Spoilers Star Trek: Lower Decks 2x01 - "Strange Energies"

[Tim Thomason]

They told us in season 1

Yep. Supposedly, "Jennifer" was an adlib by Tawny Newsome, who didn't realize the character she was speaking to was going to be an Andorian. So they're going with it anyway, and making Jennifer more of a character.

It matches various human-sounding names for aliens, including Lt. Barnes (Trill) elsewhere in the episode, and Drew Pratchett (Rigellian) and Ottessa Warren (Trill) from Season 1.

 

[Noname Given]

The Saurian on DSC is named Linus. And we still don't have an in-universe reason why.

He carries a security blanket.

 

[cooleddie74]

That's a weird way to say "excessive and disgusting nasal mucus."

 

[Michael]

No time to go into much detail, but after what seemed like a lukewarm reaction here in the forum, with a lot of the criticism directed at a perceived lack of humor, I was kind of pleasently surprised by how funny I found the episode. It‘s so good to be back! It sucks that they chose to basically reset to the status quo with Mariner and her mother‘s relationship, but other than that I have basically nothing to quibble about. A very cool season opener and a cool choice for the cliffhanger. Bring on the rest of the season!

 

[Jag2112]

Episode summary and a gallery of nearly 400 screencaps now online for your viewing pleasure.

See:
https://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/epsd-LD2-1.php

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I gave it a 6. It was funny but not that funny. It was kind of base humor this episode and parodying things that have been done.

 

[Tuskin38]

I always thought Ensign Jennifer was a gag on the humans and their/our creeping imperialism across the galaxy, a bit of DS9-style deconstruction -- humanity is becoming so dominant that the aliens are just starting to choose human names.

The script didn't say what her species was, Tawny just adlibed the name Jennifer while recording Season 1.

 

[CaptainWacky]

Ransom's head rising up to the Cerritos was the closest the episode came to getting a laugh out of me.

Ransom's head detaching and flying off after the ship was the highlight for me. It was total fluff, but I enjoyed it.

The giant head biting the ship was, specifically, the part where i very nearly laughed. There were a few other funny lines ("I know we're not supposed to have interpersonal conflicts...") that got a smile at least.

Found the Tendi/Rutherford thing too weird to be funny or touching.

6/10 feels about right. It was fine!

 

[Phil123]

I liked it. Lower Decks is a little zanier than would be ideal for me and there are too many references for the sake of them, but it’s the trek series I enjoy most of the new Trek era. It’s the only one that feels like home in the way TNG does.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Is there a particular reason why an Andorian can't have a human name? Human cultures have been cross pollinating names for ever. We take them from places, people and things as well as other cultures. I don't see why in a cosmopolitan Federation all members won't do the same.

 

[jackoverfull]

That seems a little dark on the humor side. I would like to see some humans with clearly alien names to balance it out, having the reverse also be true. It's not unlikely that there are humans in Starfleet that have named their children after famous aliens in Starfleet.

'Lt. Phlox Fitzpatrick reporting for duty, sir!'

in the real world there are probably several Spocks by now..,

It is my mission in adult life to name a future daughter "Jadzia"

that sounds sweet.

By the way, I’ve had an epiphany this morning on how exactly Boimler is going to get back to the Cerritos: Riker will send him there once he realises that the Cerritos is where is hearth is, at least for the time being, just like the enterprise was his place for many years.

This way he would be back as lieutenant, though, outranking Mariner, which might be interesting in their relationship.

 

[cooleddie74]

Trek fans assuming aliens had human-sounding names goes back many years. Before FC confirmed once and for all that Zefram Cochrane was indeed a human from Earth there was lots of noncanon information that he was a native of the Alpha Centauri system even though his name sounded remarkably Terran, both in first name and surname. Had Cochrane turned out to be an alien from more than 4 light-years away he would have had a pretty human-sounding name.

 

[Amaris]

8 out of 10.
A solid entry, and a good start to the new season.


***/// MILD MOSTLY KIND OF WELL YEAH IT'S SPOILERS SO DON'T COME CRYING TO ME IF YOU KEEP READING \\\***

The opening semi-fakeout of Mariner on the holodeck worked for me. I mean, aside from just being hilarious what with the "they keep showing me lights!" from holo-Boimler, Mariner's a hell of a lot of fun to watch. I love how she tends to engage in therapy sessions while in the heat of battle, because it's just the *worst* place to do it and yet she still works out her problems while kicking so much holo-ass.

Seeing Ensign Tendi (yay!) and Rutherford felt good, as I adore Tendi, and like Rutherford (not much for cyborg stuff). Boimler wasn't really missed, though it's clear Mariner feels a little lost without him, and if Tendi doesn't have a serious crush on Rutherford I'll eat my hat, and I love my hat.

The story itself was pretty standard fare, though how it all develops shows where the fun is, because who knew acid washing an obelisk might set off a chain reaction that results in the resurgence of strange magics (name drop!) and a demi-god in the form of Jack Ransom, or Gary Mitchell 2: Electric Boogaloo?

Dr. T'ana, as always, is a lot of fun, she's just so damned funny, and she's my version of McCoy if he was a female cat doctor. You know, not a cat doctor, but a doctor who is a cat, though I'm sure T'ana can diagnose cats probably, most likely.

Anyway, good fun, it all wraps up, and we even get to see Boimler for a few moments at the end, and I have to say, the special Captain cameo at the end gave it an extra point. I adore that man. I simply adore him and will follow him anywhere.

So, yeah 8 out of 10. The show's off to a good second season, I think.

 

[casey]

As a curly headed guy named Casey, with stubble, I appreciated learning from the close captioning that the curly headed officer with stubble is also named Casey. That may have been the highlight of the episode for me.

 

[Mage]

I enjoy all of Star Trek for various reasons.
Lower Deck has lovely character moments, some great action, amazing easter eggs and little references (I'm going to look for a rock), but most of all..... It's so much fun!!

This wasn't my favorite episode, but it was still (again) a lot of fun. I suppose my favorite moment would be when Tendi and Rutherford were both completely ignorant of the giant head trying to eat the ship, which ment for me how invested they both were in each other someone the other one cares for. I really liked that.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I guess you missed the announcement a couple months ago?

Yes, I was resigned to us not getting it simultaneously and I let it fall off my radar. (Probably tallies with Sydney going into another Covid Lockdown. And we are still in it.)

Why not have fun with exotic names? People like different names for a variety of reasons.

Every time a character gets an exotic name, someone says, "Why don't aliens ever have regular Earth names?"

 

[Boris Skrbic]

Every time a character gets an exotic name, someone says, "Why don't aliens ever have regular Earth names?"

Are you sure you’re not falling for the Can’t Please Fandom fallacy, which is based on converting a nuanced issue into two simple extremes that fit a tweet, neither of which is acceptable? Who exactly asked this and in what context?

 

[AresB]

Gary Larson was a prophet.

 

[Therin of Andor]

That's a weird way to say "excessive and disgusting nasal mucus."

It's why he needs a whole blanket, not a handkerchief.

Are you sure you’re not falling for the Can’t Please Fandom fallacy, which is based on converting a nuanced issue into two simple extremes that fit a tweet, neither of which is acceptable? Who exactly asked this and in what context?

Oh gee. Suck the fun out of it all. Looks like one can't please TrekBBS either.

 

[Boris Skrbic]

So how much of this story has been verified as factual by Starfleet historians in the 26th century?