Episode Report Card Keckler: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Blue Swayed Crews
By Keckler | Season 3 | Episode 13 | Aired on 01.20.2004
Mess hall. A sweaty-faced Reed requests, "Coffee. Black," from the is-it-or-is-it-not-a-replicator machine. "No tea?" Trip quips. "Yeah, and no crumpets, either, thank you!" Reed tells him. Hey! I had tea and crumpets for breakfast today. I'm actually not kidding, I really did. Reed and Trip dish. "What's the situation like in Engineering?" Reed asks. "Bad. The Armory?" Trip answers, chewing on a tasty-looking sandwich. "Worse," Reed announces.
Andorianna enters and demands to know which one is Reed. Trip and Reed turn to look, and Reed announces that it is he. Andorianna stalks over and says, "I assumed I'd find you in the Armory, not relaxing...here. What is that?" She's referring to his coffee and her question was hysterically preceded by a sniff and an investigation by her antlers. "It's coffee," Reed says, "and just for the record, I haven't left the Armory for so much as a bathroom break in nearly twelve hours." What is WITH Reed and the bathroom fixation? Also, twelve hours, really Reed? You're going to have a blockage soon. After Reed prompts her, Andorianna introduces herself, and then Reed introduces her to Trip. "Pleasure," Trip nods. Andorianna barely acknowledges this and tells Reed she's there to help him with his torpedoes. "Indeed, well, I'll see if I can find something for you to do," Reed says. Didn't you hear? She's going to do your torpedoes. Andorianna tells Reed that since she's got duties of her own back on her ship, she's not there to dick around. "Well, I'll let you two get acquainted," Trip says; he pops a chip in his mouth, and leaves. HAH! It's how he says the "well" that's the best part. It's like he smooshed the "well" and "I'll" together so it came out, "Wall let you two get acquainted." I can't believe how much Connor Trinneer has grown on me since the first season. I know, it's disgusting and I'm seeking enema therapy.
After dinner, Shran McCain and Quantum chew the fat. Shran McCain pulls out a curvy bottle (clearly a Pier 1 special emptied of its fermenting, seasoned "olive oil") of blue Andorian ale and says they have a lot to celebrate since he never thought he'd find Quantum alive in The Expanse. Quantum, ever the prig, begs off slightly. I think it would do Quantum a world of good to get rip-roaring drunk. He could play "Asshole" and win every time! Shran McCain pretty much tells him to lighten the hell up and pours out two glasses, saying, "You seemed to enjoy it the last time we met." He also mentions that he brought Quantum a few extra bottles. They toast "to a swift victory" and drink. Whisky Faces duly made, Quantum squints and asks how Shran McCain got picked for this assignment. "I volunteered," says Shran McCain, fixing him with a look and pouring more ale for himself. "It made sense, I've had the greatest amount of contact with pink-- with humans. And the last time we met you helped my people avert a war. I don't like unpaid debts." Because they keep him up at night, remember? Quantum comments that they keep doing each other favors. "Isn't that how alliances are born?" Shran McCain says. Well, said, sir. Especially if you have lots of oil. They raise their shot glasses and drink again.