Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Lower Decks | 4x03 "In the Cradle of Vexilon”
::: spoiler Logline Boimler leads his first away mission on an alien megastructure. :::
Written by: Ben Waller
Directed by: Brandon Williams
In case you are wondering, the Koala says "It's not your time, Bradward Boimler" in reverse.
"I can't believe that worked!" is such a horrifying thing to hear your physician say just after waking up. Gotta love Dr. Cats
The typical Vulcan response of passivity but curiosity is going to work perfectly throughout Lower Decks.
It's just perfect, isn't it? Hardly a surprise to me given that a huge chunk of the funny parts of "serious" Trek stem from the dry bluntness of characters like Spock, Data, and Odo. Now that T'lyn is here my only question is why it took until the 4th season for someone like her to show up.
"What about Tuvok? You must be excited to see his quarters."
"Perhaps. Are they austere?"
They floated it a little with Rutherford in the first episode or two with his Vulcan implant randomly making him act Vulcan, but it was dropped almost immediately.
I think by the time appeared T’Lyn in wej Duj, they had already produced most/all of Season 3, and didn’t realize how much of a hit she would be. And then there wasn’t an opportunity to go back and add her in. I think they had just enough time/room to add her to the end of S3E10
Now that T’lyn is here my only question is why it took until the 4th season for someone like her to show up.
I guess it's because of shorter running time => less time for supporting characters.
Agree. Agree. Agree. There is so much goodness in this episode. And, so much quotable material. Dr. T'Ana is becoming my favorite Star Trek doctor. Love her attitude. I laughed so hard when Dirk sicced Lancelot the ferret on Rutherford that I started coughing. Lower Decks! Lower Decks!
halo music
Also at 13:27 when Boimler is putting the canisters away I swear they are using the same sound effect as "half life 2 crowbar hitting metal.wav"
T'Lyn's delivery with her lines is also fantastic
it sounds super similar, but I'm pretty sure there is not enough reverb to be the crowbar sound
Man, I've been waiting for a Boimler/T'lyn episode ever since they confirmed she was going to be a recurring character! It's cool how having an extra member unlocks new sub-group to bounce ideas off each other.
A little let down by this one if I'm being honest. The setup is pretty fun and Vexilon is a charming character. I feel like there was nothing unexpected in Boimler's plotline though. He's stressed and sweaty just like we (and his friends) expect, he screws up a little, pep talk from T'lyn, he's got his confidence and is a good boi leader. Sure, him questioning why he's fit to lead is interesting, but the little "get your shit together Boimler!" moment is basically what we've seen in something the hunt vs Kranch and the resolution isn't that much different.
I think the only bit of the episode that landed for me was the Dirk/Ransom bit at the end. Sure it feels a little mean and un-Starfleet but the past couple episodes have built up why Ransom's actually a good superior officer/Mariner's attitude about him is wrong, and it's fun to peel back the reasons that he's not so above it all.
I liked the Boimler one because even when he's screwing up he's showing why he got promoted. Under normal conditions, he would have completed a three man job by himself.
I agree on the predictability on Boimler's story in this episode, but I think it's rushing through his progression from hyper competent junior officer to competent commander (or manager or delegator even). Also it's an opportunity to explore T'Lyn's dynamic with other characters like you say. Mariner would've probably just taken charge (she believes in him but probably would've run out of patience), I imagine Tendi might've tried to be supportive as is her nature in addition to using her officer training and Rutherford would've cooked up some techy shortcut.
I enjoyed seeing him speaking confidently with the captain, especially in the midst of all the chaos. That shows how much he's progressed over the course of the show imo
The fake story with the hazing was predictable too, to be honest. But I did not mind the predictability on that.
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That's definitely a
StargateSupergate. -
The computer has a proper name? That's totally normal and never bad.
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Do your spots go all the way down?
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BananaTea, hot. -
Freeman getting her hands dirty?
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Yes, and/or dismemberment.
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ALLAMARAINE! Why the hell do they have that?
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Definitely being hazed. Someone just got to tick another box on Cerritos bingo.
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AlL yOuR FiLeS aRe ExAcTlY wHeRe YoU lEfT tHeM.
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The sky is literally falling.
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[Stop trying to make Peloton happen]
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Lancelot!
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You got this Boims!
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Allamaraine.any%.record
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I MISS MY WIFE!
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Is that... the black mountain?!?!?!
DECKD WK 2, EP 3 Solved in 2
⚪⚪⚪🟢🟢 🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢
Loved the episode. My take is that we’ll get to see every classic junior management mistake from our Lower Deckers this season, fit to personality.
Boimler’s admission of discomfort sending others into danger may have been part of his motivation. The classic micromanager bad behaviour of not trusting subordinates with risks, and doing everything himself was pretty much what I’d expected of Boimler though. He had a hard time learning to trust and rely on peers, why would he be different with subordinates?
Lower Decks may become another Star Trek (after TNG) to be cited in leadership training.
Assorted thoughts and observations as I watched (reposted from the other place):
- Oh, shit, we've got a space-ring!
- Don't you hate it when the god-computer starts lagging?
- Ransom: Hidden art critic.
- Boimler leading an away mission. What could go wrong?
- "Everything that has ever occurred is science stuff."
- "And or dismemberment"
- Was that fucking NOMAD?
- Lancelot the Ferret.
- The update is going to screw it all up, isn't it?
- Yep.
- I love how the artists just go and start painting the fallen freeze-cloud.
- Is this the first time that the Kzinti ensign has talked?
- Blindfolded saber fight!
- "A mountain, or possibly a volcano has appeared." (boom) "Ah, it is a volcano."
- T'Lyn is great.
- Move Along Home
- "He overdosed on Ketracel white"
- "BRADWARD, NO!"
- OH GOD, IT'S A KOALA!"
- Very 2001
- "You never forget your first death."
Can't believe we got a Twin Peaks scene in Trek. I didn't know I needed that but it makes me so happy!
A strange, new to us viewers, world.
And the Orion homeworld this week!
Lower Decks keeps bringing it.
Am I really the only one here getting T’Pol-Trip-like Vulcan-Human romantic tension from T’Lyn towards Boimler?
The B’lyn / T’boimler / Boilyn ship is getting a lot of chatter elsewhere.
Normally, I’m not into such speculation but with the number of failed Vulcan- Human romances in the franchise despite the success of other inter species relationships, this seems exactly the kind of thing Lower Decks would target for humorous remedy.
Besides even for an ‘out of control’ overly emotional Vulcan, T’Lyn was far too distraught and physically close to Boimler when he was being revived.
