Lower Decks

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.

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.

We spend time with a group of lower ranked Enterprise crew members.

This is a strong episode with a novel idea that has some good character moments.

The obvious hook is seeing everything and everyone from a different perspective. This could have been gimmicky if the character interactions are not as strong as they are.

I personally do not find them hugely interesting as individuals, but the interactions with each other and the main characters are great. The highlights include Lavelle with Riker, Sato with both Picard and Worf, and all their interactions together. Sato easily has the best arc, especially as it follows up an intriguing story in 'The First Duty'. It ends very strongly and all feels rather poignant.

One of the best aspects is that it makes the show feel more than just the main cast every week with a load of extras thrown in to make up the numbers. The concept of Enterprise being a functioning starship with an actual crew is more plausible because of 'Lower Decks'.

Several newer members of the crew are up for promotion and you see the ways these various personalities respond to the pressure of vying for the same promotion (by the way, the Vulcan was a bit of a suck up if you ask me). At the same time, a Cardassian defector arrives on the ship. How will these two plots intersect?

This episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" is rather unique and I liked it. In many ways it's a bit more soap opera-like than some, as it is more about personalities than a big plot. One reviewer described it aptly as like "Upstairs/Downstairs". Exactly what happens to these eager young crew members is something you'll need to see for yourself--and the ending is a bit touching.

Unusual episode which shows what has probably very unintentionally been illustrated throughout the series and really throughout every Trek series; namely, the hierarchical class distinctions between executive officers low ranking officers. In addition to being interesting because of the latter, while Next Generation as a whole has loads of heart, "Lower Decks" is one of a relatively small number of episodes that is a bona fide tearjerker. Fantastic writing and acting.