wej Duj

 DVD, Lower Decks S2 (wej Duj [Three Ships])

I feel almost traitorous not giving this a good rating - it's definitely the least offensive episode they've done, in every way (which shows they can do it if they want to), and is full of delightful lore, but... There are some little niggles that stop me regarding it as highly as some other episodes this season, in spite of this being the introduction to what would go on to be a major character in Season 4, and the revelation about the ongoing Pakled story. It was clever they dropped in the reveal about who was behind the Pakled's rise to troublemakers of the Quadrant in what is a very gimmicky episode - when you only have ten episodes a season it seems... illogical to allow too much deviation from traditional Trek storytelling, yet in this case they didn't do a bad job. At first it does appear to be a thinly connected series of vignettes comparing Starfleet lower deckers with those from other ships, so to include important development for the season's arc was a wise move to add relevance. Not that it was necessarily needed as it's enjoyable enough just seeing life aboard a Klingon ship, a Vulcan ship, and even a snippet of life aboard a Pakled ship (not to mention the wonderful, yet simple gag of the end credits showing Borg lower deckers, too - actually quite relaxing listening to the gentle hum of the inside of a Borg Cube as they stand in peaceful repose at their regeneration stations!).

However, as much as I loved all the callbacks, which in this case are more general recreations of how Trek did these races or ships in the past (and what a way - swooping Birds-of-Prey, dark and dingy interiors, to pristine Vulcan interiors... beautiful), I felt it was another case of something the Kurtzman era is absolutely notorious for: the blurring of different time periods into one amorphous blob. It's happened on 'DSC' with its 'Holodecks,' its 'Replicators' and its ship designs. It's happened on 'Picard' with things like the 23rd Century Romulan Bird-of-Prey... I can't actually remember all the various incidents of confusing the eras, whether that's purposeful to make Trek seem like one continuous thing without any development over time, or just a major misunderstanding of Trek's finely honed sense of period drama and continuity. It makes a change that 'Enterprise' should be the period pulled into the 24th Century since that's so often the forgotten era. It's had its Trekferences, of course, like all the series' have, and for a while was almost the only series commonly called back to: the Kelvin films were always doing it, 'DSC' as well, but since 'Picard' and 'Lower Decks' they'd broken out of that and embraced Trekferences to everything. It's not that I don't like 'Enterprise' or connecting to it, but in this episode I felt as if they were confusing the 22nd Century era of Vulcans and Starfleet being only casual allies, instead of remembering this race was integral in the founding of the Federation and ever since.

Would they still be using those massive ring ships? I mean, they are things of beauty and it was lovely to be able to see one again after so long ('DSC' gave us a little glimpse, but even there they were redesigned to be more angular if I recall, and I think we only saw a shuttle), but we've never had the impression Vulcan still has its own fleet separate from Starfleet, just as Earth doesn't: Starfleet is their fleet. Now you can say that because it's never been specifically stated 'in canon' that they don't, and we certainly know that as late as the 23rd Century they had all-Vulcan crews, and even into the 24th Century you occasionally hear of a Vulcan ship (such as in early 'DS9' when they go through the Wormhole), so I suppose I'm talking myself out of it, but it's just that it didn't seem quite right, as much fun as it was to see the Sh'Vhal, a fully Vulcan Cruiser that harks back to those lovely 22nd Century designs. In some ways the same could be said for the Klingon Bird-of-Prey Che'Ta', in that it harks back to early 'TNG' when you'd see belligerent Klingon Captains going about doing their own thing. Maybe it's because we saw much more developed crews in the latter part of that series, such as Martok's, who were fleshed out on occasion, but this ship very much evoked early 'TNG' and what I want is to get that feel of whatever era I'm in as that's part of the joy of Trek: its accuracy and way of presenting different centuries and periods.

With the Klingons it's not a problem that they are autonomous since the Klingons haven't become part of the Federation (and apparently never will judging by 'DSC,' though I suppose one thing about modern Trek is that you rarely get any context for the powers and state of the main races of old), but that's where 'LD' is so different, they're deliberately trying to evoke memories of the 'TNG' era and one reason I like it so much (relatively), compared to the other stuff produced in recent years. And I do like this episode, I'm not saying I don't. I really did appreciate the relative cleanness of the dialogue, story and visuals (aside from a little gory Klingon violence, but even that was a sort of joke with the purple blood, and even the lower decks guy mentioning Klingon blood runs as reddish-pink as ever!), even Dr. T'Ana, usually the worst culprit for swearing (even if it is disguised by being bleeped out), keeps her nose clean and has a funny moment (when Boimler's recreating Kirk's fall from 'Star Trek V' and a concerned Tendi asks if the Holodeck safety protocols are on, T'Ana offhandedly thinks they are). I especially liked the lesson on kindness, when lower decks Klingon Ma'ah is about to be executed by his enraged Captain, the Captain's Targ, whom he's been looking after, snarlingly comes to his rescue.

It's not just the confusing of eras, however much I've just proved that there is precedent for such things, it's the way the Vulcans are acted just on the borders of acceptability. It's been an irritation of mine ever since the days of 'Enterprise' where they began to be portrayed as no longer emotionless, but barely containing their emotions just under the skin. Thinly veiled acidity and such. I will say that it was generally pretty well done, especially compared with the live action examples we've had, but I just wish they could be completely dispassionate and not inject any emotional state into their dialogue at all: I always look at Tim Russ' effortless grace as Tuvok for how I think Vulcans should be portrayed. But again, it's only a minor note, the Vulcans were still well done and it is funny how they all arch their eyebrows or T'Lyn's minor deviations from strict orders or duty are considered outbursts or wild behaviour (in the same way they got Klingon culture spot on - Ma'ah mentions logic so they tease him about being Vulcan-like. It's so true to their culture to mock Vulcans: "Avoid death and cower!"), and I look forward to seeing more of her when I get around to seeing Season 4 soon. I almost wish we could have had all the various lower decks characters of the different races meet up, but Ma'ah becomes Captain by the end for his honourable conduct (and getting rid of bad Captain Dorg), and the Pakleds and Borg were really only gags. But we might have had the other lower decks Klingons on Cerritos, maybe an exchange programme, even though it's already been done (that doesn't stop 'SNW'!).

Despite my mild overarching concerns this is so close to being up there with the better episodes of this season and series it's almost negligible - let's take a step back for a moment and just recall that only a couple of years before this came out in 2021, it looked like we may never get proper Klingons again. Who could have foreseen that the redesign of 'DSC' and changing so much of what Trek is, could be so quickly undone and the old, great Trek aesthetics, style and everything about those eras returned to the fore! It is beautiful to see the old Klingon Bridge design that's been knocking around for decades, not just the Klingons looking as they should (not one Orc version in sight these days!), but that same Bridge and other parts of the ship familiar from 'DS9' and others. It's easy to forget how unlikely all this was, not just from 'DSC' and how badly it brought Trek back to 'TV,' but even before that with the Kelvin Timeline films. That's what draws me to 'LD' - it's not perfect, far from it, and there are many things I often find uncomfortable and distressing about the style or the humour, but at the same time it is by far the closest to recreating the true spirit of Trek and that's why it works. It's so sad they still haven't been able to recreate that same feeling in live action (though 'Picard' Season 3 comes closest), as it shouldn't be that hard!

While the majority of the episode concentrates on Klingons and Vulcans, meaning there's not as much time to throw in specific Trekferences, they still managed to deal in plenty of that nostalgia currency: Boimler suggests a Stratagema tournament when Captain Freeman allows the crew R&R during the long haul warp the Cerritos is going on (he also tries conversational Tamarian with Kayshon in his quest for a Bridge buddy as the rest of his friends have arranged activities with a Bridge officer, and only succeeds in offending him!), and not only does he wear Kirk's 'Go Climb a Rock' jumper in the rock-climbing holoprogram, but also Spock's gravity boots, thus combining both Kirk and Spock. Though once again there are privacy issues since he can apparently just walk into someone else's program while it's running, which could be distracting or disconcerting for the players already inside, taking them out of their story or activity - he does it again when he finds Mariner and Mother recreating the shooting match game, Velocity, Janeway and Seven had on 'Voyager,' though in that case they're too busy arguing to even notice! T'Lyn displays knowledge of Klingon culture when she says those that stand together are considered cha'DIch, a 'second' to support one who is going through a challenge or trial. Rutherford holds his completed DS9 station model from a few episodes back, which was a nice continuity touch, as was the Captain wearing a 'Ritos' t-shirt which apes the 'Disco' casual wear seen in 'DSC' - funny! I didn't realise it was first done this late in the series, I thought it had already happened.

There are other basic throwbacks like Captain Dorg quoting General Chang (I assume), quoting Shakespeare from 'Star Trek VI': "Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!" and Ma'ah subtly alluding to that film when he says other Klingons have tried to sabotage peace with the Federation before, and failed. He also mentions Kor's hound at the battle of Klach D'kel Brakt (mentioned by Kor himself in 'Blood Oath' on 'DS9'), a name I've always loved! Or Ransom revealing he's from Tycho City on Earth's Moon (a place mentioned in 'First Contact' as a place you can see from Earth, and where a Cadet in 'Valiant' was from), not to mention the flurry of crewmembers running around the ship during the Pakled attack still wearing various dressing-up clothes: Robin Hood (even though that was actually a Q scenario rather than a Holodeck one, but it still counts as a Trekference), someone in Sherlock Holmes' dressing gown with pipe, the Anbo-Jytsu outfits, what looked like Napoleon, some Medieval courtiers, and best of all, the deep cut of Crusher and Troi's ugly exercise leotards from 'TNG'! You might even say T'Lyn's parting words, "Live long and prosper... Sir," said in such a snarky tone, were a Trekference to Kelvin Spock in 'Star Trek XI' where he refuses entry into the Vulcan Science Academy (I didn't like it there and I don't like it here - too emotional). T'Lyn herself had a hairdo modelled on Valeris with the hairband, perhaps meant to subconsciously tell us she's different to most Vulcans.

And the music! That was glorious, so evocative of 'Star Trek II' or maybe 'Star Trek III,' though also a reuse of the 'Crisis Point' film-evoking episode of Season 1 - either way suitably dramatic and stirring, reminding me why I used to love Trek so much (and am so underwhelmed by so much of modern Trek!). There were a couple of slightly more obscure Trekferences: when Freeman and Mariner are playing Cluedo (with a layout on the board shaped like a starship!), Mariner guesses the murderer was the chef with the sniper rifle that can shoot through walls, which happened (apart from the chef part), in 'Field of Fire' on 'DS9.' The one I had to stop and think about due to its incongruity was when Boimler's worried that if he admits he's not really from Hawaii, as he told Ransom to fit in with his gang, the First Officer will demote him and send him to work on a penal colony where he'll have to mate with the enemy to form a new civilisation, which I'm assuming is a Trekference to the 'TNG' two-parter 'Birthright' where Worf, searching for his Father, discovered a colony where the Klingons and Romulans had come together to create a new joint community having previously been prisoners and jailers. Perhaps the funniest Trekferences were the general ones aimed at the Pakleds: I loved that their ship is called the Pakled Clumpship Pakled, or that instead of a Red Alert signal they have a Red Alarm where a voice cries out "Red Alarm! Red Alarm!" Or that they're so stupid they complain to the Klingon Captain about the bomb he gave them not working once they'd used it!

One other thing I wasn't keen on was T'Lyn's attitude to being sent to work on a Starfleet ship, considering it a punishment, when surely Vulcans of the late-24th Century are fully integrated? And while it was great to see the huge ring ship warp in to cover the Cerritos when the Pakleds are giving them a pounding, much like the Enterprise-E suddenly showing up to protect the Defiant in 'First Contact,' I don't buy that Vulcan ships would be so much more powerful than Starfleet ones at this time, and for that matter, T'Lyn's project to modify her ship, used as a last-ditch solution, was rather convenient and easy to implement - no engineering work, just connect the PADD to a console and suddenly the ship's all powered up! I did love that despite her project being a success and saving both the Sh'Vhal and the Cerritos, her Captain still gives her a Vulcan dressing down and sends her off the ship for disobedience. It's a very Vulcan thing to do and it also shows that regardless of outcomes, obedience and hierarchy are important, attitudes so often missing in modern Trek. The episode does a pretty good job of dealing with aliens, not just the main guests, but also in smaller ways like Shaxs getting upset when he thinks of Bajor because he still has unresolved issues with the memories of the resistance, or showing a Benzite using one of those respiration units, although I don't think we'd seen one using it since 'TNG' as 'DS9' showed at least one without and even 'LD' has had the occasional Benzite in the background sans this device. Don't tell me, only southern Benzites use them...

It was a good little twist that this particular Klingon Captain who feels his people have become too soft and wants to destabilise the Federation so the Empire can expand again, is the source of all the Pakled discord - maybe it's hard to believe that one single Captain of a Bird-of-Prey could provide that many weapons or that much information to destabilise a Quadrant, but once again we are dealing with the unconventional Pakleds so maybe all they needed was this one little spark to go into major revolt. It gave us the opportunity of seeing both races again, which is enjoyable in itself, but also reminding us of how these races are - not the collected group of various peoples the Federation represents, and so we're able to enjoy their culture instead of it being subsumed into a greater whole, and they feel more like the races they're supposed to be, when generally in modern Trek most aliens do not seem alien at all, merely humans with different faces, a major misstep in presenting Trek's future world. The fact they got Marc Okrand, the creator of the Klingon language involved as both Dialect Coach and Translator, shows how much they meant business (even the episode title is displayed only in Klingon language characters!). But oh how it makes me wish this approach (minus the humour), could have been used with all the series' they've done, so that it would all actually feel like Trek again. Because, writing this the day after Trek's 58th birthday, I'm not sure where it stands now with so many productions I have little to no interest in as they desperately try to be 'relevant' to younger viewers, while at the same time putting off people like me!

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