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“Starbase 80?!” We finally visit the storied station; Lower Decks S5E5

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"Starbase 80?!" We finally visit the storied station; Lower Decks S5E5

As a long-time Star Trek fan who’s logged countless hours in the holodeck, I must say that “Starbase 80?!” was a rollercoaster ride of nostalgia and hilarity. The episode brought back fond memories of my favorite series, from the TOS-style consoles to the Enterprise-era uniforms, all while giving us a glimpse into the quirky world of Starbase 80.

Starbase 80 has been a recurring humor element across the five seasons of Star Trek: Lower Decks. Even though we caught our first glimpse of it in Season 3’s “Trusted Sources,” this season 5 episode, titled “Starbase 80?!” brings us our long-awaited tour of the station.

Episode summary

Following a voyage to the watery world Piskes IX, the crew aboard the vessel Cerritos encounters problems with their ship’s navigation. Captain Freeman consults with the navigation team in Cetacean Ops, where strange green sparks emanating from the water seem to be affecting their beluga whale officers. With no warp drive available, the closest starbase is Starbase 80.

Mariner and Freeman, both feeling uneasy, find themselves drawn to Starbase 80 despite their reservations. Upon arrival with the Cerritos crew, they encounter Commander Kassia Nox, who points out that the station requires numerous fixes.

During the episode, Mariner believes that Starbase 80 is under a curse. This belief is reinforced for her when members of the Cerritos crew exhibit zombie-like behaviors. Interestingly, this only affects crew members from the Cerritos, as the phenomenon seems to be caused by the use of commbadges – an occurrence reminiscent of the Cetacean Ops incident where similar green energy was emitted. However, Starbase 80 is too old to utilize commbadges.

In the end, Mariner and Commander Nox join forces to discover that a spirit-like being called Clem had taken control of one of the beluga officers on the Cerritos, and was also controlling other crew members to explore various locations. Meanwhile, Mariner learns that Starbase 80 offers opportunities for redemption, and she, along with the rest of the crew, contribute to rehabilitating the station.

Thoughts on the episode

In summary, this installment was enjoyable and amusing, filled with visual references reminiscent of earlier versions of Star Trek, particularly The Original Series and Enterprise. It also showcased Mariner’s personal growth. However, the speed at which events unfolded seemed a bit hastened in this particular episode.

Due to the distinct visual indicator of green sparks appearing whenever issues arose, it becomes quite clear (even before Mariner and Nox realize it) that the source of the problem was the Cerritos, not Starbase 80. Once this is ultimately understood by the characters, the issue gets swiftly addressed and resolved, concluding the episode.

In this episode, it continues one of the less favorable tendencies of ‘Lower Decks’, which is using Star Trek references that wouldn’t be relevant for these characters to understand or use. For instance, in the decontamination scene, Boimler mentions feeling “just like T’Pol.” Additionally, when Mariner queries if Commander Nox resembles Guinan after she unveils herself as an El Aurian, this is another example of such references that may be beyond their grasp.

While these references might be effortlessly understood by Star Trek enthusiasts, like the Guinan reference helping explain El Aurians, it feels peculiar to possess such intricate knowledge about characters who, to the Lower Deckers, are not merely fictional beings but complete strangers. Regardless of T’Pol being a significant historical figure, her main connection seems rather bizarrely linked to decon chambers in this context.

Instead of strengthening the realm of Star Trek, such references serve as a gentle reminder that it’s a work of fiction. They make the universe seem less expansive by exposing its manufactured aspects. Additionally, they can introduce inconsistencies or continuity errors, like in this episode where Starbase 80 is missing commbadges, even though previous episodes showed crew members from TNG era wearing them.

Absolutely, the nods to TOS (The Original Series) and Enterprise could be entertaining, given my personal fondness for both. The classic consoles reminiscent of TOS and the uniforms from the Enterprise era certainly contributed to establishing SB80 as an old and rundown place. However, some other references seemed more like distractions in the overall setting.

At its peak, “Lower Decks” shines when it emphasizes its characters and adds a comical twist to Star Trek-esque narratives. Lately, it has been doing this more frequently throughout the recent seasons. Unfortunately, this particular episode falls short of that standard. Although Mariner develops as a character, any pleasure derived from her personal development is overshadowed by juvenile humor and bothersome references.

Also, it would be so cool to actually explore Cetacean Ops more seriously someday!

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2024-11-16 03:23

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