crossing' seems to have been the victim of some radical rewrites that left the script lacking any real focus," he wrote. "Early on, the script appears to have the germ of a political statement but this is supplanted in favor of churning out yet another 'Trip and Archer' get in trouble episode that devotes a good deal of time to having Trip and Archer stumble around the desert, but doesn't manage to do anything interesting with the material."
  The complete review can be found here.

• "When the episode first started, I thought we would be watching another episode of the 'Archer–Tucker Show,'" wrote Q at Section 31. "However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the writers managed to keep the continuity intact, and how strong the story was."
  In the full review, the episode is given a 9/10 rating.

• "A nice dessert for the evening with an above average episode," wrote Captain Mac at Trek5. "What appears to be a build up toward an interesting story on politics and loyalties takes a sudden turn becoming instead a survival story in the throes of desert sun and heat." For the complete analysis, in which the episode is given a warp 4 rating, click here.

• Over at Monkee's Place, Monkee had plenty of good points to make about this episode.

  We're dumped into the middle of this conflict right along with Archer. [...] How could they possibly, over dinner, or in just a couple of days, understand the political complexities of a region that's been in conflict for thousands of years? They couldn't! Even though Archer ends up sympathising with Zobral and his cause, he knows better, this time, than to interfere. Good call, because even though we learn very little about the Torathans, all of their actions could well be justified. It's not often that a Trek 'message episode' is allowed to be this open-ended. Nice job.

  
  For the full review in which the episode is rated 9.5/10, follow this link.

More information about the episode, can be found in the episode guide.

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