Episode Report Card Keckler: C- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Grease Fire
By Keckler | Season 2 | Episode 15 | Aired on 02.11.2003
Sh'pod. Quantum warns Soval that the Andorians might insist on blindfolding him, as a precaution. "Thanks for the reassurance. Now, if you don't mind, I'll need a few moments of silence to prepare myself," Soval tells Quantum through gritted teeth. Mathra snorts, "Yeah, Quantum, let's play The Quiet Game!" T'Pol gives Soval an odd look, but Soval has already closed his eyes. Maybe they should lower the cabin lights and light some plomeek soup incense? The sh'pod is fired upon. T'Pol can't figure out where it's coming from. They're hit again. And again. Quantum tries to comm Enterprise, but T'Pol tells him they are still in the Andorian jamming range. Soval suggests returning to Enteprise double-quick-hurry. "For once we're in full agreement," Quantum responds. They're hit again, this time in their engines. Soval I-told-you-sos about the Andorians, and Quantum tells him he's too busy crashing the shuttle to engage in light badinage. T'Pol counts down their loss of altitude and suggests they reduce their speed. "The ground is going to do that for us," Quantum observes. Stop trying to recap, Quantum; you're not good at it. With videogame special effects, the sh'pod crashes to the surface. I just noticed it looks like Soval is wearing a bright yellow obi under his robes of state -- maybe he's playing Cho-Cho San at the Old Vulc.
The sh'pod sparks a whole lot. Quantum, Soval, and T'Pol look around the trashed area. Random fires burn random pieces of corrugated metal shingles. It comes out that Soval is pretty familiar with the plant, since he served there during the occupation. He was in intelligence. Soval suggests heading toward the current Vulcan camp, but Quantum thinks they should try to make their appointment with the Andorians. Soval's aghast that he would still want to meet with them after they shot them out of the sky. Quantum doesn't think they can point fingers yet. "Are you that naïve? Excedrin PM is using you," Soval tweaks Quantum. "This is a man who couldn't sleep because he thought he owed me something," Quantum growls. Okay, first of all, I think that's just an expression. And secondly, since Quantum is doing him another favor, is Excedrin PM again going to be plagued with euphemistic insomnia until he takes himself with a glass of water? Quantum doesn't think Excedrin PM would have dragged him all the way out there just to lead Soval into a trap, so he's all for finding their way back to the Andorian's office. T'Pol stares for a moment at Soval before following her captain. Not really wanting to be left without muscle to protect him, Soval follows T'Pol.
Enterprise. Trip is concerned about the fate of his captain, but Subcommander Lackey tells him from the bridge's viewscreen that if any rescue attempts are necessary, the Vulcans will make them. He's trying to work in "the ball is in our court" here, isn't he? I notice that behind Subcommander Lackey the Vulcan ships seem to have lots of green lights in the panels. I'm sure it's to help throw a green cast on the actors' Vulcan faces, but I can't help wondering if it's their answer to our "red alert." Think about it: we humans have red blood, and because of that, red is a recognizable symbol of danger for us. Since Vulcans have green blood...do you see where I'm going with this, or did I mismeasure my gin again? After more wedging of himself into the Bermaga Snotty Vulcan Mold, Subcommander Lackey snits off without giving Trip any satisfactory information regarding the whereabouts of his captain. Trip directs Hoshi to continue with her efforts to locate Quantum, and asks May-Exit about the progress of the Andorian ships. The progress is that they're closer.