Welcome to this week’s installment of Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week, wherein we shine a spotlight on strong women who inspire us. Now, this not only includes fictional female characters in geeky media but creators as well. These ladies are a prime example of female empowerment and how crucial it is for youth to have said example to follow.

DISCLAIMER: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Lower Decks!

Beckett Mariner

Fast Facts:

Beckett Mariner and Boimler

Mariner and Boimler (Image: Star Trek)

Beckett Mariner is an Ensign on the USS Cerritos, a California-class starship captained by her mother, Carol Freeman. Beckett has little interest in rising in rank despite spending time aboard five different starships. This is primarily due to her disregard of the chain of command and her somewhat rebellious nature.

At one point, she was demoted back to Ensign while serving aboard the USS Quinto. On the USS Cerritos, she serves along with her best friends Ensign Boimler, Ensign Tendi and Ensign Rutherford. Together, they engage in several away missions and perform their lower deck duties. 

Beckett has quite a record and has “seen things,” making her a somewhat mysterious and fascinating member of the USS Cerritos crew. She once served on Deep Space 9 and had interactions with Lieutenant Worf. When Beckett was on the Atlantis, the crew suffered an infestation of Kerplickian lice.

While she was on the USS Quinto, she helped establish first contact with the Galardonian High Command. She also was Captain William T. Riker’s mentee and formed a close working relationship with him. 

RELATED: Star Trek‘s Kira Nerys Is a Great First Officer, Here’s Why

Captain Freeman occasionally entrusts her daughter with important responsibilities to motivate her but often fails in that regard. Mariner’s father, a Starfleet Admiral, will sometimes call to check on her, and we eventually learn he was the one who had Beckett transferred to the Cerritos.

While Beckett and her mother first tried to hide their relationship from the rest of the crew, they were exposed by Boimler, who figured it all out. After that, Beckett and her mother embraced their relationship, but they ultimately determined they worked best as Captain and Ensign rather than mother and daughter.

The Real Deal:

Beckett is the real deal. She’s intelligent, loyal to her friends, courageous and a good Starfleet officer. While she may completely disregard protocols and frequently break the rules, her heart is always in the right place. Beckett never backs down from a fight, and with her quick wit and unparalleled cleverness, she doesn’t need to.

She’s confident in her abilities and wise beyond her years. Even when she uses sarcasm as a defense mechanism, she is fully capable of being honest and vulnerable when she chooses to be. She’s chaotic good personified. 

In addition, she brings LGBTQIA+ representation to Lower Decks and Star Trek as a whole by being one of the few pansexual characters in the series. As she explains in the episode “No Small Parts,” she’s dated “Bad boys, bad girls, bad gender-nonbinary babes, ruthless alien masterminds, bad Bynars.” 

Why She Matters:

Star Trek Lower Decks Beckett Mariner

Why does Beckett Mariner matter? Beckett shows us we can be equal parts rebellious, intelligent, sarcastic, wise and loyal. These traits make us an incredible force to be reckoned with. She shows us that even though we have our flaws, we can find friends who are as loyal to us as we are to them.

It’s okay to be cautious and keep people at arm’s length for our well-being, but even being a little vulnerable can only benefit us in the long run. 

So, be like Ensign Beckett Mariner and be yourself. Be kind, sarcastic, get into good trouble sometimes and be true to your friends. When the moment calls for it, draw on your cleverness and experience to come up with half-baked solutions that break all the rules.

RELATED: Looking for another strong female crush? Check out our Geek Girl Authority Crushes of the Week here!

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