Season 4 of Lower Decks is...?

I went through Strange New Worlds episode-by-episode so then I decided I should do the same for the newest season of Lower Decks.  Why not?  Besides with weekly episodes it's nice to record my reaction right away instead of trying to remember it two months from now.

While season 2 ended on a cliffhanger, season 3 didn't, so there was nothing to resolve in the first episode, which was good.  However, I didn't really love the first episode of season 4.  Maybe because it's about them trying to take Voyager to Earth and features a lot of references to that show, which is not one of my favorites.  I haven't actually tried rewatching it on Paramount+ or Pluto TV.  Anyway, if you are a Voyager fan then it was probably a lot funnier.  The subplot features our heroic ensigns getting promotions to lieutenant jgs--except for Rutherford. The best part is when Mariner encourages Boimler to stop holding himself back and go save people; there's humor in it but there's also heart. (2/5) (Fun Fact:  the end of the episode introduces a new threat, some kind of killer ship that can pull ships out of warp and destroy them in an instant.  Ominous music...)

The second episode was a little better.  After another reference to the new threat, maybe for people who didn't see it at the end of the previous episode, it kind of has three different plots that aren't really that important.  Mariner tries to sabotage her new promotion but the first officer Ransom won't let her; it's kind of like that old Seinfeld episode where George keeps telling more and more elaborate lies to his fiancée's parents even though both sides know he's lying but don't want to admit it.  Mariner and Ransom both know what's going on--or think they do--but refuse to admit as she gets more and more insubordinate.  Meanwhile Rutherford tries to do something great to get a promotion but another ensign keeps beating him to everything until Tendi finds a way to help.  And Boimler moves around the ship trying to find comfortable quarters; there's another sorta Seinfeld reference in the quarters that are bathed in bright red light like when the Kenny Rogers Roasters moved in across the street to keep Kramer and then Jerry from sleeping.  Anyway, there were some funny bits but not really great. (2.5/5)

The third episode has the Cerritos going to a big ring in space like the thing in The Mandalorian Season 2.5 (aka The Book of Boba Fett) where the environmental computer needs an update.  If you've ever tried to update your computer, it's pretty relatable humor.  Meanwhile Boimler struggles to lead his first mission as he worries someone under his command will be killed or injured, which almost becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy until the new Vulcan science officer helps to set him right.  Which I always think the show works best when there's humor but it's also helping the characters to grow. (3/5)

The fourth episode gets into the background of Tendi when she has to go home to Orion for a wedding.  Mariner and the Vulcan science officer come along as well.  Tendi finds out her sister has been "kidnapped" and has to go rescue her, which requires the use of a particular set of skills she hoped not to use again.  Meanwhile in the B-plot, Boimler and Rutherford's creative solution to who waters their bonsai helps to solve a problem with an alien race.  It was a good episode leaning on the strengths of the show where it can work in some blue humor (or green since it's Orions) while also letting the characters grow and be more than just smart alecks.  It's something I wish they'd have done more on Archer, which I watched after this and has always struggled taking that next step. (3.5/5)

The fifth episode focuses primarily to the new Vulcan science officer T'Lyn.  She is frustrated that she can't send a request to her former captain to transfer back.  The secrecy is because of three Betazeds on board being taken to Risa for a holiday.  But they've got the holiday going already by turning their trip on the Cerritos into a booze cruise.  Soon everyone is going nuts and of course at first we suspect the Betazeds, but it's actually T'Lyn because of course Vulcans have some telepathic abilities.  With Mariner's help, she has to find a way to get things under control.  The B-plot focuses on Boimler hanging out with the security team, who are having a goof-off day until shit gets real.  Like the previous episode it finds a good balance between low-brow humor and actual character development.  There's also a nod to the overarching plot of the mystery ship destroying random ships I always think looks like a wireless gaming mouse. (3.5/5)

The sixth episode again begins with the mystery ship destroying another vessel; only this time it's the Ferenghi.  That sets up the Cerritos and Toronto to go to Ferenginar to start the process of getting the Ferenghi into the Federation.  The cool thing is we get Grand Nagus Rom and First Clerk Leeta with the original actors voicing them.  They try to swindle the Federation admiral leading the negotiating team while Mariner's mother tries to mitigate the damage.  The rest of the episode felt like it could have been better.  Mariner goes around getting into fights for...reasons, basically rehashing her plot in the second episode.  Boimler again is relegated to a B-plot, or maybe even D-plot as he gets hooked on Ferenghi TV which naturally is like our TV now.  And Tendi and Rutherford have to pretend to be a couple, which they find awkward.  What didn't make sense is when Tendi and Rutherford are supposed to consummate their marriage in a restaurant, they just out of the blue pretend they're each in love with the bird therapist guy voiced by Paul F Tompkins.  Really since Boimler was watching a show about will-they/won't-they romances in a Ferenghi office it would have made more sense to have him show up to suggest it.  And while T'Lyn has been heavily featured in the last few episodes, she wasn't even in this.  So it was OK but could have been better. (2.5/5) (PS:  I'm not a great comedy writer but really I think Mariner should have gotten in touch with Boimler to get her out of jail and then they could have gone to find Tendi and Rutherford and Boimler could have suggested they imitate Ferenghi TV to get out of their situation.  That would have felt tighter instead of everyone just doing their own thing and nothing dovetailing together.)

The seventh episode is mostly a self-referential episode as it brings back three villains from previous episodes:  the evil Badgey computer program, Agimus the evil supercomputer (voiced by Trek regular and Reanimator star Jeffrey Combs), and the robotic ExoComp Peanut Hamper.  There are two separate plots that don't really intersect.  Badgey has been recovered by scavengers and takes over their ship to get revenge on his creator Rutherford and the Cerritos.  Meanwhile Boimler and Tendi go to Earth where Peanut Hamper is up for parole and Agimus claims to have information about the strange gaming mouse ship that's destroying ships and will only talk to Boimler.  Rutherford confronts Badgey, who starts splitting into other Badgeys in a nod to the TOS episode where Kirk split into good Kirk and evil Kirk.  Meanwhile, Agimus takes over an insignificant planet after Boimler lets him out to get information and Peanut Hamper is released.  The common theme is really about the three villains taking a new path for their lives to maybe find redemption.  One becomes a god-like entity like Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen, one returns home, and one goes back to prison.  Guess which is which?  Overall a decent episode, especially if you're a fan of the series who remembers all these internal references.  Not a great episode but tighter than the last one.  At least it gave Boimler a little more to do than most of this season.  Meanwhile, when not picking fights, Mariner's role seems to be designated cheerleader for the other three main characters.  For the second straight episode no sign of T'Lyn, which is a little disappointing. With the intel from Agimus, we're getting into the home stretch as far as that killer ship goes, though the twist I saw coming a while ago.  (3/5)

The eighth episode is basically a throwaway episode.  The four main characters are sent down to a cave to study it.  Some killer glowing moss traps them and then it basically uses a clip show format as they each tell a story.  Boimler's is about being in a cave with a fellow officer who's a conspiracy nut and guess what?  Some of his conspiracies turn out to be true!  Rutherford's story is about being stuck in a cave with the doctor and an alien guide; when she dies, she implants Rutherford with a sort of clone he gives birth to.  Mariner's story is about crashing on a planet with rival Delta Shift and trying to get some mineral that projects a chroniton field that causes rapid aging the closer you get to it.  Then Tendi's story is after basically the first episode of the series they get stuck in a turbolift and how it helps them bond.  It's a fun episode and every character gets a spotlight.  The only disappointment is there's nothing to advance the killer ship plot.  Also still no sign of T'Lyn--what gives?  (3/5)

The ninth (and presumably penultimate) episode as I figured sets up the final showdown.  And, hey, T'Lyn is back!  Yay!  She along with the rest of the normal gang (except Rutherford for...reasons) go off to fix a weather satellite because Mariner's mom is worried about her daughter seeming to have a death wish and while the Cerritos is off to find Nick Locarno (who was played by Robert Duncan McNeill before he was Parris on Voyager) she wants Mariner to have an easy mission.  But of course it doesn't go as planned when a Klingon Bird of Prey attacks their shuttle to leave them stranded on a remote planet.  When Mariner is stranded with a Klingon during a glass shard storm we finally get to the root of her problems, which goes all the way back to the original "Lower Decks" TNG episode--nice.  Some of it seems like sort of a rebuke for DS9's Dominion War thing, which I don't agree with.  You can say Trek isn't supposed to be about war or violence and yet how many of the original episodes have the Enterprise and its crew fighting something or other?  How many redshirts got killed off during away missions?  During her self-pity party it would have been a good time to trot out Kirk's speech (or Eric McCormack reciting it during Free Enterprise) about how "risk is our business."  Whether the Federation is at war or not, there is always going to be risk in Starfleet, so if you're worried about that then stay back on Earth.  The rest of the lower decks team isn't given a ton to do though there's a nice bit with Tendi to tie into the episode where she went back home.  Boimler mostly whines and cringes while T'Lyn does Vulcan stuff.  I didn't really get what was going on with the Bird of Prey or how it got there or how it tied into the killer ship thing.

Meanwhile, the Cerritos goes to a planet that's basically like Tatooine and the captain, security officer, and Rutherford go to basically Mos Eisley.  There are a few Star Wars-themed jokes about wearing a helmet all the time and distinguishing between puppets or not.  They really needed a goofy cantina band to complete the illusion.  The solution to their problem reminded me of one of Timothy Zahn's Star Wars books where Han is going to meet some smuggler and has Wedge Antilles go with him.  Wedge is so out-of-place that he draws everyone's attention, allowing Han to get the drop on his contact.  The same principle here.  The end promises a resolution to the killer ship thing that involves Mariner and that relatively minor TNG character previously mentioned. An OK episode to set up the big finish overall.  (3/5)

The season finale begins with a flashback to the Academy that ties to the episode of TNG where Locarno, Sito, and Wesley plan to do some stupid maneuver that gets a kid named Josh killed.  An eager young Mariner shows up but they won't tell her.  Fast-forward 13 years and Locarno has Mariner on his weird ship.  He's plotting to have lower deckers everywhere rise up and has created a ragtag fleet called the "Nova Fleet."  He sends a message to the whole quadrant, threatening any hostiles that he has a Ferengi "Genesis Device" to set off should anyone mess with him--at least until Mariner swipes it and then a Starfleet ship.

What this episode does really well is to tie a lot of the season together.  The Cerritos goes to Orion so Tendi can make a deal for some help with her sister.  Rutherford's rival returns and they have to work out something the way Rutherford and Boimler did.  T'Lyn makes a final decision on whether to stay.  And Boimler has to take charge!  There are some callbacks to Star Trek II as Mariner and Locarno go into a nebula with the Genesis Device.  Nothing on the magnitude of Spock's sacrifice happens though.  I mean, this is still a comedy.

There was one thing I was confused about at the end when an admiral said he and the captain need to discuss "her lieutenant."  I thought they meant Mariner, but they meant someone else.  Someone who is at least for the start of next season (provided there is one) is going to be separated from the others.  Not exactly a cliffhanger, but some business that would need dealt with.  So it gives you something to look forward to but with all the strikes and whatnot if it doesn't happen or takes a while then it's not leaving you hanging too much. (4/5)

So overall I mostly really liked this season.  A couple of episodes that weren't so good to me but still nothing really bad.  It really hasn't missed a step since the first season; if anything it's even better!

That is all.

(PS:  My math comes to a total of 33.5/50 which is 66% which in school terms would be a failure but that isn't really how it compares.  If we use fractions it's 3.3/5 so pretty decent overall.)