Who wouldn’t want to go on a girls’ trip with Star Trek: Lower Decks‘ D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells)? Tendi is one of the first Orion to join Starfleet. And as an enthusiastic scientist, she is deeply invested in connecting with others. Therefore, it’s no surprise that she has quickly become a fan-favorite character on Lower Decks.
For this week’s Trek Tuesday, we’re listing the essential Tendi episodes. So, which one is your favorite?
Second Contact
In the very first episode of Lower Decks, “Second Contact,” Tendi arrives on the USS Cerritos. Tendi was transferred to the California class vessel from Outpost 79. Thus, she is soon introduced to the other members of Beta Shift, who will quickly become her closest friends on the ship.
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Tendi is assigned to Medical, where she will assist Nurse Westlake and Doctor T’Ana (Gillian Vigman). In this episode, thanks to the holodeck, we also learn that Tendi never got to visit the Adashake Center on Orion before enlisting in Starfleet.
Crisis Point
The first Lower Decks “movie” episode takes place in Season 1. In “Crisis Point,” Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) uses a holodeck program created by Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid) as “therapy.” But in doing so, she casts Tendi as an Orion pirate.
Tendi is obviously offended by the stereotype. While Mariner concedes that she can be a “generic pirate,” Tendi is not placated. This isn’t the role she wants to play. Ultimately, she leaves the holodeck out of frustration.
No Small Parts
In the Lower Decks Season 1 finale, “No Small Parts,” Tendi has shifted from being the one who is being given a tour of the Cerritos to the one giving the tours. This is thanks to the arrival of the exocomp Peanut Hamper (Kether Donohue).
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Tendi is enthusiastic and welcoming towards Peanut. However, she does eventually lose her temper when Peanut leaves the crew of the Cerritos to die at the hands of the Pakleds. Hey, nobody’s perfect.
We’ll Always Have Tom Paris
In the Lower Decks Season 2 episode “We’ll Always Have Tom Paris,” we learn more about Tendi’s backstory (and musical tastes). This is thanks to the fact that Mariner and Tendi go on a Girls Trip. While this is an assignment, they still find time for fun and slushies on Qualor II.
Eventually, they end up at an Orion Pirate’s Den. There, Mariner (and the audience) learn that Tendi was once known on Orion as the “Mistress of the Winter Constellations.” But while Tendi says she left this name behind, we also see how swiftly Orion pirates obey her commands.
Mining the Mind’s Mines
In the Lower Decks Season 3 episode “Mining the Mind’s Mines,” Tendi has officially begun the Senior Science Officer Training Program. However, she’s disappointed to learn that her assigned mentor will be Doctor Migleemo (Paul F. Tompkins), who has never served as a mentor before.
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Fortunately, Tendi is able to seek advice from the mentor she gained through her work in the Cerritos medical division, T’Ana. Armed with the advice of both mentors, Tendi plays a key role in the episode’s climactic negotiation by boldly embodying the “voice of science.” Q’apla!
Hear All, Trust Nothing
In the Lower Decks Season 3 crossover episode with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the Cerritos visits the tacky fascist Cardassian eyesore itself. On Deep Space 9, Tendi meets another Orion in Starfleet, Mesk (Adam Pally).
Unlike Tendi, Mesk has embraced the Orion pirate stereotype, even though it turns out he has no firsthand experience himself. In fact, he was raised in Ohio. But by the conclusion of the episode, Tendi must acknowledge that the skills she accumulated as a pirate might be helpful in her work as a Starfleet officer.
Crisis Point II
In Lower Decks Season 3, Boimler programs a sequel to Crisis Point. However, he is distracted from the main plot by his own trauma-induced search for meaning. This leaves Tendi to step into the role of captain for the “movie.”
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Tendi takes this role very seriously. By the end of the episode, she has the realization that she really does want to be a captain. She just couldn’t see it before, because there have been no Orion captains in Starfleet. However, by stepping into the role through the simulated reality of Crisis Point, Tendi learns this vital truth about herself. Behold: the power of representation.
Something Borrowed, Something Green
In Lower Decks Season 3’s “Something Borrowed, Something Green,” we get our most significant look at the Orion homeworld Star Trek has yet to offer. After being called home for her sister’s wedding, D’Vana realizes she’s actually been brought back to find the missing D’Erika (Ariel Winter).
D’Vana is joined on this second girls’ trip by Mariner and T’Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz). Furthermore, more of Tendi’s backstory and familiar relationships are illuminated as they visit many of her old haunts on Orion. At the end of the episode, D’Vana seems to have mended her relationship with D’Erika, who is now the Mistress of the Winter Constellations.
Old Friends, New Planets
In the Lower Decks Season 4 finale, “Old Friends, New Planets,” D’Vana must appeal to D’Erika in order to obtain an Orion battleship. This is an essential component in rescuing Mariner from a very dire situation.
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But while the rescue is successful, it comes at a price. Unfortunately, D’Vana has agreed to return to being an Orion pirate in exchange for the battleship. Thus, at the conclusion of the episode, she must depart the Cerritos and return to pirating. But thanks to the confidence she’s gained in Starfleet, she is prepared to tackle this daunting new challenge.
All four of these Star Trek: Lower Decks seasons are currently available for streaming on Paramount+.
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