Episode Report Card Keckler: D+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT From Dusk 'Til Yawn
By Keckler | Season 2 | Episode 13 | Aired on 01.07.2003
Don continues to be annoyed with the transceiver, so he kicks Tripwrecked awake. "I'm no good until I've had my coffee," Tripwrecked groans. Not very aware, is he? I mean, seriously, how many of us actually think we're in another place when we wake up? Precious few. You'd think a military-trained engineer would be a mite more cognizant of his surroundings. Don bangs Tripwrecked around, and they yell at each other in their respective dialects. This is getting old fast -- can't we all just get along? Tripwrecked shouts that his transceiver is broken, and seems to figure out that Don is asking him to repair his alien transceiver. He can't do this with his hands tied, so Don releases him, but manages to give Tripwrecked the indication that if he tries anything, he's a dead man. Try something -- oh, please try something!
Enterprise. T'Pol reports no progress on their behalf or the Arkonians' in locating Tripwrecked and Don. Quantum's frustrated by the Arkonians' halfhearted attempts at help, and T'Pol tells him they don't trust the humans because of her Vulcan presence. She details that the Vulcan first contact with the Arkonians nearly one hundred years ago was a disaster. The Arkonians were not as welcoming as the humans in terms of accepting Vulcan aid and cultural exchanges. In fact, they were so suspicious and deceitful that finally the High Command buggered off and left the Arkonians to their own devices. "Maybe we'll have better luck with them," Quantum snarls. T'Pol's not holding her breath, and advises him to watch his step around the potentially hostile aliens.
On the planet, Tripwrecked has little to no success with the alien transceiver, and gets a few nasty shocks for his trouble. Don picks up on Tripwrecked's "Damn it!" and repeats it back to him. Several times. Tripwrecked points at himself and says, "No, I'm Tripwrecked -- Tripwrecked," just so Don doesn't get the idea that his name is a curse. Of course, if Don hung around my house, he'd definitely get that impression. Don slaps at his own chest and says his name, but I really don't care what it is because I think he looks more like a Don. Tripwrecked thinks that since they've be formally introduced, it's a good time to ask for something to drink. He mimics a drinking motion with his hand. Again, I am moved to point out the possible differences in alien lifestyle and anatomy -- what if Don drinks through his armpits? He's not going to understand Tripwrecked's pantomime. He might even think Tripwrecked's coming on to him. Don twitches in response -- he does that a lot, I found -- and tosses a canteen at Tripwrecked. Tripwrecked drinks and predictably spits out the stuff, asking, "What the hell was that?" B.O.? He drops the canteen on the ground, and thick brown stuff runs out of it. Don runs over to recover the canteen and is very irritated that Tripwrecked has wasted most of his libation. Tripwrecked apologizes as Don shakes the canteen to judge how much he has left, and then tries to pantomime that he needs to go back to his own ship to get water. Don doesn't agree with this, and indicates that he'd really like Tripwrecked to get back to work on the transceiver.