Episode Report Card Keckler: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT The Naked Then
By Keckler | Season 2 | Episode 9 | Aired on 11.19.2002
Sickbay. Phlox mortar-and-pestles something intently. May-One-Scrambled-Brain-Coming-Up walks in and complains of a headache. Phlox barely looks over his shoulder to greet him. Shifty Sign #1. May-One-Scrambled-Brain-Coming-Up assumes it's nothing and just wants some hypo-Advil, stat. Phlox tells him it would be Very Bad of him to go about dispensing medicine without doing excessive amounts of prodding, poking, and pinching to see if any discharge comes out. May-Brain-Omelet tells him he hasn't had any other symptoms, and has had the pain for a couple of days on and off. Phlox tells him he has been meaning to make Continuity pee in his pants and re-examine May-Poached-Brain to see if there's been any life-threatening situation they can play upon for sweeps as a result of the implants implanted by the Truck Stop From Hell. May-One-Brain-Over-Easy asks, "You think it could have something to do with that?" Phlox never rules anything out: "Terrellian Plague starts out with a simple headache and then all manner of nasty things begin to happen." Phlox seems to be lost in a pleasing muse over the "all manner of nasty things," but recalls himself to scan May-This-Is-Your-Brain's neck region for muscular tension. May-This-Is-Your-Brain-On-This-Show is very disconcerted as he contemplates how many more lines he gets before the writers find yet another way to silence him.
Bridge. Trip and one of his enginerds play with the Captain's chair and bug T'Pol, who tries several times to get Trip's attention in order to tell him to cut it out. Trip doesn't hear her over the disturbingly dental sound of his little drill. T'Pol finally gets through to him and suggests he do his drilling another time. They argue about who is more entitled to the Bridge, and Trip says, "I thought Vulcans had all this mental focus and discipline." T'Pol stands up and leans over her console. "We also have sensitive hearing," she says pointedly. Geddit? Pointedly? Hearing? Vulcans have pointed ears? You know, if you're not going to laugh, why are you reading this? Trip accepts that and goes back to his drilling. T'Pol stalks off and says she'll be in her quarters. "We'll let you know when we're done," Trip shouts. Jolene was good in this scene. I think something magical happens when she has to lean over her console and address Trip when he's on the floor. It's happened before.
Armory. Reed putters around with his TOR-pee-dos -- and you know, I wasn't even going for a potty joke that time. I was just making fun of how he pronounces the word, but looky there! Quantum enters, and Reed tells him of the security protocol he wants to introduce to the ship because he thinks the crew can do better when they meet hostile species. "And you have a proposal?" Quantum asks. "I've been thinking of a ship-wide emergency alert -- something a bit more comprehensive than 'Battle Stations.' We're taking far too long to react to potential threats. With a single word from you or an impact to the hull, the plating could be polarized, weapons brought online, critical systems secured," Reed elaborates. Quantum appreciates his concern, but reminds him they're not a warship. "Well, that's obvious, sir," Reed says a bit snittily. He hands over his proposal and elaborates all the ways they did bad when encountering hostiles one through sixteen. Quantum takes a look while Reed fidgets impatiently. "Run this by the senior officers. Get some feedback, and we'll talk again," Quantum suggests. What "senior officers" -- does he mean Trip? Reed accepts this, and Quantum goes to leave, but turns back to say, "And Malcolm, don't call it 'Battle Stations,' think of something less aggressive." Reed puzzles over the meaning of "less aggressive."