Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 2 - Envoy Review: What Rox and What Could be improved

In this video, we review the Second episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks, Envoys

Please note, spoilers ahead.
To me, the first episode wasn't terrible, it was watchable, but it wasn't close to anything I'd consider great. Hoping for better in this second episode, I was really disappointed. The episode opens with a call back to the TNG Season 2 Episode "The Child", which no-one thinks is a great episode. We have this same sort of ball of light, but this time it verbally communicates with Mariner and grants her a wish. She gets a new Tricorder (why didn't she just have the replicator make her one?), walks away, and the entity goes into the Captain to never be seen for the rest of the episode. Unless this comes back later in the season, what was the point?

I also didn't care for the fact that, once again Boimler is mocked for wanting to fit in and do a good job. He's mocked that he is excited for an envoy mission. Hard work and determination is a good thing, or at least it was. Why do these producers have to be like this?

To the contrary, the story of Rutherford striving to improve himself, I thought, was great. He's a hard working ensign who takes serious pride in his work and loves what he does. He's also willing to try new things to help his crewmates. I really liked his arch here, it was the best I think we've seen in all of new Trek, basically the JJ-movies to today.

In the series trailer we saw Mariner singing the "blast shield" song, and this was the episode it occurred in. Thankfully we got it out of the way quickly, but man, so dumb on so many levels. I feel like we really wasted time on this, and it shows her as a non-serious officer and very unlikable.

When Rutherford prepares to tell his CO that he is going to transfer to another department, I liked the sign of nerves we saw. It showed that this was a character that respected his superior and didn't want to leave him in a negative light. While this was teased it was nice to see the CO sing Rutherford's praises, letting him know where ever he winds up will be lucky to have him. A competent officer in New Trek? Who knew?

When Boimler meets General K’orin, we are greeted with a real, honest to goodness, non Discovery Kling-Orc and it is AMAZING! He looks like a Klingon! He talks like a Klingon! He is a REAL Klingon! Thank goodness for this!! But while K’orin is a real Klingon, why does he have General Chang's eyepiece? It serves no real purpose and just felt like a copy/pasta to me. And yes, I meant Pasta.

It turns out that Mariner and K’orin know each other, because of course they do. They land on a planet to drop him off, and he steals the shuttle in a very predictable manner. It wasn't original, it wasn't funny, it was dumb, as were the hi jinx that followed on the planet.

Seeing Rutherford try other positions, and both succeed and fail, was a welcome sight. He's not a Mary Sue who is good at everything. He has strengths, he has weaknesses. He's "real". His failures in Command and Sick Bay were offset wonderfully by his successes with Security and, frankly, Engineering.

Once Boimler and Mariner find K’orin and the shuttle and return to the ship, Boimler completely throws Mariner under the bus. And deservedly so. Her smug arrogance cost them dearly, and screwed up their mission, and he got the best of her. Until we discover that she actually setup the whole finale sequence, was in total command, and Boimler didn't do anything. This made his victory completely hallow and meaningless.

The strength of Rutherford's story arch here, his kindness and compassion for Tendi cannot override the terrible A story for me. It was weak and convoluted. I truly despise Mariner, almost as much as Michael Burham. I give this episode a final rating of a D-.

#StarTrek #LowerDecks #Review

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.