Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4 Episode 10 Review: Old Friends, New Planets

Star Trek quandaries are most provocative once they illustrate a strong “What if?” state of affairs.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4 Episode 10 presents renegade miscreant Nick Locarno up as a “What if?” foil to Mariner, embodying a possible future Beckett the place rage and ego have derailed talent and expertise.

In the meantime, Tendi should dwell out the “What if?” of her returning to her household of pirates as a result of the wants of the numerous outweigh her dream of being a Starfleet scientist.

This season finale does what Decrease Decks has at all times completed properly, constructing a fast-paced motion comedy on the inspiration of Star Trek canon.

At this level, it is fairly meta, as a lot of the canon it references is its personal.

I am going to admit that this season has managed to subvert lots of my expectations.

Theorizing primarily based on the seeds planted in Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3, I had forecast an AI rebellion resulting in some Borg encounter the place they pat the Badgey-Peanut Hamper-Agimus triumvirate on their collective reminiscence banks and touch upon how cute they’re.

So, the revisit and redemption of Nick Locarno has been a refreshing shock.

Tendi: Sheesh, why is he so mad?
Ransom: Locarno was kicked out of Starfleet. He received one in all his squad killed performing a banned flight maneuver, then tried to cowl it up.
T’Lyn: Clearly, his emotional habits conflicts together with his culpability.
T’Ana: Yeah, he’s an a**gap.

Weaving Mariner’s early Starfleet life into that of Sito Jaxa and Nova Squadron not solely gives a timeline anchor to Mariner’s profession, however it additionally reaffirms the post-TNG and DS9 Federation mentality.

Mariner: Good ship. Very… white. And nothing else.
Locarno: Thanks. I designed it myself. Not one of the Starfleet carpets or wooden paneling in right here.

Robert Duncan McNeill’s return feels destined as he reprises Locarno simply over two years after showing as Tom Paris on Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2 Episode 3.

That is practically the temporal inverse of enjoying Cadet Locarno on Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology Season 5 Episode 19, just some years earlier than Star Trek: Voyager premiered with him as live-action Tom Paris.

McNeill enjoying the twin roles is a few low-hanging however inescapable humor ready to fall.

Rutherford: They’ve, like, the identical face! They’re equivalent!
Boimler: No, I simply don’t see it.

And to channel some JL Picard, if it have been completed when ’tis completed, then ’twere properly it have been completed shortly.

Rutherford: They’ve, like, the identical face! They’re equivalent!
Boimler: No, I simply don’t see it.

They do not make a giant deal about it, however the elephant is addressed, and so they transfer on. Stylish.

I’ve extra points with the flashback to Nova Squadron earlier than the Kolvoord Starburst catastrophe.

Yay(!) for Wil Wheaton returning as Wesley Crusher, however the place the heck is Jean Hajar? Nova Squadron had 5 members, made extra evident by the actual fact the brand Locarno sports activities is the five-pointed Kolvoord Starburst.

(And about that, who else will get that peaked-in-high-school vibe off good ol’ Nick?)

Locarno: I may’ve been the most effective pilot in Starfleet.
Mariner: Don’t let that anger outline your life. You surprised all these crews. You didn’t kill them as a result of deep down you’re not a assassin.
Locarno: I’m sorry however I actually am. My excellent life was taken from me and now, I’m getting it again.

Omitting Hajar appears particularly unusual, contemplating they’ve Shannon Fill (categorized as a “former TV actress”) again as Sito Jaxa when Walker Brandt remains to be actively performing professionally.

Much like when Mariner joined Trek-verse Lara Croft, Petra Aberdeen, on Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 Episode 9, nothing stokes her Federation fires greater than when somebody disparages the foundational values it promotes.

Locarno: I assumed you have been smarter than everybody else. Sounds such as you’re simply one other apologist for a damaged system.
Mariner: Hey, Starfleet’s not excellent. They mess up on a regular basis. However in the long run, they’re attempting to do what’s proper.

The united statesS. Passaro Mariner commandeers is a double enigma — one explainable and the opposite a minor plothole.

The title is explainable. It commemorates the late Fabio Passaro, a creator at Eaglemoss Productions who, over his profession, was accountable for numerous CG fashions and their show mannequin CAD information.

What’s leaving many people scratching our heads is how Locarno received his palms on a Federation ship that also responds to Starfleet override codes.

Locarno: Look, why don’t you simply dock on the station? Should you actually don’t wish to be a part of me, I’ll ship you in your approach.
Mariner: And allow you to get your palms on a planetary homicide machine? Uh, no thanks.

Both approach, each Passaro and Locarno are actually included into the brand new planet, without end part of one thing new and alive, due to the Genesis system.

After all, it appears inconceivable for the Ferengi to have created their very own Genesis system that truly works primarily as a result of I doubt the Grand Nagus Rom, seen on Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4 Episode 6, would’ve accredited such a factor.

But when Decrease Decks has taught us something, it is that each species within the galaxy is able to sciencing. So, assuming the Ferengi constructed their very own Genesis system, would not or not it’s extra worthwhile to place a paywall on the activation reasonably than the deactivation?

Locarno: I graduated prime of my class. Do you suppose I don’t know how one can disarm a bomb?
Mariner: First off, you didn’t graduate. And second, that factor is simply too harmful for anybody.

A second paywall for deactivation would even be very Ferengi, however not charging Mariner to start out ‘er up is simply leaving latinum on the desk.

In the end, Locarno’s ambitions overshoot his attain, and Mariner desires the win extra.

In my estimation, his strategic misstep was bringing Sito into the talk. Mariner’s allegiance is to her reminiscence, to not Locarno’s ego or Nova Squadron’s status. When Locarno dismisses her dying as a waste, it is a bridge too far.

After a number of adventures the place Mariner and the Beta Shifters come to the rescue of the senior officers, it is candy to see Captain Freeman faucet her inside Beckett and disrespect orders to do what’s proper.

Not solely that however using a Riker-esque (à la Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 4) approach, like throwing the Orion destroyer on the Trynar Defend, is a suitably spectacular technique that technically does not contain firing a shot.

Freeman: If we transfer quick, we will nonetheless monitor his warp trajectory.
Vassery: Sadly, there is no such thing as a transferring quick in a state of affairs like this.
Admiral Freeman: What state of affairs?
Vassery: Locarno has coordinated mutinies on ships from over a dozen non-Federation planets. If we did one thing that injured a Klingon or a Romulan…
Admiral Freeman: They turned their backs on their worlds once they moved towards their captain!
Vassery: In cold coups. We are able to’t be the primary to open fireplace.

Now, in regards to the commerce for that destroyer…

I am going to come proper out and state my perception that Tendi’s plan is to make her sister remorse bringing her again into the fold.

After their reunion on Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4 Episode 4, we have now a greater sense of the familial ties and obligations in high-ranking Orion homes.

The Barter By Battle factor is a brand new twist, for certain, however regardless of Migleemo falling sufferer to the collapsing hulk of his opponent, our Tendi demonstrated a keenly strategic thoughts for battle.

Tendi: We want a ship with sufficient firepower to punch a gap. We’d simply be borrowing it, actually. We’ll give it proper again.
D’Erika: Um. It’s a warship. Not a used copy of Sword and Scabbard.

Because the queen of the pirates, is D’Erika assured sufficient to consider The Mistress of the Winter Constellation will not outshine her?

The entire marriage ceremony abduction plot is a product of D’Erika’s insecurities. How lengthy earlier than her elder sister’s pure expertise for killing and subterfuge proves an excessive amount of to deal with?

Or maybe D’Vana will undermine D’Erika’s court docket and get everybody on board with science nerding?

If all goes to plan, we’ll have our Tendi again on the Cerritos earlier than the opening credit play on the Season 5 premiere.

Whereas we wait and see, let’s contemplate how far our Beta Shifters have come.

This season alone, they have been promoted, commanded away missions, birthed alien infants, uncovered sentient AI plots, redeemed rascals, and contaminated the crew with emotionality.

They’ve grown to incorporate the scene-stealing, deadpan house Daria Vulcan, T’Lyn and even realized to work with the likes of Livik and Levy.

And Boimler. Has. Captained.

How Disaster Level III was that?

Mariner: Oh boy, somebody’s received captain fever.
Boimler: Oh, do I sound captain-y to you? As a result of Ransom was very pleased with my captaining.
Mariner: I like how this has, by no means, gone to your head.

What can they probably have in retailer for Season 5 to prime all that, Fanatics?

There are rumors of an Enterprise connection. Will we time journey to Archer’s time?

Might we have now a correct Mirror Universe journey? A musical? A completely live-action occasion?

Stay lengthy and speculate, my associates! Hit our feedback together with your greatest takeaways and hottest theories!

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