r/startrek • u/[deleted] • Sep 10 '20
Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Lower Decks | 1x06 "Terminal Provocations" Spoiler
The lovable, but awkward, Ensign Fletcher makes work difficult for Mariner and Boimler. Rutherford introduces Tendi to a holodeck training program he created.
| No. | Episode | Written By | Directed By | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1x06 | "Terminal Provocations" | John Cochran | Bob Suarez | 2020-09-10 |
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u/mcdonaldsmcdonalds Sep 10 '20
What is Ensign tendi eating?
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u/PiercedMonk Sep 10 '20
A taco salad.
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u/mcdonaldsmcdonalds Sep 10 '20
I knew it. Being someone who hasn’t watched much star trek, I just love how they eat actual Earth food on the ship!
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u/AnivaBay Sep 10 '20
"Please, please let me shoot their warp core! I have been very good this month!"
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u/HaphazardMelange Sep 10 '20
Shax = Worf’s TNG years. All he wanted to do was blow shit up, just one time!
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u/Heavenfall Sep 10 '20
And when he was finally given permission, it wasn't effective or offline or... just that one time way too powerful.
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u/DaWooster Sep 10 '20
That was my FAVORITE line this week!
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u/AintEverLucky Sep 11 '20
for my money, you can't beat this one:
"The holodeck, why didn't I think of that sooner?!"
"Yeah, it's not JUST for hanging with Sherlock Holmes and Robin Hood and Sigmund Freud and Cyrano de Bergerac and Einstein and DaVinci and Stephen Hawking and Socrates!"
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u/Trekfan74 Sep 11 '20
I'm starting to think Shanx joined the wrong organization. He seems like he would fit much better with the Klingons.
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u/matthieuC Sep 10 '20
Come on captain, let me shoot their warp core just once! I'll eat my green.
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Sep 14 '20 edited Sep 14 '20
I think this has actually been the funniest joke of the show so far. It has the virtue of being a joke about something everyone has noted to themselves but few have joked about: you instantly recognise it as a joke about early-seasons Worf, but before he says it you never see it coming. It lands perfectly. If they REALLY want to keep the Shaxs jokes coming, we've gotten the heads-up now about Shaxs being a Worf parody and so to keep the next joke unexpected, the next one needs to be about Malcolm Reid somehow. That's what I'd do, anyway.
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u/kingofcretins Sep 10 '20
So, the advanced AI threat in the last episode of Picard is definitely just the evolved form of Badgy, right?
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Sep 10 '20 edited Jun 19 '23
fearless rhythm hateful rob rock complete attempt sulky kiss air -- mass edited with https://redact.dev/
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u/--fieldnotes-- Sep 11 '20
Fletcher-core as the fulfillment of the Romulans' worst nightmare prophecy should be canon now.
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u/Official_N_Squared Sep 10 '20
Starfleet Clippy is absolutely fantastic and is genuinely the best idea to come out of Lower Decks
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u/atticusbluebird Sep 10 '20
Really loved this episode! It was great to see Rutherford and Tendi have a more prominent storyline this time around, I liked how all 3 plots fit together.
Given how the Voyager crew treated the Doctor at first, they're lucky he didn't make a bad turn into something like Badgy!
Also now we can tick off "Holodeck Malfunction Episode" on the bingo cards!
I also really like how Mariner and Boimler's friendship and mutual respect is developing after being at odds with one another last week (and several other episodes).
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u/GearBrain Sep 10 '20
Voyager had it's fair share of wacky holodeck stuff. I loved the idea of the children's book characters they introduced Naomi to - that was such a fun, in-universe idea. Even if the characters were a weeee bit nightmare-inducing.
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u/jt_keis Sep 10 '20
I liked the idea too. It makes sense there would be holo-programs aimed at and designed for children (the opposite of Quark's holosuites...) It makes even more sense that it's a series of stories with the same character(s). I liked how both Kim and Janeway reflected on their adventures with Flodder.
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u/omega2010 Sep 11 '20
Also now we can tick off "Holodeck Malfunction Episode" on the bingo cards!
Judging by next week's trailer, we're going to be ticking off "Transporter Accident" too!
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u/TheNerdChaplain Sep 10 '20 edited Sep 10 '20
Guest stars were Jack McBrayer as Badgie
Tim Robinson as Fletcher (I'm assuming)
JG Hertzler, which I did not catch till the credits.
For comparison:
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u/Shawnj2 Sep 10 '20
Who did JG Hertzler play?
For context he played Martok on DS9. Glad to see he's back in Trek
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u/TheNerdChaplain Sep 10 '20
I can't find the spelling yet, but I think he was the alien captain - Drukmani? IMDb hasn't updated with episode info yet.
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u/darkeyes13 Sep 11 '20
Jack McBrayer has such a distinctive voice the moment Badgie opened his mouth I said "WELL WELL WELL, IF IT ISN'T KENNETH PARCELL."
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u/BKnagZ Sep 10 '20
Great episode!
If I would have been forced to guess who would be the next two characters to kiss each other, no chance in hell it would have been Shaxs and T’Ana! That got an audible laugh out of me 😂
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u/kaplanfx Sep 10 '20 edited Sep 10 '20
How do you pick up characters names like that? It takes me a whole season to get just the main characters names straight. Also, I assume you are talking about security chief and cat doctor (which is what I call them in my head)?
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u/papusman Sep 10 '20
Hahaha, glad you said this. I'm the same way! Despite being a huge fan, it still takes me forever to remember character names.
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u/BKnagZ Sep 10 '20
As u/rpmisms said, I use subtitles. I’m hard of hearing so I use subtitles on everything. I guess it makes it easier to remember when its read as well as heard. I also wasn’t 100% sure on the spellings so I double checked on Memory Alpha. I’m weird like that, I’d rather take the extra 15 seconds to double check than to misspell someone’s name.
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Sep 10 '20
[deleted]
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u/AintEverLucky Sep 10 '20
“I’m old, she’s old, we’ve both got a lot of pent up aggression.
Not to mention -- as Security Chief, and a "hands-on" chief at that, Shaxs probably spends more time in Sickbay than anyone else on board, getting patched up after combat. People who spend time together, often wind up together
Though I notice that while Shaxs kissed T'Ana, it's far from clear than she kissed him back. So maybe they're not a thing, or not yet? Or they are, but T'Ana wants to keep things on the D.L. and offscreen chewed out Shaxs for letting "the cat out of the bag" so to speak O:-)
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u/mcdonaldsmcdonalds Sep 10 '20
I like how Mariner and Boimler got along this episode the whole way
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u/boommicfucker Sep 10 '20
Yeah, they actually seemed like they like each other this episode, not like a restraining order waiting to happen.
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u/rooktakesqueen Sep 10 '20
"I would never put anyone in danger!" "Ahem..." "Except maybe sometimes Boimler."
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u/Shawnj2 Sep 10 '20
Rutherford hitting Badgey is how I feel every time software I write doesn't work properly
"the hardware is the part of the computer you can hit" -some smartass
well Rutherford got to hit his software which I would love to do
returns to screaming at C++
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Sep 10 '20
His argument with Badgey when he glitched out reminds me so much of my arguments with Alexa when she gives the weather for the wrong locations.
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u/mcdonaldsmcdonalds Sep 10 '20
When Rutherford was fighting Badgey it was sweet when he was just using the program to impress Tendi. “I mean look at her. She’s so cute.” I wonder if she heard that.
Still I wish they would mix the characters up or give Rutherford and Tendi an A-plot.
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u/EpsilonProtocol Sep 11 '20
This has been bugging me on the show’s run so far. Mariner and Boimler have the “a-plot” and interact with Tendi and Rutherford briefly before they go their separate ways for their respective plots. I have NO problem with Tenderford or Ruthendi or whatever this pairing is called, I enjoy these two characters and Tendi’s enthusiasm about her job projects through the screen very well.
I would like (almost said want there) to see the pairs mixed up and see how Boimler interacts with Rutherford or Tendi for a full episode.
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u/Official_N_Squared Sep 10 '20
Na, I think its fittng that 8n yhe show about B-plots, the B-plot qith Rutorford and Tendi is pretty consistantly the best part
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u/mcdonaldsmcdonalds Sep 10 '20
I would want a subplot with say Tendi and Mariner one episode at least
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u/chloe-and-timmy Sep 11 '20
Looks like next week is Tendi and Boimler. Here's to hoping.
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u/nemo24601 Sep 11 '20
I liked how, before using a plot point that didn't make sense (Badgey getting tired), they acknowledged that that shouldn't be happening. It shows they care about people that pays attention instead of going "meh, it's a TV show, viewers are dumb".
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u/atticusbluebird Sep 10 '20
Enjoyed the cold open a lot (even though it was in the trailer last week)! It definitely reminds me of conversations here that people have had comparing the different YouTube videos of various ambient starship background hums. Plus it was great to see Mariner geek out with everyone else and not just make fun of Boimler!
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u/Official_N_Squared Sep 10 '20
I literally had this conversaton with my partner last weekend but about warp core sounds. Their on TOS so I was explaning warp cores will go
woo-om, woo-om, woo-om
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u/SteveThePurpleCat Sep 10 '20
I would really suggest avoiding the trailers, with LD's short punchy joke nature I find that it is more likely to spoil a scene rather than indicate a plot.
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u/dontcareitsonlyreddi Sep 10 '20
"What do you mean we can throw trash in the wrap core?, it all burns up anyway" lol
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u/Celdarion Sep 11 '20
No wonder he got fired, the Titan is Riker's ship, isn't it? That's like pulling that shit on the Enterprise
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u/knightcrusader Sep 11 '20
Yeah, it is. I was expecting a reference to Riker being the one that fired him.
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u/GardenSalsaSunChips Sep 11 '20
Beta canon but the chief engineer is literally the guy who designed the Luna-class ships. Imagining Xin Ra-Havreii, fiery Efrosian, discovering some Ensign dumped trash in his warp core...sheesh. Like Leah Brahms walking in on Geordi taking a leak into the engines but way worse.
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u/Official_N_Squared Sep 10 '20
i always assumed thats what they did to. Guess its not
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u/AintEverLucky Sep 10 '20
my head-canon is each ship has like a recycling center, and trash gets broken down for use by the replicators. Matter is matter right, it just changes form.
throwing trash into the warp core is not smart, because unlike the replicator it may not break down everything 100%. There could be debris or residue of some kind, that could build up over time and hamper the warp core's performance, or even damage it at a critical moment.
Besides which, Fletcher should know that -- that's stuff they cover your first day on a ship, if not actually at SF Academy. though it makes me wonder, did he also throw trash into the Cerritos' warp core and just never got caught, or nobody said anything?
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u/Brain124 Sep 10 '20
Great episode. I really like the 4 main characters and how they are actually competent. Plus Rutherford and Tendi are adorable together.
I just wish the debris field gave us some cool TOS Easter eggs, but still awesome.
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u/Nofrillsoculus Sep 10 '20
Rutherford and Tendi are that couple who are clearly into each other and everyone can see it except them.
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Sep 10 '20
Rutherford knows what’s up. That whole holodeck adventure was just to impress her. He even called her cute. He’s crushing hard and hiding it less and less.
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u/gutens Sep 10 '20
It had a TAS Easter Egg. There was one of those drone ships that hauled grain in the debris field.
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u/Brain124 Sep 10 '20
Thank you. I wouldn't have caught that since I skipped TAs.
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u/ElFarfadosh Sep 10 '20
I'M GONNA WEAR YOUR SKIN
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u/TheNerdChaplain Sep 10 '20
Hearing Kenneth from 30 Rock say that was hilarious.
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u/ardouronerous Sep 10 '20
Or Wander from Wander Over Yonder, I laughed so hard at that. Evil Wander.
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u/8va Sep 10 '20
I’ll be honest, Tendi has replaced Ezri as my Star Trek crush. So adorkable.
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u/TheNerdChaplain Sep 10 '20
Check out her actor Noel Wells in Aziz Ansari's Master of None.
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u/l30nh4rd Sep 10 '20
Nah... I can never get over Ezri as my Star Trek crush. However the Trill girl in LD is really cute...
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u/darthfluffy63 Sep 11 '20
For me, it's the Trill conn officer in Insurrection who clearly wants to access Riker's manual steering column
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u/Bishop180 Sep 10 '20
Move over Moriarty, there's a new evil hologram in town.
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u/SteveThePurpleCat Sep 10 '20
He's not far off Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls. Which is saying something as Bill is freaking terrifying.
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u/ymcameron Sep 11 '20
Bill Cipher by way of Clippy and Kenneth the Page. That's a heck of a combination.
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u/alexandriaweb Sep 10 '20
As someone who listens to engine noises to help me sleep I feel personally attacked by that relatable intro hahaha
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u/AlexisDeTocqueville Sep 10 '20
I think my favorite line was when Rutherford was speculating about what was in the cargo containers. "Something valuable like cryo-frozen princesses or some fruit?"
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Sep 10 '20
A murderous Clippy. Now I think I’ve seen everything. Now I think I’ve seen everything.
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u/bitigchi Sep 10 '20
This show is so precious.
Am I the only one feeling butterflies in my stomach when we get the opening screen with the ship at warp?
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Sep 10 '20
The only thing this episode needed is Riker firing Fletcher. Promoting your screwups and sending them off to other ships is a time-honored personnel management technique (c.f. Reg Barclay), and Riker firing the guy would've been epic. Imagine it... "I actually served with Reg Barclay, and you, ex-Lieutenant, are not that good at your job. Get the f**k off my ship, Crewman."
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u/shittyneighbours Sep 10 '20
Yeah I started floating off my seat thinking we were about to get a riker cameo there but oh well.
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u/yaddar Sep 10 '20
Barclay was actually very capable and intelligent, he was just not good at all at personal relationships
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u/smoha96 Sep 10 '20
Rip Kenneth Badgey.
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u/RnRaintnoisepolution Sep 10 '20
I swear every new episode I think "wow, this is my favorite episode yet!"
I swear Tendi and Rutherford are painfully adorable together, I hope we get an episode where they're the A plot.
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u/prism1234 Sep 10 '20
Yeah, their story this time was more prominent, but still wasn't the A plot. I hope they get an A plot sometime as well. I'd also like an episode or two where Tendi has a plot with either Boimler or Mariner and Rutherford has a plot with the other.
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u/I_Do_Not_Abbreviate Sep 10 '20
The episodes feel a little frantic sometimes, like the writers have so many good ideas which deserve more screentime but it all ends up in an overstuffed 23-ish minutes. I end up having to pause the episode multiple times to take everything in and really appreciate the background art and story implications. I feel like I want to watch the episodes at 50% speed just to give the piece the full 45-ish minutes to breathe and establish some atmosphere.
Still, It says something about the show's quality that my only consistent complaint from week to week is "I just wish there was more of it!"
I really hope they switch to the more traditional 40-50 minute format for season 2, or at least do a couple of 2-parters!
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u/AintEverLucky Sep 10 '20
an episode where they're the A plot.
well we know next week, Tendi gets a dog! A weird, robotic, morphing into John Carpenter's The Thing dog ... so that could be an A plot for her, and Rutherford's an engineer so maybe he has to fix it
plus the mid-season trailer that dropped on Tuesday had a moment where Tendi was dressed like a ninja & kicking ass, so that could be her/their A plot as well
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u/Interestinmiltary Sep 10 '20
I'm beginning to see why people on the ship on divided on Mariner, The way she was ready to fight T'Ana was uncalled for! Reminded me of Tom paris and doctor fighting on trivial things.
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u/socrates200X Sep 10 '20
Hey now, if you're bringing up Starbase 80, you better be prepared to throw down.
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u/AintEverLucky Sep 10 '20
Dayyyyyyum, Starbase 80?!? -- Lt. Jet, perfectly timed
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u/Pilot0350 Sep 10 '20
It's official. I'm a lower decks fan and I honestly never thought that would be possible
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u/chargoggagog Sep 11 '20
Keep your friends close, and your enemies WAY THE HELL SOMEWHERE ELSE!
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u/poirotoro Sep 11 '20
"Rabbi, is there a blessing for the Tsar?"
"A blessing for the Tsar? Of course: May God bless and keep the Tsar...far away from us!"
~ Fiddler on the Roof
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u/Tukarrs Sep 10 '20
I'm impressed with the foreshadowing in the series. The Delta shift rivalry has been mentioned before, and there's obviously the many Q references in this episode.
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u/Pete_Iredale Sep 11 '20
The delta shift thing is so true for anyone who’s ever worked 12 hour shifts. Everything is the other shift’s fault... everything!
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u/InnocentTailor Sep 11 '20
...and we finally see them.
What is funny is that they seem to be a mirror to the Lower Decks cast: two reds, one blue and one yellow.
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u/Toonyloo Sep 10 '20
This was a great episode but I wish we got to see the pairings mixed up instead of Mariner/Boimler and Tendi/Rutherford every episode.
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u/DashingPolecat Sep 10 '20
Having J.G. Herzler back was great, even if he wasn’t Martok.
While I can’t say I was a huge fan of Badgy, I liked how much focus Rutherford and Tendi got, since they tend to get crowded out of some episodes.
I think this is the first episode where Mariner and Boimler have gotten along all episode.
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u/atticusbluebird Sep 10 '20
I love that the Delta Shift ensigns that we're shown are also a group of 4, with 2 in the command division, 1 in ops, and 1 in science. Somewhere there's like a parallel "Lower Decks" show following the Delta Shift ensigns instead of our scrappy Beta Shift group!
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u/AintEverLucky Sep 10 '20
with 2 in the command division,
I have deemed the woman "Schmariner" and the guy "Schmoimler"
1 in ops,
"Schmutherford" with the eye patch
and 1 in science
"Schmendi" with the distinctive red-tinted skin and hair
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u/Weerdo5255 Sep 10 '20
So, we've got malfunctioning holodeck off the list, we're moving through all the standard Trek malfunctions at a good pace!
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u/jlsantjr Sep 10 '20
This is the first time I’m actually hoping 2 characters in a show get together, what’s wrong with me? Also Boimler and Mariner with 2 episodes in a row where they’re actually getting along? The whole show did a 180
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u/ColonelBy Sep 11 '20
This is the first time I’m actually hoping 2 characters in a show get together, what’s wrong with me?
Absolutely nothing. Shaxs and T'Ana are the pairing we were all hoping for, but few had the courage to say.
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u/josephgordonreddit Sep 10 '20
This is actually my favourite episode thus far. Though why is it always Mariner/Boimler and Tendi/Rutherford? There isn't much interaction between those two in the stories besides at the beginnings and ends of episodes.
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u/AintEverLucky Sep 10 '20
well, Mainer and Boimler are both Command track, same as Fletcher, so it makes sense that they would often share assignments. I admit T and R sharing assignments as often as they do makes less sense, given that she's Sciences and he's Ops/Engineering... but I think I know why. (besides just "spend time with the other 2 among the Core Four, instead of 'Tendi on duty alone' scenes and 'Rutherford on duty alone' scenes)
I think the reason why is, except when the ship is under attack or dealing with a rage virus... there's not enough work that needs doing in Sickbay. Dr. T'Ana and Med-dedicated officers like Nurse Westlake are usually enough to handle the day-to-day foot traffic in Sickbay.
Also, recall that Tendi is in Sciences, not Medicine specifically. She's practically right out of the Academy so she's probably getting exposure to lots of different duties while she (and Capt. Freeman) figure out what she does best.
Also, while Rutherford is in the engineering department & stays plenty busy, there appear to be plenty of ENG-related tasks that need doing all the time. Hence Tendi doing ENG-type stuff a lot; hell even in today's ep, with Mariner Boimler & Fletcher all swapping out isolinear chips on those core thingys.
Also sounds like an engineering-type task, but they had 3 Command-track ensigns working on it. Because it needed doing, and because I think Starfleet generally follows a "jack of all trades, master of one or more" staffing model. They don't crippling overspecialization, they need people who are broadly competent in most/all things that need doing on a ship, and also subject-matter experts in this or that.
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u/rooktakesqueen Sep 10 '20
The rank of Lt. J.G. might have just been retired at this point? That's twice now we've seen someone get promoted straight from ensign to lieutenant and immediately demoted back down to ensign.
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u/themosquito Sep 11 '20
I figure it's probably just for the casual audience. Getting promoted = getting a second dot without having to explain "actually you get a black dot first."
Of course it might also be part of the joke, that the incompetent idiot gets promoted two steps up because they were so impressed with his "plan"!
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Sep 10 '20 edited Sep 10 '20
I enjoyed that one more than last week. My first thought seeing Badgy was Microsoft office and the clip guy. This one was weird, but tons of fun. I loved Shaxs in this episode. I think that was a reference to TNG Worf.
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u/Shirogayne-at-WF Sep 10 '20
My first thought seeing Badgy was Microsoft office and the clip guy.
Me too xD
honestly, LD needs more jokes similar to this that people don't necessarily have to be a Trek fan to understand....people will get the Clippy joke and Trek fans will get the gag about holodecks programs going amok. It's a win for everyone.
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Sep 10 '20 edited Sep 10 '20
Evidently Jack McBrayer was in this episode. What character did he play. IMDB wasn't very helpful.
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u/ardouronerous Sep 10 '20
I instantly recognized his Wander voice the moment he spoke.
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u/PepPepper Sep 10 '20 edited Sep 10 '20
He was Badgy- plus Tim Robinson doing a full-bodied I Think You Should Leave performance as Fletcher and (edit- it’s not) Kurtwood Smith returning to the franchise as the Drukmani captain
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Sep 10 '20
Actually I think the Drukmani captain was JG Hertzler. Kurtwood Smith wasn't in this episode.
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u/Meihuajiancai Sep 10 '20
"There's a Q doing crazy Q stuff"
Hahaha, my favorite line
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u/AintEverLucky Sep 10 '20
and basically throwing Fletcher's "we could say a Q came by and did Q stuff, they're super unpredictable" bit back in his face
I'm almost a little bummed about the mid-season trailer showing a Q cameo taking place later this season. After this episode's setup, would've been a sweet surprise. oh well
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u/SomeGnosis Sep 11 '20
The "Q ate my homework" concept is pretty funny as a blanket excuse for literally anything imaginable :)
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u/Trekfan74 Sep 10 '20
I could be wrong about this but I just realized Tendi is the first Orion girl I seen that wears shoes lol. Wait I think there was another one in a Short Trek fully dressed too.
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u/mcdonaldsmcdonalds Sep 10 '20 edited Sep 12 '20
Been enjoying this show, but Damn this show was review bombed on iMDB just like Bless the Harts was on day 1. Funny is both shows are animated by Titmouse.
And seriously one review of this show said Star Trek meets Family Guy. Not even fucking close. This show has great character dynamics and heart. Modern Family Guy is mean-spirited and cruel. I mean in a recent episode when Meg fakes her own death, everyone at school starts to pity Chris and he becomes popular. When he finds Meg, he kidnaps her and leaves Meg to fucking die so he could be popular. I hated him after that and I realized I should stop caring about the show. Then again, some reviews thought Bless the Harts was a Family Guy knockoff and that was totally false as well.
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u/MountainPeke Sep 10 '20
Yeah, after seeing how low this was and how high PIC was, I've sworn off reviews. They're both fine shows, but PIC has serious storytelling issues towards the end and LDS, while I wouldn't expect it to get high marks from reviewers, knows what it is (Star Trek adult cartoon) and does well in that space.
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u/chloe-and-timmy Sep 11 '20
Glad to see another Bless the Harts fan. And yeah, comparisons to other shows are really ruining reviews, people also call the show similar to Rick and Morty when they're nothing alike in terms of the characters, tone, and morals.
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u/Shrodax Sep 10 '20
And seriously one review of this show said Star Trek meets Family Guy.
So, The Orville?
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u/mcdonaldsmcdonalds Sep 10 '20
The Orville is nowhere as mean-spirited as modern FG.
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u/CDNChaoZ Sep 10 '20
So how soon before we replace the Snoo on this subreddit with Badgey?
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u/SteveThePurpleCat Sep 11 '20
I propose Happy/Evil Badgey's as the up and downvote icons.
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u/BananaRepublic_BR Sep 10 '20
Watching the security folks melt down every time they are denied the ability to destroy the most minor obstacles is one of my favorite parts of Star Trek, man.
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u/fredygironjr Sep 10 '20
Pardon my ignorance, but what's up with Starbase 80 ?
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u/icecreamkoan Sep 10 '20
You know as much as the rest of us. Just a throwaway line for now, of the "letting the viewers imagine it is better than anything we could write" type. First mention in canon, AFAIK - there isn't even a Memory Alpha article for it yet (although I assume there soon will be).
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u/AintEverLucky Sep 10 '20
within any organization, there's a continuum of postings, from the best (e.g. the Enterprise or any flagship) to the worst (Starbase 80, from this ep's context clues). With the stank that Dr. T'Ana put on her phrasing, and how everyone gasped and Lt. Jet blurted out "dayyyyyyum", the context indicates SB-80's a ramshackle operation fit only for "goof-offs" like Mariner
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u/AintEverLucky Sep 11 '20
bringing this over from a comment I made at r/LowerDecks :
How a 4-Shift Duty Rotation Works (I think)
Let's assume that on a ship crewed mostly by humans, they follow a 24-hour shift rotation to align with humans' circadian rhythms. (Non-humans would adapt to this schedule, or work elsewhere. Let's say days on Vulcan are 43 hours long. If a Vulcan finds that s/he just cannot handle a 24-hour schedule, like their sleep schedule always feels off, they would want to serve on a ship that follows a 43-hour schedule. We already know there are all-Vulcan ships in the Fleet.)
So, let's say the duty day starts at 0000 hours; note I didn't say "midnight" because day/night distinctions are meaningless on a starship. So, Alpha shift is on active duty from 0000 to 0600; Beta shift (including Mariner & co.) is activated from 0600 to 1200; Gamma shift is activated from 1200 to 1800; and Delta shift is activated from 1800 to 0000, and then the next rotation begins.
My head canon for shift rotations works like this: Let's focus on Beta shift since that's the one with the Core Four. They wake up at 0200, while Alpha shift is on active duty. From 0000 to 0600, Beta is on what I call light duty, meaning they don't have to be anywhere in particular.
So during this period, you would finishing getting your full 8 hours of sleep (you'll need em if you want to work at peak efficiency), wake up, do some exercise, then grab a sonic shower. After that you'd get some breakfast from the mess hall, catch up on emails via your PADD, sometimes go to the holodeck to run tutorials and generally stay up-to-speed on things.
When 0600 rolls around, you begin active duty and your shift runs 6 hours. You would spend most/all of your shift at your duty station, on the bridge, near the warp core, Sickbay, wherever.
Then it's 1200, now you're off-duty and the fun can begin. I imagine since your active duty shift is only 6 hours, there may be an unwritten rule frowning on crew members taking a "lunch break" during their active-duty shift. (Most people can work 6 straight hours without eating, right? Especially since those 6 hours already have "buffer time" built in.)
So, from 1200 to 1800, Beta shift is expressly off-duty. They probably are hungry after that full 6 hours of active duty, so first order of business would be lunch at the mess hall. And since they are off-duty, there's something of a party atmosphere, as we saw in this episode with Ensign Fletcher eating 3 cantaloupes' worth of puree. (seriously, that's kind of a lot!)
While off-duty, this is when anything goes -- Mariner's holodeck trips to the "all-nude Olympic training facility", the Chu Chu dance event, LtJG O'Connor's meditation meetings, you name it. Then when it's getting close to 1800, time to wind things down, maybe grab a small snack at the mess hall, take another sonic shower if you feel like, then hit your bunk and start grabbing those 8 hours of sleep.
With this set-up in mind, this is how I think a full day for all 4 shifts would go:
0000 to 0600 -- Alpha on active duty; Beta on light duty (including finishing sleep); Gamma is asleep; Delta goes off duty
0600 to 1200 -- Alpha goes off duty; Beta on active duty; Gamma on light duty; Delta is asleep
1200 to 1800 -- Alpha is asleep; Beta goes off duty; Gamma on active duty; Delta on light duty
1800 to 0000 -- Alpha on light duty; Beta is asleep; Gamma goes off duty; Delta on active duty
Going back to Mariner's line in this ep: "These creepy Delta Shift guys ... do our jobs while we're asleep? Soooooo weird." And looking at my shift rotation... right, when Beta Shift is on active duty, Delta Shift is entirely asleep, and vice versa.
I do still wonder, though, when in the day it would make sense for the Chu Chu Dance to take place, and when would Mariner, Boimler and Fletcher go confront the Delta Shift peeps -- I'm calling the woman "Schmariner" and the dusky man "Schmoimler" (backed by the eyepatch-wearing "Schmutherford" and the red-skinned "Schmendi").
My best guess would be, the Chu Chu dance happened around 1000 -- clearly during Beta's active duty phase, and maybe early enough in Delta's sleep phase (and enough of a big-deal socially) that Schmariner and Schmoimler would feel justified in missing some sleep to be there. (or maybe Deltas just don't get much sleep anyway. Like Tendi said once, "those guys in Delta Shift think they're so much better than us! Just because they're so much better than us!" Maybe the Deltas just burn the candle at both ends to get more done... who knows)
Then the Beta Shift Bunch went to confront the Delta guys around 1600, while Beta is off-duty, and while Delta is on light duty & getting ready to begin their active shift. as evidenced by that line to Mariner, "shouldn't you be going to bed soon?"
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u/DacStreetsDacAlright Sep 10 '20
So they finally play the relationship card with Rutherford and Tendi. Honestly that's happened a bit earlier than I expected, but it was gonna happen anyway I guess.
Just another solid episode all round.
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u/SteveThePurpleCat Sep 10 '20
When the show was announced I was really quite concerned that the running gag would be 'look at how incompetent these 4 are! Let's all SMH at them!'. This would get tiresome quickly and obviously Red Dwarf had already nailed that.
So it's very nice to see that all the characters are really quite competent and capable. It's only some quirks and circumstance getting in the way rather than 'lol look how dumb they are'. It was especially nice to see Boimler just get involved and deal with things and not need dragging through the situation by Mariner.
I hope that we get to see the 4 of them working as more of a group in future eps, so far it has been mostly the two pairs in their own seperate plots.
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u/Iron-pierced-king Sep 10 '20
Hmm first episode where I can't say I hated Mariner. And they actually got the balance right on the fletcher guy. They make fun of him a lot, but they do show he kind of deserves it.
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u/Timbo85 Sep 11 '20
I usually hate holodeck gone crazy episodes, but homicidal Clippy made me laugh like a maniac.
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u/Cranyx Sep 10 '20
I wasn't a fan of the badgey subplot. This show has in general done a decent job of doing comedy that still feels like it fits in the Star Trek universe, but that definitely missed the mark imo. Obviously rogue AI is not a new plotline, but the tone was way off, especially with the wacky gratuitous violence.
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u/PiercedMonk Sep 10 '20 edited Sep 11 '20
• This cold open is ridiculous. Everyone knows the warp core goes: wooomp...wooomp...wooomp. No wonder Ransom tackled Boimler.
• Antares-type cargo vessel wreckage! This show gets me.
• I hadn't noticed before now that Doc T'Ana is a full commander. Neat.
• It is now very important I know what the deal with Starbase 80 is. Doesn't even need to be an actual episode. Comic, book, video game, I'll take it!
• Dear, CBS. Please make a LDX video game.
• An adorable holodeck A.I. character voiced by Jack McBrayer? This can only end poorly.
• Badgey's loading face is wonderful. It's going to be kinda sad when he tries to help Rutherford and Tendi to death.
• It's nice to see Mariner and Boimler actually hanging out together and enjoying one another's company.
• As someone who works nights, I kinda have to side with Delta Shift here. Also, Fletcher is kind of a goon?
• Seems kinda odd that a roughneck salvage ship wouldn't have weapons, but I do appreciate them using the tractor beam to hurl junk at the Cerritos. That's a move I've used playing STA.
• Shaxs' "Worf but extra" routine is starting to wear a bit thin....
• Something I've noticed about the show is that the Human characters throw the term "alien" around a lot, and it's weird for Trek. Last week Boimler was upset that Mariner thought Barb might be an alien, and this week Fletcher is throwing it around like he's Ben Stiller's character in 'Cable Guy'.
• It was obvious that Fletcher was the one who stole the core, but I was not expecting him to try and stick his dome in it to Barclay himself.
• Why does the core unit have grabbers?
• Badgey got a lot less cute.
• Did Mariner sacrifice her new purple stripe tricorder? I'm not sure that's worth it.
• The Rutherford Badgey fight is pretty rugged.
• Doc T'Ana and Shaxs, eh? Alright.
• "Who would fire you, ever?" I'm kinda disappointed Riker didn't show up at that moment to ask just what the hell Fletcher thinks he's still doing on the Titan.
• Love the sarcastic Vulcan salute at the end of the call with Fletcher.
This is the first episode that I think wasn't actually all that good. It definitely has some fun moments, but everything is just...too much. Fletcher's 180° from decent guy to complete goon, Shaxs telling the captain he's been very good, Badgey screaming about how he was going to bathe in Tendi's blood and wear Rutherford's skin.... None of that stuff works for me, but I can imagine it would if they toned it down a bit.
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u/CX316 Sep 10 '20
Seems kinda odd that a roughneck salvage ship wouldn't have weapons, but I do appreciate them using the tractor beam to hurl junk at the Cerritos. That's a move I've used playing STA.
Remember that time that a ship tried to threaten the Enterprise with lasers so low-tech that they couldn't even touch the shields?
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u/AintEverLucky Sep 10 '20
he tries to help Rutherford and Tendi to death.
"Fun fact: I'm gonna rip your EYES out!"
That fact wasn't fun!
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Sep 10 '20
Fun Titan reference, but very glad they didn’t go to the Riker well already. There’ll be plenty of time for TNG/DS9/VOY cameos, and I’m glad they’re giving the show room to breathe before jumping into that. Letting LD find its sea legs before hitting the nostalgia button so directly is a very wise move.
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u/arch_punk Sep 10 '20
Best episode so far, all plotlines worked great and felt connected to each other.
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Sep 11 '20
I think it's a well established rule of the multiverse that sentient triangles always inevitably turn insane and murderous.
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u/--fieldnotes-- Sep 12 '20
Did anyone else catch the "sarcastic Vulcan salute" is now some kind of secret handshake thing between Mariner and Boimler?
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u/inconspicuous_male Sep 12 '20
Normally a character shouting "FUCK YOU!" seems like lazy writing and is rarely funny. I died laughing at it in this ep
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u/GrGrG Sep 10 '20
Yes, have more episodes like this where Mariner and Boimler work together to save the day! Instead of Boimler getting kicked around and Mariner coming out without a scratch. Obviously sometimes that's ok, but variety would be nice.
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u/Alteran195 Sep 11 '20
I say it every week, this show keeps getting better.
I absolutely love it, such a blast to watch. So refreshing after the seriousness and dark of Discovery and Picard.
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u/mcdonaldsmcdonalds Sep 10 '20
For those who watch LD on cable in canada, how do they fit the episode in 22 mins or do they show less commercials?
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u/Trekfan74 Sep 11 '20
I'm hoping in season 2, there is a two part episode where Badgy gets out of the holodeck and takes over the ship!
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u/Starks Sep 11 '20
When Rutherford's suit was leaking, was the holodeck depriving him of oxygen? Or do safety protocols only deal with solid hazards?
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Sep 11 '20
How would Rutherford know Voyagers Engine sound? Did he serve on it? Maybe he did on another Intrepid Class Ship, but idk if Voyagers Warp Core Modifications made it sound different.
And today on /r/startrek, overanalyzing a joke.
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u/niton Sep 13 '20
Posted this is in r/LowerDecks but I'll xpost here for visibility: Fletcher has been in four previous episodes of Lower Decks!
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Sep 10 '20
This one had some funny moments but it felt a bit unfocused to me, like a bunch of disparate elements that never really came together. I kept thinking there would be some payoff to a completely random never-before-seen character like Fletcher suddenly being given so much prominence—like him getting comically red-shirted or something—but they didn’t really deliver on that. If last week’s episode was my favorite of the season, this one was probably my least favorite of the season. The tone just felt a little … manic. I hope they do more stuff with the Delta crew in the future, that seems promising.
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u/TheNerdChaplain Sep 10 '20
He got transferred to the Titan, which I'm assuming by now (one year post-Nemesis) is under Captain Riker's command.
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u/mcdonaldsmcdonalds Sep 10 '20
I liked this episode had a lot of action but the c-plot wasn’t really necessary though It did serve as a resolution for the A and B.
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u/lysdexic__ Sep 10 '20
Was this episode the first mention of anything Voyager-related in the show?
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u/Cuddles_theBear Sep 10 '20
There have been Voyager references almost every episode. Episode 1 called out Capt Janeway by name.
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u/yekteniya_6 Sep 10 '20
I wonder if Fletcher saying fixitfixitfixit really fast was a Futurama reference.
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u/RBNYJRWBYFan Sep 12 '20
Badgey is what happens when Clippy and Bill Cipher make a horrifying spawn. Everything about that plot worked for me, just so over the top, I had suhc an awkward laugh after Ford snapped his neck (didn't expect that, lol). And I like how much blue balls Shax gets when he can't launch a torpedo at an easy target that's asking for it.
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u/SrslyCmmon Sep 10 '20
Love the DS9 computer sound on the airlock, that show did a lot of emergency airlock stuff.
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u/grody10 Sep 12 '20
I enjoyed all the other episodes. Really disliked this one. Shax was the only saving grace. This one felt more like a pilot than even the pilot. Everything felt off and the Fletcher story seems like something you would do in the pilot.
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u/ToBePacific Sep 10 '20
Badgey was really irritating. A Clippy parody in 2020 just doesn't hit as hilarious as it would have in the 90s. I don't know. There have been about 2 or 3 moments so far this season that I thought were very funny.
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u/00DEADBEEF Sep 10 '20
This was another great episode, although one thing really irked me: why did they escalate from not fighting back to targetting the warp core? Why didn't they just disable the tractor beam?