Star Trek: Lower Decks: First First Contact
October 14, 2021 8:18 AM - Season 2, Episode 10 - Subscribe
[Season finale] The ship takes it all off, baby.
If there's a problem, yo, Memory Alpha'll solve it:
- Sonya Gomez is back! Looks like anointing Picard with hot chocolate didn't hold her career back. Lycia Naff has been doing journalism lately.
- Cetacean ops! The bit about the flippers reminds me of this old Onion post.
- "Captain with a riding crop"? Do they mean Styles? That was a swagger stick.
- "Rubber ducky room"? Probably a reference to this Enterprise-D master systems display Easter egg.
- Big mystery about Rutherford's mystery memory, and season-ending cliffhanger. Hope that that mystery memory isn't just a Section 31 thing.
If there's a problem, yo, Memory Alpha'll solve it:
- Sonya Gomez is back! Looks like anointing Picard with hot chocolate didn't hold her career back. Lycia Naff has been doing journalism lately.
- Cetacean ops! The bit about the flippers reminds me of this old Onion post.
- "Captain with a riding crop"? Do they mean Styles? That was a swagger stick.
- "Rubber ducky room"? Probably a reference to this Enterprise-D master systems display Easter egg.
- Big mystery about Rutherford's mystery memory, and season-ending cliffhanger. Hope that that mystery memory isn't just a Section 31 thing.
Right? Was totally hoping that T'Lyn would come aboard the 'ritos in this ep. Maybe next season?
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:09 AM on October 14, 2021
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:09 AM on October 14, 2021
Holy. Fuck.
posted by SansPoint at 10:43 AM on October 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by SansPoint at 10:43 AM on October 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
T'Lyn will return next season, but not on the Cerritos in the first episode, according to this TreCore interview with Mike McMahan from earlier this week.
It's astonishing that this is only 28 minutes! Two starships, multiple plot threads, a rollercoaster of emotions, and a twist!
A second time through I remembered that the crew of the Solvang was lost in last season's final episode, so the survival of the Archimedes was not guaranteed.
Also: "I see what you did there."
posted by channaher at 12:12 PM on October 14, 2021 [11 favorites]
It's astonishing that this is only 28 minutes! Two starships, multiple plot threads, a rollercoaster of emotions, and a twist!
A second time through I remembered that the crew of the Solvang was lost in last season's final episode, so the survival of the Archimedes was not guaranteed.
Also: "I see what you did there."
posted by channaher at 12:12 PM on October 14, 2021 [11 favorites]
Holy fuck what an episode.
posted by danhon at 1:18 PM on October 14, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by danhon at 1:18 PM on October 14, 2021 [5 favorites]
I'll be extremely surprised if the mystery memory isn't a Section 31 thing. And Rutherford and Tendi's relationship is so cute I hope they continue to be best platonic buds.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 1:52 PM on October 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 1:52 PM on October 14, 2021 [1 favorite]
Until looking it up just now, I'd completely forgotten that "cetacean ops" appears in the TNG episode Yesterday's Enterprise (probably because it's just a one-off bit of dialogue, not depicted) so here I initially thought the concept was just an utterly demented monkey wrench thrown into the world of Trek (and loved it all the more for that).
The actual crisis of the week, in terms of its technical details, visual structuring, and dramatic timing, was honestly on par with those of the feature films. Or maybe I just think a skeletal starship looks cool.
posted by InTheYear2017 at 5:35 PM on October 14, 2021 [6 favorites]
The actual crisis of the week, in terms of its technical details, visual structuring, and dramatic timing, was honestly on par with those of the feature films. Or maybe I just think a skeletal starship looks cool.
posted by InTheYear2017 at 5:35 PM on October 14, 2021 [6 favorites]
CAPT Freemen isn’t among my top-5 favorites on this best-of-buddy-trek.
………….. but this TBC can f’k right offfffffffffffff
posted by Seeba at 10:14 PM on October 14, 2021
………….. but this TBC can f’k right offfffffffffffff
posted by Seeba at 10:14 PM on October 14, 2021
Best of nu*.
I love this show because it has invested me so thoroughly in a character that my previous reaction was “meh. Plot device” about.
posted by Seeba at 10:30 PM on October 14, 2021
I love this show because it has invested me so thoroughly in a character that my previous reaction was “meh. Plot device” about.
posted by Seeba at 10:30 PM on October 14, 2021
Our household loved this! Both how horny those beluga whales were for Rutherford and also how action packed this episode was. When is next season? Is it picked up yet? How does TV even work now
posted by potrzebie at 12:18 AM on October 15, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by potrzebie at 12:18 AM on October 15, 2021 [4 favorites]
Things I was not expecting:
A "Best of Both Worlds" grade cliffhanger.
The return of Sonja Gomez (by coincidence, my household just re-watched Q Who a few days ago)
The rubber duck to become canon.
A call back to the Giant Koala.
T'Ana, grumpy catian she is, purring from a hug.
posted by radwolf76 at 4:32 AM on October 15, 2021 [4 favorites]
A "Best of Both Worlds" grade cliffhanger.
The return of Sonja Gomez (by coincidence, my household just re-watched Q Who a few days ago)
The rubber duck to become canon.
A call back to the Giant Koala.
T'Ana, grumpy catian she is, purring from a hug.
posted by radwolf76 at 4:32 AM on October 15, 2021 [4 favorites]
Until looking it up just now, I'd completely forgotten that "cetacean ops" appears in the TNG episode Yesterday's Enterprise (probably because it's just a one-off bit of dialogue, not depicted)
Lower Decks has mentioned cetacean ops before. I suspect they've been planning this for a while.
posted by mikelieman at 6:56 AM on October 15, 2021
Lower Decks has mentioned cetacean ops before. I suspect they've been planning this for a while.
posted by mikelieman at 6:56 AM on October 15, 2021
Legit think this is up there in the great Star Trek episodes. Genuinely tense with high stakes. Very impressive for 30 minutes.
posted by slimepuppy at 8:38 AM on October 15, 2021 [7 favorites]
posted by slimepuppy at 8:38 AM on October 15, 2021 [7 favorites]
OK. Maybe it would be a good weekend to do a month of Paramount+ and binge this.
posted by kathrynm at 5:48 PM on October 15, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by kathrynm at 5:48 PM on October 15, 2021 [5 favorites]
I think this was far and away a better episode of Star Trek (at least for the purposes of what I want from the franchise) than any episode of Discovery or Picard.
posted by Strutter Cane - United Planets Stilt Patrol at 7:35 PM on October 15, 2021 [9 favorites]
posted by Strutter Cane - United Planets Stilt Patrol at 7:35 PM on October 15, 2021 [9 favorites]
The whole concept of Star Trek is so explicitly designed to be a planet-of-the-week TV show that it just doesn't work very well as a feature film or a continuity-heavy mini-series. Discovery has gotten better at being what it is (after chewing through something like six showrunners in three seasons), but even at its best it's only tangentially Star Trek. Picard is a vehicle for Patrick Stewart but it felt most alive hanging out on the Borg cube.
Lower Decks, despite all its clowning, understands that anytime you separate Star Trek from its fundamental format, you lose more than you gain.
posted by rikschell at 5:29 AM on October 16, 2021 [10 favorites]
Lower Decks, despite all its clowning, understands that anytime you separate Star Trek from its fundamental format, you lose more than you gain.
posted by rikschell at 5:29 AM on October 16, 2021 [10 favorites]
I keep worrying about all those hull plates...
posted by Mogur at 6:34 AM on October 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by Mogur at 6:34 AM on October 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
I keep worrying about all those hull plates...
"We've completely recovered the ship, but... we've got three left over. The hell?"
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:28 AM on October 16, 2021 [8 favorites]
"We've completely recovered the ship, but... we've got three left over. The hell?"
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:28 AM on October 16, 2021 [8 favorites]
The whole concept of Star Trek is so explicitly designed to be a planet-of-the-week TV show that it just doesn't work very well as a feature film or a continuity-heavy mini-series. Discovery has gotten better at being what it is (after chewing through something like six showrunners in three seasons), but even at its best it's only tangentially Star Trek. Picard is a vehicle for Patrick Stewart but it felt most alive hanging out on the Borg cube.
Lower Decks, despite all its clowning, understands that anytime you separate Star Trek from its fundamental format, you lose more than you gain.
I mostly agree, although Deep Space Nine is only occasionally planet-of-the-week-ish but is as thoroughly Star Trek as anything and if anybody disagrees I will shed whatever Roddenberrian personal-conflict-aversion I possess and fucking cut them.
But that said, I am so stoked for Strange New Worlds—for many reasons, but what you point out is high on that list.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 9:35 AM on October 16, 2021 [7 favorites]
Lower Decks, despite all its clowning, understands that anytime you separate Star Trek from its fundamental format, you lose more than you gain.
I mostly agree, although Deep Space Nine is only occasionally planet-of-the-week-ish but is as thoroughly Star Trek as anything and if anybody disagrees I will shed whatever Roddenberrian personal-conflict-aversion I possess and fucking cut them.
But that said, I am so stoked for Strange New Worlds—for many reasons, but what you point out is high on that list.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 9:35 AM on October 16, 2021 [7 favorites]
And re: this ep, I was a little surprised that the name of the star system wasn't spelled Llap.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 9:38 AM on October 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 9:38 AM on October 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
I love "Lower Decks" and this episode in particular but it can't be the main Star Trek show. Trek has always been a show with themes like "perhaps we should improve society somewhat" and "maybe science has gone too far in this case" and those themes are essential to its appeal. "Lower Decks" plays with the smaller stakes of a workplace comedy, focusing on interpersonal themes. It's good stuff, but needs top line Trek to play off of.
posted by chrchr at 11:42 AM on October 16, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by chrchr at 11:42 AM on October 16, 2021 [5 favorites]
Cetacean EMT training: His blowhole is broken! Spray him with water! Don't let him dry out!
posted by mark k at 12:30 PM on October 16, 2021 [15 favorites]
posted by mark k at 12:30 PM on October 16, 2021 [15 favorites]
I'm mostly deaf. Can someone tell me how these two character names are pronounced?
Boimler? Bow-emm-ler?
Tendi? Tendy? Wendy? Tendie?
Thanks
posted by Beholder at 5:44 PM on October 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
Boimler? Bow-emm-ler?
Tendi? Tendy? Wendy? Tendie?
Thanks
posted by Beholder at 5:44 PM on October 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
Boimler is “Boymler”. First syllable rhymes with … nothing I guess? Imagine “Coinler” but the C is a B and the N is an M.
Tendie is just Tendie. Rhymes with “trendy”.
posted by chrchr at 5:59 PM on October 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
Tendie is just Tendie. Rhymes with “trendy”.
posted by chrchr at 5:59 PM on October 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
Practically every single episode of Lower Decks is my favorite episode of all of Star Trek.
I love this show so much.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 1:55 PM on October 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
I love this show so much.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 1:55 PM on October 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
The funniest thing to do after most of the big changes introduced at the end of Season 1 were rolled back would be to make Captain Freeman's arrest permanent. Start Season 3 Episode 1 with her convicted and sent to a penal colony, with either Ransom or a new character as captain. Stay with this all season, with Mariner concocting elaborate ways to spring her from prison (which is a utopian minimum-security colony) and don't clear her name until the Season 3 finale.
Will they do this? Probably not. But it would be funny if they did.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 8:35 PM on October 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
Will they do this? Probably not. But it would be funny if they did.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 8:35 PM on October 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
"What is this, some kind of country club prison?"
"We're the Federation, remember, Becky? We don't do country clubs any more."
"Well, what happened to all the country clubs?"
"Got turned into prisons."
"Cool. Well, I guess that you're all right, then."
"Hey! You could at least offer to spring me!"
"You know how I feel about being called 'Becky.' Spring yourself, Carol."
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:34 AM on October 18, 2021 [8 favorites]
"We're the Federation, remember, Becky? We don't do country clubs any more."
"Well, what happened to all the country clubs?"
"Got turned into prisons."
"Cool. Well, I guess that you're all right, then."
"Hey! You could at least offer to spring me!"
"You know how I feel about being called 'Becky.' Spring yourself, Carol."
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:34 AM on October 18, 2021 [8 favorites]
once again, Eugene Cordero gets the line read MVP with "we need to lower our defenses, just like Mariner needs to do with people!"
posted by DoctorFedora at 4:34 AM on October 20, 2021 [8 favorites]
posted by DoctorFedora at 4:34 AM on October 20, 2021 [8 favorites]
Card of the episode in the Star Trek CCG: Sonya Gomez has come up in the world a bit.
posted by StarkRoads at 8:07 PM on October 21, 2021
posted by StarkRoads at 8:07 PM on October 21, 2021
Is it me or have the last 3 episodes all been outstanding? I seriously laughed until I cried at the Jadzia Dax line.
posted by bq at 7:56 AM on October 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by bq at 7:56 AM on October 25, 2021 [1 favorite]
My household now has a little "Cetacean Ops!" theme song.
posted by brainwane at 10:57 PM on October 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by brainwane at 10:57 PM on October 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
On recent rewatch, two things jumped out at me:
1- The season 1 finale of SNW and this are…well, not to spoil SNW (although would anyone reading this NOT be watching SNW?), but, well…huh!
2- Cpt. Freeman's savage burn of DISCO when she interrupts Mariner's tragic story from her past mid-catastrophe. Wow.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 3:27 AM on July 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
1- The season 1 finale of SNW and this are…well, not to spoil SNW (although would anyone reading this NOT be watching SNW?), but, well…huh!
2- Cpt. Freeman's savage burn of DISCO when she interrupts Mariner's tragic story from her past mid-catastrophe. Wow.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 3:27 AM on July 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
LD Season 3 now confirmed to start August 25th, at least in the US.
posted by hanov3r at 3:51 PM on July 13, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by hanov3r at 3:51 PM on July 13, 2022 [5 favorites]
would anyone reading this NOT be watching SNW?*raises hand*
posted by Strutter Cane - United Planets Stilt Patrol at 7:21 AM on July 14, 2022
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posted by 1970s Antihero at 8:27 AM on October 14, 2021