MAJOR SPOILERS.

(Warning from someone who loves spoilers: this episode may be a tad more fun with a spoiler-free viewing.)

The Cerritos crew barely appears in this, only in the very beginning and end. It’s a Multiverse thing. We get to see some alter egos of theirs in action solving the mystery of the fissures.

The episode is a rumination on choices, consequences, friendship, and trust. The entire episode sparkles, in part due to the entire thing being one huge collection of Easter eggs and clever callbacks that drive the points home even more poignantly. It opens with ‘our’ Boimler with the rest of his lower decks cohort reminiscing about his deceased transporter clone who perished while serving under Riker on the Titan.

Jump to that Boimler, very much alive thanks to Section 31 faking his death. He too is chasing those responsible for creating the fissures and captains a crew gathered from various realities. His bridge crew consists of Curzon Dax, T’Pol (after her six-decade marriage to ‘Trip’ Tucker) – and several other Harry Kims, all still ensigns. Their ship’s medical staff include esteemed surgeon Elim Garak (“not just a doctor”) and his husband, the EMH based on Julian Bashir. During their pursuit of their target, Boimler and company rescue another Harry Kim (this one a full lieutenant!!) and a genius engineer Becket Mariner.

About halfway through the (slightly longer than usual) episode, Boimler and company catch up to their nemesis. Both ships crash on a watery planet whose endemic amphibian species (adorable and friendly, according to Mariner) turn out to be vicious xenophobes who capture the crews. At this point, they discover the identity of the other captain: Lily Sloane. Yes, Zephram Cochran’s colleague. Their universe has no warp drive. Instead, they have a quantum drive that takes them from universe to universe. Their version of the prime directive doesn’t allow them to interact with anyone who doesn’t have the same tech, hence their elusiveness – a pointed commentary on how the concept is so often mishandled.

The episode would work regardless. The straightforward plot is that Captain Sloane isn’t the enemy after all, and they end up all working together to their mutual benefit. But the wealth of returning characters from other iterations of the franchise adds to the show’s depth and emotion. Yes, there’s an older Vulcan with a long history. But we know that history, and especially Tucker. OK, there’s a cute couple. But not a random one: Bashir and Garak, in a sly nod to tons of fanfiction. We get the mention that Dax has not yet passed to Jadzia – only meaningful since we know who she is. The running gag of the “Kim crew” – all ensigns – is another nod to fan commentary. As is a one-liner about lazy writing. That one-liner is turned on its ear, however, when Sloane extols the virtues of how they explore, and points out that Boimler and company jumped to conclusions.

Ultimately, they face a Kobyashi Maru-type dilemma when Lt. Kim goes rogue and steals Sloane’s ship. They must stop him from destroying the entire multiverse, but their only option may do the same. They ponder the whole ‘for the good of the many’ concept, but aren’t satisfied with giving up that easier. But they still must choose one target for the disaster their solution will cause. After reflection, Boimler picks his – meaning ‘our’ – universe and includes a warning message. He trusts his counterpart there and his friends to be able to solve the problem, thereby saving everyone. It drives home the point of faith and friendship and close bonds with others. He’s confident it’ll be fine so long as that Boimler doesn’t freak out. Naturally, before To Be Continued, the last thing we see is Boimler reading the message and totally freaking out.

Verdict: A total delight. The best episode of Lower Decks. 10/10

Rigel Ailur

http://www.BluetrixBooks.com