Episode Report Card Keckler: D+ | 8 USERS: F YOU GRADE IT It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to YesterTrek
By Keckler | Season 4 | Episode 22 | Aired on 05.12.2005
In some Green room, T'Pol watches Quantum with her arms crossed. Quantum goes over his speech. Phlox sits in a chair. As Quantum paces, T'Pol jumps on him and seizes him by the throat. I start to get really hopeful that we're finally going to see that Vulcan super-strength in action, but she's just buttoning the extremely large buttons on his white-collared shirt. Quantum gets annoyed and tries to walk away. "Please, stand still," T'Pol says. "If you hadn't waited until the last minute, you would have had time to memorize your speech." Quantum makes a stupid comment, which I ignore. The thing about his Fruitlessly Festering Furrows is that when I say, "Shut your face, Quantum," I literally mean, "Shut your FACE, Quantum!" Phlox chortles that there are visiting dignitaries from eighteen different worlds, "I wouldn't be surprised if this Alliance begins to EXPAND before we know it. You should be very proud of yourself, Captain." Quantum bitches that he'll be proud if he gets the "speech out in one piece." Phlox says that's not what he meant. Quantum drops his shoulders and furrows, "I know what you meant, Phlox, but this is not about me." "Why do so many humans refuse to take credit where CREDIT is DUE?" T'Pol asks Phlox and Quantum. She adds, "There are times when modesty and humility are quite illogical." A red-stripe comes to get Quantum. Phlox trots off to join his three wives, but not before saying, "I'd wish you good luck, Captain, but you've always had an ample supply." And he refused to share it with Trip. Phlox treats Quantum and the viewing audience to a Phloxian smile and leaves. Quantum tells T'Pol, "You'd better get out there -- you don't want to miss me screwing this thing up." T'Pol fidgets and says she's going to remain down there if that's okay with him. Hee -- smart girl, she doesn't want to hear another of his crummy old speeches either. "You never did like crowds, did you?" Quantum asks, pulling a T'Polian characterization straight out of his butt. Quantum nods and starts to climb the stairs. T'Pol fidgets. "You look --" she calls out. Quantum turns around. "Very heroic," T'Pol finishes. Quantum looks off into the distance to maintain that heroic look a bit longer. Then he turns to looks out at the arena. He pauses and walks back down to T'Pol to engulf her in a hug. Careful -- you break her, you bought her. But it was a very nice moment. One of the best of this whole damned series. Quantum steps back and takes another look at T'Pol. He rubs her upper arm and walks away. T'Pol still can't manage to stand still. She waves around like a field of corn. Still protesting, Jolene? Good girl.
We pull waaaay back and see a CGI Quantum walking down the red carpet under a spotlight. Thunderous applause. We pan to the box of the Seat Squabbling Subordinates as Riker joins Troi. Bormanis, Coto, and the Reeves-Stevenses are in that box as well. Riker tells Troi he's ready to tell Picard about Pegasus. Which is totally not the way it happens in that particular episode. They are on the Pegasus, enclosed in rock, trapped by the Romulans, and he then decides it's a good idea to ignore Pressman's loud orders and tell Picard. And get thrown in the brig. "So I guess we're through here," Troi says. "I guess we are," Riker says, looking around. Heh -- they don't want to stay for Quantum's speech, either. "Computer," Riker says and turns to lock gazes with Troi, "end program." The scene dissolves into the holodeck grid and Riker and Troi walk out.