In the sixth episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) must tutor the next generation. “Of Gods and Angles” was written by Keyshawn C. Garraway and directed by Brandon Williams.
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Jack Ransom (Jerry O’Connell) records a First Officer’s log for Stardate 59482.3. The U.S.S. Cerritos has spent the last fortnight hosting peace talks between photonic species the orbs and the cubes. The two species have been at war since the collision of their respective home nebulae more than a century earlier. It’s a tense situation.
Ransom continues: that’s not the only problem he’s got. Ensign Olly (Saba Homayoon) has stacked a hundred circular objects on a single sled. Apparently, this is a literal response to an order issued by Ransom, who said she couldn’t do so. The sled collapses, burying Olly and Ransom under the previously precariously balanced objects.
“We’re gonna laugh about this later,” insists Olly.
Star Trek: Lower Decks, “Of Gods and Angles”
Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) vents to Mariner about the pettiness of photonic beings as the pair walk through the Cerritos halls. They’re joined by Ransom, who declares he’s done with Olly. He says she “disregards orders, breaks everything she touches” and suspects she’s stealing his kettlebells. Mariner pulls the PADD from Freeman’s hands, wondering how she doesn’t know this “obviously very cool person.”
As Mariner looks at the information on the PADD, Freeman explains that Olly has been transferred from the U.S.S. Reseda in the wake of problems with command and some kind of electrical fire. Mariner is surprised to learn she’s a demigod: the descendant of “Zeus” from Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2 episode “Who Mourns for Adonais?” It turns out that before these beings became “one with the wind,” they were “prone to congregate.”
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Freeman can’t tolerate any issues that might compromise the peace talks. She tells Ransom to notify Vassery that Olly will be leaving the Cerritos. Since Olly’s been removed from six other ships, Freeman assumes this means she’ll be out of Starfleet. Mariner protests that people can change if they’re allowed. She cites herself as proof. Ransom says Mariner makes a good point: “Sometimes, the most destructive ensigns just need someone to believe in them.” Freeman concedes but says this is Olly’s last chance.
In their quarters, Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) interrupts Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid) as he reads from the PADD he took from the other universe in “Dos Cerritos.” Rutherford reveals he knows that Boimler’s been reading the alternate universe PADD. Boimler explains that he’s trying to copy the other Boimler, who impressed him. Rutherford suggests he just be himself.
Flip
Unphased, Boimler says other Boimler even befriended Doctor T’Ana (Gillian Vigman). She nicknamed him “Flip.” Rutherford admits he is a cooler Boimler. Since other Boimler was invited to T’Ana’s book club, Boimler concludes this is the endgame. As he excitedly leaves the room, Rutherford shouts that it’s not a good idea.
In the lower decks, Mariner is lying in her old bunk. T’Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz) approaches and questions Mariner’s decision to lie in her old bunk, assuming it to be nostalgia. But Mariner explains that Olly has taken over her old bunk, and Mariner is waiting for her. Olly finally arrives, a half-hour late. Olly states she was testing a mini-tractor beam. T’Lyn observes that she seems to have solved the unit’s compression problems. But her demonstration goes awry, suggesting otherwise. Olly explains that she used to be in engineering but was deemed a hazard to the officers around her. Mariner empathizes with Olly’s frustration. Olly asks if she’s sure she’s Starfleet. Mariner confirms this and says they’re late picking up their teenage cube.
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In the Cerritos halls, Mariner explains to Olly that the lead cube diplomat’s kid, Quadrulon, has locked himself in his quarters. It’s up to Olly and Mariner to babysit him. When he doesn’t answer the door to his quarters, Mariner and Olly enter anyway. They find the inside trashed. A square of glowing photonic residue is splattered on the wall.
Soon, Shax (Fred Tatasciore) and Freeman have joined Mariner and Olly in the room. The evidence seems to suggest something “nasty” went down in there. Olly swiftly assumes this means murder. Kayshon (Carl Tart) arrives and reports that scans couldn’t locate Quadrulon. Freeman is concerned about the effect foul play could have on the negotiations.
****o
Mariner notices that the vidscreen in the quarters are missing. Olly postulates that the killer could have taken it. Freeman cautions her not to make accusations until they have proof. But rather than have Security search for the missing screen, Freeman assigns the task to Mariner and Olly. Hopefully, this will keep the investigation low profile.
In sick bay, D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) is assisting T’Ana with some blood samples. Boimler and Rutherford arrive, the former carrying a stack of books. Boimler continually inserts the word “flip” into conversation. When Boimler suggests he wants to learn more about medical, T’Ana tells him to “**** off.” Undeterred, Boimler keeps trying. But he only succeeds in angering T’Ana and hypo-spraying himself. T’Ana calls him “****o.”
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Olly and Mariner follow scans to the gym’s locker room. As they search, Mariner asks Olly if, as a demigod, she has any cool powers. Olly asks who told her. Mariner explains she read her file. Also, Olly has a golden laurel on her head. Olly says it doesn’t come off, and she doesn’t have any special powers. But she’s interrupted by the discovery of anti-cube propaganda in one of the lockers. Mariner says it’s time to feel out this orb.
Soon, Olly is harshly interrogating the sphere. They bribe him with dilithium crystals. Mariner plays the good cop to Olly’s bad cop. But it seems the sphere supports an end to hostilities. The sphere explains he planned to destroy the propaganda as a display of solidarity. But Olly accuses him of murder anyway.
Shape Wars
Mariner drags Olly into the hall and tells her to chill out. Olly is worried she’ll be kicked off the ship. The sphere sneaks out behind them as they’re talking. They give pursuit.
In sick bay, Boimler laments botching his attempt to win T’Ana over. Tendi asks if this has anything to do with his alt-universe PADD. Boimler is shocked that she knows as well. Tendi tells him to just be himself, citing his subplot in “wej duJ.” But he plays a profanity-laced message from alt T’Ana to alt Boimler. Boimler concludes he just needs to adopt T’Ana’s cursing to appeal to her. He approaches her and begins swearing up a storm. However, T’Ana is not receptive. Ultimately, she begins physically attacking him.
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Meanwhile, Mariner and Olly continue to pursue the cube. Their path eventually leads to the conference room where Freeman is attempting to mediate between cubes and spheres, who are growing rowdy. Freeman assures the cube diplomat they’re doing everything to locate Quadrulon. The sphere approaches and reveals he’s been accused of murder by Olly. Olly says someone did some murdering. The spheres reveal one of their children is missing as well. Tensions boil over and the shapes start fighting with one another.
Following her suspicion, Mariner returns to the locker room to search for the missing computer. She finds it inside Olly’s locker. Mariner asks if Olly murdered Quadrulon. Olly says she arrived at Quadrulon’s quarters early and saw the damage. Fearing she’d be blamed given the electrical damage, she hid the screen.
Zeus Powers
Olly reveals she has electrical powers: her grandfather was Zeus. But her powers aren’t very good. Mariner realizes this is the source of the electrical problems that keep getting Olly kicked off ships. Olly explains she hid her powers so people wouldn’t be afraid of her. Mariner realizes that Olly is her own person, and Mariner shouldn’t project her issues onto her. But Mariner says they still have a mystery to solve and a war to stop, so Olly might have to use her crappy powers.
In the shuttle bay, the battle between the cubes and the spheres continues. T’Ana begins administering treatment to a Cerritos crewmember injured in the crossfire. Boimler arrives and says he’s there to help. T’Ana calls him “****o” again and tells him to take cover, as this is out of his league. Mariner tells Olly this is her chance and that she believes in her. Olly leaps into action and is pleased that she’s doing something. But she takes on too much power and sends lightning bolts flying. One of them gets Boimler’s butt.
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The spheres and cubes file out of the Cerritos shuttle bay and out into space. There, they respectively form a bigger orb and a bigger cube. They begin blasting at each other, with the Cerritos stuck in the crossfire.
Olly says it’s all her fault. Mariner says she did her best. And Olly says she’s at her best when she’s engineering, “not trying to be a Zeus.” Olly has a revelation and runs off.
Rome-Cube and Juli-Sphere
Mariner and Olly arrive on the bridge and Freeman tells them to get lost. But Mariner insists they can help fix the situation. Olly says she can reconfigure the tractor beam to work on a photonic signature and direct an electromagnetic field into the nacelles. Andy Billups (Paul Scheer) concludes this would simultaneously weaken the photonics and charge the ships’ shields. Freeman concedes and Olly leaps into action.
Soon, the energy from the photonic being is redirected. The giant shapes split, and the depowered orbs and cubes return to the shuttle bay. Despite the lack of energy, they resume fighting with each other. But they are shocked into ending the battle when the two missing kids return.
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The kids reveal they are lovers. Knowing their relationship wouldn’t be accepted, they have been hiding in a holodeck. It was their lovemaking that wrecked the room. Leaving a mess is part of their kink. Next, they reveal they have a child (Roan Lai), a half-cube, half-sphere. The spheres and cubes are touched, and agree to resume the peace talks.
In sick bay, T’Ana removes the lightning bolt from Boimler’s butt. T’Ana says her report detailing the procedure to remove it will gain her notoriety. Boimler says he’s going to his quarters to sleep off the rest of the five-year mission. But, again addressing him as “****o,” T’Ana insists he comes to the book club meeting that night. Tendi and Rutherford celebrate his victory. Rutherford is won over by Boimler’s strategy. Tendi says they can’t just crib their personalities from a stolen PADD, but Boimler and Rutherford celebrate their proven strategy.
Who Mourns for Olly-Donais?
In her office, Freeman tells Olly there’s a place for her on the Cerritos despite her earlier difficulties. She’ll be reassigned to engineering the next day. But first, she has to spend the night in the brig.
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Soon, Olly is locked in the brig. Mariner assures her the bench in there is pretty comfortable. Olly says they aren’t friends and are nothing alike. But then Olly says she loves the brig, and it’s her favorite place. Mariner settles in to keep Olly company. Over Olly’s protests, Mariner asks Olly about her background.
The first six episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 are now available for streaming on Paramount+. New episodes debut on Thursdays.
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