Star Trek: Lower Decks
"The Least Dangerous Game"
Air date: 9/1/2022
Written by Garrick Bernard
Directed by Michael Mullen
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
When the crew comes to the assistance of a planet (whose society considers health and wellness a top priority) to help them repair one of their space elevators orbital lifts, Ransom assigns himself and Mariner to complete the engineering job while sending the engineers (Rutherford and Billups) to the planet surface to carry out the diplomatic mission.
Meanwhile, aboard the Cerritos, the normally risk-averse Boimler learns that a considerably less cautious peer has had a meteoric rise to become a captain, which makes Boimler think he should take more risks in his professional life in an effort to become "Bold Boimler," leading him to say yes to any opportunity presented to him (like Jim Carey in that movie Yes Man). This quickly goes too far: Boimler agrees to be hunted by a hulking sharp-angled alien aboard the ship, who pulls out various stabbing weapons and informs his new "prey" that the hunt begins in an hour. Comic mayhem ensues.
"The Least Dangerous Game" is an improvement over the season premiere, offering up a solidly entertaining, well-paced entry that works as low-stakes characterization as well as agreeable, albeit not hilarious, comedy. The Boimler plot is so perfectly Boimler, and the Mariner plot is so perfectly Mariner. Boimler hates not over-achieving, and Mariner hates wasting her time on drudgery.
While at first Ransom looks like an idiot for swapping the assignments (he and Mariner fail miserably at trying to make the repairs, and the engineers hopelessly botch the diplomatic mission), there's a method to his madness, which is to push Mariner to the breaking point of frustration in a baiting test of her penchant for insubordination and going rogue. This becomes clear right after she has, indeed, gone rogue to save the day against orders by making an atmospheric dive, just moments before she realizes the whole thing is Ransom's elaborate setup. So she has to abort the dive and climb back up the space elevator orbital lift before Ransom finds out.
"The Least Dangerous Game" has some amusing gags, like the opening D&D-like game of "Bat'leths & Blhnuchs" (a freemium Ferengi version, with various expansion pack upsells), featuring Martok as the game master within an interactive video. (This raises the question of when we might see the real Martok on this show, since he should be leading the Klingon Empire in this time frame.) Or Ransom essentially watching YouTube videos to figure out how to make repairs. Or even, in perhaps the most predictable development, the idea that Boimler's hunt is "catch and release," with an alien predator who just wants a good selfie. Or Mariner's line commenting on the alien society: "Wow, a psychic baby, evil computer, and a volcano. Ever hear of overkill?" Or Ransom saving the day in a moment he was specifically destined for. Or the throwaway gag that's possibly my favorite: the idea that the space elevator features stairs, ladders ... and a climbing wall.
Look, there's nothing "significant" here. This is the very definition of "slight." But slight is what "The Least Dangerous Game," right down to its title, is trying to do, and it does so with a confidently effortless charm.
Previous episode: Grounded
Next episode: Mining the Mind's Mines
Like this site? Support it by buying Jammer a coffee.
16 comments on this post
Thu, Sep 1, 2022, 4:25am (UTC -6)
This week I laughed my ass off about Ferengi-programmed Martok as a Gamemaster (and great they got JG Hertzler for that role). I can totally see how the Ferengi would deepfake a celebrity like Martok for profit, especially since Klingons are so easy to emulate (just throw in terms like “Sto’vo’kor” or “petaQ” or “honourable death” every other line — it might be a clichée, but Klingons are almost as much clichéed as the clichées about them).
But where are Jen, T’Lyn and Ma’ach? We were promised some stories with them, and I get impatient. And what happened to the storyline of someone (S31?) messing with Rutherford’s implant? I want that season to be honourable, Qa’pla!
Thu, Sep 1, 2022, 7:28am (UTC -6)
On the character front, the Mariner material was interesting. Is this character finally going to turn the corner this year, and start learning from her mistakes? I think of Burnham, and how the Disco writers constantly writing her as insubordinate eventually made me *annoyed* that she took the captain's chair, rather than cheering it. They would be wise to let Mariner finally start simmering down. LD has more flexibility as a more lighthearted show to get her there. Hope they use it!
Thu, Sep 1, 2022, 8:24am (UTC -6)
Oh yeah, and it was great they found a way to give JG Hertzler a much larger speaking role this season. And as Martok (sorta).
Were the aliens supposed to be the ones from the TOS episode The Apple, or just highly reminiscent of them?
I still didn't laugh out loud at anything this week, but I at least smirked a bit at a lot of it.
Three stars?
Thu, Sep 1, 2022, 8:33am (UTC -6)
Thu, Sep 1, 2022, 11:24am (UTC -6)
Thu, Sep 1, 2022, 12:11pm (UTC -6)
3 stars
Thu, Sep 1, 2022, 1:23pm (UTC -6)
Meanwhile, the episode makes good on its promise of having Ransom corral Mariner into following the chain of command. While the two characters are great as always, it doesn't really feel like they're breaking any new ground here. In the end, Mariner *does* break the chain of command, but when she learns that Ransom was about to make the same decision she made, she aborts her insubordination and comes back into the fold.
It's difficult to describe the chemistry that Ransom and Mariner have. Clearly, they're both good commanding officer material, but Mariner may be a step or two ahead on the uptake. Since they're both alphas, they can't stand each other, which leads to some almost romantic bickering and tension.
Overall I felt the episode was a little weaker than last week's, but sometimes it's fun to do some inconsequential humor. And yeah, K'ranch looks awesome! Predator meets Jem Ha'daar.
Fri, Sep 2, 2022, 7:42am (UTC -6)
I never played D&D as a youth, but we DID play the Star Trek Interactive VHS Board Game...which had, shall we say, limited replay value? The game in this episode is definitely referencing both.
We mostly played it for the opportunity to watch Robert O'Reilly (oddly NOT playing the role of Gowron) bark at us from Picard's chair, and feeling like he was really talking (mostly yelling) at us.
Fri, Sep 2, 2022, 8:27am (UTC -6)
Fri, Sep 2, 2022, 1:57pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Sep 2, 2022, 2:00pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Sep 2, 2022, 3:04pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Sep 3, 2022, 1:51am (UTC -6)
I'd like to know why her last name is Mariner.
Mon, Sep 26, 2022, 5:46pm (UTC -6)
Tue, Sep 27, 2022, 6:51am (UTC -6)
Exactly why I love the series.
3 stars from me too.
Thu, Feb 16, 2023, 12:52pm (UTC -6)
Anyway, I did like the game aspect and thought it was woven nicely into the whole plot, including the end of the hunt where Boimler takes inspiration from it, to no avail but still it was cute. Also liked the lower frequency of Easter eggs and the especially subtle note that Boimler was needed as a soprano in the choir (heh).
I did end up thinking Ransom was stupid. A good commander wouldn't need to set up a subordinate for failure, and certainly wouldn't risk failure of even a boring repair mission just to prove a point. He saved the day not through skill or intelligence, but beefcake. And frankly, I'm not even sure why that worked, because Billups and Ruthy were still who they were. And I'm not convinced that Mariner learned anything at all, except that she could still get away with doing what she wanted.
Kyle - didn't she say she started the black ops rumor herself?
Submit a comment
◄ Season Index