Things look grim for the crew of the USS Cerritos. Project Swing-By is a bust. Mariner is within the wind. How a lot worse can it get?

This season of Star Trek: Lower Decks is a banger. We go to Deep Space Nine, we discover out what’s up with Rutherford’s previous, and Boimler’s transporter clone joins Section 31. And that’s simply scratching the floor. This season actually weaves the tales of everybody, however particularly of Mariner and her mom Captain Freeman. Mariner is working to be a extra mannequin officer and Freeman is combating to legitimize the Cali class ships.

But all good issues should come to an finish. For Mariner, meaning leaving Starfleet and for Freeman, meaning squandering her largest alternative. And for us, it means this season is over. But how does all of it wrap up? And is there one other thread tying all our strands collectively? Hmm…

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To Boldly Recap

While the Cerritos is at Douglas Station after taking a beating from the Breen, Captain Freeman heads to Starfleet HQ. Leadership will not be completely satisfied. Most admirals need to shelve Project Swing-By. And Admiral Buenamigo desires to do much more – he desires to decommission each Cali class ship and exchange them together with his fully-automated Texas-class ships.

And whereas Buenamigo affords Freeman a promotion to Fleet Captain of all Texas-class ships, she will not be . In truth, she is able to throw down and affords to show Cali ships are nonetheless higher than any automated vessel. She suggests a race between the Cerritos and the Aledo. The first to deal with three missions in a row wins.

Buenamigo accepts and Freeman returns to the Cerritos the place everyone seems to be already gossiping in regards to the race. Tendi worries her senior officer coaching will finish and Boimler is so nervous he by chance makes enjoyable of Shaxs in entrance of Shaxs. But Rutherford is simply too busy analyzing the schematics for the Texas-class to be in full panic-mode. There’s one thing acquainted about its code. What code it’s?

They all fear about Mariner who little question is depressing away from her mates and Starfleet.

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Mariner is Fine (Probably)

Swinging from vines as she crosses chasms and escapes marauding Ferengi, Mariner is having the time of her life. She steals again a Klingon artifact and almost bites it however Petra Aberdeen beams her away within the nick of time. It seems Mariner is a good archaeologist/adventurer. And apparently, there’s a great dwelling to be made. The solely query is: the place is all the cash coming from to assist Petra and Mariner’s missions?

Mariner ought to depart effectively sufficient alone, however she will be able to’t assist herself. Petra catches Mariner snooping to seek out out who precisely is masking their prices. Mariner assumes it’s the Romulans or another person nefarious. But it seems your complete operation is bankrolled by Admiral Picard. Petra is offended and pushes Mariner to clarify why she is so set in opposition to this life being a great one.

And the reply is straightforward: Mariner believes in Starfleet. She believes in its mission and in its beliefs and she or he nonetheless desires to be part of it. She desires to return, however Petra reveals that there’s a information story about Starfleet – and issues are usually not going effectively. Mariner may run, however as a substitute, she convinces Petra to fly into the hazard. What hazard, you ask?

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The Danger

The mission race between the Cerritos and the Aledo begins! And, at first, the Cerritos is forward regardless of the Aledo’s capacity to prefabricate modules. But on mission two Tendi detects life in what is meant to be a dull world. The Cerritos workforce stops to test it out whereas the Aledo retains going. The Aledo races to the third, brigadoon0style planet, and finishes the race earlier than the Cerritos may even arrive.

It looks as if Freeman and her crew have misplaced. But Tendi reminds Freeman that the Aledo broke the Prime Directive by not checking for all times on mission two. Freeman takes that truth to Buenamigo as proof that the Texas-class vessels are usually not prepared.

Meanwhile, Rutherford realizes why he acknowledges the Aledo’s code: it’s his! Yes, pre-memory wipe Rutherford was working with Buenamigo and it’s Buenamigo that erased Rutherford’s reminiscence.

Rutherford tells Freeman whereas she’s on with Buenamigo and he admits to every part. Not solely that, Buenamigo grants full autonomy to the Aledo and instructs it to destroy the Cerritos earlier than Freeman can rule the reality.

But Rutherford’s A.I. code is unhealthy (see: Badgie) and the Aledo activates Buenamigo, and prompts two different Texas ships, to destroy spacedock. Then they’re coming for Rutherford and the Cerritos – huge time.

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Mariner to the Rescue

Captain gambles that she will be able to lure the Aledo and its cohorts away. She’s proper, but additionally this seems like the top for the Cerritos and her crew. After taking heavy harm and whereas within the warp, Freeman seems for choices. Shaxs recommends they jettison the warp core, an thought everybody ignores as a result of that’s at all times his thought. But Boimler realizes this time it’s really the suitable name and forces Freeman to take heed to Shaxs.

They jettison the core and blow it like a mine taking out two of the three Texas-class ships. But the Aledo remains to be alive and the Cerritos has no means of escaping. Thankfully, Mariner seems simply in time. And she didn’t come alone – she brings each different California-class vessel within the fleet and collectively they destroy the Aledo.

There’s an enormous celebration after. Shaxs accepts Boimler into his bear pack. Tendi will get a brand new research buddy within the senior officer program within the type of a Vulcan “wej Duj” followers will keep in mind:  T’Lyn. And after all, Freeman recommissions Mariner again to ensignhood aboard the Cerritos. Everyone wins. The finish!

But wait… a post-credits sequence! We see Rutherford’s unique (we predict) cybernetic implant floating in house. A tractor beam prompts, pulling the system in. And on the eyepiece, we see the face of Badgie. Duhn duhn duhn! Okay, now the top!

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To Boldly Review

Last week we stated that Star Trek: Lower Decks was going predictable however nonetheless good. And whereas there are issues on this episode that you just possible noticed coming a mile away, there are a great deal of thrilling turns. Primarily, the revelation that Buenamigo is the large unhealthy of the season. While this appears apparent now, the strands of his season-long grasp plan are fairly nifty. It hadn’t occurred to me that the DS9 mission was a set-up however that absolutely is sensible.

In common, the paperwork of Starfleet being its undoing may be very cool. There’s one thing to be stated about the best way the admirals appear cheap besides if you concentrate on it for a second. That’s very true to life. They’re so keen to nuke a whole class of ships (and thus their respective crews) within the identify of automation. It’s expertise over personhood.

And on the similar time, there’s additionally all this shadowy stuff. Buenamigo being a part of a secret group, Section 31 turning up a couple of episodes in the past, and, after all, the reveal of Badgie. Who is behind the resurrection of Badgie? Lots of prospects.

But, in the long run, the large promoting level as at all times is the center of Star Trek: Lower Decks. Mariner comes by, cementing her evolution. And seeing all these Cali-class ships with faces we’ve seen earlier than is so tremendously satisfying. They could appear unimportant to the large guys, however Cali ships and Lower Deckers alike are the lifeblood of what makes Starfleet, and fashionable Star Trek generally, nice.

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Before We Talk Easter Eggs

There’s one factor that now we have received to handle, a thriller that continues to confound and titillate. A query Star Trek: Lower Decks followers are asking with elevated frequency: How outdated is Rutherford?

At first, all of us assumed that Rutherford was roughly the identical age as Boimler, Tendi, and Mariner. But, as time progresses, proof suggests in any other case. And “The Stars At Night” makes it clear: Rutherford is way older than he seems.

The proof arrives when Rutherford’s recollections return. He sees Buenamigo give the order to erase his recollections and Buenamigo seems a lot youthful than he does all through this season. He’s clearly aged a decade on the very least and sure extra. Yet Rutherford, cybernetics apart, seems roughly the identical as he does in these flashbacks.

So how outdated is Rutherford actually? And why isn’t he ageing? Something to ponder whereas we look ahead to season 4.

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References: Gotta Spot ‘Em All

Because “The Stars At Night” is the season three finale for Star Trek: Lower Decks, there are extra references to the sequence correct than there are Easter Eggs to Trek’s previous, however there’s nonetheless a lot to feast on.

There is a point out of a Vedek, that are the clergymen on Bajor. While making ready the Cerritos to race, there’s a reference to blurring Isolinear chips which harkens again to Data within the TNG episode “The Naked Now”. And Ransom additionally teaches his workforce how one can step over and right into a chair a.ok.a. The Riker Maneuver.

There is a point out of “the needs of the many” a standard Star Trek saying established in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Mariner thinks the Archaeology Guild is run by a Xindi Cabal which is a throwback to the Temporal Cold War throughout Star Trek: Enterprise. Picard runs the guild tracks as a result of he repeatedly exhibits an curiosity in archaeology all through TNG.

And lastly, the Cerritos makes use of Attack Pattern Delta, an aerial flight transfer seen in DS9 episodes “The Jem’Hadar” and “The Changing Face of Evil” in addition to within the Voyager episode “Message in a Bottle”.

All in all “The Stars At Night” is a deeply emotionally satisfying finale that units up season 4 of Star Trek: Lower Decks completely.

5/5 stars

Lina is a ten+ 12 months leisure journalist veteran whose bylines embrace SYFY Wire, Looper, and Screen Fanatic. She has written comedian scripts for IDW Comics and Zenescope Enetertainment and has written Doctor Who shorts for BBC Worldwide. She is a long-time podcast host and producer who has labored on Who Won the Week, SYFY’s Every Day sequence, and the Amazon podcast Untold Story. She at present co-hosts the New York Times beneficial podcast Song vs Song.

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