Lower Decks: Something Borrowed, Something Green

One of classic Star Trek's most indelible images, from the very beginning, was the alluring green-skinned Orion dancer. But for decades, the writers' interest in the Orions was literally only skin deep. Even Enterprise, which dove ever deeper into Trek lore in its final season, made only minor use of them. Then came modern Trek -- and in particular Lower Decks, featuring a regular character who was actively rebelling against the values of a society we actually know little about. The latest episode, "Something Borrowed, Something Green," changes that.

Tendi is invited to her sister's wedding... in part because it's her duty as oldest sibling to rescue the bride-to-be from a prenuptial abduction. Mariner and T'Lyn tag along to experience more of the Orions' secretive culture. Meanwhile, Boimler and Rutherford experience roommate friction, which they're working through on the holodeck when they become entangled in a diplomatic impasse.

I kind of love that the animated, comedic Star Trek series is getting to lay groundwork here that future Star Trek series will be obliged to incorporate in the franchise's ever-expanding canon. I love it because there is a coherent, organizing principle you could take seriously (it's "planet Mafia")... but Lower Decks absolutely does not, instead stuffing a goody bag with all sorts of sweet treats for us to enjoy. Hilarious names like "B'rt." The "murder bug drinking game." Ever-present knives that always find their way to the same wound, in a perfectly executed form of the comedy "rule of threes." There's like an improv scene premise here that the writers just get to pitch on, and it's hilarious.

Another thing I love about this A story is how it incorporates the newer character of T'Lyn. I'm really warming to her stepping into the role of the "fifth Lower Decker" on this show; her dry one-liners are among the biggest laughs of the episode. But also, segueing into the serious, T'Lyn actually gets a real character arc here too: a Vulcan character gains emotional awareness and intelligence, making the choice to protect a friend's feelings in the end. (And she gives a perfectly Vulcan explanation that sounds logical, to cover for what might really be a fundamentally emotional decision.)

The episode's B plot this week seems like little more than an excuse for everyone to revel in imitating the Mark Twain accent that actor Jerry Hardin employed when he played the character on The Next Generation. Still, this is also good for a lot of laughs. And if you want to look for something more serious, maybe you can appreciate the inversion of expected gender roles in this episode: the women are out having the action adventure, while the boys are working through an emotional conflict.

And the season-long arc of the mysteriously destructive ship is back. We get a taste of another alien ship's "lower decks" -- this time, of course, Orion -- just before it's destroyed.

When the laughs and the character growth come together, it's a good Lower Decks episode in my eyes. And I laughed a lot at this one. I give "Something Borrowed, Something Green" an A-.