Episode Report Card Strega: F | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Strifeboat
By Strega | Season 1 | Episode 16 | Aired on 02.12.2002
The shuttle spins lazily past the camera. Okay, the explosion threw it off course. I can buy that. In fact, it seems like that might be a problem that nobody's bothered talking about. I guess it doesn't matter if they're within sensor range. Malcolm and Trip have resumed huddling on the floor, and are betting the rest of the bourbon on whether or not they have less than twelve hours of oxygen left. Malcolm checks the controls and announces, "Ten hours." Trip won, woo hoo. He has a gulp of bourbon and then hands over the bottle, so I guess he's already forgotten about the bet. Trip then notes that if there were only one of them on board, there'd be enough air to last for -- wait, don't tell me -- twenty hours! Malcolm wryly suggests, "Why don't you climb up into the airlock and seal yourself in?" Trip gets up and says, "Tell Captain Archer that it was one hell of an honor serving with him," then starts climbing the ladder to the airlock. If somebody had thought of this two days ago, they could have left the heat on. Malcolm gets irate and tells Trip to come back down. They argue for a minute, and then Malcolm pulls a phaser out and orders Trip to come down. Trip, as confused as I am, asks, "What're you gonna do, kill me?" Malcolm explains that it's set for stun. Trip climbs down and gripes, "Stop trying to be a hero; it doesn't suit you!" Then he climbs back up. Malcolm yells at Trip. Trip climbs down. I'm starting to feel like the scene is taking place on a see-saw. Trip says that if they survive, he'll bust Malcolm for insubordination. Malcolm doesn't care. Trip asks, "Just who do you think you are?" and Malcolm yanks Trip down and shouts, "Your armory officer! And perhaps your friend!" Trip notes, "Friends don't shoot each other!" Good point. Malcolm says, "You know, I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure you use up a lot more oxygen when you shout! Like! That!" Another good point. Trip finally sits down again and asks if he'd rather that the Enterprise find them both dead. Malcolm says yes. Seconded. Malcolm says he'll take the chance, adding, "I've invested far too much time trying to figure you out, Mr. Tucker. I'm not about to accept that it was all for nothing." Aw, that's...something, I guess. Wait, was that the whole point?
It sure looks that way, because we cut to Malcolm waking up in sick bay. Captain Quantum cheerfully informs him, "You fellas had a nice little bout with hypothermia." Trip's still asleep or unconscious on a neighboring bed. Malcolm explains that they thought the ship had been destroyed, and chokes up. Quantum says he'll explain in the morning, and heads out. T'Pol, who's been standing there silently, starts to follow Quantum, but Malcolm calls her back. He asks, "Isn't there something [that] you're supposed to say to me?" T'Pol has nothing to say, which is a shame, since I've got a whole list of suggestions! Malcolm prompts, "Something about heroics?" T'Pol says goodnight, and leaves. Malcolm looks over at the sleeping Trip and says, "Trip? Mind if I call you 'Trip'? Sleep well, my friend." And on that ambiguous note, we're done. I should try and say something nice, right? Um. I was impressed with how they managed to make contact with aliens without ever showing them on-screen. That's budget-friendly writing!