Spoilers Star Trek: Lower Decks 1x02 - "Envoys"

[BillJ]

The female Klingon they run into at the restaurant, actually sounds like she has prosthetic teeth in, which is a nice touch.

Reminds me of how the Duras sisters sounded in TNG.

McMahan and his staffers definitely have an eye for details.

 

[Orphalesion]

So when Rutherford killed 105% of the crew in that Time Anomaly simulation, am I correct to assume that the extra 5% is a bunch of people dying twice because of the timey wimey ball in the anomaly?

 

[gblews]

It is, and I'm sorry for using it. But it just really seems like this show wants to present her as this perfect/awesome/great character who is always going to be right and make sure everyone around her knows it at all times.

After the General steals the shuttle craft, Boimler says something to Mariner about being court martialed, to which she replies, “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.” She may have been hinting that she has been court martialed. Was this mentioned in the first episode? Don’t recall.

Anyway, it sounds like Mariner may have some darkness in her past. She seems to have way more experience to not be a lieutenant or higher. If the court martial thing is true, I’m sure it will get explored as the season goes on. Mariner is highly competent, intuitive, and brave, but she’s no Mary Sue.

 

[fireproof78]

Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.” She may have been hinting that she has been court martialed. Was this mentioned in the first episode? Don’t recall.

She doesn't say it ourright; just hints at being higher rank, and not caring for it. So, possible court martial or captain's demoting her for her actions.

 

[NCC-73515]

So when Rutherford killed 105% of the crew in that Time Anomaly simulation, am I correct to assume that the extra 5% is a bunch of people dying twice because of the timey wimey ball in the anomaly?

They probably have some cats and/or pregnant people aboard XD

 

[RAMA]

Just graded it a 5. It's not really my cup of tea. Points for getting the worldbuilding as intended, and I laughed a few times, but that's about it. So far CBSAA's shows have all been terrific, critically acclaimed, and they all have some sense of urgency or relevance, but LDS continually undermines story and characters for jokes, and what jeopardy is there when Mariner is always 2 steps ahead of everybody?

Well, I know its a comedy and I didn't take Ephraim and Dot all that literally and it was short and a delight, but I'm not feeling this one.

RAMA

 

[Tomalak]

I dig this show. It's light and fun, I love the attention to detail of the animators, and the voice cast are great. The stories are simple but pack enough in to have a TNG-style A/B structure.

There's definitely a place for this for me. Keep it coming.

 

[matthunter]

what jeopardy is there when Mariner is always 2 steps ahead of everybody?

We're only two eps in. And so far we've had the crew nearly all turned into zombies (no Mariner solution, she had no idea the slime would do that).

 

[Jadeb]

What jeopardy is there in streaming Trek’s beloved threats to all life, the universe and everything when we know that won’t and can’t happen?

Lower Decks is silly nonsense but still managing better dramatic stakes than the other All Access shows, IMO.

 

[fireproof78]

but LDS continually undermines story and characters for jokes, and what jeopardy is there when Mariner is always 2 steps ahead of everybody?

I guess I'm not looking for jeopardy but how the characters find solutions. Discovery did this with its stakes, and LD has lowered the stakes but I still enjoy the characters so the stakes work.

The older I get the more I realize it is my connection with these characters that make the story interesting, not what is at stake.

 

[eschaton]

I guess I'm not looking for jeopardy but how the characters find solutions. Discovery did this with its stakes, and LD has lowered the stakes but I still enjoy the characters so the stakes work.

I'm looking for characters who behave as believable human beings, not plot marionettes. Which unfortunately has mostly described the characters of DIS so far, and which does not describe the characters in Lower Decks.

 

[fireproof78]

I'm looking for characters who behave as believable human beings, not plot marionettes. Which unfortunately has mostly described the characters of DIS so far, and which does not describe the characters in Lower Decks.

Mileage will vary then. I think Burnham behaves exactly how I would expect a traumatized human raised by Vulcans/Stoics without resolving the trauma.

 

[eschaton]

Mileage will vary then. I think Burnham behaves exactly how I would expect a traumatized human raised by Vulcans/Stoics without resolving the trauma.

I was thinking more about the aptitudes displayed by the characters than anything. Stamets starts out as the Spore Guy, but somehow has enough outside expertise he more or less functions as Chief Engineer in Season 2. Tilly starts out as Burnham's roomie and one of many, many people who work on the Spore Drive, but all the extras eventually vanish and she's somehow the only one besides Stamets who understands any of it. And of course, the many, many different talents of Michael.

Basically, it feels like Discovery usually writes backwards from the conclusion. They know where they want to go (even if the finales don't make much sense at times) and then try and get the different characters to do what is needed to get the desired big moments to happen. I prefer serialization which writes forward from the decisions of the characters, allowing the plot to unfold organically.

 

[fireproof78]

I was thinking more about the aptitudes displayed by the characters than anything. Stamets starts out as the Spore Guy, but somehow has enough outside expertise he more or less functions as Chief Engineer in Season 2. Tilly starts out as Burnham's roomie and one of many, many people who work on the Spore Drive, but all the extras eventually vanish and she's somehow the only one besides Stamets who understands any of it. And of course, the many, many different talents of Michael.

Basically, it feels like Discovery usually writes backwards from the conclusion. They know where they want to go (even if the finales don't make much sense at times) and then try and get the different characters to do what is needed to get the desired big moments to happen. I prefer serialization which writes forward from the decisions of the characters, allowing the plot to unfold organically.

I mean, it feels like a lot of shows I've watched. Like, it starts out with a large number of characters and then it gets whittled down to the mains.

I don't really have a good explanation for my feeling, just that I tracked along with the characters and didn't feel like it was writing to the big moments. I don't have a good answer beyond that though.

 

[Jadeb]

I was thinking more about the aptitudes displayed by the characters than anything. Stamets starts out as the Spore Guy, but somehow has enough outside expertise he more or less functions as Chief Engineer in Season 2. Tilly starts out as Burnham's roomie and one of many, many people who work on the Spore Drive, but all the extras eventually vanish and she's somehow the only one besides Stamets who understands any of it. And of course, the many, many different talents of Michael.

Basically, it feels like Discovery usually writes backwards from the conclusion. They know where they want to go (even if the finales don't make much sense at times) and then try and get the different characters to do what is needed to get the desired big moments to happen. I prefer serialization which writes forward from the decisions of the characters, allowing the plot to unfold organically.

I saw somewhere that Mike McMahan devised the “transferring departments” plot specifically to worldbuild and give viewers a better sense of the ship and its crew early on in the show’s run. I thought that was interesting, considering it’s a complete 180 from Discovery’s approach, with its absent CMO, non-existent chief engineer and general indifference to most of its characters. Both shows break from the traditional “bridge crew” mold, but Lower Decks is doing it much more to my liking.

 

[gblews]

I was thinking more about the aptitudes displayed by the characters than anything. Stamets starts out as the Spore Guy, but somehow has enough outside expertise he more or less functions as Chief Engineer in Season 2. Tilly starts out as Burnham's roomie and one of many, many people who work on the Spore Drive, but all the extras eventually vanish and she's somehow the only one besides Stamets who understands any of it. And of course, the many, many different talents of Michael.

If it didn’t happen this way, you’d be complaining about lack of character development.

 

[daveyjones]

I'm looking for characters who behave as believable human beings, not plot marionettes.

yea that's why nu trek is such a fail for me.

 

[Muji]

Mileage will vary then. I think Burnham behaves exactly how I would expect a traumatized human raised by Vulcans/Stoics without resolving the trauma.

So true. I’m so salty about the hate Michael gets. I think she’s a brilliant character and I think SMG does a great job playing her.

 

[fireproof78]

So true. I’m so salty about the hate Michael gets. I think she’s a brilliant character and I think SMG does a great job playing her.

Same here, same with pretty much a lot of newer Trek, starting with 09. These people behave in ways I have seen real people act. And yet, they are constantly being derided as "not human." It's borderline insulting at times and yes, I feel salty as well.

 

[Muji]

Same here, same with pretty much a lot of newer Trek, starting with 09. These people behave in ways I have seen real people act. And yet, they are constantly being derided as "not human." It's borderline insulting at times and yes, I feel salty as well.

I’m totally with you.