The second episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks manages to strongly build on the foundations of the pilot with Mariner, Boimler, and Rutherford progressing in ways that naturally transition from where they were at the conclusion of the previous episode. Boimler is assigned a simple but important escort mission which Mariner tags along with that goes awry. Rutherford, in an attempt to not let Tendi down, opts to transfer into another area of the ship so he doesn’t have to cancel his plans with her. He then tries to see what other job he might be good at on board the Cerritos.
1.Self-Contained Scenes
Whether the scene revolved around Boimler being shown up by Mariner or Sam trying to work in a different area within the ship, The two stories had very strong but short scenes with a beginning middle and end before moving onto the other point. Boimler would get himself into trouble, get saved by Mariner, and feel inadequate to her in comparison. Then, we would move on to Rutherford trying his hand at a different job and succeed or fail at it. Because the conclusion is so final in each instance, the story overall felt like a series of self contained scenes with a greater emphasis on the humour rather than relying on any sort of suspense or plot.
2.Boimler Experiences Self Doubt
Unsurprisingly, being shown up over and over again by Mariner leaves Boimler feeling like he doesn’t measure up by comparison. If it wasn’t clear in the first episode, Boimler is often the bud of the joke or the straight man to Mariner’s hijinks.
This works well from a comedic stand point and makes him feel relatable to the audience, even when he is being a suck-up. But it stands to reason that somebody as ambitious as Boimler being shown up would generate feelings of inadequacy. This emotional conflict being addressed in only the second episode shows that this show is not averse to complex characters despite leaning towards action and comedy in tone.
3.Rutherford’s Sub Plot is Masterful World Building
For those unfamiliar to the inner workings of a Federation Ship, Rutherford trying out each of the divisions he can work on as an Ensign brings the audience up to speed without them even realising that it’s happening. By the end of the episode, we know about Command Division, Security Division, as well as the Science and Engineering Divisions.
Not only do we get a sense of how each division of the ship functions, but we also see who the head of each division is. This well written subplot cements the fact that Star Trek:The Lower Decks is making an effort to bring on board people who might not consider themselves “Trekkies.”
4.Sam and D’Vana’s Will They/Won’t They Dynamic Firmly Established
Much like Boimler feeling like the second fiddle to Mariner, Rutherford’s romantic feelings towards D’Vana are practically spelled out for the audience. At the end of the episode we see how important being in engineering is to Rutherford to the point where it is a strong part of his identity.
Even though he was willing to give up his job so they can hang out together does seem a little over the top, it shows how much he values their relationship. It also helps the audience distinguish the two beyond just being enthusiastic ensigns.
5.Mariner’s nicer than she lets on
Mariner has up to this point put up a strong front. Sure she has a compassionate streak but ‘compassion’ isn’t the first word one would associate with her. In fact she stumbles pretty badly when Boimler begins questioning whether he even belongs in Starfleet. By the end of the second episode we see how truly compassionate of a person she is.
Boimler rediscovers his confidence when a Ferengi offers them a ride aboard his ship and tries to rob them. Boimler, ever the credit hog, lords this over Mariner in front of the entire crew, as she overlooked the threat. At the very end of the episode, we see the entire robbery was staged by a friend of Mariner’s in order to rebuild Boimler’s self esteem. Ending on such a touching note really cemented the show’s capacity for emotional beats with very well written characters. And that it’s a lot more than a funny cartoon version of ‘Star Trek.’
