We are back with another look at the weekly Star Trek offerings, though a little delayed. Something Borrowed, Something Green opens with an Orion ship being attacked by the mysterious ship that has been attacking other ships. Then, Tendi is invited to her sister’s wedding on Orion, and Becket and T’Lyn talk themselves into coming along. They dive into the previously unknown background of Tendi, which shows that she has a prominent status within the Orion society, much to the chagrin of Tendi. They engage in the traditional kidnapping mystery of the bride and discover a lot about Orion culture. In the end, it is Tendi’s sister that kidnaps herself because she was angry at Tendi for ever leaving. But, they resolve their differences.
Meanwhile, back on Cerritos, Boimler, and Rutherford begin to get into roommate disagreements and find that they are able to resolve it with both being Mark Twain on a holodeck suite. They try to apply the same resolution to a situation with a Chalnoth that won’t let the Captain scan a nebula. It isn’t working the same as “Brutherford” but the two mention their beloved Bonsai tree. The Chalnoth eats it and is satiated, allowing the Cerritos to scan the nebula.
And on with our thoughts on this week’s episode…
Music
Mr. Daps: “I thought this week’s score did what it needed to do. Did I walk away humming or whistling it? Nope. However, I did find myself enjoying it and thinking it added to the episode.”
Murray: “The music surrounding the adventures on Orion were some well done Lower Decks scores. Not necessarily a big Star Trek score monument, but still a good soundtrack.”
Design
Mr. Daps: “I really enjoyed all of the different designs that were shown this week. This was the first time we saw the Orion planet and I loved the choices that were made. After seeing this episode, I’d actually like to see more of the Orion planet and culture as I really found it intriguing. There were some things that almost reminded me of the Klingons and Romulans, but not super overtly, which I found interesting. I would like to go back and watch this specifically just to pay attention to different design choices!”
Murray: “Everything with the Orion planet I loved. It was over the top, but for a culture that we don’t get to dive into much, it really worked. Costumes and the palace were of the biggest notes. I was intrigued by the blade that D’Erica uses to fight Tendi. Overall, some great additions to the Star Trek lore that still fits overall.”
Story
Mr. Daps: “I thought this week’s episode was solid story-wise. Both the main story and secondary story drew me in and had me invested in the outcomes. I really liked how they were completely different also, yet they still totally worked! I would like to see a return to the Orion storyline in the future.”
Murray: “Both the A and B stories were really fun. Tendi’s storyline was stronger, but I think that’s the point of it. For having two completely unrelated stories, they still flowed well.”
Hit or Miss?
Mr. Daps: “I think this week was a hit. I enjoyed both storylines that were told throughout the episode. I liked the character growth that was found. I liked the relationship development that was found in both stories. I also liked getting to see and learn more about the Orion planet and the culture there. I would like much more of this. Was it my favorite episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks? No, not even close. I did find it enjoyable though!”
Murray: “I’ve gone back and forth on it. The episode wasn’t bad. I did quite enjoy it. I’m giving it a reluctant ‘hit’ because the stories gave depth to the characters and had some very funny hijinks. I wish the stories were connected instead of being completely different from each other, but it worked. I really enjoyed how it provides a lot more of the culture and structure of the Orions as well.”
