rating: ***
the story: Boimler and Mariner pilot a Klingon ambassador to an embassy.
the review: This second episode is less manic and steeped more in familiar franchise elements (notably, Klingon), but at heart sticks to the same winning formula of showcasing how great a lead character Mariner is.
Technically Boimler drives the plot again, but it’s Mariner, how she plays off him and even in a last second reveal again is given more depth. Her role seems to be the living embodiment of rejecting all the stereotypes someone might have about a Starfleet officer, and by “someone” I mean people who don’t typically watch Star Trek. Of course, fans will know it’s not just Kirk who tends to go off-book. In a lot of ways Mariner embodies the later Jadzia Dax (initially, Deep Space Nine depicts her far more conservatively, and even the new Dax host Ezri seems more like a Boimler than a Mariner), especially in her unexpected ability to bond with Klingons (and Ferengi).
The dynamic between Boimler and Mariner is formulaic until the end of the episode, when it’s Boimler bragging to his friends about their adventure. It’s nice to see him as something other than the nebbish wannabe, a counterpoint to Mariner’s relaxed experience.
We get a better contrast with the two other lead characters, Tendi and Rutherford. Tendi’s the green one, Rutherford the one with a cybernetic implant. Tendi, who was initially presented as a potential viewer surrogate, still has little to actually do, while Rutherford questions his career path and tries out every other available track, giving viewers hilarious examples of how they can go wrong (and right!), and also how Starfleet is a generally accepting organization, encouraging him in all his decisions. Anyway, it’s a great spotlight for him.
Just the endless fun the episode has with familiar and new aliens is worth celebrating. Where the original animated series allowed itself to let loose visually, there’s a sense that Lower Decks might actually serve best to let, say, the Klingons be fully Klingons. Even better, we have a Ferengi who nails both the shifty original vision seen in Next Generation and the more nuanced one we see in Deep Space Nine.
All of which is to say, I think I’m really beginning to enjoy this version of Star Trek.
criteria analysis:
>franchise: It’s a great way to see the Star Trek landscape.
>series: It’s a great way to settle into Lower Decks itself.
>character: Mariner and Rutherford have excellent spotlights.
>essential: Still waiting to see how deep all this can actually get.
notable guest-stars:
Jerry O’Connell is technically a part of the regular cast, but his character First Officer Jack Ransom has a token appearance in this episode. When he has something substantial to do, as in the previous episode, I’ll list him here, as I did then.
