Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 1, Episode 4 recap: Moist Vessel

How do you solve a problem like Mariner on Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 4?

Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 4 changes its format. This time, the opening scene sets up the plot for the rest of the episode. And, maybe, for this reason, it’s the show’s least funny opener so far. But things only get better.

In Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 4, the Cerritos rendezvous with Captain Durango, the Tellarite captain of the Merced. They are investigating a generation ship that was lost in space. The ship holds terraforming materials that could change how the Federation colonizes uninhabitable planets.

So, how does Mariner fit into all this? By being a complete nuisance. At the mission briefing, Mariner interrupts the Captain by yawning loudly. Durango, an old friend and colleague of Freeman’s, is highly offended and Freeman is outraged by the disrespect.

It’s high time Freeman put Mariner off the ship. But how do you outsmart someone as cunning as Mariner?

Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 4 – Time for a Transfer

When Ransom catches Freeman fuming at Mariner’s insubordination, he suggests a strategy that will lead Mariner to transfer herself off the Cerritos. Give her the worst jobs on the ship, and she’ll be out of here in no time.

Freeman, delighted by this proposition, claims the idea as her own. I love the subversion of this real-world trope. So many women have been frustrated by their louder (and often male) colleagues taking credit for an idea they’ve voiced. In Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 4 we see that Ransom is willing to toe the party line if it keeps the Captain happy, and his position safe.

Mariner finds herself with the filthiest jobs on the ship – some that even Boimler scoffs at. But somehow Mariner makes them fun. She competes with her colleagues and seems to genuinely enjoy herself.

When Ransom reports this to the Captain, she comes up with a new plan. Freeman promotes Mariner to Lieutenant and with it comes the duties and bonding exercises of a senior officer. Mariner has no time to rest – she’s in meeting after meeting, and after every shift, she’s dragged into game nights with the senior staff.

Boimler is jealous of Mariner’s success, but she is exhausted.

And then Durango accidentally lets out the terraforming material from the generation ship. It quickly engulfs his ship, before attacking the Cerritos. Freeman and Mariner team up to stop the spread and save the other crew as well.

I love how smart these two women are. The creators are not afraid of showing them at their best and their worst. Why couldn’t the live-action Star Trek shows do the same as consistently?

Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 4 – The Ascension

Tendi, the newest member of the crew, is excited to be invited to a colleague’s ascension. O’ Connor has set up his room for peaceful ascension to a higher plane. Interestingly, he’s made an intricate painting with colored powder, which is akin to Indian rangoli painted during some religious festivals.

Tendi’s curiosity leads her to destroy his gong and the rangoli, which effectively ends O’ Connor’s ascension plans. Tendi desperately tries to make it up to him, reading up about spirituality and offering him alternatives to ascend.

O’ Connor doesn’t accept any of her ideas. As the terraforming chemicals slowly erode and transform the Cerritos, Tendi explains that she needs everyone on the ship to like her, which is why she’s obsessed with O’ Connor succeeding. He finally confesses that the whole ascension thing was made-up. He just wanted to stand out in Starfleet.

Now, the two of them are drowning, but Tendi is able to blow up a wall and free them. Unfortunately, a giant boulder comes crashing down on them. O’ Connor pushes Tendi away, becoming trapped underneath.

Once Mariner and Freeman are able to reverse the terraforming, O’ Connor ascends. Apparently, it wasn’t all a lie! Except, his ascension his horrifying and painful. Honestly, it’s enough to give anyone nightmares.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 4 – Final Thoughts

While Mariner and Freeman are both commended for saving the day, Mariner sabotages her chances of remaining a senior officer to return to the lower decks. There’s no way she’s going to spend every waking moment with her mother.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 4 isn’t as successful with its humour as it is in building its characters. Mariner and Captain Freeman steal the show as the sparring mother-daughter combo, which is reminiscent of Captain Janeway and B’Elanna Torres’ relationship on Star Trek: Voyager.

I am not sure about naming the ascending crewmember O’ Connor, especially since he’s very obviously saying ‘Om’, and Tendi mentions a lot of Indian rituals. If the character looked a little more Indian, perhaps it would have made sense for him to draw on primarily Indian motifs, but he doesn’t.

I’ll give the character a pass, though, since he’s obviously faking his entire spirituality to stand out.

What was the one thing you enjoyed about Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 1, Episode 4? Let us know in the comments below.

New episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks are available every Thursday on CBS All Access.