Hi, what are you looking for?
Star Trek: Lower Decks teases what’s still to come in season 3 with new trailer showcasing an unexpected hero
Star Trek: Prodigy – Supernova uncut gameplay shown ahead of October release
Star Trek: Prodigy returns in October, new teaser video features the TNG guest star
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 trailer shows TNG cast, hero ship, set for February 2023 release
Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 303 “Mining the Mind’s Mines” Preview
Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 303 “Mining the Mind’s Mines” Review: Bringing fantasies to life
Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection Review: The definitive TOS film release has arrived
Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 302 “The Least Dangerous Game” Review: Sometimes you just gotta get your hands dirty
Star Trek: Picard – Stargazer #1 Review: A new Picard-Seven adventure begins, leading into the series’ third season
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 Premiere “Grounded” Review: Mariner, Boimler & crew transport to… Bozeman, Montana
‘Strange New Worlds’ cast reflects on “completely surreal” first season ahead of second season launch
The ‘Strange New Worlds’ cast talk bringing the characters to life, fandom, and their responsibility to Star Trek
Producer David C. Fein talks the wonder of bringing ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ – The Director’s Edition to 4K
John Billingsley Talks Life Since Star Trek: Enterprise, Going to Space and Turning Down Lunch with Shatner and Nimoy
Star Trek: Enterprise Star John Billingsley Talks Charity Work, Upcoming TREK*Talks Event
56-Year Mission Preview: More than 130 Star Trek guests set to beam down to Las Vegas convention
Star Trek Universe beams into San Diego Comic-Con with Strange New Worlds, Picard, Lower Decks + more
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is headed back to the big screen this fall to celebrate 40th anniversary
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan returns to theaters this fall to celebrate 40th anniversary
Star Trek Returns to New York Comic Con this weekend with Prodigy premiere and Discovery Panel
Star Trek Day 2022 Details: Patrick Stewart, Nichelle Nichols tribute… and a few surprises
Star Trek Day returns with a free live-streaming event on September 8
Star Trek: The Girl Who Made the Stars book review: A faithful telling of a great ‘Short Treks’ episode
Star Trek: Discovery has problems (& how they can be fixed)
Star Trek: Discovery Season 4 Finale “Coming Home” Review: Our fates; always interconnected
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 trailer shows TNG cast, hero ship, set for February 2023 release
Star Trek Day 2022 Details: Patrick Stewart, Nichelle Nichols tribute… and a few surprises
Star Trek: Picard – Stargazer #1 Review: A new Picard-Seven adventure begins, leading into the series’ third season
Star Trek: Picard Season 2 arrives on Blu-ray & DVD in October
Denise Crosby teases the return of Tasha Yar in Star Trek: Picard Season 3
Star Trek Day 2022 Details: Patrick Stewart, Nichelle Nichols tribute… and a few surprises
‘Strange New Worlds’ cast reflects on “completely surreal” first season ahead of second season launch
Star Trek Day returns with a free live-streaming event on September 8
Star Trek Universe beams into San Diego Comic-Con with Strange New Worlds, Picard, Lower Decks + more
New Photos of Paul Wesley as Captain James T. Kirk
Star Trek Day 2021 to Celebrate 55th Anniversary of the Franchise on September 8 with Live Panels and Reveals
Paramount+ Launches with 1-Month Free Trial, Streaming Every Star Trek Episode
Paramount+ to Officially Launch March 4, Taking Place of CBS All Access
STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS Season 2 Now Streaming For Free (in the U.S.)
[REVIEW] STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS “Children of Mars”: All Hands… Battle Stations
Star Trek: Lower Decks teases what’s still to come in season 3 with new trailer showcasing an unexpected hero
Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 303 “Mining the Mind’s Mines” Review: Bringing fantasies to life
Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 303 “Mining the Mind’s Mines” Preview
Star Trek Day 2022 Details: Patrick Stewart, Nichelle Nichols tribute… and a few surprises
Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 302 “The Least Dangerous Game” Review: Sometimes you just gotta get your hands dirty
Star Trek: Prodigy – Supernova uncut gameplay shown ahead of October release
Star Trek: Prodigy returns in October, new teaser video features the TNG guest star
Star Trek Day 2022 Details: Patrick Stewart, Nichelle Nichols tribute… and a few surprises
Star Trek Day returns with a free live-streaming event on September 8
Star Trek: Prodigy – Supernova: First look at gameplay + release details
Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection Review: The definitive TOS film release has arrived
Nichelle Nichols’ ashes to be sent to space
Nichelle Nichols, TV pioneer and Star Trek’s original Uhura, dies at 89
First Six Star Trek Movies getting 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray collection, standalone releases
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is headed back to the big screen this fall to celebrate 40th anniversary
The TNG crew returns in new Star Trek: Picard season 3 SDCC teaser
Still Just A Geek Review: Wil Wheaton Reflects on his life and career in captivating new memoir
Star Trek: Picard adds all six Next Generation castmembers for season 3
Playmates reveals initial lineup of Star Trek figures from The Next Generation, The Wrath of Khan and Discovery
Star Trek: Resurgence, a story-driven game for Xbox, PlayStation & PC, coming in 2022
Hero Collector Revisits The Classics in New Starfleet Starships Essentials Collection
New Star Trek Docuseries ‘The Center Seat’ Announced, Coming This Fall
Star Trek Designing Starships: Deep Space Nine & Beyond Review: a Deep Dive Into Shuttlecraft of the Gamma Quadrant
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Illustrated Handbook Review: Terok Nor Deconstructed in Amazing Detail
Alexander Siddig Talks Star Trek: DS9, Dr. Bashir’s Future in Section 31 & His New Film ‘Skylines’
Hero Collector Revisits The Classics in New Starfleet Starships Essentials Collection
Robert Beltran Is Officially Returning to Star Trek as Chakotay on ‘Prodigy’ + More Casting News
New Star Trek Docuseries ‘The Center Seat’ Announced, Coming This Fall
Robert Beltran Says He’s Returning to Star Trek in ‘Prodigy’
Star Trek Shipyards: The Borg and the Delta Quadrant Vol. 1 Review: An Excellent, Detailed Reference Guide
John Billingsley Talks Life Since Star Trek: Enterprise, Going to Space and Turning Down Lunch with Shatner and Nimoy
Star Trek: Enterprise Star John Billingsley Talks Charity Work, Upcoming TREK*Talks Event
Hero Collector Revisits The Classics in New Starfleet Starships Essentials Collection
New Star Trek Docuseries ‘The Center Seat’ Announced, Coming This Fall
“Moments Asunder” Review: An Integral Read for Star Trek Novel-Verse Fans
Following a successful season premiere, Star Trek: Lower Decks spotlights Mariner’s grating experience serving under Ransom, as Boimler tries a different way to advance his Starfleet career – to dangerously positive results.
As we saw last week, Ensign Beckett Mariner (Tawney Newsome) is now assigned directly to Commander Jack Ransom (Jerry O’Connell), and the commander has the ensign on a short leash. Mariner is tasked with being as responsible and orderly as possible, no small feat for Mariner, and this regimen gets tested when the Cerritos is tasked with repairing an orbital lift above Dulaine, a paradise planet. Ransom is so keen on keeping Mariner in line and pushing her beyond reasonable limits that he assigns himself and the ensign to repair the lift, while Ensign Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) and Lieutenant Commander Andy Billups (Paul Scheer), the actual engineers, are tasked with maintaining diplomatic relations with the people on the planet below.
“Starfleet isn’t all about being fed fruit by erotic aliens with slightly different nose ridges. Sometimes you gotta get your hands dirty.”
As expected, things go wrong on the planet, and the engineers’ lives are in danger thanks to a society that is hilariously reminiscent of any number of Star Trek cultures with strange customs and unusual rulers. The mission starts off nicely enough, of course, with the residents of Dulaine reminiscent of some of the more open and promiscuous cultures we’ve seen in TOS and early TNG, but things devolve when the engineers break some diplomatic rules and are brought before the planet’s leaders. In this case, the people of Dulaine worship a psychic baby, a sentient computer, and an all-powerful volcano (a governing system they claim provides plenty of checks and balances), so it’s fair to say Rutherford and Billups aren’t quite equipped to handle this situation.
On the orbital lift, Mariner keeps resisting Ransom’s crack of the whip, and opts – temporarily, at least – to go rogue and rescue Rutherford and Billups without Ransom’s help. Skydiving down through the atmosphere, she has a last-minute realization that she should indeed just stay in line and follow Ransom’s commands, and aborts the rescue mission and follows Ransom’s order, with Ransom none the wiser. Ultimately, Mariner’s adherence to Ransom’s directives saves the engineers and earns her a bit of appreciation from the commander, but their relationship is definitely still icy.
We were somewhat surprised that Ransom’s motivations for keeping him and Mariner on the orbital lift were indeed just to challenge Mariner’s rebelliousness. We thought he would ultimately have a sensible, responsible reason for switching up the away team assignments; after all, he wouldn’t have made it to second-in-command of a Federation starship if he was prone to illogical and irresponsible behavior. There should probably be repercussions for Ransom following his lapse of judgment, no? In case, his humility in admitting his poor decision-making to Mariner does add a bit more depth to his character; he isn’t just a gym rat, although to be fair his physique does lead to a successful conclusion to the diplomatic faux pas on the planet below!
Anyway, Ensign Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Ensign D’Vana Tendi (Noel Wells) are on the Cerritos as the former ensign makes a notable career change: he is going to start saying yes to new opportunities. This change is inspired by other now-captains in Starfleet starting out as lowly ensigns (such as Ensign Vendome, who appeared in six previous Lower Decks episodes) and rose quickly to the top, so Boimler thinks this strategy can earn him a command faster than he originally anticipated. Boimler’s affirmation of various requests from other Cerritos crewmembers do indeed earn him some kudos and experience (and some laughs for the audience), but it’s when a terrifying hunter comes aboard the ship needing to satisfy his bloodlust that the ensign bites off more than he can chew.
All signs indicate the hunter, K’ranch (Nolan North), really wants to kill Boimler in the most horrifying way possible, leading to a chase around the ship as the ensign struggles to survive the hunt. Just when Boimler seems at the end of his rope, a timely encouragement from a Klingon board game the ensigns were playing earlier steels Boimler’s resolve and allows him to face the creature head-on – and gets a spear in the shoulder, and a selfie from the hunter, for his trouble. Alas, his terrifying experience encourages him to continue his affirmative attitude, so we’re interested to see if this aspect of his character continues throughout the season.
While “The Least Dangerous Game” may not be as laugh-out-loud funny as its predecessor, it does offer enough enjoyable moments to keep a consistent smile on the viewer’s face. Perhaps more importantly, this episode serves as a catalyst for what we hope will be a new personality aspect for Boimler. It also paints Ransom in a humbler light, which we haven’t really seen before, so this will make the burgeoning relationship between him and Mariner more interesting to watch.
Star Trek: Lower Decks streams on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Latin America, on Amazon Prime internationally, on CTV Sci-Fi Channel, and streaming on Crave in Canada.
Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the latest news on Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Picard, and more.
You can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Kyle Hadyniak has been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and isn't ashamed to admit that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Nemesis are his favorite Star Trek movies. You can follow Kyle on Twitter @khady93.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
The 56-Year Mission convention is underway in Las Vegas and the first bit of news out of the event is Denise Crosby teasing the...
Star Trek Day 2022 to feature Strange New Worlds, Picard, Discovery, Lower Decks, and Prodigy, along with some announcements Paramount’s Star Trek Day event is upon us. The...
Star Trek: Resurgence is beaming down to SDCC Dramatic Labs, the developer behind the upcoming choice-based adventure game Star Trek: Resurgence, will host an...
Getting the band back together… for Picard season 3 The crew of the Enterprise-D has returned and we now have our first look at...
About • Contact • Tip Us • Terms of Use • Privacy Notice
TrekNews.net, the website, the promotion thereof and/or any exhibition of material created by TrekNews.net is not endorsed or sponsored by or affiliated with CBS/Paramount Pictures or the STAR TREK franchise.