Spoilers Star Trek: Lower Decks 5x06 - "Of Gods and Angles"

[eschaton]

I found this episode a bit funnier than the season to date. Still, I don't think it can't be argued the series is running out of steam, and out of ideas. There's little here we haven't seen before.

The A-plot involving Mariner was ... fine. The whole idea of peace talks between the cubes and the spheres was exactly the kind of classic Trek plot device turned up to absurdity in the way that Lower Decks often does.

The problem was Ensign Olly (sp?). In concept, the idea of having a fresh ensign who's a total fuckup who Mariner needs to mentor, ultimately realizing that they aren't that similar was fine. However, in practice I didn't think it worked. Much of the reason is structural. First, this is the second episode in a row where a new guest character is thrown in to follow Mariner around and generate conflict. Second, we know there's only four episodes left, so the pointed introduction of a new crew member feels like a waste here. I feel like with a bit of tweaking they could have had this work as a Mariner/T'Lyn episode or something, which would give a fan favorite more development. But with a throwaway guest, I'm just left feeling like it was a time waster.

I liked the B plot stuff with Boimler a bit more. Yeah, he's acting a bit OOC for this point in his development by being such an idiot, but the stuff with Doctor T'ana was some of the best comedy of this season. I also liked that he (and apparently Rutherford) ended the episode learning the wrong lesson.

I was entertained enough, but I'm really wondering when the season will belt out some bangers. Or if it will even bother. Seems willing to coast on acceptable.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

They are really scrapping the barrel of alien designs now.

I thought it was rather original.

I never thought Energy Beings would take the shape of actual 3D Geometric Spheres & Polyhedra.

If a Cube can be a type of Energy Being along with a Pure Sphere, that opens up Energy Beings to be shaped along the full list of Polyhedrons.
And there are ALOT of different types of Polyhedron out there.

Traditionally, I thought of energy beings as amorphous wispy energy things that change shape constantly & glow.

To be actual simple Polyhedra is really cool, I totally dig it as a computer/gaming nerd.

 

[Jag2112]

Screencaps gallery now online:

Star Trek: Lower Decks Screencaps "Of Gods and Angles" (S5:E6)

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[Romulan_spy]

Sci-finatics' episode review argues that the glowing cubes and spheres work in animated form but would not work in live-action. He argues that it is this detachment from live action that makes it hard for some fans to accept Lower Decks as "canon" because they just can't see many of the things that happen in the show as being able to happen in live action Trek.

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But I would disagree. I think with some adjustment, the glowing cubes and spheres concept could work in live action. You might need to drop the actual geometric shapes but we've seen energy beings in Trek before. I could see live action Trek having energy blobs of different colors. You could even do a nod to TOS' "Let this be your last battlefield" and have blobs that blink green-red and other blobs that blink red-green. The blobs hate each other because they blink differently while the crew would point out their similarities. I think the concept could work in live action.

 

[thribs]

I thought it was rather original.

I never thought Energy Beings would take the shape of actual 3D Geometric Spheres & Polyhedra.

If a Cube can be a type of Energy Being along with a Pure Sphere, that opens up Energy Beings to be shaped along the full list of Polyhedrons.
And there are ALOT of different types of Polyhedron out there.

Traditionally, I thought of energy beings as amorphous wispy energy things that change shape constantly & glow.

To be actual simple Polyhedra is really cool, I totally dig it as a computer/gaming nerd.

I was just joking

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

I was just joking

IC, joke not detected obviously.

& I'm 100% serious about it being cool to have Energy beings be simple Polyhedra.

But I would disagree. I think with some adjustment, the glowing cubes and spheres concept could work in live action.

I 100% agree

You might need to drop the actual geometric shapes but we've seen energy beings in Trek before.

No you don't, in fact, they would be FAR easier to animate since the design is far more standardized & not some random energy wisp with some random after effect slapped on top of a glowy center bit.

I could see live action Trek having energy blobs of different colors.

Of course, the full color spectrum should be available along with now the full Polyhedra list that exists.
We already have Cubes & Spheres.
The next Energy Beings I want to see come from the rest of the Platonic Solids list: (TetraHedrons, OctaHedrons, DodecaHedrons, IcosaHedrons).
Then we can expand on that list with more complex & diverse Polyhedra.

You could even do a nod to TOS' "Let this be your last battlefield" and have blobs that blink green-red and other blobs that blink red-green. The blobs hate each other because they blink differently while the crew would point out their similarities. I think the concept could work in live action.

The possibilities are endless in how silly the enmity between the various energy beings are.

 

[Airmandan]

It was alright. I think the main take away was how much Mariner has matured as an officer. The fact that she was dealing with someone who at first glance acted a lot like her at the beginning of the show and Mariner actually trying to improve her is a big deal.

 

[Charles Phipps]

Also, flat out, T'Ana should be court martialed for assault.

 

[dswynne1]

I give this episode a 7. While still entertaining, it was a bit on the predictable side. Glad to have "new" aliens including in the mythos/lore. But my question is this: why can a "demi-god" join Starfleet, and not an Augment? In fact, why can any species with "unique abilities" join Starfleet, if humans with unique abilities can't? Is it a case-by-case thing?

 

[IMC Headquarters]

Also, flat out, T'Ana should be court martialed for assault.

Granted, this character is extremely volatile. Has it been established anywhere her species inherently uses profanity to communicate the way Tellarites like to argue? The crew would be walking on eggshells constantly around this person, and the stress of interacting with her would be off the scale! Unless everyone agrees it's just the way her kind talks to everyone.

 

[UssGlenn]

But my question is this: why can a "demi-god" join Starfleet, and not an Augment? In fact, why can any species with "unique abilities" join Starfleet, if humans with unique abilities can't? Is it a case-by-case thing?

The ability itself isn't the problem, it's the fact that it is artificially created, and inheritable.

Artificial abilities are fine if you can't pass them to your kids. Abilities you inherit naturally are also fine. The point of the ban is to prevent an "arms race" of enhanced children.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

There really is something a bit 'off' about this season, but I can't quite nail down what it is. All the same ingredients are there but it's just not cooking right. It's always been an exaggerated animated comedy but now it's feeling more like an absurd cartoon sitcom.

 

[Nerys Myk]

They are really scrapping the barrel of alien designs now.

So they threw the barrel out?

Even Peanut Hamper got redeemed.

Isn't she still in AI jail?

 

[Farscape One]

Another delightfully fun episode!

Cubes and Orbs... this was just nuts. But it works!

So it appears that there are more photonic based lifeforms around. I wonder how the aliens from VOY's "BRIDE OF CHAOTICA!" would have fared being around them...

And a shape war! That was ludicrous, but it actually works!

Clearly the godlike beings like Apollo were having half mortal kids. I like how this combines mythology into STAR TREK. I wonder if the hand of Apollo in the title sequence was a hint we were getting Ensign Olly here.

It was great to see Mariner take such an interest and mentor a crewman perceived as trouble. She's definitely grown on this show.

Boimler's story was hilarious! I find it suitably ironic that out of all his attempts to be pals with T'Ana, it's him getting a lightning bolt in his ass and her performing such a unique surgery and getting to write a paper on it is what does the trick. In a weird way, by trying to NOT be himself, he ended up BEING himself.

Also loved how Rutherford and Tendi knew it was the alternate universe padd all along... by its dimensions! The color of it didn't even occur to them. They still come to the right conclusion despite not seeing the forest for the trees! I love those two characters!

This series gets into REALLY deep cuts... like the Ronald B. Moore reference. He was listed as a comedian in "The Outrageous Okona", who in turn was named after one of the visual effects supervisors of TNG. (In fact, if memory serves me, he's one of only maybe half a dozen people who worked the ENTIRE time of the Berman era... from "Encounter at Farpoint" to "THESE ARE THE VOYAGES...". ALL 18 years.) No matter what anyone can say, the writers of this series TRULY know the franchise. They've hit pretty much every angle () of the franchise with references, callbacks, etc.

And speaking of angles... I loved the final shot of the Cerritos at the end. Don't think we've gotten quite that angle before. Great view!

A lot of heart, great fun, lots of humor, and good lessons. This was a 9 for me.

 

[Will_Carter]

I see Mariner likes private detective Dixon Hill too.

Who doesn't like a good old fashioned pulp-y adventure? I like that Mariner sees Olly (alie? SP?) as an ensign that like her needs help. I also like that Olly is genuinely trying. She's wanting to be useful by being an engineer, not because she happened to be born to an alien entity aping an earth god that happened to have f'ing LIGHTNING POWERS.... And yet it is that very uniqueness that both allows her to have an intuitive grasp of power conduction, and ignoring that part of herself led to effectivly her career exploding in her face. It's a very star trek 'embrace what makes you unique for the betterment of everyone around you' kind of thing.

Who knew, Greek Demi-Gods would want to join StarFleet of all things.

Why wouldn't they?! Starfleet is awesome!

Given how conveniently small the hand-held tractor beam is, we should see those more often out in the field.

It'd be honestly damned useful. Of course there's now the problem of 'damn the tractor beam is rive feet away from me and i don't wanna get off the couch.'

I did think that Olly was going to have an "Okana" role where she was secretly helping the young couple hide from their parents, but the reveal that her electrical powers were getting in the way of being an effective engineer. Not a bad plotline.

Notice once she embraced having energy redirection abilitie, it suddenly became something insanely useful. It's almost like the sooner you embrace who you are you can find a way to make that useful to everyone around you.

Also, flat out, T'Ana should be court martialed for assault.

Depends largely on Boimler pressing charges. However I'm in full agreement. She was WILDLY out of line. Like. This goes outside of 'haha comedy' and straight into 'DUDE WHAT THE FRELL?!' territory. If I were Captain Freeman I'd be.... looking for a new CMO and seeking to transfer out on disciplinary grounds.

The point of the ban is to prevent an "arms race" of enhanced children.

As far as I'm aware. Every race that's gone thorugh gene manipulation has ended up with one shade or other of an augment war/arms race that ends in a war. Note there is that one human colony that are full bore genetic manipulation as their thing but they are essentially quarrintined from everywhere else. So it isn't like the Federation is telling everyone else they can't. It is seemingly a case of 'This technology has sparked too many wars when taken beyond a base level of therapy to remove diseases.' The augment Wars left scars that run deep and still haven't healed. However they seem to recognize the value in that research continuing so are on diplomatic terms with colonies and powers that are non federation that wish to continue exploration.

I wonder if there's a timeline where Kahn's ceti alpha five colony got off the ground and they became a regional power. After all the best way to revenge is a life well lived.

 

[Kraig]

It'd be honestly damned useful. Of course there's now the problem of 'damn the tractor beam is rive feet away from me and i don't wanna get off the couch.'

Homer Simpson has the answer

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[Ray Hardgrit]

It is kind of weird that no one in the writers' room (or whatever they had) pointed out that when an officer violently assaults another officer, slicing up their flesh with their claws, that should lead to some kind of disciplinary action.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Also, flat out, T'Ana should be court martialed for assault.

You have to respect her culture.

 

[Will_Carter]

You have to respect her culture.

Respecting her culture ends where my involuntary needing medical intervention begins.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Respecting her culture ends where my involuntary needing medical intervention begins.

I don't make the rules. Take it up with HR.