The Rise of Vindicta

Story: Crisis Point

Written By: Ben Rodgers

Series: Star Trek: Lower Decks

Year: 2020

 

Mariner has yet again broken protocol and broken the Prime Directive while she is at it, so the Captain sentences her to....therapy.  No brig for her this time, it's time to maybe deal with her major issues.  The Ship's Counselor, in turn, prescribes some time on the Holodeck to work out her rage and frustrations. Boimler then wants to use the Holodeck to run his program he created from the crew's personal logs in order to create perfect versions of the crew to interact with, and better prepare himself for an interview he has coming up with the Captain.  Mariner hijacks the program and turns into into a movie where she can play the villain and take out all her frustrations on a near replica of her mom. 

While the main plotline of the episode is about Mariner figuring out some of her major flaws (flaws that have made the character wholly unrealistic and hard to buy as a starfleet officer throughout the show in my opinion), it also serves as a parody of the films in the franchise.  As a parody it nearly works.  The personal story of Mariner almost works as well.  I didn't entirely buy the payoff with Mariner fighting herself...but it works well enough for this show.  

In the end Mariner discovers something about herself and if they actually carry it forward and she matures as a character then it will be worth it.  If she goes backwards then the entire episode is a waste.  The big reveal at the end is that Boimler discovers that Mariner is actually Captain Freeman's daughter, which was a big secret to the whole crew. 

 

NEXT TIME: Mariner's Secret