Lower Decks is an episode about camaraderie, duty and sacrifice. What makes it so impressive is its focus on set of junior officers, with the primary crew of the Enterprise in supporting roles. Not only does this allow for the story to show an element of the Enterprise that is not readily apparent, it also allows for the clear approach to the theme of camaraderie.

As the episode begins, four junior officers, Nurse Ogawa and Ensigns Lavelle, Taurik, and Sito (if you recall, Sito, a Bojaoran, was part of Nova Squadron in The First Duty) are in Ten Forward trying to divine what Counselor Troi and Commander Riker are saying about personnel reviews at their table. This clearly establishes two very distinct worlds on the Enterprise — that of the familiar bridge crew we know so well, and that of the heretofore anonymous rank and file. This image is reinforced by two simultaneous poker games later in the episode. However, Lower Decks intelligently creates the wonderfully colorful character of Ben — a Ten Forward bartender who effortlessly bridges to the two worlds. He even manages to attend both poker games.

Through him, Sito and Lavelle (the typical ambitious young man) learn that they are both candidates for promotion to Lieutenant at the Ops position. The two friends are somewhat unnerved at suddenly becoming rivals — but they never appear jealous of each other. It’s a testament to their friendship and their camaraderie that they manage to go through the episode with a mutual respect for one another.

Meanwhile, through their eyes, we see the main conflict unfold in bits and pieces. The Enterprise is called to the Cardassian border where they retrieve a mysterious survivor from a life pod. Nurse Ogawa learns that the survivor is actually a Cardassian. And Taurik deduces that the “tests” Geordi is asking him to conduct on a shuttle are actually meant to mimic the phaser fire from a pursuing ship. Of course, neither one will be able to tell their side of the story because of their duty to their ship — much to Lavelle’s annoyance. But even Lavelle gets over his frustration fairly quickly.

Another party to the covert operations is Ensign Sito. When Picard calls her to his Ready Room, she is literally beaming — clearly honored by the apparent trust. But once there, Picard launches into a withering accusation of her character as a result of her actions in the Nova Squadron accident from The First Duty. She makes a minor attempt to state her case, but Picard throws it back at her, ending with “I don’t know how you ended up on this ship.” The scene is a bit awkward simply because it seems so out of character for Picard. He really is a bastard — though, as we will later see, he had his reasons.

Following a pep talk — and rather symbolic lesson — from Worf, Sito realizes that Picard had judged her unfairly. So she returns to the Ready Room and, respectfully, confronts her captain, rejecting his claims, and asking for a transfer if he, indeed, questions her character. The twist is that Picard’s previous “dressing down” was all an act, designed not to question her character, but to test the strength of her determination and spirit — vital qualities for a highly dangerous upcoming mission. As she leaves, he makes it clear that she wound up on the Enterprise at his request — to be sure that she had a fair chance to prove herself. It’s good to know that Picard isn’t really a bastard afterall, but the effect was just a bit too jarring.

At any rate, the worlds of the lower decks and upper decks collide when Sito is asked to attend a meeting in the observation lounge to learn the details of the mission: She is to play the part of a Bajoran prisoner so that the rescued Cardassian — a spy for the Federation — can be safely returned to Cardassian space. It’s a high risk mission, with a dangerously low chance of success. But buoyed by Picard’s faith and trust in her, she willingly volunteers.

But the mission turns tragic when, after waiting almost two days, the Enterprise finally learns that her escape pod was destroyed just short of the Federation border. Picard gives a eulogy that strikes the right balance between sincere and sappy emotion. As the episode draws to a close, Ogawa, Taurik, and the newly promoted Lavelle share a somber drink together. Worf, too, is contemplative, drinking by himself not far away. Ben approaches and invites Worf to join the others. At first Worf hesitates, but upon encouragement from Ben, he joins the others, to the great satisfaction of all. And, finally, at least for now, the distinctions between the lower and upper decks are irrelevant.

What makes Lower Decks such a strong episode is its use of fairly well -developed characters and its central message of duty and camaraderie. The pacing is deliberate, but it never becomes plodding. And the loss of Sito is handled with a commendable amount of tact.

Topics: Bajorans, Cardassians
Filed under: TNG Reviews