The Boimler Effect

Story: Temporal Edict

Written By: Dave Ihlenfeld & David Wright

Series: Star Trek: Lower Decks 

Year: 2020

The Captain is annoyed that her ship once again is left out of an important diplomatic mission, and instead is shifted to lesser work. When Boinler accidentally let’s slip what the lower decks crew call “buffer time” she decides the crew has been slacking too long and they need to be extra efficient...maybe that will get her and the ship some respect.

Of course her plan backfires, the crew end up racing to get all their work done far faster, and it makes their work sloppier as they run around like crazy. Boimler is the only one enjoying this new schedule, finally getting the rigidity he craves.

Mariner is assigned to Commander Ransom’s away team, but the rigid schedule screws this up as well, as the gift packed for the aliens on the planet turns out to be the one packed for their enemies. This is taken as an insult, the away team is attacked and locked up, and then the aliens take the skies and attack the Cerritos. The Cerritos is so overwhelmed by their work that they are easily boarded. 

Mariner and Ransom butt heads while locked up, as their approaches to Starfleet vary wildly. When Ransom breaks the rules (stabbing Mariner in the foot so he could be the one to fight a monster instead of her) she finds it surprisingly attractive. 

Boimler ends up saving the day by pointing out to the Captain  that they need the buffer time to do the job right, and the Captain gives an order to take their time again and focus on getting rid of the invaders, which they do easily. 

The Captain then names a new Starfleet rule after Boimler, a rule that says you should take your time and be somewhat lazy. The opposite of who Boimler is. What a gag. 

There are still elements of this show I think can work as a loving parody of Trek. I don’t think it is there yet. I am not finding terribly funny. But I will tell you one thing, this show can't fit into canon for me. Starfleet is too big of a joke in this for that too work. 

NEXT TIME: Assignment Time