'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Episode 4 Review: Mariner comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare - responsibility
Spoilers for 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Season 1 Episode 4 'Moist Vessel'
Like most classic 'Star Trek' shows, there's no real overarching plot for 'Lower Decks', but the story that's consistently followed from episode to episode is that of its characters, and it's an enjoyable one to watch develop. The character development in this unique setting is the true strength of 'Lower Decks', as the comedy and the science fiction both bear equal weight in providing a backdrop for that story. 'Moist Vessel' is an excellent example of that.
Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) has finally had enough of her daughter Becket Mariner's (Tandy Newsome) lack of respect. The last straw comes when Mariner openly yawns at a mission briefing, disrespecting Freeman in front of another ship's Captain — and now Freeman is out to see Mariner off the USS Cerritos once and for all.
Mariner is used to the very worst of situations, however, meaning Freeman has to resort to some amusingly desperate measures. In the meantime, D'Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) desperately tries to make up for ruining the Ascension of another Starfleet member, and her compulsive need to fix the situation fleshes out her character for the first time.
We've gotten to know very little about Tendi in the first three episodes, besides her enthusiasm for life aboard the Cerritos. This episode we see the downside of her general cheery friendliness — Tendi is obsessed with the idea of having everyone liking her. It's the one thing that separates her enthusiasm for Brad Boimler's (Jack Quaid), who simply loves the work, or from Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero), whose obsession with work makes him a less social person.
Tendi wants everyone to like her — and the fact that someone doesn't definitely reveals a darker side to Tendi than we've seen before. It's not always necessary to reveal a character's flaws in order to round out their character, but in this instance, it was exactly what was needed to make Tendi more than just an ultra-friendly straight woman for the show's jokes.
Meanwhile, we learn a little bit more about Mariner as Captain Freeman discovers her greatest fear: responsibility. At least, that's how it appears at first. Captain Freeman realizes that the best way to get Mariner off the ship is to make her miserable enough to resign. It's a testament to Mariner's resilience that she's someone who, as Jack Ransom (Jerry O'Connell) puts it, keeps "finding little ways to inject joy" into the Cerritos' most disgusting and menial tasks.
However, there's one thing that even Mariner can't inject any joy into — bureaucracy. In a brilliant move, Freeman promotes Mariner to Lieutenant, trapping Mariner in endless office meetings, strategy sessions and mandatory social events with the stuffed shirts of the upper decks.
It's a move that gives us some insight into what drives Mariner. We've seen that she may be one of the most competent crew members of the Cerritos, but her problem is how easily bored she is. Mariner craves adventure and is at her best when in the midst of an emergency, getting her hands dirty in a situation where normal rules don't apply and it's up to her to figure out the best way forward. It's easy to see how that drive translates into rebellion, especially as Captain Freeman is revealed to be be a frustratingly controlling mother, second-guessing Mariner at every turn.
The producers of the show have said that 'Lower Decks' is in part meant to be an origin story of crew members meant to eventually rise to a position on the Upper Decks, where most 'Star Trek' adventures happen. Though we're given a glimpse of what that might look like for Mariner, it's still too early for that, and the status quo is restored by the end of the episode when Mariner makes fun of a ranking Admiral.
While the tensions between Mariner and her mother may not have been resolved, they've at least been able to find some common ground, and that's an important step forward. The next episode of 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' airs on September 3 on CBS All Access.