Space, the final frontier. While Mariner found her renewed passion for Starfleet’s ideals, she has unfortunately found herself in the biggest conspiracy yet. Meanwhile, the Cerritos must use some unlikely allies to bring their own home, even if it means getting court marshaled. It’s your classic Star Trek finale, taking things to the next level! So defy your orders, grab a life-creating super bomb, and join us as we give you five thoughts on season 4, episode 20, “Old Friends, New Planets.”
1. Mariner is not the flip side Lorcano believed.
After a few seasons of insubordination, Mariner has learned and relearned why she cares about Starfleet. Because this is a comedy, I’m certainly more forgiving of Lower Decks having its fair share of “Broken Aesop” stories, but “Old Friends, New Planets” gives this familiar Mariner storyline a new angle, one that makes it work that much better. The episode provides Mariner with an antagonist who sees her as a kindred spirit, but the two could not be more different. On paper, Nick Locarno and Beckett Mariner don’t seem all that different. They’re both hot shots, competent individuals, and disillusioned by Starfleet. The difference is how their insubordination manifests.
Locarno sees Mariner as an ally, someone who will help lead his loose coalition of Lower Deckers in their independent fleet. The problem, though, is that while Mariner is not afraid to break the rules or be insubordinate, she does it to help people. She still believes in the mission of Starfleet. Locarno, on the other hand, is doing this for selfish reasons. He’s here to prove he’s the best and that Starfleet lost something extraordinary when they punished him. “Old Friends, New Planets” works because Locarno is a good foil for Mariner. It’s a reminder that breaking the rules doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a terrible person. It’s WHY you break the rules that matters.
2. Being a good captain means knowing when to defy orders.
One of the oldest and noblest traditions of Starfleet is defying orders. Everyone has done it, from the hotheaded Kirk to the stoic Picard. There always comes a moment when you just can’t follow the orders of those stuffy shirt admirals and take the situation into your own hands. Heck, it’s a Star Trek tradition, and “Old Friends, New Planets” allows the Cerritos to have their moment of insubordination. After the admiralty declares they can’t interfere with Locarno’s free zone, Freeman defies the orders to save her daughter.
But she isn’t going alone. In a moment that is Cerritos strong, the whole crew joins in Freeman’s plan to save one of their own. It’s an excellent moment that is perfectly Star Trek. The music swells, the crew inspired, but what makes this moment unique in “Old Friends, New Planets” is that the whole ship is part of the plan. In other examples, Captain insubordination usually involves senior staff, but when it’s a Lower Decker on the line, the crew comes together. It’s a triumphant moment.
3. Using a loose coalition worst impulses against them
One of the reasons that Starfleet doesn’t want to interfere with Locarno’s plans is that most of the ships in his Nova Fleet are not part of the Federation and could potentially start a war by interfering. It’s a fleet of Ferengi (which they joined the Federation earlier this season, but sure) Orions, Bynar, Cardassians, and Romulans, all Lower Deckers, all bonded by their perceived disrespect of their commanders. But the thing about unlikely coalitions is that they’re more likely to splinter, and Mariner is the perfect person to make that happen. Much of “Old Friends, New Planets” has Mariner using her knowledge of those cultures to turn them against one another.
Locarno doesn’t care about profits! Romulans are willingly taking orders from a human! While Mariner’s initial pitch doesn’t work as she initially hoped, it turns out that the best way to take down a sociopath like Locarno is just to let him talk. “Old Friend, New Planets” is a reminder sometimes a tiger can’t change its stripes, and because Locarno is ultimately a glory hound, he ruins his own organization. It’s a good resolution for a foe that could have been seeded better through the season.
Continued below4. Unlikely allies make for an exciting final showdown
“Old Friends, New Allies” is quite a busy episode (not in a bad way). There are plenty of little jokes here and there that I haven’t even found time to bring up, but it’s impressive how well they were able to seed callbacks from the rest of the season. We return to Orion and D’Erika as a last-ditch effort to get through Locarno’s shield. There are plenty of good bits, including giving Migleemo a chance to shine, but it ultimately ends with Tendi making the ultimate sacrifice, returning to Orion to save her friend.
But it’s not just an alliance between Orion and the Cerritos. Rutherford and Livik bury the hatchet by Twaining and agreeing that instead of fixing the broken Orion vessel, they use the Cerritos to pull the ship. This ultimately ends in one of the best action sequences in Lower Decks history. So much happens! Boimler is acting captain (and has a captain voice!) The Ship smashes into the shield! They got to use the captain’s private yacht! “Old Friends, New Allies” has much going on, but it was always a riveting adventure.
5. A victory for the Cerritos still comes with some consequences
While the Cerritos defied orders, the mission’s success and opening negotiations with Orion puts Freeman in a very positive light. “Old Friends, New Planets” has the OTHER part of the defying orders episode, a reluctant acknowledgment from your superiors that you made the right call. But the episode ends with a big sacrifice. Tendi has to make good on her promise.
While Mariner is excited to reunite with her friends, promises that she’s worked through her issues, and is ready to shake things up, Lower Decks style, the episode ends with the crew splitting up. It’s a tragic and bittersweet moment, with Tendi graciously accepting her fate despite the protest of her friends. (Even the logical T’Lyn suggests that she breaks the rules.) But “Old Friends, New Planets” ends with her returning to her home, and watching the animators shift her personality at the end was truly impressive. Also, one last note: if you watch the show with commercials, I highly recommend watching through the commercials to hear the ending theme. It’s an incredible piece of music that is done a great disservice by being split up by an ad break. The episode is a solid and satisfying ending to the fourth season, and it’s exciting to see where they go from here.
What did you think of the episode? Sound off below, and see you among the stars!
