I appreciated Tendi refusing to let Mariner cast her as an Orion pirate. I mean, I assume her friends know she's not some (how did she put it?) "libertarian hyper-capitalist," but they missed how she wouldn't even want to cosplay one. This is a real-life thing: It's like the universe of things people assume about racial, ethnic, gender identities. And Star Trek has a ways yet to go in shaking up its mono-cultural mythologies. TOS & TNG really traded in stereotypes: "Klingons are hyper-aggressive," "Romulans are compulsively secretive," etc. When you think about it, these societies need more diversity than we're shown just to survive. For example, I'm still waiting to hear more from Klingons who engineer their ships and weapons, make their clothes, prepare the blood wine & gogh, sing opera professionally ... :D
@@DougVanDorn DS9 was always better than the average old Trek about fleshing out diverse cultures. They gave us Cardassian, Ferengi & Bajoran characters who played against the types established on TNG. Like Jessie said, Picard more recently did that for the Romulans. It's a good idea for writers & show runners to keep in mind.
I love Tendi in this episode. To me it called out some fans who were upset about Orians not being sexual anymore but also showed how Tendi has a line. Tendi is very sweet but she doesn’t like her or her people to be labeled into on category. I loved that. It showed that there might be something more going on with how her people are treated too and I wanted to see them dive into that. I was actually yelling at Mariner for acting kinda racist towards her but loved that she apologized in the end. It was pure Star Trek!
Also Tendi standing up to Mariner shows how much she has already grown as a person since her deput . There is no way in hell that episode one Tendi would have done anything like that
Seriously this episode was amazing. SPOILER WARNING Seriously the whole bit with Mariner basically facing down herself, like literally herself shooting down the lies she's been telling herself about herself. That's just so brilliant and meta, and under lesser writers it could be anvilicious, but these writers managed to make it fit the character so perfectly. Just...character(s) literally talking things out and coming to a better understanding of themselves, while having huge sci-fi epic battles. That scene kind of is everything I love about Star Trek in a nutshell. Well except social commentary, but then again one could definitely make the case that encouraging more self examination of why people think what they think and do what they do IS commentary itself. Oh and also, even as a straight guy who wants more 'guys can be affectionate to each other without it needing to be romantic' relationships in media, the Rutherford/ Billups thing definitely seemed to be kinda romantic, so it's not just you reading into it.
I thought the scene with Rutherford and Billups was mors like a father / son thing personally, though I get where the more romantic interpretation is coming from.
Absolutely loved seeing Mariner get some serious character development and seeing Tendi stand up to her for being super disrespectful of Orions, Bajorans, and Caitians and just the whole insanity of playing out a fantasy of killing all your coworkers. And not gonna lie, the lingering shots of the Cerritos were just a little awe-inspiring.
Tendi getting mad and calling Mariner on her BS was the best part of the episode for me. It showed that Tendi is more than just a happy-go-lucky tech nerd. That said, it failed to affect Mariner. She went ahead with her fantasy, instead of realising she was losing her friends. Sure, at the end she realised she loves her life, but I think it should have been a two-parter where Mariner has alienated her friends and has to work to get them back.
@@zigmenthotep Interesting concept, you're soooooo right! I went through a personal epiphany, and it did not automatically fix everything... but believe me, it felt really good! I only can wish one to you.
Fellas, is it gay if our hands touch while repairing the warp core? ANYWAY I was intrigued by Rutherford's scene and would like to submit that he is ace. He doesn't need makeouts with sexy women, men, or others -- he just wants a partner who shares his passion. And that passion happens to be routine maintenance.
Best line for me was "this is the 80s, we don't have mental health problems any more!", Tendi's "Yeah, I'm gonna steal things and never give them back... crime!" was a close second.I didn't laugh out loud so much even as I enjoyed all the references to the movies, but like every other episode of Lower Decks it definitely amused me and kept me engaged for the entire half hour. My favourite move riff was using the Jerry Goldsmith fanfare from the TMP/Wrath of Khan soundtracks that lead into the overwrought rearrangement of the Lower Decks theme. A criticism a lot of us have had is that Mariner is too perfect and I think having a holodeck simulacrum of her win out is a good way to maintain her space badass cred, but also prove that Mariner has been out of line and overcompensating for her insecurities. (Khan's sub-guy was Joachim, the "You have Genesis, we can do whatever we want" guy. The actor attempted to get his name in the credits at the start of the movie alongside the regular crew and Khan, and due to miscommunication when that was rejected he wound up waiving his billing, so he didn't get credited for the movie at all)
Really great episode - but I really hear you. After a dark week in US politics and a terrifying prospect for 2021, we've really needed Lower Decks to just escape the unrelenting nausea of 2020. With it ending next week, will we have a nervous breakdown by November? I did love Tendi calling out "we're not all Pirates".
When I thought I would've gotten fed up of the reference humor , they drop 25 minutes and 30 seconds of this awesomeness on me, this was truly a fantastic episode from all the movie references, making fun of JJ, TMP, WOK, SFS,UDC, Generations That line "It's a movie you can do anything" had me cracking up Voyager jokes with Davinci and the Holodeck and it ended up being really touching and sincere with Rutherford and Mariner working out their issues, the stuff with Tendi and the Orion stererotyping was good too Truly fantastic
And, in universe, it’s just another example of Starfleet members obsessing over the history of the enterprise. From Mariners perspective, Zion is a person who almost became science officer of the enterprise and then just died. This would be roughly analogous to our understanding of the character. I love that mariner is kind of a trekkie in that she loves learning about the enterprise, though, from her POV, she’s just a history nerd
Henry Burby If you’re talking about the Vulcan that died in the transporter accident that was Sonak. Xon literally never existed in-universe and barely existed in ours!
Andy Billups appears to be, at least in the simulation, sutextually gay, and it doesn't seem a problem to Rutherford, so you're reading it right. T'Ana even used a certain vulgar word to describe their connection. I loved the fight on the sideways bridge. It was very "Star Trek Beyond". Outstanding episode!
This to me appears to be the Duet of Lower Decks. Not to say Crisis Point is as good as that masterpiece, but in the sense that this is the late episode of the first season that takes full advantage of the show’s strengths & unique qualities and takes full advantage of them to be the point where the show completely becomes its own. Duet did that for DS9 and I’m feeling Crisis Point is doing that for Lower Decks. Really hoping this is the one that will win people over as it sounds like this has a good balance of comedy while also having the usual Trek strength of character and subtext.
I usually have a moment of cringe in these episodes from certain references, but they weren't abrasive at all here. That and the fact this felt more grounded, really sold it on me. It felt like a proper fantastic Trek episode to me.
I'm in any time there's an extended Ship appreciation scene, and that music was top notch with the horns delivering that Star Trek movie vibe while blending the series music
omg i just want to know more about Tendi and how and why she came to be in starfleet and more about the Orion's in General, we get loads of everyone else but i feel like I'm being drip fed info for her, also got a little pissed at how uncomfortable Mariner was obviously making Tendi trying to get her into the pirate roll and going on about how her race takes slaves and are pirates and so on but im glad that she in the end stood up for herself and didn't allow her to push her into doing it.
After Picard’s signature phrase“Make it So”, my second favorite captain’s saying is “ Warp me”. Captain Freeman was super bad ass this episode even though it was just a simulation of her. Leonardo da Vinci in the holodeck reminds me of Captain Janeway.
I felt so sad for the Chief Engineer eating the soup alone :'( GO FIX STUFF TOGETHER!! I'm going to miss this series when it ends next week-really enjoying it.
Another layer to the Mariner v Mariner thing is that it's also a bit of a general reference to the movies where if there's a vengeful villain it's probably represents a flaw of the main character
Oh, no. The Rutherford-Billups ending was definitely 100% intended to be gay-coded. Also, I love the fact that since the counsellor is such a bad doctor and also a bird-alien, that makes him a huge quack.
You're right the characters in lower decks are pretty solid for the first season of a star trek show. In the opening sequence I had to think of the Anticans and the Selay. The Selay looked more like cobras than lizards, but the "rat guys" really look like the Anticans from TNG.
This series has blown me away. From having legacy Trek actors( JG Hertzler, John deLancie, Kurtwood Smith and John Billingsley....pretty sure he was the Counselor), to lampooning all 54 years of Trek. Being a smart comedy worthy of comparison with shows like the Good Place and Brooklyn 99. Also like those shows having AMAZING character studies in each episode. Also a I managed to use this show to help introduce someone to the Trek franchise. I don't envy fellow Trekkies who have to put together vids breaking down Easter eggs in this episode. As for this episode there's little I can say. I am stoked for the season finale next week.
I adored this episode. Mariner's growth was long overdue. I laughed at the choice of the bird for the therapist, too. A parrot. Oh that made me chuckle!
Can we just talk briefly about what a genius subtle move it was to take the Lower Decks main theme, and reimagine it in the style of James Horner's score from Wrath of Khan for the holo-movie's intro? That alone sent me. I nearly fell out of my chair gleefully laughing like a complete fool.
This was the first episode all season to get a genuine laugh out of me. When they did the beautyporn flyby of the Cerritos, i about died. I really enjoyed it that this episode they truly poked fun at themselves, while in a funny way honoring what had come before. But if i showed this episode to my wife, the jokes would all go completely over her head. She's very much a casual viewer as in, she'll watch it if i have it on and not complain lol.
Trek helping us ALL get through, and yr vlogs are helping me as well. I really look forward to your reviews & all the interesting comments. Thank you for creating such a fun & positive space on YT!
you could almost say Mariner fighting her holographic double was yet another trek homage. There sure have been plenty of those episodes over the years. Kirk vs Kirk in "The Enemy Within", Will Riker vs Tom Riker to lesser extent in "Second Chances" to name a few.
Rutherford’s technobabble has a sly stoner joke: “Bypass the indi controls and suppress the sati vents” Referencing indica and sativa, the two common cultivars of the cannabis plant. Truly going where no Trek show has BONG before! Love your content and positivity, Jessie! Qapla'!
There's a third level to the "it's the 80s" joke: while TNG was created in the 1980s with a huge mental health culture (hence putting a psychotherapist on the bridge), "we don't have mental health issues" probably refers to Roddenberry's adamant stance that humanity is so evolved in the 24th century that they don't actually need therapy (hence the writers not knowing what to do with her aside from lie detection).
I Swear, there was a Full Minute there during the Mariner Vs. Mariner Fight that I was unsure which of them was the real Mariner and which one was the Hologram. I was Actually thinking "wait, did Mariner Program the Holodeck to make a Version of herself with an added trait of "overexagerated Villain" for her to go up against in the Climax?". Mostly Because it was Villain Mariner that was Screaming her inner thoughts and Truths to the Usual Mariner as though Being told the Truth was her Weakness, since Villain Mariner was saying things that there is simply no way she'd ever Admit to herself, so it actually had me confused as to which one was Meat and which one was Light... Which Frankly kinda shows just how Meticulous and good a programmer Boimler is that I'd have a hard time Being sure which was which. Also, Villain Mariner is SCARY efficient...
8:05 ey, I'm not the only one who sometimes talks in typos! Amazing episode. I loved all the details - especially the self-referential details, it's very cautiously stepping away from just referencing other Star Trek shows. Like returning minor characters from earlier episodes, and creative uses of bleeps. And even some references to completely outside cultural landmarks. No capes!
This episode was oddly cathartic for me. I won't go into details but besides being a great episode, ranking very high in all of Trek episodes, it did get something that I got out of it I wasn't expecting. Also the Cerritos is far more beautiful than I gave her credit.
The way the Cerritos fell apart in the atmosphere is a reference to Star Wreck: In The Pirkinning where after escaping Babel 13, the Constitution-class ship fell apart in the Ice Age.
The part of this episode that had me laughing for a solid minute was the long glamour shots of the Cerritos, complete with the Star Trek II theme music medley. It was great at first, and then went on and on and on, and I was in tears.
awesome, awesome episode. and YES this show is written by people who really know Trek and what it stands for. that moment when Mariner faces herself - damn! had to pause and have a moment... damn and then I laughed my arse off for like the rest of the episode, soooooooo good!
I love the fact that the episode is a send up to the movies, both JJ and TMP, as well as episodes where Kirk fought his evil half and stuff like that. Plus all the lense flairs. So unnecessary and yet so hilariously appropriate. Plus the font was nice.
Firstly, thanks Jessie for working so hard to get these reviews up right away after airing. Okay, ***POTENTIAL LOWER DECKS SPOILER STUFF BELOW HERE*** I have to kind of chuckle. This episode was about therapy and the whole time I was watching it I had to grapple with the fact that I am not "having a good time". Like, I was fighting to not turn off the episode and the whole time I am thinking "This has to be my depression talking". Even still, I did laugh out loud at a couple lines so good to know I am not totally dead inside yet. I will say that as much fun as this show can be, I find myself unable to get "lost" in the episode because so much of it seems to border on "hey remember this?" I am hopeful that SNWs will give me what i am looking for. I am nervous about the exocomp thing also, TBH.
SPOILERS: Usually, the jokes on this show don't really land with me. Even, I chuckled at a couple of jokes. WARNING: The ship has crashed. [Me finding that funny that someone who programmed LCARS thought that crewmembers needed the computer to tell them] However, I also do agree that this episode got back to Mariner being the problem crew-member in a big way. The one thing also note about the real Mariner and the holodeck version of the Captain. In several discussions, the Captain (holodeck) says
I know the flyby of the Cerritos was done for comedy, but I really did love watching it, she is a fine looking ship and I completely understand why she never fails to take the captain's breath away, kudos to those who designed her. 👍
New theory... After rewatching episode 9 I got to thinking: Maybe all of the Star Trek movies take place in Holodeck simulations. Because there are differences between the movies and the different shows. The movies seem to be at a different tech level then the shows, plus the super over the top villains in the movies. Some people in the past have suggested an alternate universe or something, but now in Canon with with references in Lower Decks, I say the movies are Holodeck interactive movies. What got me thinking they are simulations? It's what Rutherford says: "No, it’s a movie you can beam whatever- you can do all sorts of beaming stuff in a movie!”
I'm honestly struggling with Mariner. I don't know if it's because I'm more of a Boimler, but to me she just feels worryingly toxic. She feels selfish and thoughtless to others and the only way she keeps coming out of every episode okay is because the writers wanted her too. I don't know if it is the way she is written causing red flag triggers in my brain because of toxic people I've known in the past sharing similar traits with her but it's leaving a bad taste in my mouth overall. I hope I'm either wrong and in time I'll will warm to her or the writers commit to character development that shifts her out of this framing. This episode has been the hardest for me as her thoughtlessness with Tendy was a big red flag for me that I feel the writers just swept under the rug with a joke so they could return to relationship status quo. Sorry for the massive block of text, I guess this got to me more than I thought.
One thing I liked about the ship beauty shots was how I’m pretty sure the music was a cross between Star Trek II, which also did that scene and lower decks music
Lower Decks is a very modern show. It's a 21st-century show. I think its managed to have a very modern sensibility and outlook but still have a fondness and nostalgia for the past.
OMG! The James Horner version of the Lower Decks theme! The titles flying through space and hitting Boimler on the head! The ship upgrades consisting solely of added lens flares! And -- wasn't that John Billingsley as the avian Counselor who was obsessed with food references? When the Horner version of the theme music started up, I just lost it. Started screaming and laughing so hard, I'm surprised my neighbors didn't call the cops on me... ;) Best. Episode. Yet.
This is absolutely my favorite Lower Decks episode. I actually applauded more than once. I love a show that can be funny AND tell a compelling character story. I don't think any Star Trek show has known what it was about so early in it's run.
I also loved the fact that there were constant unnecessary camera movements for the first couple minutes of the "movie". Yet another example of LD paying attention to every little detail.
Totally Agreed...Finally watched it earlier.......Love Lower Decks.....the only lil' thing that bothers me is the intro- when the ship gets hit with meteoroids/asteroids ( and it has a tinny sound ) ..rather than showing it bouncing off the shields? that's it....that's my pet peeve
This was an EPIC EPISODE! One draw back! What the hell, why'd they do that to Boimler at the end? Other than that EVERYTHING ELSE WAS EPIC! BEST EPISODE!
Never have I turned my opinion of a show 180 degrees so quickly. I think I initially disliked STLD due to lingering Picard bitterness, but this has won me over on its own merits. It's gotten progressively stronger and the deep cuts are just so deep. Already this show passes a very minor test - name the characters and something about them. I don't want to turn this message into crapping on the other modern shows, but that's not something I can easily do for the other series. I'm just glad to have Lower Decks.
This episode reinforced my love for Mariner, Rutherford, and Tendi...but I feel like I now hate Boimler. And not because of his tendency to try and brown nose his way up the ladder. Heck, I'm starting to wonder if his full name is Bradward Judas Boimler. His going through all of the personal logs of EVERYONE. That's just not cool and if it really comes out, Boimler might as well sign up for that research post on a distant asteroid. I loved that Tendi finally mentioned the stereotypes of Orions and stood up for herself on that. (Okay, I'll admit I play STO, and my Klingon main is an Orion though I have her dressed as a pirate and not in next to nothing) I also said when we saw the 'upgraded' bridge "AH LENS FLAIR!" Oh, and I really hope that they dive into Rutherford and Tendi more next season. Wait...was that supposed to be subtext? It was bordering on supertext! And NO! NOT THE SEASON FINALE!
Watched it a bit sooner than usual and it was amazing! This show has been improving every new episode to something truly great. I also learned we need a Lower Decks movie in this episode, that needs to happen sooner then later!
Seriously, immediately after I first watched Crisis Point, I immediately messaged my closest Trekkie friend and said, “this was the best Star Trek episode *ever*!” And okay, maybe that was a little bit hyperbole, it’s not quite that, but this ep is so totally Trek in so many ways that fire wonderfully, including that it takes its place among the greatest comedic Trek episodes in a tradition that has been baked in since TOS. I’m with you. In awe. My three favorite things: - The crashing saucer section rolling across the planetary surface like a badly-thrown frisbee. Like, why *hasn’t* that happened before? - Shempo. Because he is *literally* a Fake Shemp since he was supposed to have been Boimler. And because of “I was Shempo!” - If DaVinci has a gun in the first act…….. And oh, Jessie, you are totally *not* overreading the gay subtext, I don’t think. CisHetDude here who doesn’t always catch the subtext, and I was so feeling the subtext here. Spot on.
If you didn't thoroughly enjoy this episode I question why you are watching this series. Should this have been season one's last episode? ... with the STVI signature sign-off and all... My favorite episode to date! TMP ship fly-by with tears..., lens flares, ST movie theme music, and a ton of other great Star Trek references were all done really well. But what makes this episode for me is Mariner finally comes to terms with herself. Maybe we can finally get past this mother/daughter feud. Love how all our main characters get to bolden their characters. Great fun, I found myself cracking up on multiple occasions. No chocolate for the Captain! 10 of 10 for me.
@@MonkeyDefenceForce I know what I thought I heard. Some people thought they heard the same thing, others have said I am a homophobe for even suggesting it.
found your channel by accident, and I'm glad I did. Though this wasn't my fave episode of LD, I must agree that it is a great show overall. I have no love at all for STD or Picard, but for this one I do, and I think your cogent, honest, and detailed review in part explains why.
I loved this episode! It and last week's episode where Q showed up are probably two of my favourite episodes of Lower Decks so far. I actually honestly thought that the lizard people and the rat people at the start of the episode were the Selay (lizard) and Anticans (rat) from the TNG season 1 episode, "Lonely Among Us". With the rat people eating the lizard people, it just reminded me of the end of that episode. I thought that the Cerritos crashing on that planet was more like the Enterprise saucer crashing in Star Trek Beyond because of how it flipped over and had more structural damage to it, while in Generations the saucer's crash landing was more controlled keeping the exterior more intact. I can't believe that Lower Decks is almost over for the season though! I hope Discovery season 3 delivers because if it doesn't the transition from Lower Decks to Discovery is going to be difficult.
the last 2 episodes of Lower Decks were super awesome! and the fact they choose to put lens flare inside a cartoon, it amuses me in a way that words cannot describe
I appreciated Tendi refusing to let Mariner cast her as an Orion pirate. I mean, I assume her friends know she's not some (how did she put it?) "libertarian hyper-capitalist," but they missed how she wouldn't even want to cosplay one. This is a real-life thing: It's like the universe of things people assume about racial, ethnic, gender identities. And Star Trek has a ways yet to go in shaking up its mono-cultural mythologies. TOS & TNG really traded in stereotypes: "Klingons are hyper-aggressive," "Romulans are compulsively secretive," etc. When you think about it, these societies need more diversity than we're shown just to survive. For example, I'm still waiting to hear more from Klingons who engineer their ships and weapons, make their clothes, prepare the blood wine & gogh, sing opera professionally ... :D
Just like stories about Cardassians who are simple tailors. Oh, wait... :D
@@DougVanDorn DS9 was always better than the average old Trek about fleshing out diverse cultures. They gave us Cardassian, Ferengi & Bajoran characters who played against the types established on TNG. Like Jessie said, Picard more recently did that for the Romulans. It's a good idea for writers & show runners to keep in mind.
Green Lives Matter!
@@knoahbody69 Of course they do!!!
we need to see some klingon therapists!
I love Tendi in this episode. To me it called out some fans who were upset about Orians not being sexual anymore but also showed how Tendi has a line. Tendi is very sweet but she doesn’t like her or her people to be labeled into on category. I loved that. It showed that there might be something more going on with how her people are treated too and I wanted to see them dive into that. I was actually yelling at Mariner for acting kinda racist towards her but loved that she apologized in the end. It was pure Star Trek!
Also Tendi standing up to Mariner shows how much she has already grown as a person since her deput . There is no way in hell that episode one Tendi would have done anything like that
Seriously this episode was amazing.
SPOILER WARNING
Seriously the whole bit with Mariner basically facing down herself, like literally herself shooting down the lies she's been telling herself about herself.
That's just so brilliant and meta, and under lesser writers it could be anvilicious, but these writers managed to make it fit the character so perfectly.
Just...character(s) literally talking things out and coming to a better understanding of themselves, while having huge sci-fi epic battles.
That scene kind of is everything I love about Star Trek in a nutshell.
Well except social commentary, but then again one could definitely make the case that encouraging more self examination of why people think what they think and do what they do IS commentary itself.
Oh and also, even as a straight guy who wants more 'guys can be affectionate to each other without it needing to be romantic' relationships in media, the Rutherford/ Billups thing definitely seemed to be kinda romantic, so it's not just you reading into it.
I thought the scene with Rutherford and Billups was mors like a father / son thing personally, though I get where the more romantic interpretation is coming from.
I'd love to see Rutherford and Shaxs be mentor/mentee.
I just loved "the whole bit" you mentioned! It was amazing!
They did mention the Prime Directive. Mariner said "screw the Prime Directive".
There's plenty of instances among all of trek where the pd is ignored or stretched beyond recognition.
Preaching to the choir on that one
@@knoahbody69 I know, Jessie just said she didn't think Mariner or the captain mentioned the directive by name.
The prime directive is a doctrine of moral laziness.
Absolutely loved seeing Mariner get some serious character development and seeing Tendi stand up to her for being super disrespectful of Orions, Bajorans, and Caitians and just the whole insanity of playing out a fantasy of killing all your coworkers.
And not gonna lie, the lingering shots of the Cerritos were just a little awe-inspiring.
Tendi getting mad and calling Mariner on her BS was the best part of the episode for me. It showed that Tendi is more than just a happy-go-lucky tech nerd.
That said, it failed to affect Mariner. She went ahead with her fantasy, instead of realising she was losing her friends. Sure, at the end she realised she loves her life, but I think it should have been a two-parter where Mariner has alienated her friends and has to work to get them back.
@@maisiesummers42 Oh yes, I would have loved a nice lesson on on how having a personal epiphany doesn't automatically fix everything bad you've done.
@@zigmenthotep Interesting concept, you're soooooo right! I went through a personal epiphany, and it did not automatically fix everything... but believe me, it felt really good! I only can wish one to you.
Best part of it: the James Horner's homage soundtrack. That was so cool.
Yes i loved hearing that included!
I could barely take in the rest of the episode I was sqeeing at it. I listened to the whole Wrath of Khan soundtrack twice to come down afterwards.
I thought it sounded familiar!
One of the best uses of the Holodeck, if not the best ever...
You should make a video ranking uses of the Holodeck.
THIS
Agreed that would be a great video!
Oh man that video needs to exist
@@Xaquri Definitely.
Lens flares directed by J.J. Abrams
Like it or not..he did bring a cinematic look to the STU
Fellas, is it gay if our hands touch while repairing the warp core?
ANYWAY I was intrigued by Rutherford's scene and would like to submit that he is ace. He doesn't need makeouts with sexy women, men, or others -- he just wants a partner who shares his passion. And that passion happens to be routine maintenance.
Yeah, totally! If I were a cyborg, I'd probably find most connection with amazing engineers too.
Sorry, Rutherford isn't asexual. He's engineering-sexual. And if holo-Billups can be believed, so is he.
Best line for me was "this is the 80s, we don't have mental health problems any more!", Tendi's "Yeah, I'm gonna steal things and never give them back... crime!" was a close second.I didn't laugh out loud so much even as I enjoyed all the references to the movies, but like every other episode of Lower Decks it definitely amused me and kept me engaged for the entire half hour. My favourite move riff was using the Jerry Goldsmith fanfare from the TMP/Wrath of Khan soundtracks that lead into the overwrought rearrangement of the Lower Decks theme.
A criticism a lot of us have had is that Mariner is too perfect and I think having a holodeck simulacrum of her win out is a good way to maintain her space badass cred, but also prove that Mariner has been out of line and overcompensating for her insecurities.
(Khan's sub-guy was Joachim, the "You have Genesis, we can do whatever we want" guy. The actor attempted to get his name in the credits at the start of the movie alongside the regular crew and Khan, and due to miscommunication when that was rejected he wound up waiving his billing, so he didn't get credited for the movie at all)
I love the reference to the pah-wraiths
This episode was basically like if the premise of Pickle Rick was actually done well.
Really great episode - but I really hear you. After a dark week in US politics and a terrifying prospect for 2021, we've really needed Lower Decks to just escape the unrelenting nausea of 2020. With it ending next week, will we have a nervous breakdown by November?
I did love Tendi calling out "we're not all Pirates".
This was probably the best episode yet- definitely Mariners best
When I thought I would've gotten fed up of the reference humor , they drop 25 minutes and 30 seconds of this awesomeness on me, this was truly a fantastic episode from all the movie references, making fun of JJ, TMP, WOK, SFS,UDC, Generations
That line "It's a movie you can do anything" had me cracking up
Voyager jokes with Davinci and the Holodeck
and it ended up being really touching and sincere with Rutherford and Mariner working out their issues, the stuff with Tendi and the Orion stererotyping was good too
Truly fantastic
My favorite scene was the fly by of the Cerritos. I love the show but that scene was the 1st time that I actually LOL.
...literally ranks with the Enterprise A beauty shots
I couldn't stop laughing 🤣
"The Cerritos is a handsome lady"
Xon from Phase II! They mentioned a character that never was from a show that was never made-that has to be the deepest cut yet!
That's on the list of "it is okay if you don't know."
The Xon moment made me grin from ear to ear.
And, in universe, it’s just another example of Starfleet members obsessing over the history of the enterprise. From Mariners perspective, Zion is a person who almost became science officer of the enterprise and then just died. This would be roughly analogous to our understanding of the character. I love that mariner is kind of a trekkie in that she loves learning about the enterprise, though, from her POV, she’s just a history nerd
Henry Burby If you’re talking about the Vulcan that died in the transporter accident that was Sonak. Xon literally never existed in-universe and barely existed in ours!
Andy Billups appears to be, at least in the simulation, sutextually gay, and it doesn't seem a problem to Rutherford, so you're reading it right. T'Ana even used a certain vulgar word to describe their connection.
I loved the fight on the sideways bridge. It was very "Star Trek Beyond".
Outstanding episode!
This to me appears to be the Duet of Lower Decks. Not to say Crisis Point is as good as that masterpiece, but in the sense that this is the late episode of the first season that takes full advantage of the show’s strengths & unique qualities and takes full advantage of them to be the point where the show completely becomes its own. Duet did that for DS9 and I’m feeling Crisis Point is doing that for Lower Decks.
Really hoping this is the one that will win people over as it sounds like this has a good balance of comedy while also having the usual Trek strength of character and subtext.
Just have to say one thing I’m really excited for next week “Exocomp”! But i loved this episode so much too! It was so much fun!
I usually have a moment of cringe in these episodes from certain references, but they weren't abrasive at all here. That and the fact this felt more grounded, really sold it on me. It felt like a proper fantastic Trek episode to me.
They put a 2hr movie into 25mins of joy.
I'm in any time there's an extended Ship appreciation scene, and that music was top notch with the horns delivering that Star Trek movie vibe while blending the series music
yes, I loved the music homages as well
omg i just want to know more about Tendi and how and why she came to be in starfleet and more about the Orion's in General, we get loads of everyone else but i feel like I'm being drip fed info for her, also got a little pissed at how uncomfortable Mariner was obviously making Tendi trying to get her into the pirate roll and going on about how her race takes slaves and are pirates and so on but im glad that she in the end stood up for herself and didn't allow her to push her into doing it.
After Picard’s signature phrase“Make it So”, my second favorite captain’s saying is “ Warp me”. Captain Freeman was super bad ass this episode even though it was just a simulation of her.
Leonardo da Vinci in the holodeck reminds me of Captain Janeway.
I felt so sad for the Chief Engineer eating the soup alone :'( GO FIX STUFF TOGETHER!! I'm going to miss this series when it ends next week-really enjoying it.
And yes that ship pron shot was AMAZING! Especially the naughty close ups of the nacelles!
They were so BIG and ROUND and SHAPELY.
The Cerritos has very ample nacelles, if you'll pardon the engineering parlance.
@@arbjbornk pardon it? I encourage it!
Another layer to the Mariner v Mariner thing is that it's also a bit of a general reference to the movies where if there's a vengeful villain it's probably represents a flaw of the main character
Oh, no. The Rutherford-Billups ending was definitely 100% intended to be gay-coded. Also, I love the fact that since the counsellor is such a bad doctor and also a bird-alien, that makes him a huge quack.
Would’ve worked if he looked more like a duck.
This is just Mariner playing Doom Eternal for 20 min straight LOL
Loved this episode
What? No mention of Boimler admitting to his attraction to Mariner to her mother?
We all knew that was coming, and we all knew Boimler would make it weird. Didn't you see "When Harry met Sally"??
You're right the characters in lower decks are pretty solid for the first season of a star trek show.
In the opening sequence I had to think of the Anticans and the Selay. The Selay looked more like cobras than lizards, but the "rat guys" really look like the Anticans from TNG.
These are probably the folks the Anticans prey upon.
Selay live on another planet.
@Kevin McDougall *face palm*
This series has blown me away. From having legacy Trek actors( JG Hertzler, John deLancie, Kurtwood Smith and John Billingsley....pretty sure he was the Counselor), to lampooning all 54 years of Trek. Being a smart comedy worthy of comparison with shows like the Good Place and Brooklyn 99. Also like those shows having AMAZING character studies in each episode. Also a I managed to use this show to help introduce someone to the Trek franchise. I don't envy fellow Trekkies who have to put together vids breaking down Easter eggs in this episode. As for this episode there's little I can say. I am stoked for the season finale next week.
I adored this episode. Mariner's growth was long overdue. I laughed at the choice of the bird for the therapist, too. A parrot. Oh that made me chuckle!
Can we just talk briefly about what a genius subtle move it was to take the Lower Decks main theme, and reimagine it in the style of James Horner's score from Wrath of Khan for the holo-movie's intro? That alone sent me. I nearly fell out of my chair gleefully laughing like a complete fool.
They did say the words prime directive. If was towards the end of that conversation.
This episode was all about pure Star Trek love ! My favorite so far. Talk about character arcs .
The thing that hit me the most was that Mariner was literally the villain of her own story and she admitted it's by her own free will and choice.
This was the first episode all season to get a genuine laugh out of me. When they did the beautyporn flyby of the Cerritos, i about died. I really enjoyed it that this episode they truly poked fun at themselves, while in a funny way honoring what had come before. But if i showed this episode to my wife, the jokes would all go completely over her head. She's very much a casual viewer as in, she'll watch it if i have it on and not complain lol.
Trek helping us ALL get through, and yr vlogs are helping me as well. I really look forward to your reviews & all the interesting comments. Thank you for creating such a fun & positive space on YT!
Looking for new Trek channels to follow, just found yours and I'm loving it. Amazed by how fast you can talk. Do never stop.
you could almost say Mariner fighting her holographic double was yet another trek homage. There sure have been plenty of those episodes over the years. Kirk vs Kirk in "The Enemy Within", Will Riker vs Tom Riker to lesser extent in "Second Chances" to name a few.
Don't forget Kirk vs the shapeshifter in Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country
Rutherford’s technobabble has a sly stoner joke:
“Bypass the indi controls and suppress the sati vents”
Referencing indica and sativa, the two common cultivars of the cannabis plant.
Truly going where no Trek show has BONG before!
Love your content and positivity, Jessie! Qapla'!
I must say, I wish they had refitted the ship and given everyone movie style costume redesigns.
There's a third level to the "it's the 80s" joke: while TNG was created in the 1980s with a huge mental health culture (hence putting a psychotherapist on the bridge), "we don't have mental health issues" probably refers to Roddenberry's adamant stance that humanity is so evolved in the 24th century that they don't actually need therapy (hence the writers not knowing what to do with her aside from lie detection).
Someone’s really out there sending out flares! 😛
That was a mother flipping blast! It was an outstanding episode.
I Swear, there was a Full Minute there during the Mariner Vs. Mariner Fight that I was unsure which of them was the real Mariner and which one was the Hologram. I was Actually thinking "wait, did Mariner Program the Holodeck to make a Version of herself with an added trait of "overexagerated Villain" for her to go up against in the Climax?". Mostly Because it was Villain Mariner that was Screaming her inner thoughts and Truths to the Usual Mariner as though Being told the Truth was her Weakness, since Villain Mariner was saying things that there is simply no way she'd ever Admit to herself, so it actually had me confused as to which one was Meat and which one was Light... Which Frankly kinda shows just how Meticulous and good a programmer Boimler is that I'd have a hard time Being sure which was which.
Also, Villain Mariner is SCARY efficient...
What an AMAZING ep!!!! Rutherford the bebeh. I need Boimler to catch some break tho 😂
Agreed. I loved this one
Lower decks just might heal star trek fandom.
While I was watching the episode i said out loud ...
“This is really freaking good!”
8:05 ey, I'm not the only one who sometimes talks in typos!
Amazing episode. I loved all the details - especially the self-referential details, it's very cautiously stepping away from just referencing other Star Trek shows. Like returning minor characters from earlier episodes, and creative uses of bleeps. And even some references to completely outside cultural landmarks.
No capes!
This episode was a cinematic masterpiece!
This episode was oddly cathartic for me. I won't go into details but besides being a great episode, ranking very high in all of Trek episodes, it did get something that I got out of it I wasn't expecting.
Also the Cerritos is far more beautiful than I gave her credit.
Agree. Best episode so far.
The way the Cerritos fell apart in the atmosphere is a reference to Star Wreck: In The Pirkinning where after escaping Babel 13, the Constitution-class ship fell apart in the Ice Age.
Glorious Episode!
The part of this episode that had me laughing for a solid minute was the long glamour shots of the Cerritos, complete with the Star Trek II theme music medley. It was great at first, and then went on and on and on, and I was in tears.
Great episode and great review. Is it just me or did anyone else find that the therapists was similar to the bird lawyer from Futurama?
awesome, awesome episode. and YES this show is written by people who really know Trek and what it stands for. that moment when Mariner faces herself - damn! had to pause and have a moment...
damn
and then I laughed my arse off for like the rest of the episode, soooooooo good!
I love the fact that the episode is a send up to the movies, both JJ and TMP, as well as episodes where Kirk fought his evil half and stuff like that. Plus all the lense flairs. So unnecessary and yet so hilariously appropriate.
Plus the font was nice.
Firstly, thanks Jessie for working so hard to get these reviews up right away after airing.
Okay, ***POTENTIAL LOWER DECKS SPOILER STUFF BELOW HERE***
I have to kind of chuckle. This episode was about therapy and the whole time I was watching it I had to grapple with the fact that I am not "having a good time".
Like, I was fighting to not turn off the episode and the whole time I am thinking "This has to be my depression talking".
Even still, I did laugh out loud at a couple lines so good to know I am not totally dead inside yet.
I will say that as much fun as this show can be, I find myself unable to get "lost" in the episode because so much of it seems to border on "hey remember this?"
I am hopeful that SNWs will give me what i am looking for.
I am nervous about the exocomp thing also, TBH.
SPOILERS:
Usually, the jokes on this show don't really land with me. Even, I chuckled at a couple of jokes.
WARNING: The ship has crashed. [Me finding that funny that someone who programmed LCARS thought that crewmembers needed the computer to tell them]
However, I also do agree that this episode got back to Mariner being the problem crew-member in a big way.
The one thing also note about the real Mariner and the holodeck version of the Captain. In several discussions, the Captain (holodeck) says
Hi Jessie , It was a great episodes, But you did a wonderful job of explaining the episode and I will re-watch it at 11:30 tonight.
As usual, a great review. I love the great work you do!
HaHa, you called the Captain "Mariner's daughter"
3:10 What? Does the episode Emissary or Duet not exist all of the sudden?
I know the flyby of the Cerritos was done for comedy, but I really did love watching it, she is a fine looking ship and I completely understand why she never fails to take the captain's breath away, kudos to those who designed her. 👍
New theory... After rewatching episode 9 I got to thinking: Maybe all of the Star Trek movies take place in Holodeck simulations. Because there are differences between the movies and the different shows. The movies seem to be at a different tech level then the shows, plus the super over the top villains in the movies. Some people in the past have suggested an alternate universe or something, but now in Canon with with references in Lower Decks, I say the movies are Holodeck interactive movies.
What got me thinking they are simulations? It's what Rutherford says: "No, it’s a movie you can beam whatever- you can do all sorts of beaming stuff in a movie!”
I'm honestly struggling with Mariner. I don't know if it's because I'm more of a Boimler, but to me she just feels worryingly toxic. She feels selfish and thoughtless to others and the only way she keeps coming out of every episode okay is because the writers wanted her too. I don't know if it is the way she is written causing red flag triggers in my brain because of toxic people I've known in the past sharing similar traits with her but it's leaving a bad taste in my mouth overall. I hope I'm either wrong and in time I'll will warm to her or the writers commit to character development that shifts her out of this framing. This episode has been the hardest for me as her thoughtlessness with Tendy was a big red flag for me that I feel the writers just swept under the rug with a joke so they could return to relationship status quo. Sorry for the massive block of text, I guess this got to me more than I thought.
One thing I liked about the ship beauty shots was how I’m pretty sure the music was a cross between Star Trek II, which also did that scene and lower decks music
Angery Gen X fanboy here, and I just wanna say THIS SHOW ROCKS!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!
Lower Decks is a very modern show. It's a 21st-century show. I think its managed to have a very modern sensibility and outlook but still have a fondness and nostalgia for the past.
OMG! The James Horner version of the Lower Decks theme! The titles flying through space and hitting Boimler on the head! The ship upgrades consisting solely of added lens flares! And -- wasn't that John Billingsley as the avian Counselor who was obsessed with food references?
When the Horner version of the theme music started up, I just lost it. Started screaming and laughing so hard, I'm surprised my neighbors didn't call the cops on me... ;)
Best. Episode. Yet.
Trek tropes at 50 FPS.
This is absolutely my favorite Lower Decks episode. I actually applauded more than once. I love a show that can be funny AND tell a compelling character story. I don't think any Star Trek show has known what it was about so early in it's run.
I also loved the fact that there were constant unnecessary camera movements for the first couple minutes of the "movie".
Yet another example of LD paying attention to every little detail.
Totally Agreed...Finally watched it earlier.......Love Lower Decks.....the only lil' thing that bothers me is the intro- when the ship gets hit with meteoroids/asteroids ( and it has a tinny sound ) ..rather than showing it bouncing off the shields? that's it....that's my pet peeve
I saw that Subtext too btw
This was an EPIC EPISODE! One draw back! What the hell, why'd they do that to Boimler at the end? Other than that EVERYTHING ELSE WAS EPIC! BEST EPISODE!
As a Brian, I can confirm Lincoln VR is where I go too.
She did say dont give me the prime directive bleep.
Never have I turned my opinion of a show 180 degrees so quickly. I think I initially disliked STLD due to lingering Picard bitterness, but this has won me over on its own merits. It's gotten progressively stronger and the deep cuts are just so deep.
Already this show passes a very minor test - name the characters and something about them. I don't want to turn this message into crapping on the other modern shows, but that's not something I can easily do for the other series. I'm just glad to have Lower Decks.
This was a totally awesome episode!! I loved it!
This episode reinforced my love for Mariner, Rutherford, and Tendi...but I feel like I now hate Boimler. And not because of his tendency to try and brown nose his way up the ladder. Heck, I'm starting to wonder if his full name is Bradward Judas Boimler. His going through all of the personal logs of EVERYONE. That's just not cool and if it really comes out, Boimler might as well sign up for that research post on a distant asteroid.
I loved that Tendi finally mentioned the stereotypes of Orions and stood up for herself on that. (Okay, I'll admit I play STO, and my Klingon main is an Orion though I have her dressed as a pirate and not in next to nothing) I also said when we saw the 'upgraded' bridge "AH LENS FLAIR!" Oh, and I really hope that they dive into Rutherford and Tendi more next season.
Wait...was that supposed to be subtext? It was bordering on supertext!
And NO! NOT THE SEASON FINALE!
Watched it a bit sooner than usual and it was amazing! This show has been improving every new episode to something truly great. I also learned we need a Lower Decks movie in this episode, that needs to happen sooner then later!
I laughed the entire way through the TMP slow ship reveal. What a brilliant episode!
I think we should just call it canon that Rutherford is Bi. He absolutely has a crush on his boss, I don't think there's another way to read it.
I hate the fact that it took me so long to realise that Shaxs is a bajoran and that Mariner being Carol's daughter was actually a secret!
Seriously, immediately after I first watched Crisis Point, I immediately messaged my closest Trekkie friend and said, “this was the best Star Trek episode *ever*!” And okay, maybe that was a little bit hyperbole, it’s not quite that, but this ep is so totally Trek in so many ways that fire wonderfully, including that it takes its place among the greatest comedic Trek episodes in a tradition that has been baked in since TOS. I’m with you. In awe.
My three favorite things:
- The crashing saucer section rolling across the planetary surface like a badly-thrown frisbee. Like, why *hasn’t* that happened before?
- Shempo. Because he is *literally* a Fake Shemp since he was supposed to have been Boimler. And because of “I was Shempo!”
- If DaVinci has a gun in the first act……..
And oh, Jessie, you are totally *not* overreading the gay subtext, I don’t think. CisHetDude here who doesn’t always catch the subtext, and I was so feeling the subtext here. Spot on.
If you didn't thoroughly enjoy this episode I question why you are watching this series. Should this have been season one's last episode? ... with the STVI signature sign-off and all... My favorite episode to date! TMP ship fly-by with tears..., lens flares, ST movie theme music, and a ton of other great Star Trek references were all done really well. But what makes this episode for me is Mariner finally comes to terms with herself. Maybe we can finally get past this mother/daughter feud. Love how all our main characters get to bolden their characters. Great fun, I found myself cracking up on multiple occasions. No chocolate for the Captain! 10 of 10 for me.
What did the Doctor say that was bleeped out?
You know what she said.
@@MonkeyDefenceForce I know what I thought I heard. Some people thought they heard the same thing, others have said I am a homophobe for even suggesting it.
found your channel by accident, and I'm glad I did. Though this wasn't my fave episode of LD, I must agree that it is a great show overall. I have no love at all for STD or Picard, but for this one I do, and I think your cogent, honest, and detailed review in part explains why.
I loved this episode! It and last week's episode where Q showed up are probably two of my favourite episodes of Lower Decks so far. I actually honestly thought that the lizard people and the rat people at the start of the episode were the Selay (lizard) and Anticans (rat) from the TNG season 1 episode, "Lonely Among Us". With the rat people eating the lizard people, it just reminded me of the end of that episode. I thought that the Cerritos crashing on that planet was more like the Enterprise saucer crashing in Star Trek Beyond because of how it flipped over and had more structural damage to it, while in Generations the saucer's crash landing was more controlled keeping the exterior more intact. I can't believe that Lower Decks is almost over for the season though! I hope Discovery season 3 delivers because if it doesn't the transition from Lower Decks to Discovery is going to be difficult.
The Aliens at the beginning were from an episode of early tng where the two species were being taken to parliament by the enterprise :)
Lincoln and I will fight Kahless and Genghis Khan! With Sarek!
Definitely a fun nod to the trek Universe!!! Great vid!
That climax where she fights herself was soooooooo good!
the last 2 episodes of Lower Decks were super awesome!
and the fact they choose to put lens flare inside a cartoon, it amuses me in a way that words cannot describe
Two -- count 'em TWO -- Jesse videos in one day... Tres cool! 🖖🌎🌏
Can't wait to watch it, one day...
That Star Trek III Klingon villain is Kruge, by the way.