Lower Decks Season 4 Ep 8 is the eighth chapter of the fourth season of an American adult animated science fiction television series created by Mike McMahan for the streaming service CBS All Access (later rebranded as Paramount+). It is the ninth Star Trek series and debuted in 2020 as part of executive producer Alex Kurtzman’s expanded Star Trek Universe. The franchise’s first animated series since Star Trek: The Animated Series concluded in 1974 and also its first comedy, Lower Decks follows the low-ranking support crew of the starship Cerritos in the 24th century.
S P O I L E R S
Premise
Entitled “Caves” Lower Decks Season 4 Ep 8 has the lower deckers (i.e. Mariner, Boimler, Tendi and Rutherford) go on a classic cave mission.
Good
Characters being stuck in a cave is a very typical Star Trek story trope. The episode succeeds in being engaging and entertaining in that the four lower deckers share individual stories of being stuck in a cave in hopes that they would come across a solution to their predicament. To that end, these short stories cover diverse topics such as conspiracy theories (Boimler), clone babies (Rutherford) and bonding with a rival shift (Mariner). Ultimately, Tendi’s tale of the bonding moment of the lower deckers – in a turbo lift – provides the means of escape. Sentient moss thrive on the stories being told and free the lower deckers!
Bad
Alright, the deus ex machina of the sentient moss was silly, for sure, but provided a reasonable framing device for the stirring shorts.
Conclusion
Lower Decks Season 4 Ep 8 is another stellar adventure in the classic Star Trek mode. Highly recommended for Trekkers!
Watch now on Amazon | Read our analyses of Star Trek: Lower Decks
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