While selling the third season of Lower Decks we had been promised a visit to Deep Space Nine. Today that promise is fulfilled.

Star Trek: Lower Decks love an homage. And most references to Trek’s previous contain The Original Series and The Next Generation. However, Voyager will get its due – Robert Duncan McNeill even seems at one level as Tom Paris.

However, one collection we hear little or no about is Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. And that’s a disgrace as, by many individuals’s requirements, DS9 is the most effective Trek has to supply. Fortunately, “Hear All, Trust Nothing” modifications every thing. And we get much more than a easy Easter egg fest right here – it is a full-blown episode set on Deep Space Nine with not one, however two returning solid members from the collection.

So, how do you convey again crucial starbase within the Alpha Quadrant? Let’s discover out!

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To Boldly Recap

Let’s be temporary, as a result of, let’s face it, the assessment is crucial a part of this week.

The Cerritos is accountable for opening negotiations with the Karemma, a species of retailers from the Gamma Quadrant. Captain Freeman receives help from Colonel Kira who runs Deep Space Nine. The Karemma appear tepid on opening commerce negotiations so Kira and Freeman ask Quark for help.

Unfortunately, Quark apparently hates the Karemma due to their attachment to the Dominion (and subsequently the Dominion War). The Karemma reciprocate the hatred freaking out over a replicator of Quark’s taking him hostage, and dropping bombs that shut down each the station and the Cerritos.

Thankfully, already aboard the Karemma vessel are Rutherford, Tendi, and an Orion safety officer named Mesk. And whereas Mesk spends the entire episode infuriating Tendi with Orion pirate speak, she rapidly realizes she wants these Orion expertise when Quark is introduced on board in opposition to his will.

While it seems Mesk was adopted by people, Tendi is a former Orion pirate. She makes use of her expertise to cease the Karemma ship from escaping via the wormhole. After Quark’s rescue, it’s revealed that Quark’s replicator makes use of stolen Karemma expertise. In order to stop Quard from being executed, Freeman presents the Karemma an enormous share of Quark’s monetary features from all his franchises.

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Meanwhile with Mariner and Boimler

In much less Deep Space Nine-related drama, Mariner agrees to satisfy Jennifer’s buddies. They are internet hosting a “salon” which is mainly simply candlemaking, ingesting, and self-aggrandizing. It’s terrible. Mariner hates it. But she places up with the entire thing as a result of she needs to placed on a superb face for Jennifer.

Eventually, the Cerritos loses energy (together with life help) due to the Karemma bombs. Everyone on the occasion freaks out and begins losing air. The candles are additionally huge air wasters. Jennifer admits she needs Mariner to be onerous on her obnoxious buddies. So, as a way to forestall extra wasted air, Mariner stuns all the occasion along with her phaser. She and Jennifer kiss after which stun themselves in order to not appear suspicious.

Meanwhile, on Deep Space Nine, Boimler hits the Dabo desk and is very wanting. He retains successful an increasing number of gold-pressed latinum. The Ferengi are livid. Eventually, they provide Boimler a ton of credit score at Quark’s in change for the latinum which Boimler fortunately accepts. After all, Boimler is a Starfleet officer – what the heck is he going to do with latinum?

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To Boldly Review

“Hear All, Trust Nothing” is a tough episode to assessment. In truth, it could simply be the toughest episode of recent Trek to truthfully assess. “What happens after Deep Space Nine season seven” is a query Star Trek followers ponder often. And we’ve been considering for over twenty years. Until this second, the closest we needed to a DS9 continuation is the author’s room phase from the 2018 documentary What We Left Behind.

But now, right here we’re. And for round 25 minutes Deep Space Nine, the station, and a few of her crew are again. It’s onerous to not get emotional seeing Colonel Kira with that baseball in her hand. It’s onerous to not be important, too. After all, what’s with the cropped pink hair?! In season seven she has chin-length brown hair! What, she will be able to’t have a mode past the one she had for a lot of the collection? What is she, a cartoon character? Oh, proper. It’s Lower Decks. She’s a cartoon character. Okay high-quality.

The factor to bear in mind about “Hear All, Trust Nothing” is that it’s an episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks, not Deep Space Nine. And as such, it’s, by its nature, a goofy, half-hour, animated comedy. And the excellent news is that Deep Space Nine, possibly greater than every other Trek present that isn’t Lower Decks, completely excels at comedy. So as a rule, this pairing is an ideal match.

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Quark: the Right Ferengi for the Job

The funniest episodes of Deep Space Nine are the Ferengi episodes. Whether Quark is shedding his bar, warding off assassins, or arguing along with his mom, the Ferengi episodes are virtually all the time pitch-perfect comedy. So, having Quark on the heart of the plot of “Hear All, Trust Nothing” is the good transfer – and it pays off.

Captain Freeman has to barter with retailers from the Gamma Quadrant? Of course, she goes to Quark! And in fact, Quark is extra hassle than he’s value. And in fact, he already took benefit of the very folks Starfleet is making an attempt to construct a relationship with. Any latinum-loving Trek fan is aware of precisely what’s coming a mile away.

But that’s what makes “Hear All, Trust Nothing” so good – it’s consolation meals out of your favourite kitchen you by no means thought you’d eat from once more. It’s not difficult however it’s satisfying. Hearing Armin Shimmerman voice Quark simply by itself is well worth the value of admission. But watching him blunder his approach into an explosive battle that may solely be resolved with Tendi’s Orion know-how? That’s an ideal mixing of components.

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Kira is a Little More Challenging

Kira Nerys may be humorous, however she is outlined in no small half by her previous trauma. She is a freedom fighter who makes unimaginable decisions together with killing individuals who could also be harmless. Kira spends seven seasons combating what it means to be the established order after she spent her youth combating the established order. And Kira loses folks – Jadzia, Ben, and Odo simply to call just a few.

So what do you do with all of that in a half-hour comedy format? The reply is that you simply (largely) go away it apart. The Lower Decks group correctly provides Kira a sparring companion/outdated ally within the type of Shaxs. It makes good sense that Kira and Shaxs have a shared previous combating Cardassian. And it is smart that they argue over who owes who for what.

But Kira ain’t Kira with out the damage. Seeing her pleased is fantastic little question. Just listening to Nana Visitor voice Kira once more in any case these years is sufficient to convey a tear to your eye. But an animated collection doesn’t fairly serve Kira in addition to it does Quark. She’s simply too advanced. So file her look below emotionally gratifying, superb, however not fairly nice.

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Also, the Lower Decks Stuff is Good

Probably ought to point out, that is nonetheless Lower Decks and people characters additionally do issues in “Hear All, Trust Nothing”! The greatest focus is on Tendi getting caught with one other Orion. And this plot actually lands. We know Tendi needs to develop past the bounds of her Orion heritage. And watching somebody who’s an Orion attempt to push her again into that field is advanced whereas nonetheless remaining enjoyable. And letting Tendi embrace the pirate aspect whereas nonetheless being who she is now? Great decision.

And we additionally get Mariner and Jen time! Ever since we came upon that the pair are courting, we’ve been ready to see what Mariner and Jen are like collectively. And whereas it’s protected to say that beautiful a whole occasion along with her phaser is grounds for court-martial, that is nonetheless Lower Decks. Mariner will face penalties inevitably, however this isn’t the time. And discovering out that Jen like Mariner exactly as a result of she is pushy is good. Mariner being pleased? We like to see it.

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References: Gotta Spot ‘Em All

It’s onerous to call all of the Easter eggs in “Hear All, Trust Nothing” as a result of virtually every thing is a reference. Heck, the episode title is a reference to the a hundred and ninetieth Rule of Acquisition! But we’ll title a few of the ones that don’t join totally to the plot itself – that’s how Easter eggs work, proper?

Mariner mentions Smiley, O’Brien’s mirror universe counterpart. Related, Rutherford mentions O’Brien’s dart board, a recreation he performs usually with Dr. Bashir. Rutherford says he needs to speak to a junior reporter and we’re assuming that’s Jake Sisko. Kira and Shaxs focus on the Haru outposts which the Shakar Resistance does actually raid throughout the Cardassian occupation of Bajor.

We see Morn within the background. We see Dabo ladies at Quark’s Bar dressed precisely just like the character Leela from DS9. A tailor’s store will get a namedrop, which implies Garak continues to be aboard the station.

Meanwhile, the “salon” Mariner attends is “betazoid casual”. Betazoid formal is nudity, so something involving garments most likely counts as informal! One of Jennifer’s buddies does a dance known as the Kobayashi Maru (the unwinnable state of affairs Starfleet examination) and it can’t be danced appropriately.

Is “Hear All, Trust Nothing” as nice as final week’s episode? Not fairly. But it’s an exquisite stroll down Deep Space Nine‘s memory lane. If they want to do a DS9 animated series, I’m all for it!

4.5/5 stars

Lina is a ten+ yr 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 the moment co-hosts the New York Times advisable podcast Song vs Song.

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