Star Trek: Lower Decks
"Temporal Edict"
Air date: 8/20/2020
Written by Dave Ihlenfeld & David Wright
Directed by Bob Suarez
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
Scotty's way of keeping his reputation as a miracle worker is such a classic piece of Trekkian lore that I've for years used it as a running gag at work. Want to impress people, or at least set reasonable expectations? Then be sure to "Scotty It."
In "Temporal Edict," the lower deckers decide to Scotty It with their bosses so there's room in the day for some "buffer time." But when Boimler accidentally lets the concept of "buffer time" slip to the captain — while she's in a particularly bad mood about her ship being disrespected and reassigned — she decides to implement strict productivity deadlines around all shipwide tasks in order to increase efficiency and improve her crew's discipline and reputation. This has the effect of turning everyone into an overworked zombie (I immediately thought of Amazon workers trying at all costs to make their numbers) — except Boimler, who already operates at such peak efficiency that his day-to-day continues without disruption.
This is a reasonably good workplace comedy concept. But the big problem here is the completely unworkable collision between the episode's cartoon logic and our ability to believe the characters are so slavishly governed by it. There's a glaringly obvious lack of common sense here. Freeman's orders have the workplace effect of setting the entire ship on fire, with everyone running this way and that and tripping over one another as they attempt to beat the clock. I get that one tactic of comedy is exaggeration, but Freeman's policy so clearly causes more harm than good that she simply comes off looking like an idiot for not recognizing her crew is drowning and, oh, by the way, an alien takeover is happening because no one can tear themselves away from meeting their productivity requirements to stop it. (As a reward for pointing out Freeman's error, Boimler has the idea for built-in downtime named the "Boimler Effect," counter to his own philosophy and much to his eternal shame.) Subtlety here is a lost virtue. Comedy is a balancing act, but when all human plausibility is sacrificed for goofy plotting as it is here, the balance is thrown way off.
The ship-based plot is interwoven with an alien encounter on the planet surface that goes awry, leading douchebro first officer Jack Ransom (Jerry O'Connell) and Mariner to be thrown into a holding cell, while the rest of the away team is sentenced to execution. The two argue over who will fight in the forthcoming trial by combat that may allow the team to be spared. Ultimately, this leads to a big showcase for Ransom (as Mariner looks on with newfound attraction/appreciation) as he gets his shirt torn off in a cage match with a big alien muscleman. It's a parody of all those classic Kirk-centric TOS episodes in the vein of "Arena" (with Ransom making frequent use of the bizarre Trekkian two-fisted club-punch trope, which I guess I appreciate), but little of this plays out with much wit or hilarity. It's just kind of there.
So, yeah, writers — you've watched Star Trek and there are references here. Great. Now can we do something with this show that isn't just a patchwork of random Trek clichés and exaggerated plots and stupid characters that mostly traffic in tepid jokes and obvious payoffs?
Previous episode: Envoys
Next episode: Moist Vessel
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20 comments on this post
Thu, Aug 20, 2020, 7:52am (UTC -6)
The good part of this episode is it inverts much of what was set up in the first few episodes. Mariner makes a legitimately bad call in this episode. Ransom turns out to not just be a dudebro, but a competent commander (if a bit full of himself). Boimler is shown to be able to thrive in certain situations.
However, I think a lot of people will have issues with how the Captain Freeman is portrayed. The central message (that she has high standards that she holds the crew to, which makes things much, much worse than before) is a good narrative core. However, in order to up the "comedy quotient" the show portrays the sleep-deprived crew without buffer time as constantly making mistakes. This means Freeman is shown to have a ridiculous level of obliviousness to how her own ship is falling apart. No Trek Captain other than Jonathan Archer has been portrayed in as negative a light as Freeman is here. Admittedly she "learns her lesson" by the end of the episode, but she's not new to command - she shouldn't be making rookie mistakes like this at this point in her career.
That said, it was a minor issue, because the episode itself worked from a dramatic standpoint, if not a comedic one.
Thu, Aug 20, 2020, 4:32pm (UTC -6)
I haven't laughed once is three episodes so I'm not watching anymore.
Thu, Aug 20, 2020, 11:57pm (UTC -6)
Honestly, if there was an option to watch just the background art, I would be more entertained.
Mariner is intolerable. I loathe this character.
Ep. 3 gets zero stars. Astonishingly unfunny.
Fri, Aug 21, 2020, 6:54am (UTC -6)
I didn't enjoy this one so much. Made the CO look like an idiot.
Mariner is getting really annoying. I thought she was much better in 'Envoys', but she's off the deep end in this one. She's getting hauled off to the brig, so maybe we'll see a change. She is incredibly talented.
At least Ransom put her in her place. I see a relationship-a-brewing...
Loved the classic 2-handed punches.
I guess a way to look at this might be if this were 1987, we'd have just watched 'Code of Honor'.
I'm not throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
2 stars from me.
Fri, Aug 21, 2020, 6:57am (UTC -6)
Fri, Aug 21, 2020, 10:57am (UTC -6)
"Miles O'brien is the most important person in the universe"
HAHAHA.... true lower decks perspective!!
Fri, Aug 21, 2020, 2:53pm (UTC -6)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJfbofKMA3I
There's some griping about this above, but really just the whole idea of releasing a parody under the banner of the actual show is kind of innately strange--imagine Mel Brooks trying to release Spaceballs as an actual Star Wars movie. Making a travesty of the source material is, after all, largely the point of the exercise, so adding 'authenticity' in this way is kind of counterproductive and liable to rub a lot of people the wrong way.
On the whole I'm finding ST:LD to be less ST: Rick and Morty and more a Clone High knockoff set on a starship. The Clone High creators themselves are still on their game though, after all these years, and I imagine they'd have jumped at the chance to helm such a show if SH had approached them. Ah well.
Fri, Aug 21, 2020, 8:28pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Aug 22, 2020, 2:16pm (UTC -6)
And here's more grim news from Manny Coto (from a interview he did this week):
"I do know somebody who's working on the next season of Picard. And some of the stuff I've heard is pretty disturbing. There's no way they're going to do what they're talking about. And if they do, there'll be a riot. That's all I can say."
Sat, Aug 22, 2020, 3:04pm (UTC -6)
". And some of the stuff I've heard is pretty disturbing"
Could you provide a link? (sorry couldn't find it)
Sat, Aug 22, 2020, 7:53pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Aug 22, 2020, 11:39pm (UTC -6)
Oh no, I can see it! But... Clone High makes me laugh. Consistently. I'm happy someone referenced Clone High but I'm sad it was in reference to Lower Decks. It's too apt. At least Clone High was very up-front about its parody elements, and it wasn't trying to sincerely be an official spinoff of Dawson's Creek.
God I love that show.
Sun, Aug 23, 2020, 8:37am (UTC -6)
Here it is, timecode 45:10-47:00
https://youtu.be/W3xlTCnvNj8?t=2712
Sun, Aug 23, 2020, 3:21pm (UTC -6)
Thank you!
Sun, Aug 23, 2020, 4:43pm (UTC -6)
"everything is drawn to look so simple and childish"
Your opinions are simple and childish.
Sun, Aug 23, 2020, 5:00pm (UTC -6)
Simple and childish is the "I know you are but what am I?" retort you just used.
Mon, Aug 24, 2020, 5:40pm (UTC -6)
People who are denouncing these sinners have themselves had portions, sometimes large ones, of their posts deleted by the site administrator. And they lecture others on Internet etiquette.
If we REALLY wanted to have “personal” conversations,some people here would have to realize there is another person to a conversation, then it will be all over.
If you care about this franchise, you must be negative. I’ve heard the argument iterated and reiterated. The contrapositive is that if you are not negative, you do not care.
It’s wrong to dismiss people’s viewpoints with this inherently specious logic.
I too take issue with the haters who reflexively hate Star Trek and with the people who love it irrespective of its merits. I also try to judge things for what they are. If the Star Trek franchise were put into the hands of a different production group/different ownership group, many fans would not like the end-product, irrespective of actual merit or lack thereof. They wouldn’t like it simply because it was not hand-produced for their individual consumption in their living rooms. This attitude is no worse or better than the attitude of fans who uncritically devour whatever tv or movie product has the name Star Trek on it.
I think Lower Decks is basically a two-Star show; I think one’s motor impulses need time to express themselves, and the show goes by way too fast to allow that or anything of meaning (or frivolity, for that matter) to sink in. This shows a certain contempt for the viewer, I think, in my opinion, intentionally or not.
As far as Discovery Season 3? I haven’t watched it yet, so I withhold judgment.
Tue, Aug 25, 2020, 8:25am (UTC -6)
I really enjoy Lower Decks. It take place in a near-TNG time, a time I've been arguing that new Trek show show pickup on. No more of the pre-pre-prequel-alternate-timeline BS.
Lower Decks takes full advantage that it's a cartoon and has a lot of fun while showing us new parts of the ship we've never seen. It's super-silly, we don't have to take it 100% serious or try to dove-tail it into being cannon. It's a cartoon. It's fun.
I respect that Jammer isn't writing review for it Lower Decks, but if he does, I'll read them!
I wish you all well!
Wed, Aug 26, 2020, 6:33pm (UTC -6)
Love it for what it is.
Sun, Aug 1, 2021, 7:00am (UTC -6)
Such loving irreverency. And a two fisted punch fight!
I'm having fun with this show.
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