Episode Report Card Keckler: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Crazy Like A Phlox
By Keckler | Season 2 | Episode 21 | Aired on 04.22.2003
Pike's Peak. Possibly at the bottom of the cave -- although from May-Maegeshira's glance down, it really looked never-ending -- the three try to figure out which tunnel to take. Reed hazards a suggestion, and when Trip questions him on it, he points at some crystally things in the rock and says, "If I was a geologist, that's the way I'd go." They go. And go. May-Maegeshira cautions them all to stay close to the wall. Reed says they really don't have much choice. It's too dark to really see much, but from the dialogue, I think we're supposed to believe that it's getting treacherous. They scuttle a bit more before Reed reports that it's getting steeper. "Let me lock off," May-Maegeshira nonchalants. "Check your safety, Commander." Reed edges forward, loses his footing, and starts landsliding. Since they are all connected, he yanks Trip and then May-Maegishira along with him. The thing that was supposed to lock them off is jerked out of the rock as they all landslide down some steps. There's a really amusing scene of Reed waving all his arms and legs and wailing as he wishes he had thought to wear his Depends on this trip. The extra cushioning would have been helpful. Reed and Trip go over a ledge and start free-falling. May-Maegishira hasn't finished his ride yet, so as he gets near the drop off, he jams his foot into a rock crevice and manages to halt Reed and Trip's fall. I'm sorry -- I may have liked this episode, but I cannot let that go by without comment.
First of all, the weight of two fully grown men and Malcolm's lipgloss would be more than enough to cleanly snap May-Maegishira's ankle in half and dispatch him after his colleagues when he tried to brace their fall with it. Combine that with the momentum built up from Trip and Malcolm free-falling for awhile, and there is Just No Way. Uh-uh, I'm sorry, not happening. I mean, if he had managed to stop the fall with his arms or something, maybe THAT would have been more believable, since arms in general (and yes, May-Maegishira's pipes especially) have a lot more muscle than a tiny, fragile ankle. Even at another angle, I could have bought the foot bracing the whole body against the rock and providing strength and stability, but at this angle, the ankle is perpendicular to the body, and it along with his knee should be shot to hell. Whatever. Trip and Reed are momentarily safe as May-Maegishira screams in pain. He's very believable in this scene, too; with all his gasping and near-hyperventilation, I really felt that pain. Of course, it was raining here, and due to a past injury, my own ankle really aches in wet weather, but I still think Anthony did a great job. On first watching, I could have sworn there was a shot of another hook thing getting caught in a rock, therefore providing them with more support, but after rewinding it five times, all I see is May-Maegishira's ankle.