7.15 — “Lower Decks”
Plot: In a take on Upstairs, Downstairs, this episode features ensign characters who look up to the senior staff and dream of promotion. As Ensigns Lavelle, Sito Jaxa, Taurik, and Alyssa Ogawa try to prove themselves, intrigue develops at the borders of Cardassian space as a mysterious figure beams aboard from a derelict shuttle.
Thoughts: I had high hopes for this episode. Conceptually, it at least tries something different. It’s too bad the characters are wooden and forgettable. Like the senior staff, they are cardboard cutouts with no thoughts or ambitions except for their jobs. Compared to the main cast, they have less personal charisma.
The familiar face here is Nurse Ogawa. I suppose we spend more time with her in this episode than in all the previous ones. So do you feel like you know her now? Not at all. We learn she has stilted conversations about her love life with Beverly which do nothing but make it sound tedious. Life aboard the Enterprise seems less appealing if this is what passes for gossip and coworker comradery. We don’t even get to meet her supposed beau Lt. Powell, right? Confusing.
The “star” is Bajoran Ensign Sito Jaxa, who I did not remember from TNG 5.19, “The First Duty.” Worf sticks his neck out and vouches for her, which is strange since she appears to lack all self-confidence and all but tells everyone that they are singling out the wrong person for attention or promotion. She’s terrible at unarmed combat. I understand the premise is that Worf is being unfair, but that was a very poorly choreographed scene. The only time this character moved me was when she shows up for the final mission sporting a giant facial bruise, which makes me queasy about exploiting violence against women.
Taurik seems awfully pissy for a Vulcan, but he is at least more entertaining than the rest. Lavelle seems to have fallen off the same “Aw shucks” turnip truck where they found Geordi. Looking this quartet, I couldn’t help but wonder at the inordinate amount of time they must spend doing their hair before reporting to duty.
Ben the waiter was… all right I guess?… but garishly dressed. I could not help but think the episode would have been better if he had been replaced by Guinan.
The episode could have been used to cast new light on the senior staff, but is chiefly used to reveal that they are huge jerks (at least Geordi, Riker, and Picard are jerks, while Worf and Crusher are just stilted and uncomfortable with subordinates). Then later scenes call this conclusion into question by positing that maybe they aren’t such huge jerks after all, except they kind of are.
Nice try, I guess. Wikipedia notes that the concept of an episode focusing on background characters instead of the principals is carried forward in “The Zeppo” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1999) and several episodes of the new Doctor Who.
2.5 of 5 updos and bottles of futuristic hair product.
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