Episode Report Card Keckler: C- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Nobs And Nonsense
By Keckler | Season 1 | Episode 9 | Aired on 11.13.2001
Enterprise bridge. T'Pol says she's detecting neutrino emissions coming from one of the continents. Quantum asks what could be causing it. "Possibly an anti-matter reactor," T'Pol says. "These people don't even have indoor plumbing," says Trip the Pewp Engineer. Hoshi makes the very credible suggestion that some clans might be more advanced than others. "Or maybe we're not the first visitors," Quantum says, immediately jumping to the conclusion of the permanently paranoid. Compare Silicon Valley to certain parts of India, and you'll find a disparity in technological development. It happens, Capt. Gee-Whiz. "What about non-indigenous bio-signs?" Quantum asks. T'Pol employs the Spock Viewer and says, "I'm not reading any, but at this range, it's hard to be certain." Quantum tells Trip and T'Pol to accompany him to Phlox's Clinique counter. "Let the Quartermaster know we'll need three more sets of clothing," the Captain orders Hoshi. Mayflower stagnates at his post and attempts not to turn into a puddle of green envy.
Shuttlepod. Trip morosely regards his criss-crossed calves and leather-trussed feet, saying, "M'feet would be a lot happier in m'own boots." I didn't know they could hold whine tastings in their shuttlepods. From the driver's seat, Quantum grins indulgently and then asks, "What's this?" as Hoshi hands him something. "Identification papers," she explains, passing a set to each of the crew, "Everyone in the city has to carry them." Groovy. National IDs. T'Pol -- wearing a long brunette wig that makes her look like a Woodstock reject -- examines her papers before tucking them out of sight. Trip says, "T'Pol," and twirls his index finger near his ear. T'Pol watches him for a second, attempting to figure out if he's trying to tell her she's loony, before realizing that his gesture means her peaked Vulcan ears are exposed. Without a word, she pulls her fake locks around them and looks at Trip for verification. ["Why wouldn't they put her in a head scarf like Hoshi's? Stupid humans." -- Wing Chun] He nods and goes back to studying his ID papers. It was kind of a nice, almost tender, scene of mutual camaraderie, but Quantum had to ruin the whole effect by smiling indulgently down on them from his chair. I truly wonder how many times I will say "Quantum smiles indulgently" in each recap. It seems to have made its way into his permanent John Wayne Facial Repertoire. Quantum noisily lands the shuttlepod in a sparsely wooded area, which, by-the-by, looks nothing like a farm to me. And I grew up in the Midwest.