To not take something away from the writers, however Star Trek: Decrease Decks Season 2 Episode three appears like a little bit of a miscellaneous, everything-including-the-kitchen-sink script.
We have now three separate plotlines, which is loads when the present runs an hour. In a thirty-minute providing, it is positively dizzying.
With Tendi and Mariner on their wacky Reward of the Magi mission, making an attempt to retrieve — then restore — a household heirloom for T’Ana, Boimler hallucinating within the Jeffries tubes, and Rutherford unable to simply accept Shaxs’ resurrection, it would not be that far-fetched to suggest that the entire thing was a fever dream.
Rutherford’s plot is very clunky and surreal, though the very fact Fred Tatasciore’s title was by no means faraway from the opening credit was a clue that the Bajoran Safety Chief was all the time certain to return.
The surrealism comes from the truth that nobody else (besides that one, sadly, junior grade lieutenant) thinks it is odd that Shaxs is again.
Rutherford: Shaxs is alive?
Mariner: Yeah, guess so. Bridge officers are all the time getting back from the useless. You gonna end that muffin?
And, yeah, traditionally, Star Trek has used the extra fantastical parts of its style to deliver again characters who’ve died or been seemingly misplaced.
Rutherford: He saved my life! You realize what, I’ll ask him.
Boimler: They do not prefer it when folks ask how they got here again, man. It is most likely only a transporter buffer factor.
Mariner: Yeah, or a restored katra, or a Mirror Universe switcheroo, or the Borg rebuilt him…
Boimler: Or he might be a future son from an alternate timeline, or perhaps he received Genesis deviced, or a time ribbon.
Mariner: Or he was trapped within the Nexus.
Boimler: Nexus, time ribbon, it is the identical factor.
Nevertheless, returning Shaxs by explaining that Starfleet has some kind of regulated, ritualized resurrection course of that traumatizes all who study of it borrows a bit a lot from Marvel’s Brokers of S.H.I.E.L.D. for consolation.
To be honest, of all of the group members to study of this course of, Rutherford is the perfect candidate to hunt out the reality and maintain it underneath wraps.
His complete fixation and refusal to simply accept that it’s what it’s may be defined by his brainwipe, and implant reset.
His have to know is certainly an emotional human response however largely a scientific compulsion.
Shaxs: There is a cause we do not anybody how we come again.
Rutherford: I do know. You’ll be able to’t inform me as a result of I am simply an ensign.
Shaxs: It is nothing to do with rank, son. We’re sparing you darkish truths about scientific depravity that will hang-out you for the remainder of your days. As soon as you realize, you may by no means return to being the person you have been earlier than.
Rutherford: Works for me! Inform me, inform me!
However, in the end, it was a fairly softball rationalization for bringing again Tatasciore.
Curiously, Kayshon continues to be on the bridge crew, so it is anybody’s guess as to how the Safety Chief place is formally being staffed for the time being.
Boimler’s plotline was a surprisingly deep metaphor for him discovering his place after being transporter-cloned and dropping his place (and promotion) to his clone on the Titan.
The truth that the ship’s newly upgraded safety protocols don’t acknowledge him as an id and even as a physique is a intelligent actualization for the adage, “You’ll be able to’t go house once more.”
First, I get kicked off the Titan. Then, the Cerritos does not even know me anymore. The place do I belong?
Boimler
Each determination that he makes, resulting in his closing disaster, speaking the commemorative plate Paris whereas trapped in a fume-filled Jeffries tube, is totally Boimler.
As an alternative of coping with the replicator and door points by taking it to Billups, he chooses to disregard and stick with it.
As an alternative of recognizing the difficulty on the turbo elevate, he bristles at Jet’s (completely patronizing) supply of assist and decides to climb by way of the ship’s inner entry tubes as a substitute. (Which, you’d assume the ship would have higher safety about.)
As an alternative of radioing for assist (assuming his communicator continues to be working) and asking to be transported out of the Jeffries tube, he tries to rewire it (on the suggestion of his hallucinatory buddy on the plate) and finally ends up shoving his memento into the panel in frustration.
In fact, that is what solves the difficulty. A really Fonzy-jukebox/Scotty-esque resolution.
Boimler: This black eye he gave me is means cooler than a signed plate.
Mariner: True. There’s like solely a few folks within the quadrant who can say they received beat up by Tom Paris.
How he goes from full uniform to wanting sufficient like a Kazon for the precise Tom Paris to assault him, I will chalk as much as disaster creativity.
Getting Robert Duncan McNeill again to voice Tom Paris (each on plate and bridge variations) is spectacular. A present that attracts the vast majority of its viewers from the followers of the assorted earlier sequence is wise to faucet into the VOY fanbase.
To achieve for some narrative parallelism, each Boimler and Shaxs are seen right here to be coping with a troublesome return.
Transitions are difficult, and whether or not it is from one ship to a different or from a decapitated state of demise again to life, there will likely be some bumpy bits. I suppose.
What up? We doing the sci-fi stuff as we speak?
Mariner
On the flip-side of the motion, Mariner and Tendi have the final word animated sci-fi Thelma & Louise street journey, full with a self-induced tried shuttle crash finale.
For an easy retrieval mission, they find yourself taking a whole lot of detours on the best way again. All of the issues they find out about one another are heart-warming even when T’Ana’s household heirloom libido submit will get destroyed within the course of.
Their first cease to Qualor II is sort of a Vegas fun-stop the place Mariner finds out that Tendi is into Klingon Acid Punk music. Not info that we because the viewers have been ever aware of, so… okay, that is fairly trivial data.
Then, after they break the pinnacle off the submit, Tendi learns that Mariner was as soon as stationed on Deep Area 9 earlier than they head for Starbase Earhart. The viewers knew that Mariner had been on a number of ships and assignments, so perhaps Tendi hasn’t been listening too properly.
Mariner: Do not be so laborious on your self. It was only a mistake.
Tendi: I do not get to make errors such as you do. It was laborious stepping into the Academy. There’s nonetheless a whole lot of stigma round Orions. Quite a lot of people assume we’re all thieves and pirates! Wait, my cousin works in a thieves’ den in a pirate outpost on this sector. He would possibly be capable to assist us out.
Mariner: So long as you are not bothered by the optics, it really works for me.
After they’re undercover on the Orion Pirate Outpost, the dialogue about Mariner’s style in males is fairly humorous, however when Mariner reveals she does not even know Tendi’s first title is D’vana… whew, that is a doozy of an oversight.
Tendi: I do not know if I’ve ever seen you date anybody. You normally appear to be with Boimler.
Mariner: What? Ew! No, what? Yo, that’s so tousled.
Tendi: What? I do not know. You guys virtually sleep in the identical bunk.
Mariner: We don’t! Ew! He is like a pet!
Platonic work relationships between female-presenting characters are tough at occasions, as evidenced by Mariner’s interplay with Jennifer the Andorian on Star Trek: Decrease Decks Season 1 Episode 1.
Precise friendships when the characters have been largely paired off with others (as Tendi factors out as they’re setting out for Qualor II) are much more problematic.
Each Tendi and Mariner come to Decrease Decks with private baggage. Tendi carries the stigma of being Orion (one thing she’s been pigeon-holed by already twice on three episodes this season). It makes her over-eager to please.
The explanation you do not a lot about me… that is my fault. I am all the time so busy making everybody else pleased that I by no means open up.
Tendi
Mariner’s received the entire mommy/captain factor going and, apparently, a worry of abandonment too. Who knew?
Mariner: Do not feel unhealthy that you do not know a lot about my life. I maintain it imprecise on function.
Tendi: Why?
Mariner: Each time I open up, folks get promoted and take off. It is higher to simply maintain it floor stage and by no means have buddies as a substitute of all the time dropping them.
I might’ve most well-liked extra off-ship time between Boimler and Rutherford’s on-ship crises and the Tendi-Mariner bonding happening. Additionally, some backstory on the entire “Mistress of the Winter Constellations” would’ve been appreciated.
Or an reason why the false inexperienced impact wore off so rapidly. Or what the phrase “false inexperienced” even means within the context of Orion tradition.
With all of the vagueness round Shaxs’ resurrection and Boimler’s bizarre Jefferies tube epiphany, they actually may’ve simply proven Boimler climbing into the tubes after which falling onto the bridge, speaking to the plate and searching like a Kazon.
It might’ve made nearly as a lot sense, and we may’ve nonetheless watched Tom Paris beat Boimler up.
In the meantime, T’Ana’s complete factor with the libido field got here in was a becoming ending to a ridiculous street journey. It’d’ve been attention-grabbing to know why it needed to be that specific field, however in an episode so mild on exposition, I am not going to count on that.
Props are due for dropping in such a various forged of characters. Along with Kayshon, our Starfleet Tamarian, we had Nausicaan gamblers, an enormous vary of Orion pirate thieves, the Kazon reference, and the Caitian bin keeper on Qualor II. Illustration issues, folks.
Additionally, it is good to see that Quark’s, as a franchise, continues to be a going concern.
So, did you get pleasure from this street journey? Was Shaxs’ return a satisfying one?
Now that Paris has made his look, who would you wish to see subsequent? One other VOY crew member? Or perhaps the Cerritos docks at DS9?
Hit the feedback together with your greatest ideas and photographs!
Diana Keng is a employees author for TV Fanatic. Observe her on Twitter.