Episode Report Card Keckler: C- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Friendship 2 1/2
By Keckler | Season 1 | Episode 6 | Aired on 10.23.2001
On the trip back to Terra Nova, Quantum tries to explain to Chris in the Muddy that a move to the southern hemisphere would be good for them. "The important thing is, the poison rain never fell there," Quantum says. "You'd be safe. Your children would be safe, you could even spend time on the Overside if you wanted to." Chris in the Muddy tells Quantum that the crew of the Enterprise wouldn't want their tunnels so much if they were truly infected. "We don't!" Mayweather says, spinning around from the navigational controls in frustration. "We only want to help you, make you healthy!" He glances quickly at Quantum, then turns back to his controls. "Was that photograph of Vera Fuller and her daughter shale?" Quantum asks, getting down with their lingo. "Do you really believe we created it to trick you? You're human. So am I. Humans help each other." Muddy Mum doesn't say anything, but her son does: "When we track back to the Underside, we'll return your crewman only if you promise to leave!" Quantum asks if they could just tell their people what he proposed. Chris in the Muddy sticks his nose in the air and looks away, pursing his lips. Damn, he really doesn't want to share any of Terra Nova Spa's beauty secrets, does he? The shuttle pod lands and Quantum makes like he's going to get out, but the pod quakes a bit. "All thrusters are down!" Mayweather tells him. The pod rocks again. "Fire them up again," Quantum commands, as the ground suddenly cracks open and swallows them up. Mayweather transmits to Enterprise that they have a commercial, ur, emergency.
Friggin' Mohegan Sun commercials. It's the true dumbing down of America.
T'Pol asks if anyone is hurt as the shuttle continues to gradually fall through the surface. Quantum tells her no one's hurt yet, and when they finally seem to have stopped dropping, Quantum asks how far they've fallen. Trip reports that they're down eight meters, adding, "Looks like a couple of the abandoned tunnels gave away." "Open it!" Chris in the Muddy commands, suddenly wild-eyed and breathing hard. Quantum tells him to keep his Avocado & Oatmeal on and asks Trip what they'd find if he opened the hatch. "You're on the floor of a stable tunnel, you should be okay," Trip says. "Open it!" Chris in the Muddy says again, lunging at Quantum. Oh, sure -- this guy lives in caves his whole life and suddenly he wants to play the claustrophobia card? Quantum coms Trip to build a rig to pull the pod back up, and opens the hatch. They all get out and cough in the rock dust. "We're in the down-slope passage, we need to pass the cut-through to get to your crewman. Give me your pistol," Chris in the Muddy says. Quantum asks him why. "If you want to see your human alive, you'll give me your pistol," Chris in the Muddy says, holding out his hand. Quantum hands it over and follows. He turns back to tell Mayweather to cool his jets by the shuttle pod and keep his com open. Mayweather pulls out his pistol and tosses Quantum a flashlight.