Logline
The Cerritos visits the Ferengi homeworld.
Written by: Cullen Crawford
Directed by: Brandon Williams
It’s Rom! From Star Trek!
Rom likes baseball!
It was really great to not only see Leeta again, but to see her as quite the shrewd negotiator. DS9 played them both as a little naive at different points, so it was extremely gratifying to see the continuation of their growth as well as the very sharp skills that Leeta picked up along the way on Ferenginar.
The resolution to the Rutherford and Tendi subplot was interesting to me in that it made explicit the way that their easy familiarity with each other as best friends and coworkers is predicated on a blithe, willful obliviousness to any other romantic feelings between them. I’m curious to see how that plays out in future episodes.
I enjoy the exploration of Ferengi society under Grand Nagus Rom, and visiting some of Ferenginar’s hot spots. I also enjoy seeing Rom and Leeta again. I love the subversion of Rom’s doofiness, and how well Leeta adapted to Ferengi society. First Clerk, indeed. Freeman’s frustration was my frustration, but it had a satisfying ending.
I didn’t enjoy the lower deck gang’s shenanigans as much. There were fun moments, but it felt like a drag on the characters. Mariner’s fighting just to be fighting. She has grown a lot over the past seasons. Her undefined angry outburst in this episode seemed pointless. There’s nothing keeping JG Lieutenant Mariner from her Ensign Mariner renegade behavior and schemes. Boimler has completely backslid into the previously uncertain, twitchy, insecure Boimler. There’s no sign of “Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus’” (s3e8) “I want to be a captain” Tendi.
Rutherford and Tendi’s discomfort pretending to be a couple made me uncomfortable. They’ve clearly been sweet on each other for a while. I could have done without forcing them into this pretend couple scenario, and let their relationship develop at its previous pace. I think Mariner and Boimler being the pretend couple had the potential to be hilarious. And, what the heck. No T’Lyn? Much disappointment.
I think Ransom is the standout in this episode.
The destroyed (maybe? maybe not?) ship of the week is a Ferenghi one. There was the tiniest hint, that one of the crew had been in contact with who or whatever is on that flying ship of destruction. With only 4 episodes left, I hope that ship has a huge payoff after being teased for so long.
I still love Lower Decks. This episode is a mixed bag for me.
Mariner’s fighting just to be fighting. She has grown a lot over the past seasons. Her undefined angry outburst in this episode seemed pointless. There’s nothing keeping JG Lieutenant Mariner from her Ensign Mariner renegade behavior and schemes.
Seems realistic to me. Have you never watched someone spend so long fighting that even peace starts to make them uneasy?
It’s hard watching your loved ones go through it. You do all you can to get them on the right track. You show them that you believe in them and that you support them. They start making progress. They get to a good place. And then inevitably they run into the identity crisis where they have to make a conscious decision to unlearn all of their unconscious insecurities and defense mechanisms.
They literally start fighting their progress for no reason.
Mariner’s depiction with a physical fight was a little on the nose, but it hits really close to home for anyone who has ever supported someone in that way before.
It’s a fear response, and it’s extremely difficult to break the cycle. “Everything is okay! Wait, is it too okay? Something bad is coming.”
Rutherford and Tendi’s discomfort pretending to be a couple made me uncomfortable. They’ve clearly been sweet on each other for a while. I could have done without forcing them into this pretend couple scenario, and let their relationship develop at its previous pace.
If anything it felt a little like a reality check for all the shippers. I was afraid they were going to play it the other direction, with the two of them actually falling for each other once they were in the position of role-playing. Feels like they set the record straight that the romantic chemistry is not there right now and that it won’t be forced.
Of all the things I thought Star Trek would never reference, Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace was pretty high up there.
That mind control/subliminal messages in advertising joke with the paramount logo made me laugh.
One of my big complaints in the earlier seasons was that the show wasn’t very funny for a comedy, but it’s actually getting better. The whole Ferengi tv thing was great.
