We’ll Always Have Tom Paris
At the end of Episode 2, Ensign Boimler had made his way back to the Cerritos. The circumstances of that return can be ascertained by watching said episode. Let’s just say that whenever Boimler says “Copy, that,” he knows what he’s talking about. But now that he’s back on the ship, he’s finding out that the ship’s new security protocol’s do not recognize his return. In fact, it does not recognize him at all. That includes the food replicators, the doors, pretty much everything. His R.S.V.P apparently wasn’t accepted. At least as far as the Cerritos is concerned. I guess that is what happens when you desert the Cerritos for some fancier Star Fleet ship.
That is bad news for Boimler as one of his many heroes from Starfleet is visiting the ship. Lt. Tom Paris from the Voyager (or VOY as Boimler likes to refer to the ship as). Boimler is desperate for Paris to sign his Tom Paris Voyager plate. He has one for all of the main crew signed and Paris is the missing link. Unfortunately, the ship is fighting him every step of the way in his effort to meet Paris and get his plate signed. Shouldn’t be a problem. Boimler knows the Cerritos like the back of his hand. He’ll be damned if he will let this keep him from getting his plate signed. Which leads him into a Jefferies Tube and almost being burned to death, and trapped. Before long, he’s talking to his Tom Paris plate. But at least it was encouraging and in a way, it serves to save him. If getting your ass kicked by Tom Paris is getting saved.
Bridge Crew ALWAYS Come Back
Elsewhere, Ensign Rutherford is suffering from his own issue. Which is the return of Lt. Shax who appeared to have died at the end of Season 1 while saving Rutherford. However, as much as Rutherford is “dying” to know how Shax came back from the dead, it is apparently in bad form to ask. Like get transferred off the ship bad. For now all he is told to rely on is that “bridge crew ALWAYS come back.” Will that be good enough for Rutherford? I doubt it. Although Boimler and Mariner offer him a multitude of possibilities. All taken from Star Trek history. Bridge transporter pattern buffer thing (Boimler knows about that), a restored Katra (The Search for Spock), Mirror Switcheroo (Mirror, Mirror), or the Borg rebuilt him, or a Nexus event (Star Trek Generations), Future Son from an alternate time line, (Star Trek: Nemesis), Genesis Deviced (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III). Which only makes Rutherford want to know more than ever. Eventually, he can’t take it anymore and he asks. The answer was so deep and disturbing, I can’t reveal it. Or it could be because they didn’t really say. Take your pick.
Girl’s Trip
Meanwhile, Ensign Tendi is somewhat miffed when Ensign Escher, who she feels doesn’t work as hard as she does received a promotion. Just because she just happened to cure the Captain from some space virus. Big Deal! So when Dr. T’Ana requests she go to Qualar II to pick up a “family heirloom” for her, Tendi believes this is her chance to prove herself. And since she is allowed to bring someone along, she asks Mariner to accompany her. “Girl’s Trip!!”
Initially, the trip goes without a hitch as they travel to Qualar II and pick up the huge wooden box T’Ana sent her for. Along the way, they find out they really don’t know as much about each other as they believe. Like Tendi likes Klingon Acid Punk, or Mariner has served on multiple ships and Deep Space Nine. That is where the problems start as Mariner talks Tendi into opening the box to see what T’Ana sent them for. It turns out to be a Kaitian Libido post. Tendi explains that Kaitians , like Dr. T’Ana need to be “intimate” once a year or their hormones go crazy. Like a Vulcan on Pon Farr.
Super Glue, Anyone?
Naturally, the item in question gets broke, much to the horror of Tendi. She had one job to do for T’Ana and she failed. Mariner, being Mariner, tells Tendi not to panic. All they have to do is to fix the item and T’Ana need never know. So they travel to Starbase Earhart to see a ‘friend” of Mariner. He will fix the statue…for 50 slips of latinum. Which of course turns into playing a game of space billiards with some Nausicans. What can go wrong there? If you’re asking that, you haven’t watched Lower Decks. The resulting altercation turns the broken statue head into a obliterated one.
This leads the girls on a trip back to an Orion Pirates Outpost where Tendi has a relative who can fix the item. But first, Mariner needs to be disguised as an Orion. Apparently they don’t trust outsiders. Especially humans. Again, what can go wrong? By now, you’re not really asking that are you? This segment reveals more about Tendi’s past, including her first name and the fact she can be a bad ass when necessary. Unfortunately, things go south when Mariner’s Earl Shives paint job fades. Those Orion Pirates REALLY don’t like humans. It also doesn’t help that Tendi and Mariner start to bicker about how much they really don’t know much about each other. Even questioning if they were friends at all. Not the best moment to be having THAT conversation. Needless to say, they have some things to get through…if they aren’t killed by the Pirates and one of them doesn’t end up in the brig. But such is life on Lower Decks.
Thoughts
A multi-faceted episode that touches on a number of things. First and foremost, that just because you serve together, doesn’t mean you really know all there is to know about each other. Perhaps that too is going where no one has gone before. Rutherford learns that it might not be important to have the answers to everything. Some things, like returning from the dead, might better be left alone. Or just accept that Bridge Crew always come back. Which ever makes you sleep at night. As for Boimler, well sometimes the best contact you can have from one of your heroes might be a sock in the eye. But I WOULD hold out for that signed “VOY” plate. Seeing as how he owes you one.
Star Trek References
As per usual, plenty of references to Star Trek’s past in this episode. Besides the generous list of resurrection possibilities from Star Trek’s past that Mariner and Boimler gave Rutherford, the show also brought back the Nausicans. Famous for being the race that stabbed one Jean Luc Picard through the heart early on in his career. They were obviously, a surly bunch even back then. And of course they brought Star Trek Voyager’s Robert Duncan O’Neill back as Lt. Tom Paris. Abuser of dirty young ensigns with Star Trek plates. This episode wasn’t quite as fun as last week’s (at least as far as Easter Egg hunts) but it was solid. I give it a 4 out of 5.
Star Trek Lower Decks is on Paramount+ and releases a new episode every Thursday.
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Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
