653. Two Days and Two NightsFORMULA: Captain's Holiday + Let He Who Is Without Sin...
WHY WE LIKE IT: Everybody's story except Archer's.
WHY WE DON'T: Archer's story.
REVIEW: Finally, Risa! And new matte shots that really do it justice. As far as the plots go, they're basically four short vacation tales, mostly goofy fun and character pieces. The one thread that ISN'T goofy is Archer's, and so it comes off as a little dull even if it is Porthos-heavy. Archer meets a mysterious and beautiful stranger named Keyla who has an ugly dog and asks too many questions. Turns out she's a Tandaran agent - more fallout from Detained - but her story is largely unresolved and steeped in melodrama besides. Could be she was just on a personal vendetta, but we never find out. Definitely not as good a role for Dey Young as her previous turn in A Simple Investigation.
Trip and Reed, two peas in a pod since Shuttlepod One, go on a rampage, hoping to score with alien babes. This bit is a lot of fun, and when the two babes turn out to be 1) shape-shifters, 2) males, 3) bone ugly and 4) muggers, it's a story that's destined to become an urban legend for the 22nd century. Amusingly, Hoshi, who made fun of the boys for wanting to get their feet wet, is the only one in the episode to have a successful romance. The hook is of course a language she can't learn in under a day, and it's lovely to see a vacation love affair that doesn't turn sour or into an unbelievable adventure (though it is slightly unbelievable that drawing lots among 89 people, most of the bridge crew wins shore leave).
Up on the ship, Phlox must hibernate as promised in Dear Doctor. When Travis returns early with a broken leg and an allergic reaction to medication, he must be woken up early. John Billingsley gets to stretch his comic muscles with punch-drunk acting and prat falls. It's pretty funny, actually. Ensign Cutler appears one last time and is again a charmer. Very sadly, actress Kellie Waymire suddenly died shortly after this. It's a testament to her performance that I remember her so fondly in Enterprise. If asked earlier, I wouldn't have imagined that she'd only appeared in three episodes. I know I'll miss her over the course of the series.
LESSON: Predictably, what happens on Risa STAYS on Risa.
REWATCHABILITY - Medium-High: Most of the stories will leave you with a smile, though the Archer plot isn't very satisfying.
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