Written by Brian T. McNamara
First seasons and Star Trek have always been a bit of a mixed bag. The Original Series had some of its best episodes during its first year, but subsequent series have always encountered teething struggles during their initial runs. Picard may have broken that streak somewhat, but I think it’s fair to say Lower Decks has had the most consistent first season of a Trek series in a long time. When I reviewed the first episode, I noted that there was a good amount of potential to the show, but that the pilot fell a little flat. Now with 8 episodes between, I feel that Lower Decks is off to a good start, and that it’s showing signs of evolving beyond its premise.
The Lower Decks season finale brings us to the head of a few plot lines that had been brewing over the past few episodes. Ens. Mariner’s (Tawny Newsome, Space Force) secret is out because Boimler (Jack Quaid, The Boys) let slip that she was the Captain’s daughter on an open comm. It brings to a head a thread that really felt odd anytime the plot drew attention to it – “how did this secret ever come about and didn’t it seem like other people knew earlier in the season?”
Finally taking the past two episodes to deal with it and move past it is for the best and allows us to track the characters changing. A sudden attack by the Pakleds – a species of scavengers from The Next Generation – now more fearsome and powerful brings Mariner and her mother (Dawnn Lewis, Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper) into conflict and then harmony. The by-the-book captain must rely on her never-a-book-followed daughter to help solve the situation. A subplot tied into the main plot features Rutherford (Eugene Cordero, Tacoma FD) resurrected Badgey (Jack McBryer, 30 Rock) to save the ship.
Watching Mariner and Captain Freeman come to terms with each other in the episode, as well as Mariner’s slow change over the past few weeks, has been great. There is a sense of development to the characters, if it is somewhat minimal. For each step they take forward, the next episode takes them back a half-step to keep the comedy in place. Boimler and Mariner’s relationship continues to be interesting, if sometimes I feel that progress always reverts back to zero. Such is the peril of broad comedy workplace shows, if the characters grow too much they would cease to be our sources of humor. Perhaps this is most endemic in Rutherford’s cybernetic implant being removed and reverting him back to his episode 1 memories. An odd choice, but one wonders if the writers did all they could with the Vulcan implant and will seek a new device – literally and figuratively – for next season. Tendi’s story this episode felt like another throwaway; her plot involvement almost always seeming like the fourth point on the writers’ bullet list.
The Lower Decks season finale was reference-heavy but in a way that felt, not necessarily natural, but more inline with the show. The plot of the 60s episode “Return of the Archons” is referenced and pastiched, along with the cartoon characters of Lower Decks looking at the 70s Filmation animated versions of Kirk and Spock. The Pakleds are a bit of a joke in Trek for being somewhat in poor taste but overpowered so the episode plays with that, if it goes on commented on. And the episode features an extended cameo from Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis as Riker and Troi aboard the USS Titan. Seemingly a nod and joke about Riker’s similar appearance in Picard. As an interesting note, they used the contest-winning fan design of the Titan from the novel range about those characters.I was surprised to see it “canonized” here. The references were fun and balanced the line of being fun in jokes and not necessarily commanding the episodes.
The season finale was quite enjoyable and felt like the series came to understand itself, if not without bumps along the way. Some points earlier this season felt off from the message of Trek, in particular an episode where injured officers are shipped off to an Island of Misfit toys felt very strange and off tone. Occasionally Mariner verges into outright mean to others in a way that just doesn’t mesh with the setting. All the pieces are there, but they’re pushed in away that feel more suited to Rick & Morty. That said, there are signs of that changing. The introduction of Titan characters also came along with a style that seemed less specifically R&M in feel and hopefully that extends into next season. I will commend the ship and planet art as being excellent. The glory shots of the Titan and the explosion of the Svarlong were both thrilling sequences. I wish that art was also the way we imagined the series characters as well.
Lower Decks still feels like a work in progress. A second season was already commissioned, so we can expect to spend another 10 weeks with this crew in the future. I think there is more potential for the show to truly tackle Trek and to take more mature and nuanced shots at the flaws of the various series. But it might take more growth. I would like to see some more diversity in the stories and where they place their comedy. Try different styles and focus on other lower decks crew. It’s almost there, you can feel it. Overall, I’ve had fun with the show. It strikes a few chords with me as a longtime fan and one who doesn’t take it all so seriously. It also reminds me quite a bit of my time playing IRC chat room Star Trek RPGS and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn the creators were involved in similar.
There’s humor in the nebula, and we’re just scratching the surface.
