This week’s Lower Decks was packed with returning villains. Badgey has infiltrated Rutherford’s former implant and is taken aboard a salvage ship. He is able to take over the crew and salvage holo-emmitters. The ship encounters a Binar ship that has been attacked by the strange ship that has attacked many others in past episodes. The Cerritos is en route to assist the Binars with what has happened. But, Badgey tricks them and attacks the Cerritos. Rutherford and Mariner head to the salvage ship and Rutherford hugs Badgey as a tactic. Badgey splits himself into two beings: Badgey and Goodgey. As they run away from Badgey, Rutherford realizes there is logic left in Badgey and tries to appeal to it as he attacks the Cerritos. Badgey splits himself again into having a logical version of himself and Badgey. The logic version tries to stop Badgey but is killed. Badgey is able to infiltrate all ships everywhere, but that makes him ascend into a higher being. Badgey has an existential crisis which has him go to another dimension to start a new universe or to converse with the Q Continuum. Goodgey is now assisting Rutherford, much to the apprehension of his friends.
While all this is happening, Boimler and Tendy head to the Sentient Robot Penitentiary, where Peanut Hamper is up for parole and Agimus has information on the Binar attack. Both robots are planning their escape using the two officers. But, Peanut Hamper doesn’t show up at the rendezvous after Agimus kidnaps Boimler and Tendy. They help Agimus reunite with the paroled Peanut Hamper and she is actually good and working for her dad. Agimus has a change too and becomes good, wanting to eventually unite with Peanut Hamper after serving time. The computer also gives Boimler the Binar info, which is that the ships are being stolen, not blown up.
Here we go with our thoughts on this episode!
Music
Mr. Daps: “I thought this week’s soundtrack was one of the better ones to come out of Star Trek: Lower Decks. I enjoyed the music and it did a good job of catching the spirit of the episode.”
Murray: “Lower Decks is doing a great job with their high-stakes music in each episode. It’s been great soundtracks as it tries to fit with the episode. It made it a much more epic feeling episode with it being a comedic one as well.”
Design
Mr. Daps: “I thought the design this week was enjoyable to look at. There were a lot of things outside of the Cerritos that made for some interesting character design and location design. I thought the design was solid this week.”
Murray: “Badgey’s expressions and forms caught my attention the most. There was great detail given to make him even more sinister than before. I enjoyed the various sentient robots in the prison. Overall great designs for a heavy cameo episode.”
Story
Mr. Daps: “I’m finding myself conflicted on this week’s story, to be honest. Did both the A and B stories work? They absolutely did. I, however, just didn’t like the Badgey story. It all comes off as a bit over the top to me and I just found it kind of annoying. I really like Jack McBrayer and think he does a great job. I just think Badgey, in general, is too over the top… which is exactly what he is supposed to be.”
Murray: “Great balance of some connected stories. Both were high stakes as well. I liked how it was about the main characters’ nemeses coming back. It put itself in some huge dilemmas, yet they all got out of it in great Lower Decks fashion. It would have been an easy episode to have one plot line fall flat, but they both seemed to have weighty significance.”
Hit or Miss?
Mr. Daps: “I’m sure most people will give this one a hit but for me, it was a hard swing and a miss. The Badgey storyline felt like an over-the-top melodrama and I just wanted it to be done with as quickly as possible as it annoyed me. I did like the resolution and I liked Rutherford’s efforts. Overall, though, I just didn’t enjoy this episode. It felt like it was just an episode that was designed to wrap up leftover storylines. I liked the secondary story more than the first and I like the overarching story arc for the season with the mystery ship. I’m looking forward to seeing where that goes. On to next week!”
Murray: “A great hit in my opinion. It was something unique to Lower Decks, and done so well to really make it comedic and very dramatic at the same time. It was something we wouldn’t see in any other series, yet the type of story it is fit so well with Trek overall. I liked the implications in the resolutions for all. A great episode, and this one might be the best of the season so far!”
