In Episode four of Star Trek: The Lower Decks, “Moist Vessel,” Boimler and Rutherford take a backseat as we explore Mariner’s complicated relationship with her mother, Captain Freeman. Tendi, meanwhile, is desperate to make amends on an ascension ritual she spoiled.
1. Mariner’s a terrible employee
Mariner has proven time and time again that she is good at her job; she is even exceptional when it involves exploring new worlds or getting into fights. What she really is appalling at is being a good employee.
Her distaste for the toxic culture in the United Federation of Planets, while valid, makes her a liability for Captain Freeman. We see how Mariner’s ambivalence creates problems for Captain Freeman when she goes out of her way to antagonise a Captain from another ship through uncontrolled yawning.
This lack of reverence for senior officers is the first thing we learn about her and is the set up for most of her jokes in the show. But the opening and closing scene with Freeman and Mariner speaking to other Federation personnel really drives the point home that no matter how good Mariner is, she’s still an awful employee.
2. Mariner’s Worst Nightmare
Once Freeman’s plan to coerce Mariner into quitting starts falling apart, she realises that giving her the most unpleasant jobs isn’t the way to wear her down. The worst thing for Mariner is getting a promotion.
We spend the episode watching her turn the most disgusting and boring jobs into something bearable, only to be totally worn down by things as dull as board meetings and talent shows. Before this, the impression Mariner gave to Boimler was that climbing up the Federation chain of command isn’t worth the trade off. In this montage we see that Boimler’s dreams of promotion is Mariner’s worst nightmare.
3. Tendi’s Enlightenment
Even though we are four episodes into the show, this is the first subplot that focuses heavily on Tendi as she tries to rectify a botched Ascension ceremony that she ruined for her fellow crewmate O’Conner.
Tendi, racked with guilt, desperately tries to amend the situation by any means necessary. She takes vacation days off to focus helping O’Conner get back to a state of inner peace, so he can ascend. Tendi admits in a moment of vulnerability that she’s only helping O’Conner because she needs people to like her. O’Conner then opens up to her and the whole story ends in a way that ties everything together. Ironically Tendi seems unchanged by the experience, still needing to be liked by others; but more aware of it than before.
4. Freeman as a Mom & Mariner as a Daughter
For the entire show we only see Freeman as a Starfleet Captain who puts too much emphasis on her rank and reputation within the Federation. Similarly, we only see Mariner as a disillusioned Ensign who breaks every rule she can out of spite as much as moral protest towards her superior officers.
Suddenly, in the middle of a crisis, when both of these characters are on their own, they suddenly turn into a mother and a daughter. Freeman is second guessing every decision Marinier makes down to the rock she picks to dig her way through a tunnel. Eventually, Mariner rants at Freeman, saying she’s good at her job and asking her to stop micromanaging her.
5. Joke’s reveal character
I’ve been trying to think about what exactly it is that makes Star Trek: The Lower Decks such an engaging show to watch. What makes it so good is every time some sort of comedic set unfolds, we know a little bit more about the character once everything is said and done.
Tendi is so dependant on the approval of others, that she is willing to spend her entire day fixing the problem she created for O’Conner. Mariner would literally rather clean shit than sit through a meeting; Freeman has a very unhealthy relationship with Mariner. All of this is explored through entertaining gags and clever jokes that makes you oblivious to the strong sense of characters that you begin to feel after each joke is told.
