Space, the final frontier. While Starfleet is ultimately on a mission of peace, many have been quick to point out that there are an awful lot of torpedoes on what are supposed to be diplomatic starships. If you’ve joined with one goal in mind, only to realize your mission can get those you cared about killed, it can make you a little jaded and eager to rock the boat. Hopefully, you can find a friend to put you on the right path. So remember your true calling and join us as we give you five thoughts on season 4, episode 9, “The Inner Fight.”
1. A ruthless Mariner is (apparently) causing numerous problems.
While Mariner has always been a bit of a loose cannon, “The Inner Fight” starts with her taking it to the next level. After a dangerous away mission with venomous lizards, Freeman is justifiably annoyed at her daughter’s ruthless behavior. It makes sense, both as a Captain and a mother, that she’s upset. No captain wants to lose a member of her crew, and no mother wants to lose her daughter, so she wants the rest of Beta shift to keep her daughter out of trouble. There’s just one problem: this episode feels a bit out of left field.
Sure, Boimler mentions her impulsive behavior in “Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place,” but the cold open is certainly Mariner taking things to an unsafe degree. Still, it has seemingly come out of nowhere. Mariner hasn’t seemed all that out of control in the past couple of weeks, but “The Inner Fight” seemingly is ignoring other episodes where the character has exhibited serious growth this season. Again, much like “Caves,” it’s a setup that doesn’t feel grounded in what we’ve seen this season. While not a severe problem, it is something rare for a show that’s usually pretty tight in storytelling and characterization.
2. A safe mission turns out to uncover a greater conspiracy.
While the rest of the crew is off looking for Nicolas Locarno, one of the Federation citizens threatened by the mysterious ship kidnapping people, Freeman decides it’s best to keep Mariner and her friends away from the trouble. While “The Inner Fight” shows that the Beta shift is on a seemingly ordinary weather station maintenance mission, things continue to get weird. From disrupted communication arrays to a Klingon Bird of War well outside the empire’s border, it seems like the safe mission is anything but.
The episode reveals that the planet below has become a battle royale for the kidnapped crewmembers we’ve seen getting picked off in the cold opens. “The Inner Fight” does create a lot of fun fights we haven’t really seen before. Bynars vs. Cardassians, Orions are fighting Ferengi, but again, it all feels rushed. It seems clear that the writers wanted the reveal of the kidnapping to pull the carpet out from under you, but it has also disrupted what could have been a more substantial set up for the finale.
3. Just because it’s a hive of scum and villainy doesn’t mean there aren’t rules!
As Mariner, Tendi, Boimler, and T’Lynn struggle with an interspecies battle royale, the senior staff and Rutherford continue to track down information about Locarno on New Axton, a planet of rogues and scoundrels. While Freeman and her crew are delightfully fish out of water, “The Inner Fight” takes advantage of Starfleet’s perceived “superiority” when dealing with those outside their rules’ confines. From trying to cut lines to parking wherever they want, New Axton reminds us that while the Federation has its rules, they are by no means universal, and while you might choose not to follow one set of rules, it doesn’t mean you’re lawless.
While this side plot provides plenty of laughs, Captain Freeman picking up the information broker that she thought was a robot comes to mind; it shows the captain’s cunning. “The Inner Light” proves why she is in the captain’s chair, showing Rutherford that acting the pompous fools allowed a disguised Billups to get precisely what they wanted. Maybe it wasn’t the strongest subplot in the world, but it certainly got the point across.
Continued below4. Mariner’s new friend reminds her what is truly important
As the crew observes the battle royale, Mariner can’t help herself and immediately gets involved, challenging a Klingon to one-on-one combat. As the episode progresses, even the honorable warrior grows concerned with the devil-may-care attitude of his Starfleet foe. While Mariner’s characterization came a little out of left field, it does set up one of the most substantial monologues in the series and maybe Trek in general. “The Inner Fight” finally shows why Mariner has always been a rebel; she lost a friend, which disillusioned her with the organization.
It’s a masterclass of voice acting, and Tawney Newsome provides all the laurels you can give. It’s an emotionally wrought speech about loss and watching an organization you care about slowly give way to the more basic human traits of aggression and war. It makes sense why Mariner didn’t want to rise through the ranks; “The Inner Fight” is clear. As an ensign, she can be the best of the ideals of Starfleet. As an officer, she might make a call that causes the death of a friend like Sito. It turns out that her Klingon friend, Ma’ha, reminds her of what it truly means to be a warrior and that being a leader also has its own abilities. It’s a strong moment and does make up for the inconsistent characterization.
5. An old foe creates new problems.
After regaining her passion, Mariner uses her best Starfleet negotiations to bring the band of misfits together, along with some help from her friends. After an episode of playing the rebel, “The Inner Fight” ends with Mariner embracing what makes being a Starfleet officer special, bringing people together. The problem is that it worked too well and brought her attention to the wrong people.
“The Inner Fight” ends with the reveal that Locarno isn’t a target. He’s the mastermind. Again, this is a very late-in-season twist, one that maybe could have been seeded better, but it is exciting that Robert Duncan McNeill is reprising the role. It should be an interesting finale!
What did you think of the episode? Sound off below, and see you among the stars!
