'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Season 4 Review

TV & Film

Nov 7

Lower Decks crew — Image Source: *Cinemablend*

Star Trek: Lower Decks just wrapped up its fourth season, the longest run of any Star Trek animated series yet. This season started developing serial storylines, which we’ve only seen once or twice so far with Lower Decks. Season four also brings back multiple characters, minor events, and plot devices from previous Star Trek series -- including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager.

4x1: “Twovix” - This is a great throwback to Voyager that ties in multiple events from the show without being over-the-top.

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4x2: “I Have No Bones, Yet I Must Flee” - One of the nice details here was the development of the working relationship between Mariner and Ransom, drawing a parallel to other comedies, like Pam and Michael in The Office. A similarity here would be how Ransom and Michael both support their coworkers when they’re feeling subpar about themselves, like when Pam has her work in an art gallery and Michael’s the only one who comes to support her. In Lower Decks, Ransom promises Mariner that he isn’t going to let her fail and he isn’t going to demote her. She’s already left Starfleet willingly once and she won’t talk to her parents or her friends about it, but Ransom’s going to help Mariner see the best in herself.

4x3: “In the Cradle of Vexilon” - This episode is another that calls back to Deep Space Nine with the reappearance of one of the oddest games, Allamaraine. We see Boimler leading his first away mission and adjusting to his promotion here, but something in this episode just fell flat. Boimler tries too hard and the gag runs too long with Rutherford, Mariner, and Tendi back on the Cerritos.

4x4: “Something Borrowed, Something Green” - Just like the second episode of this season did for Mariner, this episode really expands on Tendi’s character. It’s the very first time the Orion homeworld has been shown in Star Trek shows or movies and, along with Mariner and T’Lyn, the audience learns a lot through Tendi’s experiences and customs.

4x5: “Empathalogical Fallacies” - There are multiple Star Trek episodes where the central ship hosts diplomats. This one is definitely more interesting with three Betazoids on board to mix things up. We get to know T’Lyn better as she attempts to save the day during this emotionally chaotic episode.

4x6: “Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place” - This episode got us back into the Deep Space Nine connections, featuring Rom and Leeta engaged in a negotiation with Captain Freeman.

4x7: “A Few Badgeys More” - Following Badgey’s last appearance, Rutherford has been called to fix the AI again. Meanwhile, Boimler and Mariner are working with AGIMUS to get information and Tendi is visiting Peanut Hamper as she gets released. This episode had a well-balanced resolution and setting all three plots alongside each other in one episode was a unique way of wrapping their stories up.

Lower Decks badges — Image Source: *The Spool*

4x8: “Caves” - Boimler, Mariner, Tendi, and Rutherford are stuck in, you guessed it, a cave. The junior officers recall past cave adventures, mostly while they were separated from each other. The episode seemed to drag on for a while, but the overall theme, twist, and conclusion made it worth it in the end.

Lower Decks crew member — Image Source: *IGN*

4x9: “The Inner Fight” & 4x10 “Old Friends, New Planets” - This two-part finale really hits home. Together, these have got to be the best episodes of this season, possibly of all Lower Decks. Viewers finally get what had been itching their minds all along: flashbacks to The Next Generation episodes “The First Duty” and “Lower Decks.” We find out information about how Mariner is connected to Sito Jaxa, Wesley Crusher, and Nicholas Locarno. This also determines that the math works out to Mariner having been an ensign for at least ten years, which explains how she knows so much and so many people.

By the end of the season finale, we see the conclusion of the alien attacks from previous episodes. There are even several opportunities for plot continuation in the coming fifth season. Overall, this season holds an impressive ratio of funny to serious plots while the characters all saw strong developments throughout the season.

Rating: 9/10