In Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 episode 4, the fate of Ma’ah (Jon Curry) is revealed. “A Farewell to Farms” was written by Diana Tay and directed by Megan Lloyd. Guest stars include Dulcé Sloan and others.
On Qo’noS, Ma’ah faces off against his uncooperative Targ. His brother, Malor (Sam Witwer), mocks him and asks if the situation on his bridge was the same. Ma’ah brags that he will one day return to space, unlike his brother. Ma’ah receives a message from Starfleet but ignores it. Their mother calls them over to move some bloodwine. A montage of Ma’ah working on the farm follows. He continues to ignore the incoming transmission throughout, eventually throwing his communicator across a field.
As he loads a pallet of bloodwine onto his ship, Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) successfully gets a transmission through. But before she can do much more than implore him not to hang up, he throws his d’k tahg into the screen. Soon, their ship makes a rough landing outside the Warrior Pit, where they are delivering the bloodwine.
One of Ma’ah’s acquaintances, K’elarra (Mary Chieffo), approaches. Ma’ah says he heard she was with a member of the band. However, she says she’s more attracted to captains. Ma’ah’s brother repeatedly interjects, pointing out that Ma’ah lost his command. Furthermore, he says he’s unlikely to regain it, because Dorg was brother to Bargh (Colton Dunn). K’elarra remains interested. But she’s turned off by the arrival of Mariner and Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid). Ma’ah screams in frustration, but Mariner is unphased.
Star Trek: Lower Decks recap, ‘A Farewell to Farms’
Meanwhile, the U.S.S. Cerritos orbits Praxon IV. D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) and Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) are walking the halls beside Doctor Migleemo (Paul F. Tompkins), who is so nervous he’s fluffed and molting. Migleemo explains that he’s about to meet two of his species’ foremost scholars, Sir Legnog (Witwer) and Madame Gonald (Gillian Vigman). These are food critics: Klowahkans invented warp travel to seek out “strange new meals.”
On Qo’noS, Boimler is excited to visit the Warrior Pit (even if it’s just one location of a chain). Mariner explains Boimler is going through a Klingon phase. She continues that she learned that Ma’ah lost his captaincy and she’s here to help him regain it. Ma’ah isn’t interested. But Mariner insists she owes him because of a human tradition: “the Edict of Unreturned Favors.” She’s even enlisted Boimler to support this story.
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Ma’ah says Mariner’s aid would be pointless, as the Oversight Council has already declined to hear his appeal. But Boimler suggests the Ritual of Ji’thur. He explains that the ritual allows a discharged captain to regain his command. Its last use was over three centuries earlier, when a captain was involuntarily added to a different crew due to the Rite of Forced Conscription. Mariner says if Ma’ah takes the opportunity she will leave him alone forever. He agrees.
On the Cerritos, Legnog and Gonald are greeted by Migleemo, Tendi, Rutherford and Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis). They are immediately derisive about the ship. But they are surprised at Migleemo being a part of the crew. Migleemo is delighted, although the critics continue to be extremely critical.
The Rite of Unending Pain
At the Oversight Council Chambers, Mariner is excited to see K’orin (Jess Harnell). K’orin explains he’s part of the council after throwing his back out. Bargh preemptively denies Ma’ah’s appeal. But Boimler brings up the Ritual of Ji’thur. Another member of the council says Boimler is right. But Ma’ah needs another warrior. Mariner fetches Malor from the ship. Bargh concedes.
On the Cerritos in the bar, Legnog and Gonald sample the finest replicated cuisine the ship has to offer. But they’re deeply offended by the “bland” meal. When they learn it was replicated, they grow irate and storm out. Migleemo laments that they’ll write him into the Book of the Flavorless. Rutherford suggests he cooks them a dish to regain their respect.
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On Qo’noS, the Rite of Unending Pain is about to commence. They’ll be stuck with painsticks throughout their passage, with increase in voltage as they pass several thresholds. Malor tries to bail but Mariner bribes him to remain. They progress through the rite, but when they arrive at the final threshold, they realize passing through the final stage would be fatal for one person. But by piling onto Malor’s shoulders, they’re able to disperse the voltage and survive the rite.
On the Cerritos, Tendi, Rutherford and Freeman assist Migleemo in preparing his meal. Legnog and Gonald arrive and sample the meal. But they’re completely disgusted by the “blandness.” Gonald orders their guards to arrest Migleemo. Migleemo calls for Freeman’s assistance as he’s hauled away.
Tying the Targ
At the Oversight Council Chambers, the next challenge is unveiled. This time, they’ll have to capture an enormous Targ. Ma’ah is overwhelmed at the challenge. But Malor is confident. They succeed in hog tying the Targ. Bargh progresses the rite to the final trial. He declares that to demonstrate his allegiance to the Empire, Ma’ah must choose a member of his crew for sacrifice. Ma’ah volunteers himself.
Ma’ah’s beheading is imminent. K’orin suggests it is reasonable to give them time to discuss. Bargh concedes and leaves. Mariner asks where Ma’ah’s defeatist attitude is coming from. Ma’ah says his heart is not in the challenge. He doesn’t want to be a member of Bargh’s fleet. Battling with an honorable crew has reminded him of how little he cared to be part of the environment created by Bargh’s leadership. He declares his time in the stars has ended.
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Boimler tells him to step up. He shares his experience being assigned to the U.S.S. Titan, his dream gig. But finding that it wasn’t suited to his tastes, he transferred back to the Cerritos. He says that while it wasn’t his plan, it was the right decision. Boimler tells Ma’ah he can still be a captain, just in a different fleet.
Ma’ah protests that Klingons cannot simply transfer as they please. But K’orin and another councilmember approach and say they can do so with a two-thirds majority vote by the council. But one of them will still have to be selected to die. Mariner says she has an idea of how to handle that.
The Rite of Forced Conscription
The Cerritos has arrived at Klowahka, the Klowahkan nestworld. Migleemo is being sent to labor prison. Rutherford doesn’t understand how the meal was so bad. Migleemo reasons that it must have been no match for Legnog and Gonald’s taste buds. Tendi points out that all of the critics’ recent reviews have called the food “bland.” Migleemo reasons this can’t be true. Legnog and Gonald urge them to hurry so they don’t miss the amuse-bouche. New arrivals to prison are greeted with this, “the last decent morsel [they’ll] ever taste.”
On Qo’noS, Bargh’s nap is interrupted by the arrival of Ma’ah and the others in his chamber. Ma’ah invokes the Rite of Forced Conscription. The ritual has been invoked: Bargh must prepare for battle. Soon Ma’ah and Bargh are battling. Ma’ah corners Bargh, who yields.
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Bargh states that they still must surrender a member of their crew to be sacrificed. But Boimler points out that thanks to the Rite of Forced Conscription, Bargh is now one of their crew. Ma’ah selects Bargh to die. Unless he’d rather simply grant Ma’ah his captaincy. The other council members agree Bargh has been outmatched. Ma’ah turns his back on Bargh. So Bargh attacks Ma’ah from behind, impaling him with his axe.
Ma’ah turns and declares Bargh a coward. He extracts the weapon from his torso. Then he impales Bargh with the same weapon. Ma’ah is in pain, but victorious. At the family shuttle, K’orin declares that Mariner’s plan succeeded. She explains that she was sent both to return an artifact and analyze a dimensional pothole in Klingon space. Bargh despised the Federation and wouldn’t allow them to enter. Ma’ah will help her investigate the pothole.
Amuse-Bouche
On Klowahka, Migleemo and the others are welcomed with the amuse-bouche: oysters. Legnog and Gonald declare the dish delicious. But Migleemo says they aren’t delicious: they’re literally sh*t. Rutherford and Tendi swapped the oysters with replicated excrement. Legnog and Gonald admit they’ve lost their sense of taste. They concealed the affliction for fear of being disgraced.
Migleemo diagnoses them with conversion disorder. He explains that the pressure of creating criticism caused them to “lose the very thing that causes [their] stress.” Migleemo has used therapy, not cooking, to help the critics. They beg for his assistance. He says it will take many sessions, but he agrees (provided they provide high-end catering). Tendi wonders if this is ethical. Freeman says to cut him some slack, as Legnog and Gonald were punks.
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On their farm on Qo’noS, Malor relaxes in the pen with the giant Targ. Their family shuttle lands and Ma’ah, Mariner and Boimler disembark. Mariner reveals that it appears someone is intentionally creating the interdimensional potholes. Malor asks where in the fleet Ma’ah will go next. Ma’ah says he will remain captain of the family shuttle. He says Martok started on a similar ship.
Malor says he’ll stay on the farm. But Ma’ah says Malor will be his first officer. Ma’ah says both Mariner and Boimler have proven their toDuj. Mariner and Boimler depart as Ma’ah and Malor set about working on the ship.
The first four episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 are now available for streaming on Paramount+. New episodes debut on Thursdays.
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