Lower Decks 

A mission of the Enterprise is seen through the eyes of some junior officers who are up for promotions, as questions of duty and honor arise among some of them, such as a Bajoran whom Worf has designated to be promoted to operations.

Director:

Gabrielle Beaumont

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (created by), René Echevarria (teleplay by)

Stars:

Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Patrick Stewart	...	Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes	...	Cmdr. William Riker
LeVar Burton	...	Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn	...	Lt. Worf
Gates McFadden	...	Dr. Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis	...	Counselor Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner	...	Lt. Cmdr. Data
Dan Gauthier	...	Sam Lavelle
Shannon Fill	...	Sito Jaxa
Alexander Enberg	...	Taurik
Bruce Beatty	...	Ben
Patti Yasutake	...	Nurse Alyssa Ogawa
Don Reilly	...	Joret Dal

Storyline

Sam Lavelle, who is up for promotion after tests he takes with fellow ensigns, fears Riker has it in for him. Sito Jaxa is told by Picard she shouldn't even have been admitted to the course after her cowardly conduct as Starfleet Academy cadet. Worf takes care of the close combat training. While the trainee officers wrestle with their hopes and honor, the Enterprise has to shift focus to a real operation. This involves a covert mission with a Cardassian, for which a cadet is selected after some doubts have been lifted by hidden psychological tests.

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Plot Keywords:

alyssa ogawa character | poker the card game | cardassian | covert mission | vulcan starfleet officer | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alexander Enberg, who would later play a recurring role in Star Trek: Voyager (1995), is a son of Trek franchise writer/producer Jeri Taylor from her marriage to sportscaster Dick Enberg.

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Goofs

Picard tells Ensign Sito that she will get back to Federation space using the shuttle's escape pod, however shuttle craft are small and do not have escape pods.

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Quotes

[Joret Dal explains why he is providing Starfleet with information about Cardassian strategic operations]
Joret Dal: All my life I've served in the military. Once, it was an institution dedicated to the security of Cardassia. Now, it's little more than a platform for ambitious guls hoping to make their reputations in battle. If the information I've provided helps Starfleet deter even one pointless skirmish, I've served my purpose.

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Connections

Referenced in After Trek: Context Is for Kings (2017)

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Soundtracks

Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User Reviews

Excellent...and episode with heart

Several newer members of the crew are up for promotion and you see the ways these various personalities respond to the pressure of vying for the same promotion (by the way, the Vulcan was a bit of a suck up if you ask me). At the same time, a Cardassian defector arrives on the ship. How will these two plots intersect?

This episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" is rather unique and I liked it. In many ways it's a bit more soap opera-like than some, as it is more about personalities than a big plot. One reviewer described it aptly as like "Upstairs/Downstairs". Exactly what happens to these eager young crew members is something you'll need to see for yourself--and the ending is a bit touching.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Klingon

Release Date:

5 February 1994 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1