Episode Report Card Keckler: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Mucus of Borg
By Keckler | Season 1 | Episode 22 | Aired on 04.30.2002
Mess Hall. Reed, Mayweather, and Hoshi eat together. They try to figure out what went wrong with the Kreetassans. Mayweather suggests that they didn't like being touched, because they looked weird when Quantum shook their hands. Reed negates that theory, saying the aliens looked that way the whole time and really didn't go ballistic until they arrived in the Mess Hall. Hoshi doesn't say anything, so Mayweather changes the subject by asking Reed if he's going to watch the movie that night. Reed asks what's playing, and Mayweather tells him, "Wages of Fear -- classic French film." Oh, subtle Enterprise and their bald-faced references to movies. Reed mulls this over and starts to shake his head. "No, you'll like it," Mayweather promises. "Things blow up!" Hee hee. Reed brightens at this and tries to tempt Hoshi with French subtitles, but she bags out, saying she's had enough tongue problems for the day, and leaves. Presumably to mimic Porthos by moping about her quarters. In the corridor, Hoshi hears a noise and presses her ear against the bulkhead. A view inside shows the Globlin squidging along. Hoshi shakes off her suspicions and retires.
Engineering. Two random Red Stripes -- because they're really not Red Shirts now that everyone's in blue with a thin stripe of color to denote their rank or department -- flirt about going to the movie together. Standing at Trip's usual position at the warp engine, Red Stripe Gal says she has to stay and finish work first, but Red Stripe Guy is antsy to get good seats and not miss the beginning. Red Stripe Gal reminds him the movie's stored in the computer and he can watch it whenever he wants. "It's not the same. I don't want to go back and watch the first part after you know how it ends," Red Stripe Guy whines. Something beeps, and Red Stripe Gal says the power has gone out on D-Deck, Cargo Bay Two. She looks at the computer and tells Red Stripe Boy that the lighting grid is down. "It's probably just a blown relay, leave it for the night shift," Red Stripe Guy says. "If it's just a blown relay, it will take you ten minutes to fix," Red Stripe Gal says, tossing him a flashlight. Then she tosses him a communicator, saying, "Here, the comm's out, too," and grins at him. Oh, and Red Stripe -- isn't that a Jamaican lager? Mmm, lager.
Movie theatre. Reed gripes about the movie being two and a half hours. Mayweather corrects him by saying it's actually two hours and twenty-four minutes. "That seems awfully long for a movie about four men in a truck," Reed comments Britishly. Mayweather promises he'll be on the edge of his seat the entire time. Like I am. Every week. "You promised me explosions," Reed reminds him. Okay, just by virtue of TPTB feeling the need to get more water out of that sponge, the horse is not just dead; the flies have left for dessert and coffee elsewhere. The lights go out, and Reed grabs a handful of popcorn from Mayweather's lap. The screen fuzzes for a while. Mayweather gives Reed an annoyed look. The screen clears a bit to show Phlox in Sick Bay, then switches to a view of the bridge. Pointing out the obvious, Reed says, "This is all wrong," and authoritatively gets up. He comms the bridge: "We're trying to watch a movie down here but instead we're being treated to a view of you. So unless you're planning on giving us a little song and dance, maybe you could see what's gone wrong."