Lower Decks: In the Cradle of Vexilon

Star Trek: Lower Decks takes a week off from teasing out its season long "mysterious ship" arc with a Star Trek classic: a story about a malfunctioning society-controlling AI. But there are plenty of Lower Decks twists along the way (such as the fact that the AI isn't evil!). 

The Cerritos is tasked with the repair of a (surprisingly non-malevolent) computer intelligence who tends to all the needs of an alien society. As Captain Freeman's over-confidence in her own "ancient computer repair skills" triggers a crisis, Boimler is elsewhere experiencing an extreme lack of confidence as he must command his first away mission. Meanwhile, aboard the ship, Mariner suspects that she, Tendi, and Rutherford are being hazed by another officer... but are they?

Lower Decks generally adheres closely to what its title promises, focusing episodes on the low-ranking characters. But Captain Freeman (and Commander Ransom) are also main characters, and the show needs to give them stories too. Unfortunately, Freeman has always been characterized as a sort of "sitcom character boss." It's necessary, I suppose, to explain why she herself works in the "lower decks" of Starfleet as a whole. But it also means that almost every time an episode centers her character, she's usually the architect of her own problems.

So while I did find it refreshing that we got a Star Trek supercomputer who wasn't evil, I didn't love that Freeman basically precipitated the entire crisis of this episode single-handedly. It was true to how her character has been depicted in the past. And it was a plot mirror to Boimler's own lesson in delegation. But it felt so... Homer Simpson-like, so Michael Scott-like.

And to the degree that it was "doubling up" on the story message, I felt like it wasn't needed. It felt much less contrived to watch Boimler struggle with command. (Indeed, some past Star Trek episodes have also built on the idea.) It was also good that his story separated him from his closest friends, forcing him to struggle on his own and ultimately take advice from somebody else to be his best.

That's saying an awful lot about the more serious aspects of the episode, though. And, of course, Lower Decks is always a lot of fun. This time, it was the "C plot" with Mariner, Tendi, and Rutherford that generated most of the laughs. It certainly featured most of the Star Trek callbacks, from Chula to a Betazoid Gift Box and more. (Though the episode also called back to Lower Decks itself; Boimler's near-death experience included details Shaxs revealed about death, plus of course, the koala.)

Lower Decks made me laugh as always. But for the second episode in a row, I found the main story thread (of three) to be the least interesting. I give "In the Cradle of Vexilon" a B.