Lower Decks

It is very rare I would write a review for something, but this is a special episode of television. While it would be easy to compliment the narrative structure of how it interweaves the arcs of the junior members of the enterprise with those more senior, that is not the headline attraction of this episode. This episode manages to distill the complexities of relationships with colleagues down to something pure and truly heartfelt. A remarkable episode, truly.

I'm pretty sure I'd only seen parts of 'Lower Decks' over the years, and seeing it in its entirety was an eye-opener. A creative look at the lower-level officers that populate the Enterprise, it also reframed the main cast (those all-too-familiar faces we see from week to week) as administrative department heads. Yeah, it's kind of a workplace episode. And as each character achieves clarity throughout the story, a fluffy ending is almost guaranteed; that is, until a late-hour plot twist turns that right on its head.

Highly potent stuff.

9/10

An excellent episode, and study into the complexities of being a leader, and a member of a team. Also, as a former Naval Officer, the tension between the senior officers and lower ranks (albeit still junior officers) was realistic, with the usual dramatic licence. But great to see a break away from the usual 'Wardroom' perspective of every other ST episode.

Really enjoyed this one especially compared to the other episodes in this season. Really a great episode that delves into the lower ranks and what it may look like from their point of view. I sure wish they had done more like this, they may have gotten an 8th season out of the series had they.

As it is with so many television series, we have a cast of a few characters that dominate. I remember watching MASH and thinking how, with all the medical staff they had, did everything happen to Hawkeye and his small contingent; why did they always have the commander's ear. Here the producers allow us into the fraternity behind the scenes. The young officers on the way up. One in particular, a young woman who was part of the careless activity that got Wesley almost drummed out of the academy, sees all her work nearly stifled by her past. This is her story of ascendancy and her story of risk. After Picard tells her she has no future, she comes to a conclusion to ditch the past and take the gifts she has accumulated and move forward. She goes on a mission of tremendous risk to become what she hopes to become. A sensitive episode.