Star Trek Lower Decks 4.09 "The Inner Fight" REVIEW

[@joelreyes4886]

As a vet, watching Mariner deal with survivors guilt was gut wrenching and so well done. Lower Decks brought me back into Trek, it’s good to be home ❤

[@ashleyleckwold5091]

Honestly, Tendi throwing her weight around as essentially Orion Royalty to save Mariner was such a great little moment of character progress for her as well.

[@oliviawolcott8351]

I also loved Tendi having the moment where she uses her orion social status to protect her friends. it was really cool that she wasn't afraid to use it or be uncomfortable with it anymore.

[@GSBarlev]

I also loved a chance to see that Orion captain again (serious Naiomi Nagata vibes). Although... After recently catching myself defending Osyraa, I'm having to confront the _very real possibility_ that I might just be a hopeless 'mone slave for all Orion women...

[@ffreed]

@@GSBarlevHonestly? Same.

[@Brasswatchman]

​@@GSBarlev It doesn't help anything that they tend to go for the pixie-cut punk rock look, does it?

[@danieloneal7137]

No doubt. The Orions have been part of Trek lore since the original TOS pilot, but we’ve never gotten a serious look at their culture until now. Loving Tendi’s arc this season.

[@geo-fry6372]

Mariner’s big scene in this episode was so emotionally powerful, definitely a highlight of the season. I really liked her telling Ma’ah that he did not actually want to be in the dominion war; that war is just misery. Also, I still can’t get over the reveal of the season villain being Nick Locarno. What a hilarious choice.

[@GSBarlev]

Reflects the attitudes of the Rotarran crew from "Soldiers of the Empire" (the one where Worf mutinies against Martok)-there is no honor in fighting the Jem'Hadar, which makes the losses they inflict especially demoralizing.

[@cjc363636]

Lower Decks for me just got all the more meaningful with this reveal of Mariner's backstory. I do also get the 'fan service' take, but it didn't come off that way for me. Great episode in a stellar Trek season.

[@ffreed]

@@cjc363636I actually saw a comment where someone thought the fact Mariner (peripherally) knew Nova Squadron meant that Mariner was Mike McMahon’s self-insert character. Which I thought was bizarre because her connection to those characters was filled with pain, regret, and PTSD.

[@Aceedius]

Hilarious is the word. When he was mentioned up top I was so bemused that he'd come up at all that the ending twist had me laughing out loud at how I still didn't expect it to be more than an incidental reference. But also because I half remembered him showing redeeming qualities right at the end of the expulsion episode, and kind of expected him to be off doing something benign with his life if we were going to meet him. Star Trek has a way of inducing optimism even in places where it's barely earned, I suppose 😂

[@myriadmediamusings]

When Mariner mentioned Sito it actually took a bit for my brain to register it. Then she mentions the Enterprise-D and then that brain blast was just so satisfying and I was doing the DiCaprio pointing meme. What a way to tie in and honor the very original Lower Decks star.

[@AzaleaJane]

📺👈🏻😲🛋️

[@AdamEspersona]

_“What I’m looking forward to having people see in the final two episodes is the growth our characters go through, that even when you grow, you can slip and you can revert, but you still get another chance. You can still help yourself. You can still find who you’re going to eventually be. And I’ve said this before, but the last two episodes are almost like a new Star Trek movie. It’s almost like a Lower Decks movie, and not like when we’re parodying movies, but really big episodes, especially the finale. It ties together the whole season, around the attacking ship, and I’m really excited for people to see what we did with them.”_ --Mike McMahan, from his Warp Five interview This tracks with what we've seen thus far in this episode, and it makes me excited for tomorrow's season finale.

[@emaarredondo-librarian]

24:04. Small correction. PTSD caused by the Dominion war was laterally treated in the DS9 episode Field of Fire, the one with the Vulcan serial killer. It was established that officer had been one of only six survivors of his starship - and he killed happy people "because logic demanded it." Most of the episode was about Ezri Dax dealing with one of the past hosts, but that detail of a *Vulcan* gone crazy due to the Dominion war was striking.

[@Trekfanwanda]

I confess that I was desperately looking for this review last week as well. It’s not the same without Your weekly STLD reviews 🥰🖖🏽

[@Sam..123]

Me too!

[@MichaelHaneline]

Me too!

[@AdamEspersona]

The heart-to-heart between Mariner and Ma'ah was so, well, heartbreaking. And yet it was perfect. Not only the horrors of the Dominion War, but the death of THE OG Lower Decker herself? Who could have seen that coming? It makes so much sense! AND it adds so much context to her actions throughout the series. Who better to get Beckett to open up than a Klingon who are by their nature "warrior therapists"? And from the looks of it, this might be what finally sticks for Beckett. Depends on how the season finale goes.

[@GSBarlev]

If by "finally sticks" you mean "commits to regular therapy" (maybe not with Dr. Migleemo), then I agree. CPTSD is not something that is cured overnight, no matter how big the revelation

[@ffreed]

@@GSBarlevYep. If anything, I like that Mariner has had similar revelations in this season and past ones, and she’s still relapsed because those moments of introspection haven’t cured her. Not should they be expected to.

[@Trekpanther]

it sort of confounds me why some get irritated with Mariner "regressing" when TBH we've seen all 4 of our main Lower Deckers go through a period of having initial hang-ups, seemingly bounce back, but then have something test them that they may revert back to old anxieties & insecurities before they come back and live with it. Rutherford - The man already went through 2 instances of having his sense of identity and personhood being literally ripped from him. The first by Buenomigo's experiments after his accident and then in Season 1 with his memories wiped. He is confident in his abilities and despite all the challenges, including dealing with the creation & trial of his own monster in the form of Badgey, he still persevered. Tendi - Coping with her heritage as not just an Orion woman, but also her familial connections AND simultaneously with other species perception of her through that lens. She is overly enthusiastic, but goes through periods where she is shaken by the skepticism, pessimism, and rough nature of others around her that forces her to persevere with her optimistic attitude in these moments. While not as pronounced as Boimler's lack of confidence she has a tinge of self-doubt about her abilities as a science officer especially after getting recommended from Dr. T'ana; yet she proves herself in the end. Boimler - Obviously this main challenge is self-confidence as a Starfleet officer. He wants to advance in rank yet anxious about the responsibilities that come with it. IMO one of the reasons his canon-nerd brain about in universe works in this regard because he is trying to create that confidence out of idolatry of past officers & their deeds; the trivia a byproduct of this. However he is tested time and time again, his confidence gets shaken and the prospect that he could be sending his fellow officers & crewman to fatal danger from his orders hangs on his shoulders. It's the kind of imposter syndrome that lives paradoxically with his career ambitions, the desire fighting with the cold reality. Yet, with the encouragement of his friends and fellow officers he's reminded of his own talents & expertise, that he can be a good officer despite these anxieties. Now we're cycling back to Mariner and while we shouldn't play the struggle Olympics by comparing her to her friends, it's hard not to because she has dealt with alot. If she is in her 30s as some clues suggest, then it lines up with the in-canon era where the Federation's core existence was in peril. She may have either been preparing for the academy, was at the academy, or commissioned (depending on exact dates) when the Battle of Wolf 359 occurred (and the Federation Golden Age of Peace arguably ended there) so that specter potentially haunted over her. Then the death of her friend Sito, the escalation between Cardassia & the Federation before the Dominion War (which due to one mention of her doing 'black-op stuff' back in the day suggests she may have been involved in the darker side of the war in a way M'Benga & Chapel were during their era)...all of that showcases that she came into service at a time that her peers could not understand. She didn't know Starfleet before war & death were constant companions. All of that alone is burdensome and would inflict severe PTSD in a way that would dog someone for the rest of their life. While typing this, I had the revelation that in some ways, what we're seeing now with Mariner is the same trajectory that Shaw from Picard S3 had. However, the key differences is that, based off his words, Shaw kept alot of people at bay & let his asshole tendencies substitute for empathetic charm while Mariner hasn't. Also, even if there are times where she keeps her loved ones and now superior officers away, they haven't left her & refused to let her sink back, she has a support network that is way more than Liam Shaw had. It won't disappear, but she has a better chance of not letting that trauma and those anxieties crystalize into a hollow stone shell like Shaw did at his worst. Sorry for the rant, but goddamn I am loving what Lower Decks is doing here so while I logically get where some of the negative feedback is coming from emotionally it's very irksome because I'm seeing what the writers are doing here.

[@MatthewJamesKalasky]

"it sort of confounds me why some get irritated with Mariner "regressing"". Yeah. No respect (well, not NO respect at all) for the poor girl's WAR TRAUMA!

[@Sagitarria]

I can't even begin to describe how much this episode meant to me. as someone with CPTSD I can tell you that their approach to mariner from the start to finish is incredibly well done- someone on staff has PTSD. I'm grateful the writers were so precious and respectful around her trauma. it takes a lot of energy and bravery to re-associate enough to talk about your trauma, and the ways that they dropped hints about this history were amazing

[@andscifi]

As brilliant an emotional moment as it was, Mariner having a connection to one of the members of Nova Squadron was a brilliant bit of foreshadowing. Without that the moment of Nick picking her up would have felt a lot more random. But he almost certainly knows her from the Academy and since so many of the other people he knows are dead I can understand why he would contact her.

[@LinguaPhiliax]

Being someone who only just recently became a Trekkie because of _Lower Decks,_ I did not know that Mariner's backstory was actually a reference to a pre-existing episode in _TNG._ I can see why from a dedicated-fan perspective this can seem like fan-service, but from a newcomer's perspective it gets me interested to actually watch those episodes that I knew nothing about before. And in doing so, it recontextualises so much more about Mariner's character throughout the entire _Lower Decks_ show, not just this season.

[@syrune]

Seeing nick locarno come back is such a great finger to the people who palate swapped him to Tom Paris so they didn't have to pay the writer who made nick locarno. Also, best part of the episode was M'aah, his face pink with the enemy captain's blood standing and declaring "this is my ship"

[@tfcabral]

SUCH a good point that, for trauma survivors, Things Going Well *is* a trigger. SO many of my clients are just bugged out by the fact that they regress as their lives finally settle into a groove. And I'm like "YUH! You're just *waiting* for that other shoe to drop, aren'tcha!"

[@Dracattack]

I get why Mariner regressed. Boimler died earlier this season. Sure he was ok eventually but he was dead while in command. I think that and knowing she couldn't go back caused her to snap.

[@niamhfox9559]

Boimler's transporter twin also got promoted and died (as far as she knows).

[@andrewstephen2359]

Thats a good point! The show increasingly shows just how much she cares for Boimler, she doesnt even try to hide it anymore.

[@wendyheatherwood]

Also Caves showed that Mariner has been heading up missions with ensigns under her command, so her having to give orders that could get them killed is a very real possibility.

[@GSBarlev]

@@wendyheatherwood Honestly, I don't 💯 get why Mariner is in the command division. In the science or even engineering branches she could rise to probably Lt. Commander without being put in a people-management role. Case in point: they make a _big point_ in "The Galileo Seven" about how it was Spock's first command (not that _SNW_ is keeping to that canon).

[@MagicSnaily]

@@GSBarlevI think the thing is that when Starfleet is being the non-military organization it aspires to be, command is the obvious division for her-from episode 1, we see her using her charisma, knowledge of alien cultures, and quick thinking to keep peace and solve problems. And this season we got to see her support encourage her fellow officers in meaningful ways. She’s an ideal commander for peace-time Starfleet. So changing divisions would be like accepting Starfleet is never going to live up to what she believes it could be.

[@theDaoistBean]

I was genuinely impressed that this episode not only brings to a climax the season arc of the 'alien' abductor, but even more importantly Mariner's arc of the entire series thus far. It demonstrates that all of her shenanigans from the flashbacks before s1ep1 to this episode were all part of her dealing, or not dealing with her trauma and ptsd from the Dominion War that caused a catastrophic crisis in her fundamental view of Starfleet and her own position within it and life in general. We always knew something was behind her behavior, but we never knew why. And I really like that this is how she finally said it out loud and how it was revealed to us, the audience. Really, really brilliant and truly sets the high bar for multi-season character arcs!!! One laugh that I didn't hear you mention was when Mariner was double-fist punching, she was yelling, "KIrk! Kirk!" I also will be looking for a chance to drop T'Lyn's line, "Let us find shelter before it is brought." And I have more than a few times been the one guy among a group of women got a good chuckle from the line, "Girls trip, and Boimler."

[@coleslade]

Honestly, I would not be surprised if they touched on Sito as a reason for whatever Nick is doing and use that as a sort of dark mirror of Mariner's journey. Where she ends the episode ready to honor Sito's sacrifice, I could see Nick using her death as an excuse to lash out against Starfleet and those in command. I certainly don't think it's a coincidence that it was the command crews of the hijacked ships that were stranded while the lower deckers took over. I could totally see him using Sito's death as an excuse to rail against the people in command who get people killed. Which would certainly add a nice layer of hypocrisy to his character. I can't wait until tomorrow!

[@MJosephB]

I too love Mariner’s “regression”, but I think of it more as a relapse. As people we grow and mature, hopefully for the better, but we do often stumble and fall and we see Mariner picking herself back up in this episode. And Miss Gender, don’t forget that T’Lyn is “Vulcan like a mother(beep)er”?

[@elim_inator]

I love this season so far and this episode is no exception. Mariner's arc this season is so touching and treated in such an emotionally mature way. I hope that next season we'll finally see her confronting her trauma and learning to heal and move on.

[@thebitterfig9903]

The Nick Locarno detail that stuck with me: his flight jacket has the emblem of a Kolvord Starburst on it. Dude got a fellow cadet killed, got himself expelled, nearly got three other cadets expelled. Then he puts it on his jacket like an accomplishment.

[@sharkofjoy]

......I genuinely thought the emblem was a butthole.

[@mutopis]

PTSD cannot be fixed overnight, it is no wonder Mariner keeps falling off during her struggle. I am reminded of the Klingon therapist meme. *klingon therapist:* _"the battle against mental illness cannot be won decisively. It is a long campaign against an enemy who never tires, whose forces swell to twice their size whenever you look away. Battle against a foe of such magnitude, who occupies your very mind... every moment you survive is a triumph against all odds. There is no more honorable combat."_

[@Sagitarria]

lower decks is the most neurodiverse show. from rutherfords cybernetic mood swings and bipolar behavior, to Tendi's clear anxiety it's so good

[@kgmotte2363]

Heh, to me the Moment where Boimler went "You did this! You Wished for this!" wasn't really a betrayal of the characters, since he's not saying that Mariner Literally Caused that attack to happen, he's saying that because she wanted excitement it just Happened, not that she did anything to make it happen. If anything it was Just Boimler being a Superstitious Worry wort. He Might as well have said "You Jinxed it!". Made me laugh anyway.

[@corvae]

First rule of boring jobs: The minute you observe that they are, they STOP BEING SO. Routine plumbing job going smooth? Suddenly the Pacific Ocean is trying to enter the room you're working in. (And you're in Arizona). Slow shift at fast food? Three busloads of Karens decide your tiny little McD's or whatever would be perfect. Service on a subspace comm bouy? Three rogue Birds-of-Prey and a D'Deridex appear out of nowhere and start shooting at each other and don't seem to notice you. (In this case, just keep working and enjoy the light show after. It'll either be fine, or it'll very abruptly be Someone Else's Problem).

[@Brasswatchman]

Also, I think squabbling like children is kind of him and Mariner's comfort zone? It's a coping strategy of sorts, basically.

[@f1nger605]

When Tom Paris made an appearance, I thought it would be great if Locarno did too. Really excited for what they do with him.

[@michaelpapp5518]

26:00 we Watched Becket learn how to be an ensign in Starfleet. Then all of a sudden she wasn’t an ensign any longer. Her paradigm shifted unexpectedly a regression in attitudes is an expected symptom of such an event. I don’t get why people are complaining.

[@oliviawolcott8351]

I love how we get the meme klingon therapist moment irl. "you do battle with yourself..."

[@samfisher6606]

I'd be really interested to go back and reach the series because Im wondering if all the stuff with Mariner's backstory has been there since season 1. We know she served on DS9 during the Dominion War and that we see her fighting Cardassian on the holodeck.

[@AceOfSevens]

Also that she knows Riker.

[@AdamEspersona]

Oh, it's clearly been there from the start. Knowing what we know now, it easily recontextualizes her actions.

[@GSBarlev]

This confirms the timeline is right for her being that girl in TNG S01, slightly younger than Wesley. Which would also explain how she knew Riker. But I feel like she like she would have mentioned growing up on the _D_ in this episode if she had.

[@andrewstephen2359]

@@GSBarlev as i recall in S1 Boimler askss her just how old she is and she evades the question.

[@GSBarlev]

@@andrewstephen2359 Yep. But her graduating from The Academy one year after Jaxa (two years after Wesley) would line up perfectly.

[@Soguwe]

Of course Mariner would need a Klingon to open up. She needs someone who can keep up with her physically but who can also inspire her from a totally diametric point of view. She needed a badass to meet her at her level, not a cuisine loving bird

[@charleshockenbury353]

As someone who’s not generally a Trekkie so I didn’t recognize Citto as a reference, I still think that backstory works. I thought this was a character created for Mariner’s backstory and I thought it worked well. I got the emotions behind the scene without the context. My one criticism is that it feels like they have Mariner two tragic backstories. She lost a friend AND was traumatized by the Dominion War. Feels like we don’t get to explore either in more detail because we have to cover both. Now, if this Citto’s death is something that happened during the Dominion War and actually the two are related, then I rescind my criticism. However if that is the case, it’s not entirely clear without the context. It comes across less like “My friend died in the war” and more like, “My friend died, and then the war happened.”

[@AdamEspersona]

Actually, the latter IS how it went down.

[@charleshockenbury353]

@@AdamEspersona ok, thank you. I figured that’s what it might be as I was writing it, but I still wish they had made it more clear. At least for newbs like me who don’t have the context

[@katrose5179]

@@charleshockenbury353well, it came across more like the one it was. I understand wanting it more clear, but they can only make references with so much detail and have it be good writing.

[@GSBarlev]

Sito's death had very little to do with the Dominion War. "Lower Decks" (the TNG episode) took place in 2370. The Dominion allied with the Cardassians, kicking off the Dominion War, in 2373. Not that there's _no_ connection-Federation/Cardassian tension led to formation of the civilian Detapa Council which led toy the Klingon/Cardassian war, which led to the Cardassians joining The Dominion. But Jaxa's death was _waaay_ at the beginning of that arc.

[@Sootielove]

Ngl I was one of those people worried that something had happened for you to miss a day of lower decks, but congratulations on your film wrapping! Hope editing and everything else goes well! But yeah, I loved this arc for Mariner. It's great and painful to see how with a new support system of friends and coworkers, Mariner realises she doesn't have the same surface justification for lashing out and then has to confront her behaviour and emotions. It really goes to show the pay off for developing all these character relationships, even Randsom, who could have easily been a superficial jock parody. Also, yesss, Ma'ah lives! I love T'Lyn but I missed the other good boy they introduced that episode. I just love it when lower decks uses their non-human characters. Even with the other kidnapped captains, they're delightful and they never feel just like hats, even when they're clearly taking the fun of them, like with the romulans.

[@weirds0up]

Red Dwarf has made Star Trek references, so I think it's time Star Trek made a Red Dwarf reference and bring Garrett Wang back as Rear Admiral Lieutenant General Kim - with the gag being he is STILL an Ensign.

[@kmac169]

In my best Lister impression: "Rear Admiral?"

[@poomar]

My youtube cut to a tshirt commercial right when you did the reveal of the back of your shirt. Amazing algorithm

[@magicalgirllaurie]

I don’t think the people who make the criticism I’ve seen saying that Mariner regressed and that she shouldn’t be doing that anymore don’t really understand that people don’t develop in a straight line, especially when dealing with PTSD, depression and trauma. It kinda pissed me off that people were saying that about the most realistic depiction of a character struggling with their mental health in Trek that we’ve ever had. Also I’m SO glad the hot Orion pirates are still alive I really want to see Captain Cosmia and her first officer again.

[@AdamEspersona]

I know the kind of people you're talking about. I'm so annoyed by them, too.

[@travisboyle285]

They are pretty much the people that Star Trek has gotten to emotional. Pretty much want everybody to be automatons or like a syndication show where nobody changed because they have to be basically the same at the start of every episode.

[@weirds0up]

We need t-shirts with the slogan "Teach Me To Tapdance, Dr Crusher"

[@KingOfDoma]

Also, "Honor Your Friend, Slay Your Enemies, Study Your Plants"

[@tjzambonischwartz]

I confess; I went to look at your Twitter to make sure everything was ok. When I saw you were shooting your movie I was super overjoyed.

[@RyuSDS88]

I also think that this episode finally has gone full circle with Lower Decks TNG episode in a great way. Hoping this true trek series (that is practically the trek version of the orville, so two birds with one stone) will last forever, if Paramount would reveal this season is the last, this and next episodes could be the perfect closure for this narration

[@Blazingstoke]

The detail that had me pausing while I lost my mind was seeing that Locarno's jacket had a goddamn *Kolvoord Starburst emblem* where his Starfleet delta would have gone. But it wasn't until the second time I watched that I noticed the Bird-of-Prey had the same emblem on its wing! It potentially says a _lot_ about where his character is at right now that he's chosen that, given its significance in "The First Duty" for his faction symbol.

[@Knightshade08]

I'm so glad to see someone who actually understands what this episode and ultimate Easter egg is all about. I've watch a couple of other KZbin reviews (you called him out) who missed the entire point. Glad someone sees it for what it is!! Also, I think it was great that she ended up confessing to a Klingon. Who better to understand the tramas of war than someone from a warrior race.

[@michaelpapp5518]

27:21 I felt mariner speech was the most Star Trek speech in the series to date. I was getting all the chills I had when Peanut Hamper said “I’m Starfleet.” Only there wasn’t a sudden and inevitable betrayal to curse at the end of it.

[@TypoKnig]

Mariner’s monologue was one of the moments the entire season was moving towards. The other was her being beamed out, plus whatever the last episode does.

[@andreanatsuminadeau5608]

I just can wait to see how they explain how Nic Locarno and Tom Paris are NOT the same person despite having the same face, voice and similar backgrounds (and offscreen that Paris was a way to use Locarno without paying royalties to the creator of the character on every episode of Voyagers). Clones? Transporter clones? Twins separated at birth? Mirror universe? Would be fun for Mariner's arc if Sito was still alive. Miss your review just after the episode but was'nt afraid cuz I follow your many ventures so I knew you had a busy schedule and might not had time to squeeze it in, glad you finally did it. Can't wait for your movie, keep on the good work ❤

[@osnatashtaralevin8944]

I usually identify with Boimler the most, I myself am also a perfectionist rule-follower uber nerd, and his self esteem issues resonated very much with me, but this last episode, Meriner's monologue just crushed me. I sympathized with her so so much, and not because of anything she said regarding her specific story with Ensign Sito, but because the emotional core of what she was experiencing resonated with me. It reminded me of my struggles with taking the role of leadership at the school I worked in, being a teacher and having kids depend on me, and how repressing that fear has been a very unhealthy coping mechanism and led to a nervous breakdown that had me facing my own flaws as well as the realization that taking on responsibilities is the only way for me to grow, and that I can't expect to be good at something before I've had a chance to practice it. I think it's a testament to the superb writing of this show that I drew parallels from such a situation to my own life. I love this show.

[@morebaileyskim]

Melted my heart to hear there were so many other people worried about you!

[@CalindaSharisse]

I don't watch the reviews immediately bc I don't always get to watch them when they first come out. But by the time I realized it hadn't gone up, my thoughts immediately were that it somehow got taken down for some reason and then by the time I went to investigate your channel, it showed the last thing was posted 8 days ago and I seriously did have a panic for your well being 😅😅😅 I did a Google search for your channel name (I can't remember surnames so 🤷‍♀️) and found your Twitter posts about working on your film and I got so excited for you!

[@jriver226]

Feels weird to watch Star Trek without your reviews as a follow-up. Glad to see you back even if it's almost a week late. Got worried something had happened... Maybe I need to get on nebula.

[@erickg162]

Finally someone who picked up what lower decks was putting down. I never thought Mariner was regressing, she was clearly facing something that she thought she would face on her own terms. I was really disappointed that alot of the reviewers I listen to didint pick up on this, even after this episode where Mariner spelled it out for them and thy still didint get it.

[@claytonberg721]

I'm shocked that the reveal on the mystery box was actually satisfying. Great episode.

[@eriklundstrom1336]

Congrats on your shoot! Can’t wait to hear more!

[@Alfwin]

Maybe my emotions are still running high because I watched this episode so recently, but I could honestly see it being one of my favorite Star Trek episodes - or at least, that Mariner scene being one of my favorite Star Trek scenes. I legit teared up at that scene; I just thought it was so perfect! It's been a _long_ time since I saw the TNG episodes that were referenced, and tbh I barely remember them. I guess I probably ought to re-watch them!

[@pookhahare]

Mariners arc goes back to the very start. In the first season when she meets up again with Klingon general who used to be involved in off book grey ops with something waz very unusual with mariner.

[@TerLoki]

Your comments about Garret Wang and Harry Kim just reminded me of when the Delta Rising expansion was coming out for Star Trek Online, and to celebrate at the announcement they had a promotion ceremony for Garret at STLV because Harry was coming back to the game as Captain of the Rhode Island.

[@fighting.words.ma.library]

Good to see you back! I like the energy you brought to this, and am excited that "Identiteaze" is nearing completion. I think I commented a few episodes back ("Parth Ferengi's Heart Place" I think) that I thought Mariner should have moved past her self-destructive behavior considering some of the growth she's had the past few seasons, but you're right about her monologue putting her reluctance to be promoted into perspective. Honestly, one of the reasons I left the military was because I was at a rank where I had to order people to do things I didn't agree with, so I can understand where she's coming from a bit. Tendi is always "Mistress of the Norther Constellations" 😄 I thought connecting Mariner back to Sito was actually very appropriate. While I understand that not every Lower Decks viewer is familiar with that episode, I feel safe saying that the percentage is greater than zero, and to us, it was a shorthand. We instantly understood what was going on, so I thought it was a good narrative choice. I love Ma'ah respecting Mariner as a warrior but absolutely hating being hugged 😄 Regarding T'Lyn, you've probably seen the meme that suggests that Vulcans are allowed to have one emotion, and Spock picked "sass". The Licarno reveal was unexpected, and I wonder where this is going.

[@GRIMEYtheFATMAN]

So, it was Ransom that was responsible for Mariner's more agro downward spiral. While we now have a clearer understanding of WHY she self-sabotages to remain a lower-decker, this was always her motivation for doing so. The big difference this time is Ransom's overwhelming support to maintain her promotion, causing Mariner's stronger pushback/regression. It seems that some don't like this idea, but I find it plausible, so I've got no problem with it. The question is (besides being long-overdue their own show or mini-series) where do we go from here...?

[@foxesofautumn]

Kim is a perfect fit for Lower Decks! I’d love to see him there. Also the character work in this ep was awesome (also also can we talk about how brilliantly sneaky Captain Freeman is?)

[@talideon]

Congrats on getting it done!

[@SamBryans128]

I was very concerned as well. I'm glad you are ok. Excited for your film! I loved this episode. I always find it's easier to tell your trauma to strangers rather than people you know. That Klingon cracked Mariner open, she said things to him that she couldn't say to her friends. It was healing for her just to say all of this without judgement.

[@elmestguzman3038]

I totally agree about the Mariner’s ark it makes sense about connection with the TNG episode Lower Decks. But I don’t agree that this is a good PTSD episode. We can see why she was putting herself in danger and why she wanted to get demoted. But it is not yet dealing with the emotional damage she suffer. To me the best episode that shows someone dealing with PSTD is DS9 - It’s only a Paper Moon. Aron Eisenberg had an award winning performance that to this day I can feel his pain. As a veteran myself I can see his pain and path to recovery the same way as many of my friends and I are taking.

[@cutegixie]

I never saw it as Mariner regressing. I like that you acknowledge that promotion is a trigger for her because I think you're absolutely right. They outlined that she has an issue with promotion at the beginning of the season and now we are getting the reason for it, the arc is really beautiful. I'm not going to say I saw this exact arc from the beginning, but it was always pretty clear to me that we had yet to address the reason why Mariner 'snapped.' Sure her relationship with her mom is hard, but we have been told (explicitly and implicitly) that she was amazing as a student. Somewhere between a prodigy, a nepo baby, and a boimler. So while yes, she was a little back on her bullshit this season it still felt new in enough ways to me, with the added implication that we the audience weren't in the know of the whole story.

[@OmegablueWolf]

I -REALLY- hope that the Gorn we see in SNW are a weird subspecies. i also loved that it was a Klingon that helped Mariner and i further love that this episode confirmed my theory: at least SOME of Mariners issues stem from being a junior officer during the dominion war. Side note: she Adresses Locarno as 'Nick' did....did she attend the academy with Wesley ?!

[@Chiscringle]

I'm really happy that we now have a full explanation of Mariner's behavior this season as being a trauma she hasn't talked about rather than her other difficulties. Also it places her age as probably being at least 6 years older than Boimler, and probably more than that. She probably has about as much experience in Starfleet as Geordie did in Season 1 of TNG. The whole premise was wonderful and building towards a Lower Decks across the quadrant moment. Like last season was all about California classes banding together to save Starfleet, this will be all the Lower Deckers (minus the Borg, unless...) either saving the quadrant or threatening it. Right now it's a Klingon ship led by someone who just recently was the equivalent of an ensign also leading a mix of captains and junior officers against a Starfleet washout who made deals with Lower Deckers of multiple species. I'm glad it isn't just one or the other on either side, but a mix. I also second Harry Kim coming back as a ridiculously high ranking person. Commander in Chief of Starfleet, President of the Federation, or possibly ruling an empire in the Delta Quadrant by mistake.

[@TroutBoneless]

im fortunate in that i dont read much fan response to episodes, so i was unaware that people were saying that Mariners character was regressing. Ive never seen that in her character. When lower decks first came out, i noticed that Mariner's character shares many attributes with Sterling Archer, and that faded away but has come back in this season. In Archer's later seasons, he begins to recognize his own trauma, and it leads to a messy rollercoaster that mimics real life. we begin to get a picture of a man whose impulsive defense mechanism is to be a reckless dickhole, but is also earnestly trying to be a positive influence and get better. Mariner shares Sterling Archer's impulsive recklessness that stems from a trauma related defense mechanism. but she has an actual support system, so we get a healthier depiction of the process than the realistically frustrating process that Archer goes through. There are a lot of ups and downs in both characters processes, but i wouldnt say they "regress" as much as they just struggle to maintain stability

[@cheshiredeimos1874]

I love that Mariner's big breakdown/breakthrough was not with one of her close friends or a member of her crew, but with a complete stranger. I have often done this myself when struggling. I haven't built enough trust with acquaintances that I feel comfortable dumping my trauma on them, and with my friends I sometimes worry that sharing trauma with them will change how they see me or the dynamic of our relationship. Strangers are oddly the safest people to disclose secrets to because if they judge you who cares? It doesn't carry the emotional weight of being judged by a friend or trusted colleague. There is no social risk because you literally never have to see that person again. I imagine it will be a bit jarring from the perspective of the rest of the crew who have watched Mariner self-destructively spiral, suddenly and spontaneously pull out of it. I imagine Tendi in particular will be on a mission to figure out WTF happened.

[@nathanielraefraughton5218]

I kind of forgot that Mariner was older than the rest of the group and would have dealt with all the complicated Star Trek history that ds9 gave us. But it makes so much sense for her character that she’s suffering from probable PTSD from the war and loss. I love that they tied it back to the original lower decks episode as well. Sito’s story was always so affecting and it gives Mariners story so much depth if you know the history but it still works if you don’t. Also Nick Locarno was an unexpected pull, definitely didn’t see that coming.

[@sirjedisentinel]

One of my favorite deep cuts in this episode was that the cantina Freeman, Rutherford, & Shaxs (& Billups) try to get information at is called "Mudd's"

[@Seal0626]

I keep glancing at your Captain America shield and the shelves above it, and thinking it’s a washing machine. I really want Ma’ah to stay on as a recurring character. We got to keep T’Lyn, so maybe there’s a chance? I hope they don’t demonise Locarno tomorrow. Of course he was the antagonist of “The First Duty”, but his fatal flaw was that he had a mixed understanding of what was the right thing to do. He tried to protect the team(good) at the expense of the truth(bad), and it’s very easy to see where he was coming from - if they came clean about the Kolvoord Starburst, they could all say goodbye to everything they’d worked for. If they could stick to a lie that wouldn’t hurt anybody(who was still alive), four Starfleet careers could be saved. Of course that didn’t work out and he ended up saving the team by taking the brunt of the punishment entirely by himself(good?), and I really wish that his “impassioned plea” to be the only one who got expelled had actually happened on screen, because then people might remember that it happened. I would love it(though I very much doubt this will happen tomorrow) if he was all messed up from blaming himself for Sito Jaxa’s death, because his efforts to save her career meant that she was on the _Enterprise_ in “Lower Decks”, in position to go on the mission where she(probably) died.

[@danieloneal7137]

Thank you so much for everything you’ve said on this video. I’m a fan of Seán Ferrick (I honestly only discovered your videos because of Trek Culture), but I think his opinion on this episode was way off. I hope he reconsiders after reading some of the comments, especially the ones from people who’ve suffered from PTSD and survival guilt. I think it explains a lot about Mariner’s actions throughout the series and I think they’ve been planning it all along. Maybe not specifically the Sito connection, but Mariner’s war experiences were definitely a foundational part of her journey. It also says a lot that it took a little Klingon philosophy to set her back on track. Can’t wait to see the project you’ve been directing!

[@tmanook]

I admit, I was a little worried. Good to hear you are ok :)

[@thor30013]

I won't lie, after watching this episode I _immediately_ jumped over to KZbin to watch your thoughts on it, and was a bit surprised that there wasn't a video up. Luckily, I did watch your Loki videos, so I figured out what was up. Also, bringing back Nick Locarno feels like a very Lower Decks move, because it's that kind of semi-obscure lore pull.

[@Drakoni23]

Really like this episode. Lower Decks is at its best when it focuses on characters. Actually missed that Mariner's friend was that Ensign from the Lower Decks TNG episode. Only remembered the test flight trial with Wesley of those references. Boimler yelling at Mariner wasn't him accusing her of causing this literally. But because she jinxed it just before, asking for a space anomaly. So that worked for me. During the episode I started to think the mysterious bounty hunter was from starfleet but didn't think Freeman was in on it necessarily to sell it better. Even better that it was the plan all along.

[@theaniman]

8:44 in Star Trek Online, CAPTAIN Harry Kim is voiced by Garrett Wang. The player character still out ranks him when the missions involving him happen. 😆 I too would like to see and hear Harry Kim in Lower Decks!

[@Brasswatchman]

15:06 Thing is, I could easily see an in-universe explanation for it. Like maybe a certain drug regimen is needed for them to use that ability, or only certain members of the species or a certain caste can use said ability. There's all sorts of potential answers there.

[@YumLemmingKebabs]

Luckily I keep on with you on Twitter so I was pretty confident it was just a matter of you being busy with the movie. Congrats on the heccin movie btw! Also Holy crap Maggie has a fuzzy sweater. I actually didn't remember Cito's name when I watched this so was really confused as to who Mariner was talking about until the context clues about dying as a spy came up and I was like "Wait is that that Bajoran Ensign from that lower decks episode? Oh that makes sense!"

[@Dalek97]

I had never been so eager to watch a Jessie review, given all the emotion and Trekkie candy, and am so glad to hear you're alive and doing well. Though what a wasted opportunity not to open on the Moopsy homeworld.

[@dragonmagelet]

Surprised not to see comparisons to “Extreme Risk,” the Voyager episode where B’Elanna acts similar to Mariner after learning that the Maquis have been wiped out. It’s one of the best episodes of the series IMO.

[@BrigitteEmpire]

We missed you Jessie ❤️ this episode was incredible but your reviews are the official aftershow as far as I’m concerned

[@slpmtlfavs8797]

I was so worried, so happy to see you back on KZbin!!!

[@Bakamoichigei]

I wasn't expecting them to bring out Nick Locarno, but I also wasn't surprised...or rather, I _was_ surprised, but it wasn't _surprising;_ It was _such_ a Lower Decks kind of deep cut. 😌 I lost it when Mariner mentioned Sito Jaxa though. LD's namesake episode of TNG has always been a rough rewatch for me...Sito's death is really heavy. 😢

[@argenieuwenhuijzen2557]

Good to see you back. I was wondering: security worried about Boimler when he had mental problems. Why didn’t Shax intervene with Mariner all this time?

[@Brasswatchman]

10:48 Right? The whole "family meeting" / "intervention planning meeting" atmosphere was kind of great, wasn't it?

[@Brasswatchman]

12:42 I think that bit was just him and Mariner briefly indulging in their favorite coping mechanism, i.e. squabbling like children. Which is why it doesn't come up again. Neither of them actually take it seriously.

[@anvalisok]

Billups under the helmet with his mustache is just like Jeremy Bulloch under Boba Fett's helmet in behind the scenes pics.

[@MrTbk1701]

I figured you were shooting your film. You are always on time with your reactions. Making movies is a lot of fun and hard work. But if you have a great crew and actors it is worth it. 🖖

[@jtzor5922]

One of the most frequent topics talked about on a Voyager forum is the uncanny valley of Nick Lacarno and Tom Paris. My head canon was two possibilities: either Nick is Tom and he changed his name to distinguish himself from his admiral father or there is the doppelganger effect where genetics runs out of ideas and creates duplicates of people with very little differences that can only be detected after long exposure of knowing the person. Well head canon be damned we can finally get an answer on what happened to Nick after so long outside of in real life royalty issues. I do hope it's not a transporter clone issue though, that kind of seems like a lazy explanation, but we will see.

[@victorialucas9883]

I'd kinda assumed that the review was late because of you working on the film but I will say I was still releaved to have confirmation of that whilst listening to We Are All Pawns on Monday 😅 there was a little bit of me that was still worried. A LD episode is *definetly* not complete until I've watched your reviews, they've become an integral part of the process

[@tomrenjie]

Feels like those who are critical that Mariner's story arch isn't linear misses the point that people's journey past trauma or their own personal failings is rarely that. You get depression or PTSD, you get better with meds, you relapse, you get better, you develop a substance abuse (which she clearly has), you get better, whoops off the wagon, etc.

[@danamaniac66]

So happy to finally see this video pop up, my first thought after watching this episode was Jessie is gonna go crazy over this lol

[@nancyjay790]

Garrett Wang was so good as Harry Kim, and I really want to see him in some Star Trek bit.

[@michellegiacalone1079]

Making a FILM?!? Gurl!! I can't wait to see that.

[@IsiahBradley]

YAY!!!!! You're back!!! THANKS for this!!!!!

[@BlitzDemonGamer3032]

Great to see you're review this was a Great episode of Star Trek Lower Decks that could lead up to the Season 4 finale

[@DavidHHH99]

So happy to see you living your dream! We can wait a bit for your review, though we can't wait to see your movie!

[@smwillia]

Mariner regressing is logical as growth isn't always linear, often there are setbacks and regressions. I am glad that we are getting post Dominion War psychological aftermath trauma being addressed in some ways. Though I still need an explanation as to why the Federation was so hesitant to help out the Romulans with the supernova crisis considering the Romulans' prominent role in helping win the Dominion War on the side of the Federation and Klingon Empire. Note: I believe that Wang in Garrett's name rhymes with long as an alternate transliteration of Huang. And, yes, PLEASE, I would love to see Garrett Wang reprise his role as at least Commander Harry Kim. Hell can we have him as first officer to Captain Geordi LaForge with maybe a Lieutenant Molly O'Brien and Ensign Naomi Wildman?

[@TerenceLight]

I’ve seen a lot of people saying that Sito will or should be revealed to have survived. I really have to disagree, at least as it stands with Lower Decks. I feel that this sort of emotional storytelling wouldn’t be served by a surprise fake death reveal but rather by allowing Mariner to finally process and accept her grief and move forward with her life and career. I feel this would be a more grounded and relatable lesson to watch unfold than a faked-death-wish-fulfillment that the majority of people would never find in their real lives. EDIT: Plus, we already have William Boimler’s faked death. Let that one play out. Little need to pull the trick again.

[@sjprdude]

LOVE…THAT…SHIRT!!!!

[@sharkofjoy]

The animation in this episode and the final episode seemed above par to me. There was much movement and emotion put into the simple lines, many quick and expressive gestures and facial expressions. I really loved it!

[@fluffskunk]

Tom Paris and Nick Locarno and Will Riker and Thomas Riker and Peter Parker and Ben Reilly

[@withershin]

Okay Jessie got me into LD. But... what we need more than anything is Tawny Newsome doing some version of, "Space. The final frontier. Sure Shats, ProfX, and Cullen Bohannon do a decent job but if we're going to go modern... Tawny is the only human that gets the next pass. She will deliver. "Space...

[@vadalia3860]

I had no idea who Sito was while watching the episode so the emotional beat didn't really work for me at first. I thought it was weird that there'd be this mentor-esque friend Mariner had with a tragic backstory that we've never heard mentioned in the show ever. Felt like an asspull. Once I looked into it, seeing this was a person whose tragic backstory played out on-screen in another ST series, it finally worked for me and I really like it now. I didn't mind what Boimler said on the ship before it was destroyed though because he was essentially just accusing Mariner of having jinxed them, it would have been weirder for me if he'd said that after they beamed down because it's clearly just a dumb thing he said in a panicky moment that no one (including him) would take seriously once the panic was over.

[@Trekpanther]

I also took it to be more of Boimler thinking Mariner jinxed them, but agree with Jessie's point on that; a different word choice would've worked better imo.

[@BurningFlamesofDivineDragon]

Hey glad to see you are doing well. I loved this episode of Lower Decks I can't wait for the final later today. Keep up the great work.