This week’s episode was another solid to achieve the season’s goal to explore more personal relationships. I like that this episode focused on Paige and Happy in relation to the upcoming Quintis wedding. As the only ladies of Scorpion, they definitely need more moments together and this episode created a platform for that. We also saw Walter, Sly, and Cabe compete for the position of Best Man, which gave us some great comedy. Quintis sounded like they’ve been married for years! The Waige flip was on fire! And we saw what Sly does when he’s not at work and watched him try to bring Cabe into his world!
This post focuses more on Happy and Paige’s dynamic in this episode more than anything else. So let’s get this party started!
Cabe and Sly
Cabe and Sly become close during the election, so it’s no surprise that Sly wants to bring Cabe into his world. He wants the same bond that Cabe formed with Happy. Yet, Cabe is not totally fond of the cosplay scene and declines Sly’s offer. It’s kinda funny that Happy, the person who didn’t realize she made a friend in Ada, reminds Cabe of this act of friendship. Now Cabe could have gone home, but he chooses to play with Sly and his friends. This scenario got me thinking about the extent of Sly’s election storyline and Cabe’s involvement in it.
We already know the election gave Sly more confidence and a bigger purpose for his community outside Scorpion. For Cabe, the election introduced him to Allie Jones. Even though their romance was short-lived, it filled a void Cabe left unfilled for 20 years. But Cabe and Sly in this episode reminded me of a continuous series arc for Cabe as a father figure. Each season Cabe forms a unique relationship with each of his “children” (e.g., Toby and boxing to deal with Quintis woes, being a surrogate father to Walter and now Happy). These multi-episode interactions serve pivotal roles for the geniuses and Paige, helping them to cope with an unfortunate situation or encourage them to push past their fears. Cabe’s relationship with Happy positioned him as surrogate father of the bride when he handled Patrick’s situation, so it’s possible there is a link in this and Cabe is going to serve a bigger role in Sly’s life as well. We shall see! 😉
Happy & Paige: The Females of Scorpion
Happy and Paige have had some great moments together (eps. 1.07 Father’s Day & 2.14 Sun of a Gun), but they are not as close to one another as they are with their co-workers & significant others. However, this mission gives them an opportunity to work together and become closer as Happy chooses Paige to accompany her in the gondola for a systems check. Happy’s choice is a surprise to Paige who never thought Happy trusted her in that manner. Happy explains her choice is simply logical based on the tasks at hand. When danger strikes, Paige and Happy struggle to find common ground in a neutral environment. Their contrasting personalities and coping mechanisms for stressful situations clash, which eventually creates discord between them. There are two things to learn from their journey in this episode: the power of assumption and perception and the importance of word choice. And it all starts with the Quintis wedding’s long to-do list and lack of a wedding party.
Paige wants to offer her help, hoping that Happy will choose her to serve as Maid of Honor. Happy declines because she wants simplicity and is not sold on the idea of pretty flower arrangements and dresses. Paige, who loves weddings, is surprised by the choice to have no wedding party. Now transition to the situation in the compromised gondola. Paige defaults to distraction by talking about the wedding tasks; Happy is quiet, but stern and easily annoyed. Happy states that she is not interested in talking about the wedding and brings attention to their differences, namely calling Paige a cheerleader in comparison to her identification as a genius. This leads to a fight that exposes Happy and Paige’s insecurities that were present long before this point and addressed several times this season. It’s a great moment to see the lives of these two women from a different angle. I’ll start with Paige.
Paige
Paige has worked with Scorpion for almost 3 years and is familiar with everyone’s mannerisms. Happy did not mean to communicate ill intent when she called Paige a cheerleader. Why does Paige react unkind as the EQ person? The social perception of cheerleaders in relation to geniuses ties into Paige’s insecurity of her inability to compete on an IQ level. It’s a logical fact that she will never be able to match the others in IQ, but this doesn’t eliminate the fact that she inadvertently feels inadequate on a daily basis. She is surrounded by geniuses everyday, 24/7. There is no established environment where she gets an opportunity to interact with people who are as emotionally regulated as she is. This is what the geniuses have with Scorpion. Paige has alluded to this several times this season - the most prominent being her relationship with Tim and just recently with Ralph’s girl problems in 3.16 Keep It in Check, Mate and Ada’s father in 3.18 Don’t Burst My Bubble. But you’re probably thinking, Cabe is another EQ person on the team so she can relate to him! This is true, but here are the challenges in this thought. Cabe is not a genius, but he has military/government IQ. He also has EQ, but not as much as Paige (at least this is what is insinuated). Paige can not relate to Cabe’s military experiences and she sees him as a father figure. Therefore, she technically has no EQ buffer within her environment (i.e., a person who directly relates to her and her experiences when she’s not at work). This only adds to the insecurity. Granted, her friendship with Toby gives her the best of both worlds, but this too doesn’t negate the fact that Toby has problems relating to normals even as a genius behaviorist. We have seen Paige contribute to the team’s success in non-EQ ways multiple times. She is aware of this. However, we can’t blame her for giving into her insecurities once in a while, especially when she doesn’t know the intent behind Happy’s word choice. But she gets a win when Happy is impressed how she uses her cheerleading skills, an application of physics, to save their lives.
Happy
As mentioned, Happy’s cheerleader comment is not malicious, but she acknowledges the offense in the comparison she makes. She also gets grumpy and snappy in stressful situations. This is expected for reasons of which Paige and the audience are aware. Plus, Happy’s leather jacket on top of that dark grey fleece hoodie (a jacket we have seen her wear more than 3 times this season 😉) insinuates that she will give off a hardened exterior but uses it to cover her vulnerabilities. Thus, her statements stem from her own insecurities and perceptions. She sees Paige as someone who is beautiful, comfortable as the center of attention, and a more traditional version of what a bride is. This perception ties into the social stereotype of a cheerleader. She doesn’t emulate this, so she is worried that she will disappoint Toby if she doesn’t conform even though she agreed to a big wedding for the happy memories. This also shows how Happy assumes Paige wants to help her get girly for her wedding when Paige mentions dresses and flower arrangements. This is simply not the case. Happy is a gorgeous woman in love with a man who loves her for who she is. Paige reminds her of this when Happy explains herself. She also lets Happy know that she doesn’t care about her preferences; she wants to help to reduce the stress of planning. She has no intention to turn her into something she isn’t.
I appreciate how the ladies are handled in this episode. It’s easy to argue what each person should or should not do in these situations. There are always areas for improvement. They could have made better choices in the way they treated one another. Yet, Happy and Paige’s interactions show how they want what other has to squash their insecurities but understand how these opposing qualities are not what make them valuable and unique individuals. Their reconciliation in the ambulance creates more opportunities to come to one another in the future because they bonded over their insecurities. They also have cute moments to remember like when Walter makes a comment about their combined weight and they correct him at the same time! 😂😂😂 I can’t wait for more Quieen moments!
Drabbles…
Subtlety is totally lost on this crew! Toby acting as if he’s erasing the board with no eraser in his hand… 😂😂😂😂😂
Congrats on the Stone of Valor brooch, Sly!!! 🙌🏾 Cool fact: This is the second time we have seen a brooch as gift this season!
Oh boy… Walter can’t help being an egomaniac! 😂😂
Sly invites Cabe to his knight gathering because Cabe bonded with Happy over Stratego. Unfortunately for Sly, Cabe is not too enthused and declines his offer. Poor Sly! 😢
We finally get a reason to explain Toby’s increasing upper body strength! He’s been working out to get in shape for his wedding! 😯😍👌🏾
And let the record show that someone else has driven Happy’s truck! 😱😱 No one drives Happy’s truck, unless she absolutely can not.
Happy & Toby really do sound like a married couple who has been married for years! Toby has the “yes, dear” down because wifey is always right! 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Toby using fear to his advantage in order to get Walter to retrieve the drill… 😉😂😂😂😂😂😂👌🏾
When Cabe has difficulty commandeering a rifle, Sly’s Stone of Valor saves the day! 😂😂 Sly finds a comrade! Who says grown men can’t be into cosplay?! Tehehe!
“I never doubted you for one second.” Similar comment made by Paige to Thiago during the Rhondon mission in 3.19 Monkey See, Monkey Poo. Hmm… I wonder if there is something in this. 🤔😉😯
That electrocution deal aka. tetany in action… OUCHIES!!! 😳😳😭😭😭
Omgness! Look at the boys taking care of their lady loves! Quintis and Waige at work! I knew this was coming! And I LOVE it! 😍😍😍🙌🏾🙌🏾
Paige and Happy sharing their insecurities with one another gives me ALL THE FEELS! 💛💛💛
Let’s also not forget that we are likely going to meet Toby’s side of the family based on what Happy said. I can’t wait! What drama will unfold?! 👀😯😯😱😱
Toby playing peek-a-boo using his hat with Happy… 😂😂😂😍😍😍😂😂😂😂 He’s so adorable!
Walter and his hand theory to make his case to be the best man… 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀 Oh boy, my abs hurt!
Cabe: Toby, what you want are a man’s hands. Toby: I don’t think you know how that sounds. 👀👀😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂💀💀 Someone come pick me off the ground! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up! I wasn’t wearing my Life Alert! 😂😂😂😂😂
Toby’s “Best Ma'am” speech… Toby: … I- I want the real deal. I want someone who’s always dependable, someone who can adapt when things get hairy. I want someone who comes up with solutions it seems there are none. I want someone who in short is sharp as a tac. So I don’t want a Best Man. I want a Best Ma’am. Paige, if it wasn’t for you on that cable today, I wouldn’t have a Happy to marry. Will you please do me this honor? Paige: I’d love to be your Best Ma’am. Happy: You’ve got to be kidding me! We made up at the ambulance. I was going to ask her! T: You snooze, you lose! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Walter: I’m gonna be the best Maid of Honor! 😂😂😂😂😂😂
H: …like Dudes of Honor. Sly: You can’t do that. H: It’s my wedding! I can do whatever I want!
Now that Happy has chosen all the guys to be her “Dudes of Honor,” everyone is too busy to help with the wedding to-do list. Hold up, wait a minute! ✋🏾🙅🏾😂😂😂
Happy talking about friendship with Cabe… HOLY FREAKIN’ CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!! Thanks to Mecanchicks and Ada!!! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
Waige: wedding partners in crime working late nights and weekends??!!! Well would you look at that! 👀😱😱😍😍😍 I’ll say it again… subtlety is lost on these peeps! 😂😂😂 Watch the Waige at work (pun intended)! 😉😂😂
Thor aka. Magnus Gallo grabs his cape and joins the other knights for a strategic game of Fantasies and Frolics! Aww, how sweet! 💛💛 He looks dashing! 😂😂😂
You know what? Scorpion has become more colorful in graphics and scenery this season! It’s really nice and a great change from the dark, dingy days of season 1.
Broken Wind preview (according to the official Scorpion YouTube page...it's a bunch of flashbacks, so do you think that means this episode has a particular flashback 😮!!!!!)
Am I the only one in the Scorpion fandom who NEVER thought that Happy and Toby would have a wedding party or even consider creating one for the exact reasons they mentioned in that wedding planning scene?! Am I also in the minority of people who think they don't need it even if they took a non-traditional approach with it and would rather see the team as spectators for various other reasons?! 😂😂😂😂😂
Both Quntis and Waige in episode 3x20??What happened here?
Hello anon!
I guess you have read the press release for episode 3.20 Broken Wind and saw the cheat tweet with the Quintis and Waige hashtags. I am not sure what you’re asking. I can’t predict with any accuracy what will happen. The only thing I can say in response is that we can anticipate reactions from Toby and Walter (and the team, of course) since Happy and Paige are in danger. The show is likely using these ship hashtags because the characters will have moments together. These moments can be either platonic or romantic. This is a really exciting development to me because I have wanted Paige and Happy scenes for quite some time! I hope there will be more interactions between them in the future as the women of Team Scorpion!
