Story: Moist Vessel
Written By: Ann Kim
Series: Star Trek: Lower Decks
Year: 2020
Tendi screws up a guys ascension into a higher form of life, and she does everything she can to make up for it. Ultimately it turns out he didn't actually believe he was going to ascend, he just wanted to stand out and be liked...and since she also just wanted to be liked, they find kinship. But when things go haywire and the terra-forming begins to take over the ship, he risks his life and saves her, and then begins to actually ascend. And it turns out ascending hurts like hell. I liked this little storyline maybe because of our main characters Tendi is the most likable.
The Cerritos is in a joint mission with another California-Class ship, a mission of towing an adrift Generation ship back to Earth. The ship has some mysterious terra-forming tech as well. Meanwhile, the Captain is annoyed with (her daughter) Mariner and wants a reason to transfer her from her ship. She and Ransom then concoct a plan to try and get Mariner to request a transfer, but only assigning her the worst jobs on the ship. When Mariner finds a way to make these boring and awful jobs fun, the Captain then realizes the only thing that will make Mariner want to leave: Promote her and make her have to sit through grown-up meetings all day.
I think a major flaw I'm having with this show is the bridge crew. If the Bridge crew were barely seen, if the main missions were somewhat vague to the lower decks team...and if when the Bridge crew is seen they are like perfect Star Trek idealism characters...then the wackier aspects of the lower decks group would work better for me. There is no contrast though. The bridge crew seems to be as much a part of the show as the grunts, and they are equally as dopey. Last week the Captain stupidly pushed everyone to finish tasks at ridiculous rates and didn't seem to notice the clear drop in quality and madness surrounding her. This week she is just getting into some dumb cat and mouse game with her daughter. The Captain feels as dopey and immature as the grunts...so it just makes all of Starfleet feel like this inept organization. Even the major problem they face-off against (the terraforming of the ship) is caused by the Captain of the other ship acting inept and trying to one up the Cerritos. There is no comedy contrast within the show itself. You have to compare everything to how TNG worked for the jokes to land, and even then...it doesn't always work.
Complaints aside, of the first four episodes, this has certainly been the strongest offering. The characters (in particular Mariner) are not nearly as wacky and grading. It has a tone closer to what I would enjoy as a Trek parody. Has classic Trek premise and it just plays with it a bit. I think I prefer the calmer approach to characters and comedy. It likely won’t last. If this was the show? I may become a bigger fan.
NEXT TIME: Boimler's Girlfriend
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