Star Trek Lower Decks 4.08 "Caves" REVIEW

[@cheshiredeimos1874]

I loved how they leaned into how every cave is exactly the same by reusing the same frames in each vignette. Also, Rutherford makes the sweetest dad.

[@AdamMerdy123]

This gets even funnier when you remember that Mariner was once stuck in a SENTIENT cave - it KNEW THINGS! 😂

[@bemasaberwyn55]

Season 1 call back

[@ffreed]

I was definitely expecting Mariner to bring that up.

[@freddyfaerie3499]

@@ffreed she did right at the end of the episode when the moss asks them to tell more stories the first example she says is "I was once stuck in a sentient cave"

[@CaseyBlase]

That wasn't a Sentient cave... it was a morality tale!

[@ffreed]

@@CaseyBlase They don’t know that.

[@RaviDuvvuri.]

I love how in the end, Tendi's initial assumption was right: the moss just wanted emotional connection.

[@Jogproof]

I love that there was no jokes about a man being pregnant it was just accepted as something that can happen

[@victorialucas9883]

Yes I really loved that, it was so completly matter of fact

[@LexYeen]

Right? They're Starfleet, there's bigger things in the universe to worry about!

[@niamhfox9559]

It's happened several times in the show, everyone must be used to this by now. No wonder they have to have a daycare on board every ship!

[@joju997]

There was also a great detail in Mariner's flashback where as she ages, her hair becomes Freeman's until it turns white.

[@misterjoshua5720]

On another Levy note: I think you're absolutely right about the "wow the conspiracy guy was right all along" ship has sailed thanks to the real world, and I kinda hope writers lay that beat to rest.

[@ScottLuvsRenFaires]

I almost did a spit take after Rutherford's line about how caves always have perfectly flat floors. 😉 That is just about the most perfectly subversive fourth wall break, especially considering that in an animated show they don't actually have floors.

[@herbertkeithmiller]

I had just recently watched what little girls are made of and notice the suspiciously flat floors in the cave. This totally cracked me up.

[@miss_gray]

"flashback" episodes are rarely in my favourites list, but "caves" is an exception! I'm glad they saved Tendi's story for last because it really helped tie together the ending of the episode!

[@Tuaron]

My favourite "flashback" episode (and clip show) was from Clerks: The Animated Series. Its second episode just keeps flashing back to the first, it's great.

[@KentuckyKaiju]

It helps with it being an animated episode since the entire notion of a bottle episode like this makes much less sense than in live action where it can be a cost saving measure. Also that the flashbacks were all new material so it’s not like the viewer gets nothing out of watching it.

[@misterjoshua5720]

I'd put this in the same category as the Community "flashback" episode, where they kept cutting back to wacky escapades that weren't actual episodes. A clipshow that wasn't a clipshow!

[@cassiedevereaux-smith3890]

@@misterjoshua5720 Harmon went back to that well for Rick & Morty too. I like this one better than either if only for it not being cynical and nihilistic. Honestly, in a field of adult animation, I think Lower Decks stands apart for NOT being cynical. For having something positive to say.

[@ya-boyrookus7516]

It was refreshing seeing the crew converse about their past experiences. I was genuinely interested in hearing all of their stories. In addition to that, I like how Lower Decks expounds on past alien species. The Vendorians were introduced way back in the 70’s but still found a way to appear. Illuminating different alien societies is one of my favorite parts about Star Trek, and Lower decks continues to impress me.

[@anvalisok]

That moss is the anti-Armus, they thrive on friendship.

[@Blazingstoke]

Also, leave it to _Lower Decks_ to have a "clips" episode, where none of the clips were from actual previous episodes...

[@SciFlyGal]

Technically MASH did that once too

[@esr1412]

I am with Mariner on this one. Spaceships don't have to be aerodynamic, but Shuttles? That's a different story! That's on Starfleet's engineers.

[@VigilanteAgumon]

I seem to remember the NX-class' shuttlepods being inspired by lifting body aircraft, while the "Waverider" docked underneath the Nova-class' primary hull implies a hypersonic design.

[@thefirstviewer6204]

Tendi's story was SO FUKCING cute

[@MuffinHunterX]

My favorite bits were definitely Boimler telling Levee off because I love assertive Boimler. Tendi's "What?!" In reaction to the cave baby reveal. And the cuddle-puddle in the turbolift at the end was just so wholesome.

[@GSBarlev]

The Vendorian twist(s) felt really sweet to me (and true to canon, as the Vendorian in "The Survivor" was not only a shapeshifter but highly empathetic). I also cried when Rutherford figured out how to talk to the Cave Pokémon and they brought out the baby.

[@miss_gray]

Right? It was such a sweeet, wholesome, and totally "star trek" scene!

[@everettharris967]

Fun episode, like a clip show of clips we haven't actually seen. I liked the Levy stuff, it was funny because even he was surprised to be right and, like it or not, sometimes (and it's rare) crackpot conspiracies are proven to be true.

[@Brasswatchman]

Or sometimes they're right for the wrong reasons. Broken clock twice a day, etc.

[@Tuaron]

My immediate memories of caves are from TNG: either the cave in Time's Arrow or in that episode where Picard and Wesley are in a cave. After that, it's some vague cave in Enterprise, I think Archer & T'Pol hang out there. Anyway, loved this episode of little cave-oriented vignettes and the nice turbolift story (which really affirms why they're such great friends). Not my favourite episode, but it was entertaining and quite lovely at times. Honestly, though, it feels like the kind of episode you'd get near the end of a series, as everyone drifts toward their greater fates.

[@cuppiesaur]

I really liked this episode! It was simple, but it was really cute. I liked the idea that even that they have other relashionships and adventures on their own, they still can be friends and that it's ok. I found that concept really important because as a person who struggles a lot with change, it's heartwarming seeing them realise that their dinamic might have changed because of their ranking, but their friendship is still important and meaningful ♥

[@bevinbrand4637]

Maybe it's just been my mood of late, or I don't know, but the past three episodes of the show have had me in my cat-with-watery-eyes-looks-at-camera-meme feelings about how they've been deliberately centering friendship as meaningful and important. This burnt-out aromantic is deeply appreciative of the writers for this streak.

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

I like Mariner and Tendi cave stories, and this is the 4th time that T'Lyn is absent. I'm started to worry that she might be just guest character in this show.

[@GSBarlev]

She wasn't a regular in S04. Mike McMahan has said that Season 5 will have a lot more of our favorite Vulcan.

[@Rex-wi7bz]

I feel they could have arranged the episode order better so she didn’t disappear for 3 episodes straight. This ep and ferengi one could have been earlier in the season. They made it seem like t’ Lyn was so integral early on then nothing.

[@OllamhDrab]

I'm not worried. This is a show about 'bit characters,' they tend to not-neglect their own 'bit characters. ' I'm kind of guessing, 'You know, maybe T'lyn and Jennifer been hanging out. " I think it would make sense. Jennifer's clearly an earth-acculturated/probably California-raised Andorian and T'Lyn's figuring some stuff out. :)

[@Bastion90]

@@OllamhDrab I've been wondering if maybe she is on medical leave and being treated for her Bendii Syndrome.

[@OllamhDrab]

@@Bastion90 Hrm, good point.

[@WedgeSkyrocket]

I fully agree with your critique, as I had the same issue. I never can fully enjoy a joke about validating crackpot conspiracy theorists, I have dealt with far too many of them in my actual life.

[@jintym2951]

All the tropes were hilarious (as usual) but I really wish that Odo's cardassian contact had shown up. Or better yet had been the skeleton spit up 😂

[@fighting.words.ma.library]

Not too many thoughts on this one, except I loved the Turbolift story. LLAP.

[@martijnkerkmeijer1685]

I laugh-cringed so loudly during the whole body-horror leg scene! What a great, sweet, fun episode. Also: Rutherford getting pregnant was a clear callback to Trip on Enterprise.

[@tyrant-den884]

Damn, that was a good episode of Deep Space 9.

[@davidgipe997]

It felt like a clip show of new events, lol. Nice comfort episode.

[@elim_inator]

I loved this episode a lot. All of their little stories were great, but the way Tendi's story tied everything together and made them realize that they could still be friends even if they didn't share everything anymore was just perfect. I had the same issue with the conspiracy guy as you did, but I think the episode showed quite well that even though he may have been right about this one detail, the majority of his ideas were still baseless and untrue.

[@stephentaylor356]

I loved that it was a clip show of episodes we never saw...

[@ftavis]

Never say you are a terrible person Jessie. You are wonderful 🙂

[@x8a3vier]

The funniest thing that I noticed was that the cave entrance was the same in all the flashbacks. I loved that the episode was a big reference to Stage 16 which was the caves set known as planet hell.

[@CalindaSharisse]

The whole "let them have a little while" thing made me think of Boimler letting Agimus and Peanut Hamper have their friendship moments. It was a nice parallel

[@madsstokes]

Ah, the cave sagas of Janeway.

[@thod8820]

I am very excited for when Shax and T'ana start having baby drama. They're going to be adorable parents, I can already hear Shax with his "baby bear".

[@ammieloris]

I agree. This was so very sweet, and I'm loving this current season.

[@kmac169]

Definitely a hilarious episode that I had to pause many times to finish laughing. I especially loved Mariner's sarcastic/snarky meta commentary as usual (always something to look forward to in every episode. So yeah it was a lot of fun to watch Lower Decks lovingly take the piss out on the Star Trek 'cave' episode tropes. I want to add that before I started watching the modern... um... 'streaming age' Star Trek I used to go back and forth on which was my favorite show Deep Space Nine or Enterprise (yes, I enjoyed Enterprise that much and I will fight about it). But now yeah, Lower Decks is the new king of that hill. The season 3 finale just easily put it over the top for me.

[@Keleigh3000]

As a native Californian that finale had me over the moon.

[@samfisher6606]

I loved that this was a clip show without being a clip show. I noticed that's been a recent trend. Doing a clip show but then not actually using old footage but rather making new footage.

[@robert_bbiii]

The fact they use the same "Set" for the caves for each story adds to the joke. Just slightly different.

[@zljmbo]

I think that important part about the conspiracy theories is that they are usually based on a small kernel of truth that is surrounded with thick veil of lies. I love how Boimler even when finding out one of this theories is partially true he still call him out on other bs.

[@RvEijndhoven]

Yep, the Vendorians even point out that what Levy believes is 'artfully mixed with hyperbole and fiction' and the reason that this even works to get them into a dialogue with the Vendorians in the first place is that one of them remarks beforehand that another one of them would get a kick out of that.

[@sergioaccioly5219]

This episode reminded me oftheTOS book Kobayashi Maru, in which some four of the main characters (Kirk, Scotty, Sulu and Chekov) arestranded in ashuttlecraft and spend the time waiting for rescued talking about their KM tests. Also, with two episodes to go, I think that the Berserker ship won't be resolved this season.

[@stevengalloway8052]

I think this will be the Calm Before the Storm, where we'll find out who's behind those stolen spaceships... 😏

[@MalzraAirwynn]

I loved Tendi's initial reaction to Rutherford saying he had a cave baby with the doctor. Reminds me of the episode where she told Rutherford not to date the one other engineer ensign. I kind of wish they hadn't done the final twist, I kind of preferred there just being sentient cave moss that wants a friend instead of the whole thing being a morality test. Still enjoyed the episode though.

[@Brasswatchman]

She did seem pretty incensed, didn't she? Bit of a territorial reaction there, maybe? 😁 Who said there *wasn't* a sentient cave moss? The Vendorians are willing to outsource, I'm sure!

[@det.bullock4461]

@@Brasswatchman I'm pretty sure the moss was also a test subject for the Vendorians.

[@brianchristyb]

Every season of Lower Decks is the best season! Also, next week I will be visiting my family in a state park that has CAVES! I hope I don't get trapped in one.

[@bemasaberwyn55]

Hell EVEN Lower Decks did the cave thing last season when Boimler, Mariner and Rutherford were on the planet with the mind spheres(Stevens was turned into stone....borg cobras and basketballs)

[@Ire-mw9cc]

Was a great episode, loved the jokes, the message, the interactions of our lower deckers, everything basically.

[@MrTbk1701]

It really was cute episode. All of them kinda re-bonding and us all getting to love how much they truly are great friends 🖖.

[@steveng.clinard1766]

A lot of people have mentioned that the Vendorians and other non-recurring characters are voiced by the regular cast (Dawnn Lewis, Fred Tatasciore, Jerry O'Connell), which I take to be an homage to TAS, where James Dohan, Nichelle Nicols, and Majel Barret voiced most of the other characters. This episode is basically a spoof of various ways that Star Trek (and other shows) saved money with clip shows, bottle shows, reused sets, and not hiring voice actors. There's probably more I'm not catching. This one was carefully crafted.

[@jayphailey]

I did enjoy that it was a flashback episode to incidents we never saw.

[@TerenceLight]

After this, I wonder if Trek Culture will do a Top 10 Cave Episodes video. The ones that jump to my mind first are “Heart of Stone” and “Waltz.”

[@screwyoureviews9924]

I really love how this episode display how dangerous are Cave Missions in the world of Star Trek.👌👍

[@BobSperber]

🤣 At first I sez to myself: “Oh great-another budget-saving clip show.” Then I realized all of the flashbacks were new 🤣

[@TheLastSane1]

I was thinking that too. Like oh weird they are doing a clip show. And then thought I missed an episode or something because the first flashback was completely new to me. Then I got it was flashbacks for the characters but all new for us. I like that.

[@gabrielswee585]

09:53 Hey, good catch!! Like some reptiles that can regenerate lost limbs, they sort of "age backward" or revert back to a younger earlier version of themselves when they still had that limb that was lost by circumstances. In fact, they should have just dragged that (youngest of the) ensign(s) near the other end of the cave so he could regrow/regenerate his lost... Oh well, too late now, Necrosis claims another leg.🤷🏻‍♂

[@AndrewPowerSM]

It's using the Star Trek trope of the caves to then do a spin on sitcom clip show tropes, basically being a "stuck in an elevator" clip show setup wherein they only flash back to clips of OTHER times they were stuck in an "elevator", but then the ACTUAL elevator memory, which actually flashes back to an older episode, is the saving grace. It's caves all the way down.

[@swordwhale1]

Great episode! Love the reviews. I got the "caves" reference right away... bwaaa haa haaa.... it's great when they snark at their own tropes.

[@donnicholas7552]

A very funny, Star Trekian, cute and sweet episode. ❤😍👍

[@thanatos101b]

The Vendorians outright say Levy is mixing hyperbole and falsehoods in with his accurate statements.

[@igfour]

I feel like Mike McMahan might have had this one in his back pocket for a while. I really enjoyed it though, it had a sort of wej Duj feel with the short stories all having a common theme.❤

[@TypoKnig]

Always nice to see you happy! A hilarious and sweet episode, which I needed after a frustrating work day. I lived the animation of Mariner before the opening credits. With just her eyes you could see how pissed off, unsurprised, and over it all she was.

[@niamhfox9559]

Clip show!!! I love that they are such dedicated Trekkies that they can create a 'clip show' from entirely new footage, in a 'reused' cave set on an animated show and it feels like I shouldn't like it but it's so good!

[@kgmotte2363]

Funniest thing from the episode for me, is the Vendorians at the end showing up to watch them make up, but decide to not reveal themselves... Because, to me at least, That Small thing feels like they're Explaining why ALL the Caves in Trek are so the same, it's Implying that ALL the Caves were Vendorian Morality Tests... EVERY LAST ONE... That's why they all have the same look, it's because they're Literally Designed and build the same way by the same Species! And it's why comms are ALWAYS Blocked "Just by Rocks", as Mariner Put it. Also, Tendi Getting Actually ANGRY that Ruthorford had a Baby without her was adorable.

[@Brasswatchman]

She really did look kind of hurt until he explained things, didn't she? 😁

[@OllamhDrab]

This season of Lower Decks has mostly seemed pretty middling to me but this is one I really loved above 'Ok, that's pretty good/as expected.' (Also just of itself I got a kick out of the subverting the 'Let's have a flashback filler episode but make it all new material." :) )

[@theaniman]

7:13 My 2 takeaways from this part of the episode was "Does Shax know!?" and then continuing the Rutherford + Tendi ship, I thought she was a little especially upset. But the actual events, after the story was told, were super cute. Now... Will we see Shax and T'ana have/adopt a baby!? :D

[@thebitterfig9903]

I too have some qualms with vindications of conspiracy theories as a plot element, but this is also Lower Decks, and it could be that next time we meet Levy, he’ll have been positively influenced by Bradward and less deeply mired in conspiracy theories. But typing that I just developed a Conspiracy Theory of my own: What if Section 31 and William Boimler are behind that mystery ship?

[@LinguaPhiliax]

That whole thing with Rutherford gave me Round the Twist vibes.

[@vengeance1701]

Need your reaction to this latest episode. I got so excited by it!

[@vengeance1701]

TODAY: HELL YEAH!

[@OpinionsNoOneCaresAbout]

I LOVE that episode of Voyager!

[@BlitzDemonGamer3032]

usually I'd find clipshows to be boring but this Caves does a fresh take on it

[@jamesk234]

Great episode!

[@pfefferfilm]

The leg scene I liked because I knew the outcome would be - with Star Trek medicine - just grow him a new one Like so many of the other mortal injuries in classic trek, it's only temporary.

[@FeannaFey]

So, my current theory is that the Vendorians are the ones who took all the ships from the little pre-episode bits (that you weren't really a fan of). And I think in all those bits the crews were arguing or the crew was planning to betray the captain, so that could fit into the morality test theme.

[@GrannyGamer1]

Caves, with their flat floors. Best joke of episode. 💗💯¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 🖖🏾

[@humanwolf1984]

Now this the Jessie I know & love last Saturday's mornings video made me very Concerned for you. 😨😢🤣😂😅😀😃😄😁😆😍😇

[@HuxTheSergal]

Boimler immediately undresses when Rutherford asks him I guess the bottom bunk is not the only time he's the bottom "roommate"

[@creativerealms]

Yeah Voyager did a cave episode a lot but TNG has at least two as did DS9. Even ENT had a couple. It's a variation of a "bottle episode" a way to save money.

[@Brasswatchman]

Oh, TNG had *tons* of cave episodes! Tons.

[@weirds0up]

This was such a nice episode - yes the main 4 are growing as people which means they might be pulled apart but then they come back together at the end. Also, conspiracy theories are often held by people who need reassurance that someone is in charge, even if you don’t like who’s in charge because that’s more reassuring than the truth which is were a bunch of mental apes hurtling through the black void of space on a massive rock that might hit something out there that kills us all and no one is in control

[@syrune]

I can't believe you forgot that episode of tng with the cave

[@CollinBuckman]

It's interesting to me that Ensign Amadou has a missing eye when Starfleet is able to provide both vat-grown body parts and bionic replacements- my assumption is maybe he just likes having a big scar and an eyepatch, cuz they make him look like a badass lol

[@Keleigh3000]

I'm currently watching TAS and I just watched the episode with the Vendorians. For once I didn't have to go the wiki.

[@joju997]

I also noticed that Leevy was promoted to a lieutenant at some point, which is either commentary on incompetent people getting too much power or an oversight.

[@CollinBuckman]

I mean in the episode Boimler says that Levy actually IS good at his job in the science division, calls him a genius even, but says he's been without a promotion for almost a decade simply because he's insufferable to be around.

[@Knightshade08]

Fun filler episode. I agree, I love how they lampooned the "stuck in a cave" scenario.

[@murrvvmurr]

Here is my reach: Ensign Sonsuch lost the same leg Nog did at AR558 or whatever... Oh my back feels better 😊

[@Brasswatchman]

2:52 And then when she's shouting later for the inevitable alien creature to just come out and attack them already. 😆

[@meander112]

Cave for the cave god! Cave for the cave throne!

[@bettywing52]

Wasn't a lot of Encounter at Farpoint in a cave too? So much Tendi love needed to balance out the rest of the Toon. 👩‍🚀

[@IsiahBradley]

THANKS for this!!! Yes, best season easily!!!!

[@patd25]

I think the first Vendorains we saw in the episode were Freeman and Shax, doing a goof. It sure sounded like their voices….

[@DetectiveKemper]

Your reviews remind me there's a new episode to watch!

[@lawrenceanderson748]

Thing about family they always seem grow !

[@lovipoekimo176]

The episode was also played like a Clip show, another trope from TV before streaming services, Shades of Grey being the most infamous example.

[@posindustries]

I miss T'Lyn.

[@BurningFlamesofDivineDragon]

Great breakdown and review.

[@wtfiswrongwithher1729]

Hey 👋 keep up the good work 🙏

[@Sylvie_without_surname]

I enjoyed what I took as a kinda casual implication of Rutherford maybe being transmasc. You could assume it's a matter of alien magic stuff, but I like the idea of having a trans crewmate on Lower Decks. It feels appropriate 🏳️‍⚧️

[@osemyuz1]

I have got a question for you.That green monsters living on that cave, are they real monsters or they also are that shape shifing thing?

[@springtime1838]

My headcanon is Lt Levy was badly affected by the Dominion War and probably was at the Battle of Sector 001 on one of the ship that was destroyed and he's trying to make sense of a galaxy that sometimes just doesn't make any sense it was likely at first just something he did for fun I'd imagine there's people by the 2370s who study the conspiracy theories of history as a study of people and the times they lived in and such but for levy after some very bad experiences went down the deep end of the rabbit hole with most people just assuming he's always been like that or assuming it's just a hobby of his he hopefully with Boimler as a friend can get back to where he was before the trauma Note we have naver to my knowledge gotten a reference to the Battle of 001 just a mention of losses to the Borg in DS9 imagine if that's the case in universe

[@andscifi]

I guess it's easier to ignore things like the jokes about conspiracy theories when you're not one of the people on the wrong side of them. I didn't even think about it being a problem when I watched the show and it's one of the reasons I go out of my way to listen to people with different perspectives and it's also one of the reasons that it's so important that writers rooms have diversity in them (and enough people in the writer's room for that to even be possible.). Thank you.

[@keiyakins]

Rutherford has two kids already at his age, what's with this guy? 😹

[@GSBarlev]

Big Dad Energy

[@Chiscringle]

I think Rutherford and Mariner are at least 5 years older than Boimler and Tendi. Rutherford was a starship engineer before the implant for an unspecified time, and Mariner's been bouncing back and forth through the ranks so long that she's probably at least as old as Tom Paris was in Voyager.

[@GSBarlev]

@@Chiscringle Beckett appears in TNG S01E17¹ seemingly around 10 years old. That was in 2364. It's now 2382, so that would make her 28±3. ¹You can try and tell me that's not her, but everything about her makes _so much sense_ if she grew up on the _D._

[@willadeefriesland5107]

... then there's that one with McCoy, Spock, and with the woman from all those Polaroid camera commercials... 😁 (Mariette Hartley)

[@colonelquack]

With Beta vs Delta shift, where is Ceti shift? Or is that Gamma shift.

[@YumLemmingKebabs]

I just realized, this is a clip show with 100% new content.

[@GeekFilter]

I’m only saying this because I think I’m genetically incapable of not correcting TAS mistakes, but the morality test is brand new. I can see where it may have stemmed from in the animated series, sort of, but it was new to Lower Decks which is great because now we have more lore!