57
Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Lower Decks | 4x04 "Something Borrowed, Something Green"
(startrek.website)
this post was submitted on 21 Sep 2023
57 points (95.2% liked)
Star Trek Social Club
10676 readers
231 users here now
r/startrek: The Next Generation
Star Trek news and discussion. No slash fic...
Maybe a little slash fic.
New to Star Trek and wondering where to start?
Rules
1 Be constructive
All posts/comments must be thoughtful and balanced.
2 Be welcoming
It is important that everyone from newbies to OG Trekkers feel welcome, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, religion or race.
3 Be truthful
All posts/comments must be factually accurate and verifiable. We are not a place for gossip, rumors, or manipulative or misleading content.
4 Be nice
If a polite way cannot be found to phrase what it is you want to say, don't say anything at all. Insulting or disparaging remarks about any human being are expressly not allowed.
5 Spoilers
Utilize the spoiler system for any and all spoilers relating to the most recently-aired episode. There is no formal spoiler protection for episodes/films after they have been available for approximately one week.
6 Keep on-topic
All busmittions must be directly about the Star Trek franchise (the shows, movies, books, etc.). Off-topic discussions are welcome at c/Quarks.
7 Meta
Questions and concerns about moderator actions should be brought forward via DM.
Upcoming Episodes
| Date | Episode | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 11-28 | LD 5x07 | "Fully Dilated" |
| 12-05 | LD 5x08 | "Upper Decks" |
| 12-12 | LD 5x09 | "Fissure Quest" |
| 12-19 | LD 5x10 | "The New Next Generation" |
| 01-24 | Film | "Section 31" |
In Production
Strange New Worlds (TBA)
Section 31 (2025-01-24)
Starfleet Academy (TBA)
In Development
Untitled comedy series
Wondering where to stream a series? Check here.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Loved this one, prob my favorite of the season so far. We've had Tendi's attitude towards her own Orion heritage hanging over her character this entire show (plus a touch of SNW), so it's fun to finally dive deeper. I like how T'lyn was used here-- basically as a manifestation of Tendi's friends prying into her personal life. I wasn't expecting Mariner's main role this episode to be running gag, but hey, it worked.
The plot resolution (at least on the character arc side) wasn't super surprising, but I think it works and goes beyond where we last left the thread of Tendi's pirate identity in season 3. On DS9 it felt like she just saw herself as a trained pirate trying to be a scientist, here we have the gang affirming that the scientist is Tendi's real self. For those of you reading queer allegories onto Tendi, this episode just makes them all the deeper.
The Brutherford B-plot was incredibly silly, even as LD plots go. It's not deep, but I think it was just audaciously funny enough to work. I was initially skeptical of how they just yadda-yadda'd past the guys' conflict resolution on the holodeck. I think it works because it heightens captain Freeman's (and the audience's) disbelief that they'd expect their petty Seinfeld shenanigans would translate to any useful diplomatic measures.
Other notes:
I agree that Mariner's role in the episode was nothing but a running gag, but I have to point out what an exceptionally well written running gag it was, both in terms of her character and her character development over the course of the series.
Mariner's behavior in this episode tells us two things about her. First, she's the type of person who can get stabbed three times in a single day and (mostly) shrug it off. This isn't really a surprise. She's has always been both tough and resourceful, but she's also impulsive and emotional which too often results in her messing things up. Not this time though, and that's the second thing the episode tells us. Mariner is maturing. In past seasons a knife in her shoulder would have resulted in either a fight or a great deal of grandstanding about what a badass she is for not caring that she got stabbed, but not this time. This time Mariner knows that she's only here to support her friend.
Mariner is the running gag in this episode because now, perhaps for the first time, she can handle being the running gag. She knows that this adventure is about Tendi, and she's not going to derail it over a little thing like getting stabbed three times.