Episode Report Card Keckler: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Flight Of The Simulator
By Keckler | Season 3 | Episode 14 | Aired on 02.03.2004
On the Xindi ship, Degra gives orders to deploy the sensor drones. They are fired upon by Enterprise. Mr. Men can't contact the Xindi of the Round Table because Enterprise disabled their transceiver, and when they try to run, Reed aims for their engines and hobbles them. Quantum comms that they should prepare to be boarded. "Thalen!" Degra barks at an underling, who starts playing with a computer screen.
An outer-space shot shows Enterprise docked with Degra's ship. Degra has a small ship. I wonder how Quantum feels about that. He probably doesn't, and that's the real problem.
On Degra's small ship, T'Pol, Quantum, and Hoshi discover that the Mr. Men managed to erase most of their data. However, Hoshi finds a letter in one of Degra's personal files. Unfortunately, he doesn't mention anything about the weapon, but does reference visiting a planet called Azati Prime. Trip's got his head in the Xindi ship's engines, and comments that he'd love to spend hours undressing the ship. He points out that everything is tied into their main deflector. And that's a good thing, right? Quantum tells him to learn all he can, and leaves.
An overhead shot shows the three Mr. Men tucked into a single brig cell. Degra bends over a gorgeous sink to rinse off his face. The bowl of the sink is green glass, and very Spartan-looking with simple, clean lines along the faucet and stand. It reminds me of the Kohler commercials, "You can't live without water. Can you live without art?" God, I love the design details on this set. Although, at the same time, I'm depressed that a containment cell has a nicer sink than I do. Quantum stalks in and demands information from Degra regarding the WMD. He doesn't offer to escort him to the airlock in order to better discuss the situation. It worked so well that one time, I'm really wondering why Quantum hasn't done it again. Degra is mum on the matter, even when Quantum threatens, "If you don't tell me what I need to know, perhaps one of your MEN WILL." Okay, this is bad; I totally can't do justice to Quantum's line for those of you who didn't watch this episode, but Bakula put this timbre into his voice that, so help me, sounded all Evil Mad Scientisty or Evil Moustache-Twirling Man. I couldn't take him seriously. In the middle of all this, Reed comms Quantum to say that there's dangerous radiation afoot, and that he would recommend putting distance between them and the test site. Quantum okays this, and gets back to being angry with Degra, but it doesn't work. He has a face of fury but you know he's crying on the inside.