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The latest Star Trek: Lower Decks episode in “Trusted Sources” highlights one of my greatest frustrations with the Paramount+ series: Capt. Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) and her daughter Ensign Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome). You’d figure at this stage, three seasons in, there would be some form of “greater understanding” of things and learning from experiences, but the Mike McMahan series has a knack for creating tension for the sake of it. Here’s your minor spoilers warning.
To set this up, the U.S.S. Cerritos has been assigned a journalist from the Federation News Network to profile the ship, and that has Freeman on edge since she’s very self-conscious and paranoid about how things will come out. She acts out and orders her crew to go above and beyond to present her ship in the best possible light while usurping the normally scheduled traditions like a pie-eating contest. FNN’s reporter Victoria Nuzé (Allison Becker) arrives to survey the happenings on the ship.
Regressive Moment for Star Trek: Lower Decks
As Nuzé makes the rounds talking to various crew members, one in particular in Mariner draws concern given her confidence and insistence in telling the truth. An exercise in simple communication would have easily not made this a problem or a concern, but as with typical TV tropes, they had to create tension for tension’s sake. It’s one thing if it’s season one, but this is season three, and it just feels like there’s a lot to conveniently forget among the characters. Despite Mariner’s rebellious nature, she’s always believed in the cause and loyalty on the ship she loves to serve on, no matter how much Starfleet BS she goes through.
“Trusted Sources” is an effective episode, but it didn’t make much sense to me to put it in season three. Given their previous interactions, I expected better at this point. I’m not blaming writer Ben M. Waller or director Fill Marc Sagadraca, but McMahan should have known better than to run to this familiar well given Freeman and Mariner’s history. Not saying they should never fight again, but the show is better than this.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 Episode 9 “Trusted Sources”
Review by Tom Chang
6/10
“Trusted Sources” would have made a great season one episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks but in season three, it felt more out of place by creating tension for tension’s sake.
Director
Fill Marc Sagadraca
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