The Lower Deckers are making the ultimate second contact! Beta shift goes Soarin’ Over Bozeman in the first episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, “Grounded,” written by Chris Kula and directed by Jason Zurek.
Lower Decks season 3
A FNN News bulletin hosted by Syvia Ront updates us on the situation as it stands in the wake of the events of the Lower Decks season 2 finale, “First First Contact.” Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) has been accused of detonating a bomb in the Pakled capital city, “Big Strong City.” The Cerritos remains impounded in spacedock. Video footage shows three members of Freeman’s command crew, Jack Ransom (Jerry O’Connell), Shax (Fred Tatasciore), and Doctor T’Ana (Gillian Vigman), being bombarded with questions by reporters.
Finally, Ront reveals new footage that “appears to place Freeman on the ground” on Pakled Planet at the time the bombing occurred. She then notes that a swarm of incandescent aliens will be illuminating Earth’s sky the next day.
Before the newscast can continue, a potted plant shatters the screen. Admiral Freeman (Phil LaMarr) reminds Ensign Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) that screens can just be turned off. They’re in the Admiral’s San Francisco apartment. Mariner angrily states that everyone is acting like it’s a foregone conclusion that her mother is guilty. The Admiral tells her to trust in the system, but Mariner is unconvinced.
After arguing over the Golden Gate Bridge, they are interrupted by a transmission from Admiral Buenamigo (Carlos Alazraqui). Mariner refers to him as “Uncle Les” Buenamigo says he has bad news and informs Mariner and the Admiral that the judge assigned to Carol’s case is an individual Mariner identifies as “that planet’s rights lunatic.” The Admiral again says Mariner should trust in Starfleet, but Mariner storms out.
Nothing on Earth but Vineyards…
Ensign Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid) is not enjoying his time on the family vineyard. Mariner explains the situation with her mom and Boimler immediately agrees to join her clearing the Captain’s name. He explains that he’s desperate to leave Earth, which he detests due to his family’s raisin vineyard (he’s really over raisins).
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After fending off advances from several farmhands, Boimler posits that his logs could be used to clear Captain Freeman’s name. Although the Cerritos logs were corrupted by the Laaperian debris field in “First First Contact,” Bradward keeps “crazy detailed” records. Mariner concocts a plan to use the PADDs to clear the Captain’s name. But they need someone with engineering expertise to figure out in which spacedock the Cerritos is located. The duo heads off to find Ensign Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero).
…and Soul Food Restaurants
At Sisko’s Creole Kitchen, Rutherford is sharing a meal with Ensign D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells). While FNN plays on a screen behind them, the pair discuss possible Earth adventures. Rutherford suggests they visit historical Bozeman, Montana, the site of first contact with the Vulcans (see Star Trek: First Contact). Tendi explains she was so focused on her studies at Starfleet Academy she never left San Francisco.
They are interrupted by a FNN News bulletin reporting the Pakled bombing trial has begun. Tendi and Rutherford lament the situation. But they’re interrupted by Mariner’s carefully-timed entrance.
The four Lower Deckers are reunited around the table and share a meal. Bradward uses a dash of Ketracel White-Hot Hot Sauce and spends the rest of the scene gasping for air.
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Mariner convinces Tendi and Rutherford to join her plan. Fortunately, Rutherford got a glance at the 19-digit coordinates where the Cerritos is located. However, they can only reach it via an encrypted transporter at a secure compound.
The Transporter Facility
In order to reach the encrypted transporter, they’ll have to sneak past the reportedly intimidating transporter chief at the Transporter Facility.
But when the Lower Deckers enter the Transporter Facility, they’re greeted by a kindly old gentleman: Chief Carlton “Denny” Dennis (Bobby Moynihan). The Lower Deckers pose as Starfleet Academy students and say they’ve come to learn about the transporters.
Each Lower Decker balks at the idea of knocking Denny unconscious. Denny says he only gets visitors when they’re trying to knock him out and use one of his restricted transporters. As he turns his phaser on our heroes, they all burst into tears.
To comfort them, Denny makes the Lower Deckers some soup. He is even sympathetic to their plight. He’s been following Freeman’s trial and doesn’t believe she’s guilty. But there’s a catch. Because of the cloud of aliens, the transporters won’t function for surface-to-space beaming.
Tendi laments failing to save the Captain and failing to visit Bozeman. Denny notes that she would have loved it there, citing the Phoenix “first flight” orbital experience. This gives Mariner an idea. While Denny can’t transport them to space, what about Montana?
Soarin’ Over Bozeman
Bozeman is now the site of a California Adventure-style theme park celebrating First Contact. There are lots of Lower Decks-style Easter eggs, including “Thirst Contact” and balloons shaped like the Phoenix, Enterprise, and Defiant. Tendi and Rutherford are overloaded with excitement and already have themed hats. The whole sequence features the Jerry Goldsmith score for First Contact.
But Mariner tells them they came for the “Ride the Phoenix” experience. In line for the Phoenix ride, Tendi and Rutherford finish their churros at the behest of a recording of Zefram Cochran (James Cromwell). The queue calls to mind the “Soarin’ Over California” attraction at Disney’s California Adventure, which also featured a score by Goldsmith. Now that’s Cali Class!
Boimler expresses skepticism about the potential of the plan but Mariner says a ship is a ship. Once Rutherford overrides it, what’s the difference? The four Lower Deckers enter the cockpit and strap themselves in. But they’re soon joined by a fifth “single rider,” Gavin. Boimler tries to get rid of him, but Gavin says the operator told him “ship number 5.”
A hologram of Cochran appears and re-enacts a theme park version of his Phoenix speech. This includes the recording of “Magic Carpet Ride.” Everyone (but Gavin) has a great time as the ship launches into Earth orbit.
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Rutherford gets out of his seat and rewires the console. Then he puts in the drydock coordinates.
The Cerritos
One warp later, the Cerritos appears on the viewscreen, still stripped-down after “First First Contact.” The Phoenix ride docks with the Cerritos and the Lower Deckers disembark. Rutherford offers to send Gavin back to Earth, but he wants to take the ship and explore the galaxy. Rutherford and Mariner respect Gavin’s decision.
Many doors onboard the Cerritos are sealed with “caution” tape. The Lower Deckers hurry to their hallway quarters, where Boimler quickly locates his PADDs. But Mariner despairs when she learns that the logs are filled with embarrassing statements made by Boimler. She laments they’ll be ignored, just like the Captain, all because they’re Cali Class.
Tendi, Rutherford, and Boimler all reassure her that everything will be fine if she trusts in Starfleet. Mariner concedes.
The Lower Deckers prep a shuttlecraft. Mariner says she has to check the port nacelle but it’s just an excuse. The door shuts behind her and the Joshua Tree takes off with Boiler, Tendi, and Rutherford inside, set on autopilot to Earth.
Mariner reaches the Cerritos bridge and begins to activate the ship. The other three Lower Deckers appear on the bridge viewscreen. Mariner says she’s going to track down the Klingons who supposedly gave Captain Freeman the bomb and bring them back. Mariner deactivates the viewscreen and the Cerritos leaves spacedock at impulse.
Joshua Tree
Aboard the Joshua Tree, Boimler redefines where the shuttle thinks of as home so the autonav leads them back to the Cerritos, not Earth. But without atmosphere, they come in for a rough landing.
On the bridge of the Cerritos, Mariner fights off the rest of the Lower Deckers as they attempt to dissuade her from stealing the ship. Meanwhile, Starfleet security becomes aware of the Cerritos making an unauthorized launch.
Rutherford successfully stops the Cerritos. Mariner admits defeat and agrees that they should return to Earth. The other Lower Deckers offer her their support, but before full emotional catharsis can be achieved, Starfleet security confronts them. Mariner prepares to accept responsibility for stealing the Cerritos.
But they’re interrupted once again by the arrival of the incandescent extremophiles. The aliens attach to the hull of the Cerritos, where they synthesize carbon, triggering a mass reproductive event.
Tendi demands a channel be opened to Starfleet security. Affecting a serious demeanor, Tendi asks that the Cerritos be left uninterrupted as a scientific survey of the extremophile mating is conducted. She explains that the Cerritos has a crew of only four because everyone else is grounded. The exception only exists because of the rare scientific event.
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Security states they’re coming aboard. The Lower Deckers open the bay doors and leave the bridge.
Security arrives to find a mess. Tendi says that the endangered species need help transferring their gametes, and they’re facilitating as they study them. It’s painful work, but there’s no substitute for firsthand scientific data. Security expresses their admiration for the work the Lower Deckers are undertaking. They just need to know which commander ordered the mission and they’ll leave.
Deus Ex Starfleet
The Lower Deckers stammer to one another as they attempt to come up with an answer. But that’s when Captain Freeman strolls in, accompanied by Admiral Freeman, Shax, and Doctor T’Ana. All are in uniform. The Captain states she ordered the mission and security thanks her and welcomes her back before leaving.
Mariner hugs the Captain and asks how she can be there instead of at court. The Admiral says the trial is over. Mariner asks what happened, and the Captain explains, accompanied by static images in a montage (this stuff is too “upper decks” for this show).
While Captain Freeman and her command crew were before a tribunal that seems to include Admiral Janeway, Starfleet conducted their own secret investigation. An elite team led by Captain Morgan Bateson (played by Kelsey Grammer in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Cause and Effect”) learned of a Pakled connection to a known data fabricator. This individual faked the incriminating footage of Freeman seen in the beginning of the episode.
The forger was captured by the elite team in the Romulan neutral zone. Then, an invasive mind-meld performed by Tuvok (played by Tim Russ on Star Trek: Voyager) revealed the identity of the bombers: the Pakleds themselves.
The Pakled plan was to bomb their own capital and frame Captain Freeman. They would then use this as leverage to coerce the Federation into relocating them to a more resource-rich planet.
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Crime and Punishment
Mariner asks who would have thought it would have all worked out, and the Admiral says, “me.” He points out he told her from the start to trust in the system, just like the other Lower Deckers did.
Captain Freeman says Mariner has to face consequences and sends Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford to clean up the bay. In her quarters, the Captain and the Admiral lecture Mariner. She’s dismissive, but her parents tell her she has one last chance to stay in Starfleet. Ransom will now be her direct commanding officer, and if he decides to discharge her from service, so be it.
Meanwhile, the other Lower Deckers express their gratitude at being back home. They check FNN to see if they’re talking about the trial results. But Vont is reporting on a new top news story: Gavin’s rescue near the moons of Jupiter.
New episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks are available for streaming on Paramount Plus on Thursdays.
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