Star Trek: Lower Decks loves a trope. And one of many tropiest Star Trek tropes of all of them is “science expedition goes awry”.

Last time on Lower Decks, the away mission was an afterthought. We get glimpses of it for comedic taste, however by no means the entire image. In “Mining the Mind’s Mines” Lower Decks takes the precise reverse place. This time the away mission is the point of interest. And it’s not simply any away mission. This time our Lower Deckers face their very own fantasies and their very own nightmares. And it will get precisely as bizarre as you assume.

A Federation science officer on Jengus IV encounters a glowing, inexperienced orb. The orb sees into the officer’s desires and conjures up a picture of his Seventh-grade Geology trainer in a toga. But when the 2 contact, the scientist turns to stone.

After the USS Hood makes peace with the planet’s inhabitants, the Scrubble, the Cerritos, and fellow California class ship the Carlsbad are despatched to wash up the mess. “Mining the Minds Mines” is break up into two plots – one with many of the Lower Deckers on the planet beneath cleansing up the orbs and the opposite with Captain Freeman and Captain Mayer of the Carlsbad brokering peace between the scientists and the Scrubble.

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To Boldly Recap

Mariner, Boimler, and Rutherford head right down to Jengus IV to handle these pesky inexperienced orbs. But upon their arrival, they uncover that their Carlsbad counterparts appear extraordinarily nonplussed about working with the Cerritos crew. In truth, the Carlsbad workforce means that the Cerritos has a status for flouting the foundations and goofing off.

To counteract these claims, Mariner insists the workforce get rid of the orbs as shortly as potential. And whereas that goes nicely at first, it isn’t lengthy earlier than somebody will get sloppy and the orbs wind up cracked on the ground. The damaged orbs trigger everybody’s nightmares to turn into a actuality which incorporates the whole lot from large Borg snakes to Klingon clowns.

Both the Carlsbad and Cerritos groups retreat into a close-by cave. There the Carlsbad crew admits they’re jealous of the Cerritos for excelling in any respect the good missions. Becoming an precise, unified workforce, the Lower Deck crew notices that their nightmares made flesh are greater than nightmares – they’re seemingly each thought any of them has ever had.

And as they enterprise additional into the cave, they uncover a large door. Behind the door are tons extra inexperienced orbs in addition to a central laptop gathering information. Strangely, numerous the know-how within the cave seems to be Federation in origin.

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My Two Captains

Tendy is beginning her senior science officer coaching program. That could be cool if it weren’t for her mentor, Dr. Migleemo the therapist, who’s equal elements fowl individual and absolute moron. But he has an vital task for Tendy: work alongside Captain Freeman as she kinds by means of peace talks between the scientists and the Scrubble.

Things go off the rails on that entrance virtually instantly as Freeman and Captain Mayer (who is far youthful than Freeman) argue over who ought to take the rock reward provided by the Scrubble. Tendy tries to inform them that there are unusual readings coming off the rock however she is ignored. Afterward, Tendy will get a pep discuss from her precise mentor Dr. T’ana.

By the time Mariner, Boimler, and Rutherford return to the Cerritos, it appears to be like like conflict is about to interrupt out within the convention room. That’s when Tendy breaks the rock reward revealing a spy machine inside. It seems the Scrubble and the scientists are working collectively to steal and promote delicate Starfleet intel. Freeman and Mayer immediately workforce as much as take down the scientists, the Scrubble, and their very silly plan.

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To Boldly Review

“Mining the Mind’s Mines” is a good episode of Lower Decks. Not solely does it have a great deal of nice Trek Easter eggs (extra on these in a bit), nevertheless it actually revels within the present’s personal character continuity. It is sensible that the crew of the Carlsbad is jealous of the Cerritos – they’re fairly darn cool. And they’ve all seen and accomplished rather a lot!

Boimler imagines an admiral asking him for assist combating the Borg as a result of Boimler is nice at combating the Borg (within the holodeck). Mariner doesn’t belief individuals so it is sensible that she has anxiousness about her relationship with Jennifer. Tendy struggles to be assertive, however she will get over it right here to avoid wasting the day. Even Ransom’s clowning on scientists jives together with his general jock perspective. There’s even one other reference to that bizarre area koala that folks see when they’re about to die/ascend.

Lower Decks is a cartoon and so it’s okay that its heroes are cartoonish typically. But “Mining the Mind’s Mines” exhibits us how a lot the Lower Deckers have grown in three seasons. And the way in which we watch them develop is humorous. Boimler flipping out over evil raisins taking part in the trombone is hilariously on model. Mariner imagining Jennifer in a bikini on the worst time checks out. Rutherford having a crush on Leaha Brahms is sensible. And talking of that final one…

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References: Gotta Spot ‘Em All

Let’s undergo these Star Trek Easter eggs shortly after which declare a “best reference” on the finish. Ready?

The scientist uniforms are paying homage to those we see each all through TOS and within the TNG episode “The Quality of Life”. The ensigns are instructed to stave off orb-induced fantasies by pondering of Parrises Squares which is a sport individuals normally play on the holodeck. Rutherford fantasizes about Dr. Leah Brahms, a warp subject scientist who helped create the galaxy-class warp core. Geordi LaForge additionally fantasizes about Dr. Brahms within the TNG episode “Disaster”.

While naming issues the Cerritos will get as much as, Boimler factors out they haven’t accomplished time journey but. This is a reference to the variety of events wherein time nonsense happens within the Star Trek franchise. Rutherford is ready to see Mariner’s elevated coronary heart charge utilizing his cybernetic implants. Geordi LaForge can even do that together with his visor. Ransom complains about scientists getting eaten by crops, which by no means occurs on Star Trek, however Sulu does have a carnivorous plant named Beauregard.

But the weirdest reference goes to the primary, big nightmare we see – a large, flying fowl with a lizard’s head.

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Star Trek: The Animated Series Rides Again

As you would possibly count on, Star Trek: Lower Decks is the most definitely collection within the franchise to reference Star Trek: The Animated Series. Not solely are they each cartoons, however referencing Trek’s previous is type of Lower Deck‘s factor. Last season, the present revealed the skeleton of the large Spock clone which seems within the TAS episode “The Infinite Vulcan”.

“Mining the Mind’s Mines” will get one other TAS reference, this time to the episode “How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth”. Lieutenant Commander Steve Stevens will get attacked by a large flying serpent with feathers and a snake’s head. Stevens screams out a reputation: Kukulkan. Leaving apart the truth that he pronounces it in another way, this is similar creature Kirk and co. encounter in “How Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth”.

Kukulkan is an historic alien who helped Egyptian, Mayan, Aztec, and South Asian civilizations evolve in Earth’s previous. He tries to dominate the Enterprise however they struggle him off. The greatest a part of this Easter Egg is Stevens’ pronunciation. Stevens places his emphasis on the second syllable, which is wrong. This is in reference to the truth that Shatner additionally mispronounces the title, albeit as “Kuklakan”. Nothing like holding traditions alive!

All in all, that is the most effective episode of Lower Decks this season. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Lina is a ten+ 12 months leisure journalist veteran whose bylines embody 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 collection, and the Amazon podcast Untold Story. She at present co-hosts the New York Times really helpful podcast Song vs Song.

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