[lonnarin]

My version would be best directed by John Carpoenter or David Lynch, lol! Carpenter caught my eye with They Live and The Thing, and Lynch is purely the MASTER of directing the human condition at its worst moments. Of course, all the series had guest directors and more than a few producers. After seeing First Contact and due to his extensive firsthand experience witht he series, Jonathan Frakes would make an ideal lead producer.

As for Enterprise, I did like the action sequences, lighting, set design, directing etc... what blew it for me was the casting and character development. Other than Archer, T'Pal and Phlox, the rest of the cast really didn't fit in well, nor did I really identify with them. Trip felt like a carbon-copy of Lt. Paris, Yoshi didn't recieve any decent camera-time or development, that black guy who was born on the mars colony had so few significant scenes that I don't even remember his name. (sad, because he was a decent actor). It's what's known as the "Harry Kim Complex" among die-hard fans... having a reocurring character show up every week but only ever get to punch buttons. I would have liked to have seen the Mars Colony, seen Yoshi fall in love, Trip do something other than act like Tom Paris... etc, but the producers seemed more intent on showing T'Pal's cleavage, Bakula pe his dog and relying on cheesy one-liners.

Speaking of cleavage, remember when Star Trek women were strong, smart and sexy without being strippers? Uhura was not only the 1st miniskirt on television, an amazing orator and sporting an afro, but she also was THE person on the ship to go to when the communications relay or main computer fried. They had many scenes of her saudering microchips onto circuit boards and helping come up with communications-based technical solutions. Crusher portrayed a brilliant medical biologist, a strong single mother and a love interest for Picard without ever having to bare skin. Troi was the resident hotty of TNG, and the most affluent of the human condition. Then... you had Major Kira, passionate, stubborn and idealistic with terrorist cell tactics and guerrilla warfare training as well as Dax the neigh omniscient science officer who could swing a bat-leth on par with Worf.

Then Voyager and Enterprise came. Catherine Janeway, the first female captain with a scientist's mind and a school principal's attitude and shakespearian acting was a good start, and B'lanna Torres' hot-headed half-Klingon personality were classic. Things were seriously looking up for female empowerment in the 24th century. Then they decided to hire a swimsuit model (Jeri Ryan) and have her run around in a skin-tight butt-clinging unitard all day, getting naked every 3 episodes, with this cold drone-like personality that bordered upon dominatrix fantasy. Rinse, recycle, repeat... T'Pal was re repackaged form. More skin-tight uniforms, cleavage, scenes of her getting oiled up with "anti-bacterial gell" from the leading men, and the same cold, stereotypically unattainable personality. Yoshi was practically unused the entire series, and although T'Pal was strong and competent enough, getting naked every 3 episodes and wearing the textbook skin-tight unitard of Jeri Ryan's totally ruined it.

Which is why we need Klingon women... even scantily clad ones retain their dignity.