I thought Lower Decks couldn't top the S02E09 episode but oh boy how wrong I was! This easily could fit in ST TNG or DS9 as one of the TOP episodes. It just felt right, it felt like good old Star Trek all characters on Cerritos are likable! This is how I imagine Starfleet vessel and its crew ! Also had an original way for saving the day and everyone from Cerito's crew mattered! This episode left me literally in tears! Also had a little bit of mystery for Rutherford and ended with a big cliffhanger - so does that's mean Pakled's isn't so dumb after all!? I didn't have any hope for lover Decks after S02E01 but LD managed to turn 360o around improving every episode and ending just brilliantly!
12 Reviews
Star Trek at it's best
lachlantang15 October 2021
I didn't start off as a fan of this show during the first season but this second season really kicked it up a notch, and then this finale, just wow. This episode felt so classic Star Trek. There was a point in this episode where I literally said out loud, "God damn, this is a REALLY good episode." despite being alone in my room. So many new plot threads to explore in this episode, and that cliffhanger too! Got me soooo pumped for season 3. Definitely my favourite episode of the series and really up there in my favourite Star Trek episodes of all time.
Up there with the best of Trek episodes
matt-rouse-212-66734816 October 2021
Whilst I still find the series as a whole to be a little hit or miss, when Lower Decks gets it right it sits right alongside the best that Star Trek has to offer. This episode in particular ticks every box required and it came as a bit of a revelation to me that I actually care about these characters.
The wait between seasons is going to be a long one!
The wait between seasons is going to be a long one!
Amazing!
jasammarijo16 October 2021
A perfect ending of the second season! Discovery let me down, Picard never grew on me, all I wanted was some fresh Star Trek with a "feel good" factor. Lower Decs delevered everything I wanted! Fun, drama, lovable characters, a ton of easter egs, everything... I can't wait for season 3!
What a finale!!
dobowet-7434115 October 2021
This show is hitting its stride - bigly!
schmicol15 October 2021
Man o man. Funny thing: I really loved I, Excretus.
So how amazing to have the ep almost immediately supplanted barely a week later by new favourite wej Duj.
Only to see THAT now surpassed by First First Contact!!!
Holeeee this show has gotten goooood. My head is spinning.
Like some folk on here, I should admit that it took me a while to catch the vibe. It wasn't until mid S1 before I was properly warming to it.
Since I, Excretus I've been unabashedly telling everyone to get on it!
Kudos to the creative team. The show is wonderfully coco ever and really well written. Titmouse have lent their immense visual talents while staying true to the Trek aesthetic, spotting the familiar is always a fun part of each ep. And the cast...well they are just perfect.
Keep 'em coming folks.
So how amazing to have the ep almost immediately supplanted barely a week later by new favourite wej Duj.
Only to see THAT now surpassed by First First Contact!!!
Holeeee this show has gotten goooood. My head is spinning.
Like some folk on here, I should admit that it took me a while to catch the vibe. It wasn't until mid S1 before I was properly warming to it.
Since I, Excretus I've been unabashedly telling everyone to get on it!
Kudos to the creative team. The show is wonderfully coco ever and really well written. Titmouse have lent their immense visual talents while staying true to the Trek aesthetic, spotting the familiar is always a fun part of each ep. And the cast...well they are just perfect.
Keep 'em coming folks.
Way more than a comest
marshalljust16 October 2021
Felt like real Star Trek but was still funny
christianalaws17 March 2022
This episode felt like the show living up to it's potential. Don't get me wrong, I like lower decks for what it is but this episode showed that it can make episode that feels more like traditional Star Trek while still being fun, goofy and self referential the way it usually is. I think watching the crew be competent and collaborative and less erratic/indignant/hyper-active/incompetent is what really made the difference.
The best it's been yet
dawinter-740885 April 2022
Again, Lower Decks proves it can give us a truly great Star Trek episode with this man vs. Space anomaly story. A race to save a fellow Federation ship and save a species and the first contact mission with that species; a classic and exciting Star Trek kind of story with a fresh Lower Decks spin.
I think the episode's best move, as far as Lower Decks is concerned, is adding Sonya Gomez into this episode. I had to look it up to be sure, but she appears as an Ensign in two episodes of The Next Generation. Reusing an old obscure character like that is a very Lower Decks move; to not just bring her back, but to promote her to Captain is a move that connects very nicely to the thread of the lower-deckers' ambitions (mostly Boimler's) to rank up. A nice subtle nod to the upward mobility that is very possible in Starfleet, even as we watch the main characters struggle and work hard to prove themselves where any misstep feels like a huge failure. It's a very subtle, but nice acknowledgement that imperfection is rarely a hindrance to progress and advancement, which feels like one of the themes of Lower Decks. (Who would have ever thought about an animated irreverent Star Trek comedy having thematic elements?) The lower-decker's competence and dedication is what makes them eventually worthy of their own commands, and not necessarily the direct pursuit of attention from the bridge officers.
After season 1, Lower Decks was, for me a fun show, and I enjoyed it for that. After season 2, I love this show, and really think it is a great Star Trek show. I'm excited to see where season 3 goes and hope they can keep up the good work and keep pushing it forward.
I think the episode's best move, as far as Lower Decks is concerned, is adding Sonya Gomez into this episode. I had to look it up to be sure, but she appears as an Ensign in two episodes of The Next Generation. Reusing an old obscure character like that is a very Lower Decks move; to not just bring her back, but to promote her to Captain is a move that connects very nicely to the thread of the lower-deckers' ambitions (mostly Boimler's) to rank up. A nice subtle nod to the upward mobility that is very possible in Starfleet, even as we watch the main characters struggle and work hard to prove themselves where any misstep feels like a huge failure. It's a very subtle, but nice acknowledgement that imperfection is rarely a hindrance to progress and advancement, which feels like one of the themes of Lower Decks. (Who would have ever thought about an animated irreverent Star Trek comedy having thematic elements?) The lower-decker's competence and dedication is what makes them eventually worthy of their own commands, and not necessarily the direct pursuit of attention from the bridge officers.
After season 1, Lower Decks was, for me a fun show, and I enjoyed it for that. After season 2, I love this show, and really think it is a great Star Trek show. I'm excited to see where season 3 goes and hope they can keep up the good work and keep pushing it forward.
Season Two Review
southdavid28 October 2021
With "Lower Decks" first season released later, on Amazon Prime, in the UK, it's actually only seven months since I watched the finale of the first season and wrote my review. In that, I said that I felt it was "alright, but not amazing" but that it certainly improved across it's run. I'd say that the second season maintained the level that the first season ended at, and so was better and more inventive overall.
With Boimler (Jack Quaid) reassigned to the USS Titan, the remaining crew of Lower Decks are getting used to life without him, but his time on board Will Riker's (Jonathan Frakes) all action Starship is a stressful change of pace. The Cerritos becomes embroiled in the politics of the planet Pakled, negotiating a ceasefire whilst dealing with a spy and later discovering that the leadership has been supplied Veruvian bombs by a third party and intend to use them in a war against Earth.
As I say, the second season is better than the first because they've settled into the tone of the show now. They've arrived on affectionate parody, which is probably the sweet spot. The episodes have genuine stories to them, that from another point of view would be series - but is undercut by a sense of humour. The series also likes a deep cut reference. The Tom Paris one is fairly standard, but I did not remember who Sonya Gomez was, and had to google that one when it was clear I wasn't getting the joke. Bringing Alice Krige back for a single short scene as the Borg Queen was a nice touch too as well as a non-Star Trek but still in-joke of having June Diane Raphael voice the mother of Paul Scheer's Billups character.
I still don't feel that the series has crossed the barrier from good, to great and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to someone who isn't already a "Star Trek" fan, but I'll be back for the third run.
With Boimler (Jack Quaid) reassigned to the USS Titan, the remaining crew of Lower Decks are getting used to life without him, but his time on board Will Riker's (Jonathan Frakes) all action Starship is a stressful change of pace. The Cerritos becomes embroiled in the politics of the planet Pakled, negotiating a ceasefire whilst dealing with a spy and later discovering that the leadership has been supplied Veruvian bombs by a third party and intend to use them in a war against Earth.
As I say, the second season is better than the first because they've settled into the tone of the show now. They've arrived on affectionate parody, which is probably the sweet spot. The episodes have genuine stories to them, that from another point of view would be series - but is undercut by a sense of humour. The series also likes a deep cut reference. The Tom Paris one is fairly standard, but I did not remember who Sonya Gomez was, and had to google that one when it was clear I wasn't getting the joke. Bringing Alice Krige back for a single short scene as the Borg Queen was a nice touch too as well as a non-Star Trek but still in-joke of having June Diane Raphael voice the mother of Paul Scheer's Billups character.
I still don't feel that the series has crossed the barrier from good, to great and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to someone who isn't already a "Star Trek" fan, but I'll be back for the third run.
Yeah, it's good... just not great.
julianmarku24 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This episode for me is a good season finale just not great like the first season finale.
Okay so going into it, I knew there would be some drama to it. It was natural but damn does that drama just encapsulate everything that happens in this episode.
Okay I am going to say it: Freeman's promotion was something I did not expect but I knew that something had to change in this finale because of the last episode and the efficiency test. I knew that something had to happen with Freeman. I suspected she might die which would have been the cliffhanger gutpunch that would have made the show epic in killing off a main character. Unfortunately it is a show for kids with sex...
My problem with it is: the fact that Mariner out of All people, miss Secrets itself who got outraged when Boimler accidentally spilled her secret last season, just reveals Freeman's secret to everyone like a loudspesker speaks volumes about her character. And this is a shame because I was really starting to like her this season.
Then it was like the whole crew suddenly turned into children and started to call out their captain for not revealing personal information about herself. She could have asked for that position to be closer to her husband and yet she gets bullied to continue mothering this crew like a bunch of (spoiled) children.
This episode basically bothered me about how unprofessional they were and Mariner being a hypocrite. Again this comes from remembering how affected she was about her secrets being revealed by Boimler the last season.
Also there is something of a shoehorning of Jen into this. Why? Did they do something in the last episodes? I don't know... it just feels like this was shoehorned into the episode where that could have done by anyone of the main characters. Ransom, Shax, Freman and Kazon were basically useless in the last battle...
And why didn't the Cerritos just warped around the magnetic cloud? Why didn't they make that magnetic cloud of asteroid the real danger to the planet and not just the ship?
Just to conclude: this season finale was good just not great or as good as season 1 finale.
Okay so going into it, I knew there would be some drama to it. It was natural but damn does that drama just encapsulate everything that happens in this episode.
Okay I am going to say it: Freeman's promotion was something I did not expect but I knew that something had to change in this finale because of the last episode and the efficiency test. I knew that something had to happen with Freeman. I suspected she might die which would have been the cliffhanger gutpunch that would have made the show epic in killing off a main character. Unfortunately it is a show for kids with sex...
My problem with it is: the fact that Mariner out of All people, miss Secrets itself who got outraged when Boimler accidentally spilled her secret last season, just reveals Freeman's secret to everyone like a loudspesker speaks volumes about her character. And this is a shame because I was really starting to like her this season.
Then it was like the whole crew suddenly turned into children and started to call out their captain for not revealing personal information about herself. She could have asked for that position to be closer to her husband and yet she gets bullied to continue mothering this crew like a bunch of (spoiled) children.
This episode basically bothered me about how unprofessional they were and Mariner being a hypocrite. Again this comes from remembering how affected she was about her secrets being revealed by Boimler the last season.
Also there is something of a shoehorning of Jen into this. Why? Did they do something in the last episodes? I don't know... it just feels like this was shoehorned into the episode where that could have done by anyone of the main characters. Ransom, Shax, Freman and Kazon were basically useless in the last battle...
And why didn't the Cerritos just warped around the magnetic cloud? Why didn't they make that magnetic cloud of asteroid the real danger to the planet and not just the ship?
Just to conclude: this season finale was good just not great or as good as season 1 finale.
A Senior Trekker writes.......................
celineduchain19 November 2021
This is a sincere message to anyone involved with the production of Star Trek Lower Decks. I hope you are paying attention.
SEXUAL VIOLENCE IS NEVER ACCEPTABLE, even when depicted under the guise of humour and targeted at an audience who, judging by most of the other reviews, believe that this show can do no wrong.
In the first episode of this season, Strange Energies, the character named Mariner repeatedly kicks a male character in the genitals with what appears to be obvious relish. Perhaps if the producers were asked to imagine this scene with race and/or gender reversed they would understand just how offensive it is.
Earlier iterations of Star Trek made some serious mistakes. The unbridled misogyny of Turnabout Intruder in the Original Series or outright racism of Next Generation's Code of Honour spring to mind and I have no wish to excuse them in any way. However, it is pretty clear that the makers of these particular episodes, however misguided, did not set out to offend.
Star Trek Lower Decks is supposed to be an adult show; please behave like adults and take some responsibility for the content.
SEXUAL VIOLENCE IS NEVER ACCEPTABLE, even when depicted under the guise of humour and targeted at an audience who, judging by most of the other reviews, believe that this show can do no wrong.
In the first episode of this season, Strange Energies, the character named Mariner repeatedly kicks a male character in the genitals with what appears to be obvious relish. Perhaps if the producers were asked to imagine this scene with race and/or gender reversed they would understand just how offensive it is.
Earlier iterations of Star Trek made some serious mistakes. The unbridled misogyny of Turnabout Intruder in the Original Series or outright racism of Next Generation's Code of Honour spring to mind and I have no wish to excuse them in any way. However, it is pretty clear that the makers of these particular episodes, however misguided, did not set out to offend.
Star Trek Lower Decks is supposed to be an adult show; please behave like adults and take some responsibility for the content.
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