As everyone knows, the name for Lower Decks came from a TNG episode where the focus shifted from the command crew towards low-priority ensigns. SO of course Lower Decks, a show initially about four low priority ensigns, turns it all around to focus on it’s supporting cast; the Upper Decks.
This is an odd episode that see’s a lot going on, but also feels like nothing of note really happens. It’s basically a day in the life of the command crew that makes the job seem more chaotic than the low level tasks of the Lower Deckers while making fun of the idea that only the important command crew have all the fun.
Shax is the standout for odd reasons. It’s a passing joke by the end that hje’s going through his daily routine of suppressing his inner demons as he mentally rehashes his time during the occupation, but despite it all being played for laughs his story sdoes show hints of a dramatic and sombre background. The reminder that he shares a similar history to Kira Nerys, and that he is technically the most fascinating when it comes to backgrounds helps shape the character even if time and theme don’t give us the chance to delve into it as much as we’d like to.
Ransom’s part in the episode also stood out to me as another reminder that there’s more to him than the shows let us see so far with even his over the top fixation with himself and keping in prime shape is all just part of a deeper plan to promote bonding within the crew.
There’s a lot to fit in with T’Ana and Freeman getting their own threads, but it all just feels like one last laugh to help calm things down before Lower Decks falls into their usual finale routine.
Padding out the mixed story with some random lore – from a nod to V’Ger thanks to a pumpkin carving to Billups being cut off while explaining rubble falling around the bridge during starship combat – it did feel a little more like the calm before the storm of the season to drop a few laughs before the show finally comes to an end.
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Beta Quarter Plans and Progress..
Since the 50th anniversary of SFC as a whole, we've been on a mission to revitalise and update several elements of Quadrant 2, working on improving services and experience fleet wide for all members. Following some background changes and a lot of work in the Alpha Quarter behind the scenes, we're moving into the next phase with some more visibility in whats coming next! Balancing life and fleet life is always a trial. All too often things can lapse or take time due to finding that right balance; especially as life now is a little more chaotic than it was ten years ago and the things we'd take in our stride tend to take a little bit longer now. That balance has been on my mind a lot in the past year, particularly in how Q2 has changed and grown […]
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Starfleet engineers are known throughout the universe for their innovation and ability to fix absolutely anything. Whether it's connecting all the warp cores or turning rocks into replicators, the legend of the engineer all started with one man: Montgomery Scott. Born in the early 22nd century, Scott was raised in the years of Starfleet's mission that turned a small force into stuff of legend. With a passion for learning Scott was trained in a mix of obsessively learning everything he could to the point of reading technical manuals as a pass time, to hands on experience working on some of the finest and most complex systems in the fleet. Assigned as chief engineer of the Enterprise in the 2260's, Scott saw the prestigious ship as his own; engineering his complete domain where even the captain was merely a guest on […]
Comms/Comms Relay Revisions from Beta Quarter 2025 Onwards
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[Q2&A] If I Could Get Serial For A Minute…
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[Retro Review] Latent Image; Voyager S5E11
Running through annual check-ups and playing around with a 24th century version of a digital camera, the Doctor spots some weird scars on Ensign Kim. Scars that could only have come from a surgical procedure he developed, but has no memory of ever performing. The surgery isn't the only gap in the Doctors memory. What else has he forgotten? And how...? No matter the show or the season, Star Trek loves diving into the lives of it's artificial characters. Data explored everything from his basic rights to the meaning of dreams as he developed to become more of a person. For the Doctor, things had always been a bit more complicated. He was a program developed for short term use. A piece of equipment built into sickbay that could be turned off and on at will. While Deep Space Nine's […]
A New Class: Academy Revisions For The Class of 2402
It's only April and the year has been one for us to take a step back and review our operations to do some much overdue maintenance on our overall performance and offerings. One of the major hurdles for the second quarter is one of the tougher parts of Q2: The Academy. Once upon a time the Academy was a core part of the experience in joining SFC. After singing up new members would pass through the Academy, completing a series of tests before becoming an ensign, joining their unit and becoming an active member of the club. Many people over the years enjoyed the more immersive and playful nature of being part of an organisation modelled after Starfleet. Some didn't. As years went by, the franchise itself evolved, opening it's door to new fans who'd want to reach out and […]
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