Lower Decks Joins the Trek Universe with Second Contact
From the moment the credits roll, Lower Decks tries to impress upon viewers that this is not your regular Star Trek. Riffing off of the intros from TNG, Voyager, and DS9, which depict the ships and crews valiantly flying through space, Lower Decks credits highlights the crew’s crazy misadventures.
“Attached:” The Ship That Sailed
Called to Kesprytt III to evaluate a request for Federation membership from the Kes, a society comprised of three quarters of the planet’s population, the Enterprise crew must navigate deeply held prejudice and hostility in order to rescue Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher after they disappear during transport. This week on TNG Rewatch: “Attached.”
Dark Page: In Search of Lwaxana
Onboard the Enterprise in her professional capacity, an unusually subdued Lwaxana Troi attempts to set Deanna up with a new man. His daughter sparks Lwaxana’s trauma, and Deanna must uncover her mother’s darkest secret in order to save her life. This week on TNG Rewatch: “Dark Page.”
Lower Decks: First Look
This week on Unimatrix 47, the new Lower Decks trailer: Rick and Morty comes to Star Trek.
Gambit Part II: Jean Luc Jones and The Vulcan Temple of Not-Doom
The Enterprise survives the attack, and Data has a serious discussion with Worf before bending the spirit of the law to perform a hasty health and safety inspection. Picard sparks a mutiny, and everyone heads to Vulcan for a bit of historical sight-seeing. This week on TNG Rewatch: “Gambit part 2.”
“Gambit:” Jean Luc Jones and the Enterprise Crusade
The crew searches for Captain Picard only to encounter rumors of his demise. Riker takes command, but mercenaries kidnap him. Data attempts to hold everything together while the not-so-deceased Picard plots. This week on TNG: Rewatch: Gambit Part I.
Interface: On Grief and Denial
LaForge experiments with a new technology in a bid to rescue a lost ship while coping with his mother’s disappearance. Picard, Troi, and Data worry about his sanity. LaForge proves that denial isn’t just a river in Egypt. This week on TNG Rewatch, “Interface.”
Descent Part II: Opening with a Whimper
Please be aware, there will be spoilers for Star Trek: Picard season one. Read at your own risk. I wrote that I found Descent Part I somewhat disappointing, and that attitude still spills over to Part II.
Descent part 1: Be Careful What You Wish For
The Borg aren’t behaving like Borg; Data is behaving strangely, and transwarp conduits are involved. Dr. Crusher gets a chance to sit in the Big Chair, and Picard is generally over the entire experience. This week on TNG Rewatch: Descent Part 1.
The Cloud Minders: Bringing the Earth to the Clouds
Taking a break from TNG, we jump back to 1969. Starfleet sends the Enterprise to Ardana to acquire a necessary substance. There, Kirk and Spock discover a floating city, a contaminated mine, and a class war. This week, we’re revisiting The Original Series: “The Cloud Minders.”