Episode Report Card Keckler: C- | 1097 USERS: B YOU GRADE IT It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to YesterTrek
By Keckler | Season 4 | Episode 22 | Aired on 2005.05.13
Quantum chuckles and hands over a Frankenstein action figure. T'Pol says she'd like to meet Trip's parents. "They're a little eccentric -- I think you'll see where Trip got his sense of humor," Quantum smiles. They reminisce about T'Pol's mother and how Trip told T'Pol that as the years went by, she would miss her mother less. T'Pol has found that she misses her mother even more. Riker skulks. Quantum flaps his arms and sighs, "Time heals all wounds but absence makes the heart grow fonder. I guess it's a little tricky." What's with the clichéd quoting, buttmunch? Man, Trip's sister is murdered, his baby dies, and then TRIP HIMSELF dies and HE STILL CAN'T GET QUANTUM TO SHED A TEAR! Quantum must've hated Trip so much more than I ever did. Quantum sits down, saying, "Emotions have a way of counterdicting themselves." I think he meant "contradicting." "And you wonder why we suppress them?" T'Pol states. Quantum decides now would be a good time to wax off some memories about how he felt when he took command ten years ago. But since none of them involve crying or showing any sort of emotion about TRIP'S DEATH, I'm ignoring them. He talks about finding something noble in the stars and adds, "And now Trip is dead and I have to give a speech about how worthwhile it's all been." Oh, my GOD, stop with "The Speech" already! To his very faint credit, Bakula did seem to bite out the word "worthwhile" and show some tiny vestige of emotion. But it was more anger than sadness, and I think we've had quite enough anger from Quantum over the years. At this call for pity, T'Pol responds that Trip would have been the first to say it was worthwhile. Quantum smiles tightly.
Galley. Riker plays with that gray ball of dough. The door slides open and Trip walks in, grinning, "Friiiiiiied catfish with hush puppies." Riker grins back. Trip tells him to keep in mind that he'll be having the real thing next week in Mo-beel. Riker will try to live up to the challenge. "Cap'n asked for meatloaf, dinnit he?" Trip asks, leaning against a counter. What's that supposed to imply? Riker says he hasn't spoken to Quantum yet...and he won't, either. I still find that odd. Riker says he hears they are picking up Shran. "Can you b'leeve it? We all thought he wuz ded and gone," Trip draaaawls. "Well, don't you think the Captain is cutting it a little close?" Riker prods. "You meen gettin' back to San Francisco? Nah, he won't let ennything get in the way of that." Not even your pointless death. Trip wants a carrot even if they aren't peeled. "You know, he'd never admit it," Trip continues, "but this thing means a helluva lot to him. He's real proud to be one of the people signing this charter. And he'd oughta be." Riker grins, "You sound like a life-time member of the Jonathan Archer Fan Club." And the only member. Trip nods and says he can count on one hand the number of people he can trust. Well, Hoshi, Malcolm, Quantum, T'Pol, Mayweather, and Phlox are more fingers than on one hand. I wonder who gets left out. Trip explains that he's not talking about trust in the stealing money or lying way, "I'm talking about the kind of trust where you know that someone's going to help you -- no matter what. Or you know they'll always be there for you -- no matter how bad things get." I guess that means Quantum is the extra finger, and I can tell you which one he is, too. Seriously, Quantum? There for Trip no matter how bad things got? Have we forgotten all the times he IGNORED Trip's pain over his sister's death? I sure as hell haven't. "Ever know ennybody like that?" Trip asks. Riker raises his eyebrows and grins, "Yeah." He looks down: "One or two." Trip leaves to finish packing but stops to ask Riker what he's going to do. "Do?" Riker says, a bit surprised. "You gonna sign on to another ship, or you gonna open up that little restaurant in the Berkshires you told me about?" Any restaurant Riker would open would never be little. Riker sighs, relieved, and says he hasn't decided yet. He asks Trip if he has any advice. Trip laughs, "Nope." Riker laughs back. Trip leaves, waving the carrot and saying, "But I'm sure you'll make the right choice." Riker looks pensive.