Episode Report Card Keckler: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Starfleet and Coffee, Maple Syrup and Damn
By Keckler | Season 2 | Episode 26 | Aired on 05.20.2003
Outside, Soval talks to T'Pol about her career, and tells her she should be able to return to her duties on Earth within a year: "That is, if you're still interested. You haven't been back to Vulcan for some time. You may find your assignment at the Ministry of Information refreshing." T'Pol wonders why she can't stay in San Francisco, and Soval tells her she's spent way too much time with humans. T'Pol, verging on getting emotional -- which really makes no good sense -- argues with Soval about being needed on Enterprise now more than ever. Although she believes it is her choice whether or not to return to Vulcan, Soval tells T'Pol that to refuse to go back to her home planet would result in an immediate dismissal from her post.
Enterprise. Quantum and Forrest walk through the corridors as Quantum says that Soval agreed to allow them to return T'Pol to Vulcan on their way to the Delphic Expanse. Do you think there's an oracle in the expanse that tells you things like, "You will kill your father, marry your mother, and do try to keep your eyes away from an insurmountable desire to puncture them"? I do. At the airlock, Forrest and Quantum say their goodbyes, and Forrest wishes Quantum luck before leaving to rub his hands over some more evil plans. He's already thinking, "It was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator! It is quite safe from your pitiful little band. An entire legion of my best troops awaits them! Oh, I'm afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive." The moorings release, and the Enterprise leaves the Giant Hairclip. I swear they recycled that scene from the first episode. Yup, they did. It's still a well-done scene.
Duras's Ship. The Klingons lie in wait for Enterprise to go to warp. They charge their weapons and bring them online.
Mess Hall. In comfy civvies and nursing insomnia, Trip and Quantum indulge in a little Small Batch Basil Haden. Trip asks after Porthos: "If no people have ever returned from the Delphic Expanse, I doubt any dogs have." Oh, please don't say that! Man, he should've left the poor pooch at home. With me. Quantum says he's fast asleep. Trip asks if Quantum picks a new science officer, and then supposes that Quantum is going to miss T'Pol. "When they first assigned her, I felt like strangling Soval," is all Quantum says. Trip comments, "Ah, she duz kinda grow on yuh." Like a fungus with dinners. Quantum thought that Trip would be the first to escort her to the airlock. "Nah," Trip shakes his head, managing to imply that maybe once he would've, but now he's got bigger catfish to pan-fry. Trip proposes a toast to Quantum's father: "I wonder what he woulda thought if he'd known his injin was gonna help save the human race." This would be where Quantum should propose a toast to Trip's sister to show he actually cares. But he doesn't. So I go on hating him. Instead, he reminisces about how much more responsibility he has now, compared to when he first landed the job. Selfish bastard. "And then we began running into so many...bad guys, and I had to start thinking about the safety of eighty-three people," Quantum finishes. "And the stakes just got a lot bigger," Trip says. Quantum shrugs and says, "Weight of the world, Trip." No, he DIDN'T JUST SAY THAT! God, if ever I should take something to be a shout-out, that would be it. Man. Someone on the writing staff must be reading these. Trip's face hardens, his nostrils light some flares, and he says, "I can't wait to get in there, Captain. Find the people who did this and tell me we won't be tiptoeing around. None of that non-interference crap T'Pol's always shoving down our throats. Maybe it's a good thang she's leavin'." Okay, first of all, the Xindi attacked Earth because they were acting in preemptive self-defense. I think talking to them before blowing them to Kingdom Come as Trip ordered Reed to do might actually be a good idea. Second of all, I guess the non-reactionary Trip of the end of "Cogenitor" is gone, as he is now fueled with righteous anger and we won't see him considering the consequences before he leaps to action. Quantum assures him that they will do what they have to, "whatever it takes." The ship rocks with blasts.