Spoilers Star Trek: Lower Decks 2x08 - "I, Excretus"

[TimeIsAPredator]

Did ya notice that Billups was sitting naked on a table reading a report.
Still no sex for him.

Not really many funny spots for me, but I gave it an 8 just cause it used a lot of classic TOS situations.

Just saw that now in a screenshot. Brilliant
Also surprised Marrier didn't get tucked in to that sim

 

[BigJake]

Great fun. Gave this one a 10.

Spoiler

The set-up, the massive and funny lean in to referentialism (the Naked Time outing, in particular, was hysterical), the Pandronian's villainy and Boim's perfectionist ability to crush even the tilted Borg challenge he's given... and the final resolution where they exposed their "tester" as a big old fake was all just great. I loved that we got Alice Krige as the Borg Queen. Just thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this.

Very interesting that while we get the obligatory feel-good team and friendship message out of it, there's another subtle nod to trauma here. Last time it was Tendi pretending not to be traumatized by Rutherford's death fakeout, this time it's Boimler's clear trauma at the simulated Borg assimilation he's been put through that everyone else ignores. This actually feels in part like a reference to the old-timey "gather round and laugh" endings of TOS, but I also wonder if they aren't building toward something more specific.

 

[Kelso]

This episode was a lot of fun.

Like with the collector's guild, they came up with another plausible way to fill the episode with references to past Treks.

 

[Tuskin38]

And a recent comic with Captain Picard.

The Terran Empire symbol in this episode is from that comic too.

STO is also using it now for their 2410 Terran Empire. The STO Key art for their new Terran content uses a render of the emblem from CBS marketing, not one made by them.

I wonder if this is a CBS push for a unified design. Or CBS might have just suggested it when they learned of their planes.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Boimler grinding the unbeatable Borg level to the point where he taught the Borg Queen empathy is amazing.

 

[Sakonna]

I am usually Lower Decks Fan #1, but this feels like the first episode that hasn't really done it for me. The shows greatest strength is how much humor it manages to spin from Star Trek niceness, and the only bits that ever truly fall flat are the ones that are too mean -- and this episode had way too much mean, and in spots that were too important. Both the open with them being abandoned in space, and the Boimler assimilation were way too harsh -- totally deflated the humor for me.

Still liked a lot about it, because it's still Lower Decks, but this might be my series low point.

 

[Charles Phipps]

I am usually Lower Decks Fan #1, but this feels like the first episode that hasn't really done it for me. The shows greatest strength is how much humor it manages to spin from Star Trek niceness, and the only bits that ever truly fall flat are the ones that are too mean -- and this episode had way too much mean, and in spots that were too important. Both the open with them being abandoned in space, and the Boimler assimilation were way too harsh -- totally deflated the humor for me.

Still liked a lot about it, because it's still Lower Decks, but this might be my series low point.

What was too mean may I ask?

 

[valkyrie013]

New classic, excelent episode!
Brads grinding the Borg level
Becky's "please fail me! " and opens the airlock.
Gave it a 10.

 

[Amaris]

I laughed. Hard. This one was chock full of great nostalgic Trek moments from the past, and lots of one liners that kept things moving at a solid clip. Poor Boimler.

Easy 9/10.

 

[Hawku]

Ship orgies. That's all I took away from this episode. lol

 

[jackoverfull]

Well, at least now we know that Boimler wasn't really going to be turned into a Borg this season.

sure. Unless they are pulling a Spock’s death and are only make us think it won’t happen!

I don’t quite understand the Naked Time challenge. Was it just not to join in as that would be pretty easy if I knew people could watch it publicly

I think she was supposed to solve the situation somehow.

What's remotely unbelievable or unlikely?

well, mainly that the evaluator actually believed her plan could work after telling the officers that the tests were rigged: it should be fairly easy to prove they were. Consequently, there was no need to blackmail her, Freeman just needed to contact Starfleet.
Moreover, the whole “i only want to keep my job” thing didn’t seem at all sensible, all she needed to do was to program better tests, she didn’t need a ship to fail.

 

[Serin117]

Oh boy!
This makes me smile like a bit dumb idiot!
Andorian sexes in canon. Be still my very happy heart!

 

[thribs]

They all seem to be wearing FC uniforms as well

 

[Charles Phipps]

well, mainly that the evaluator actually believed her plan could work after telling the officers that the tests were rigged: it should be fairly easy to prove they were. Consequently, there was no need to blackmail her, Freeman just needed to contact Starfleet.
Moreover, the whole “i only want to keep my job” thing didn’t seem at all sensible, all she needed to do was to program better tests, she didn’t need a ship to fail.

I mean, her plan was to prove that Captain Freeman and the crew of the Cerritos are dangerously incompetent. Which is not the hardest job to do after she abandoned her own daughter and three other Ensigns during a rescue mission. I'm not sure that "Captain Freeman complaining about being treated unfairly" is a particularly valid strategy there.

 

[cooleddie74]

The fact that Starfleet has the technology to shrink holodecks down to the size of a 20th century phone booth or just slightly larger speaks volumes. This is definitely going to get fans talking.

 

[jackoverfull]

Admitting her plan freely seemed James Bond level moronic.

 

[Garak234]

. Apparently the only worse place in Starfleet to serve is Starbase 80 (“STARBASE 80!”).

No Deep Space 3 is far worse, I wouldn’t be surprised if half that station joined the Maquis.

 

[Charles Phipps]

Admitting her plan freely seemed James Bond level moronic.

But hardly unbelievable. I look into real life and the large number of politicians openly admitting their criminal schemes knowing they will suffer no consequences. Not naming names. Besides, what is she guilty of? "I made the tests harder"? That's what she should have done.

 

[Redfern]

Again, only able to see screen captures as supplied by Cygnus-X1.net.

Mariner's "Naked Time/Naked Now" simulation... One might suspect the creators are deliberately egging on the "Rule 34" illustrators! "Hey! Don't be shy. Shoot, we'll help get you started!" I never expected we'd ever see a butt naked T'Ana.

 

[Tuskin38]

5. I'm 99% sure that Starfleet actually wouldn't allow euthanasia, let alone demand it.

Riker's only objection to killing Worf was on moral grounds. There was never anything stated it was against regulations.
However, in DS9 wouldn't let Worf kill Kurn for honor reasons. Though Kurn was a perfectly healthy Klingon.

Andorian sexes in canon.

Not yet. It isn't canon until it's actually explained on screen, right now it's just a name.