Lower Decks

This is a stand out even in season seven, which is saying a lot. I have watched it a different points in my life ever since it came out in 1994: as a highschooler, as someone fresh out of college, and now as someone who is way too close in age to the senior officers. The interactions among the ensigns and senior officers is spot on and the surprisingly heavy subject material turned into a major gut punch. Well done, TNG, well done.

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.

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.

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.

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.