Recap / Eureka This One Time At Space Camp

Delusions of Carterness.

Carter: We're not breaking up. Screw the D.O.D!
Allison: They're sending a supervisor today to hear our appeal. They could be here any minute.
Carter: Today?
Allison: Today.
Carter: [Loudly] Like I said, lots of smart people at the D.O.D. Nice, attractive bunch.
Allison: That's really subtle.
Carter: Thanks, I'm trying.

The candidates of the Astreus mission have to face one final test as they must defend their place on the mission in an interview.

Allison and Carter appeal the results of their relationship audit, and strange acts of sabotage dog GD.

Tropes

• Actor Allusion: Aaron Douglas played Chief Engineer Tyrol in Battlestar Galactica (2003), as a JPL engineer who runs the Galaxy Camp Fargo, Holly and Dr. Parrish all attended.
• Bait-and-Switch: Trying to stay calm before their interview, Fargo and Holly bemoan the fact that they've tried every way of relaxing that they know of. Fargo points out that there's one thing they haven't tried... Gilligan Cut to them in bed together, playing Dungeons & Dragons.
• Call-Back: With Dr. Hughes experiencing Carter's memories, this is a given.
  • Fargo is brought up on "wormholing Dr. Holly Martin."
  • The first act of sabotage is someone firing an arrow at the Astreus after a test of its shields looks like lightning. Carter notes that this is a lot like what he and Grant did in A New World.
  • Carter is lured into the decon chamber by a trail of maize kernels, similar to what he did to poor Mildred.
  • Warren steals a guard's uniform and tries to make Allison leave with him, reliving Founder's Day. When she tries to stop him, he becomes convinced she's Beverly.
  • Carter finds Warren in Café Diem, attacking the jukebox in the belief that it's telling people what to do.
  • He then has trouble getting Warren out of Café Diem when he becomes convinced the air outside is toxic.
  • Finally, Warren almost kills himself trying to stop Grant from causing Allison's death.
• Connected All Along: Fargo and Dr. Parrish's rivalry goes all the way back to childhood. Dr. Parrish proudly boasts of his victory at Galaxy Camp, unaware that the panel have already seen this memory from Fargo's point of view, where he comes off like a conceited bully. Holly also went to that same camp.
• Disappeared Dad: Zane's interview shows what his first arrest was for; hacking NASA for mission photos to Photoshop his dad into, to cover for his dad simply not bothering to come to Bring Your Father to School Day. He argues that this shows the performance under pressure and creative problem-solving that will be needed on Titan.
  Zane: I should've got an A.
• Epic Fail: Carter contains Warren until a solution can be found by locking him in the cell in the Sherrif's office, apparently forgetting he stashed a spare key in there, or failing to realise Warren will know about it.
  Henry: How did he get out of the cell?
  Carter: There's a fake brick. I keep a hide-a-key in there in case I lock myself in.
  Henry: Yeah, well, that was smart.
  Carter: Yeah. [Beat] For the record, I've only used the hide-a-key once.
• Fake Memories: Warren has Carter's memories.
• Flashback: Used as Carter tells Henry about the incidents echoed by the acts of sabotage. Also used when Warren tasers Allison thinking she's Beverly, then sees her unconscious body and mistakes her for dead.
• Graceful Loser: After failing to get through the interviews, Dr. Parrish manages to congratulate Holly on being selected. He's... less graceful towards Fargo.
• Let Us Never Speak of This Again: The only treatment for Warren is to wipe his short-term memories, leaving him with very little idea of what happened during his stay. The gang tell him he hit Vincent's wine a little too hard, presumably because there's no good explanation for how the guy assessing Carter and Allison's relationship was intentionally given brain damage.
• Meaningful Background Event: When Carter and Henry have Warren contained in the Sheriff's office cell, they go into the office to discuss the situation. Over their shoulders and slightly out of focus, the viewer can see Warren fiddle around with part of the cell wall, then open the door and escape.
• Noodle Incident: Carter has a key to the cell stashed in a false brick, just in case he accidentally locks himself in. He's only used it once.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • When Carter and Allison realise their appeal is being handled by the same person who made the original ruling. Suggestions that this is a conflict of interest fall on deaf ears.
  • Carter has this reaction after following a trail of maize kernels into what turns out to be a decontamination shower, which closes behind him and starts its run.
• One Dialogue, Two Conversations: Carter is concerned about using the memory devices with Warren, given the time-travel-related secrets they're hiding. Since Warren is present, he and Allison discuss it as if he's simply concerned about privacy.
• Shout-Out:
  • The title parodies an oft-repeated line from American Pie.
  • Carter discusses using the memory devices.
  Allison: It only records the memories you're willing to share, so think about those.
  Carter: See, I have seen this before and then the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man...
  • After Carter and Allison's interview with Dr. Hughes concludes in about a minute, this exchange occurs:
  Carter: That's it?
  Dr. Hughes: Well, what were you expecting, The Spanish Inquisition?
  Carter: Well... no one EXPECTS The Spanish Inquisition.
  • Young Parrish psyching up his Awesome Possum rocket team sounds awfully familiar:
  Parrish: What is it we study here?
  All: The way of thermal propulsion, sir!
  Parrish: And what is that way?
  All: Thrust first! Thrust hard! No mercy, sir!
• Tempting Fate:
  • When coffee gets spilled on the device holding Carter's memories, zapping Warren, Warren simply brushes it off as no big deal. Spoiler: it is.
  • When Carter is lured into the decontamination shower, it blasts him for a few seconds and stops. He says, "Oh, that wasn't so bad!" just in time for the computer voice to announce, "Stage two!" Cue the face.
• Title Drop: By Holly, during her interview. However, the panel have definitely heard enough.
  Holly: Oh! Oh! There was this one time at space camp...
• Working the Same Case: After Carter is lured into a decontamination shower, someone asks him if he thinks it's connected to the sabotage on the Astreus. He pretends to theorise for a moment before smiling and dismissing the idea. In fact, both were committed by someone (Warren) who's reenacting Carter's memories.