‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Recap – ‘Hear All, Trust Nothing’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 206 of ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’. To revisit the previous episode, click  here.
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There are a great many reasons as to why fans of the Paramount+ series, Star Trek: Lower Decks, tune in. For some, it is the sheer fact that we are being treated to more of our favorite franchise, in a segment of the timeline that no one knows anything about. For others, it’s the comedy that keeps them coming back since the jokes come fast and furious in this show. But regardless of which reason you tune in for, there’s one that all of us share in. Specifically, the fact that this show knows how to properly pay tribute to the franchise as a whole, through wondrous cameos and adventures that remind us of the wonder of his long-standing saga, and well, the homage aspect of this series is top of mind today, simply because it was on full display during this week’s episode.

A feat that ‘Hear All, Trust Nothing’ accomplished, by taking the intrepid crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos…. to FREAKIN’ DEEP SPACE NINE! Yes, that’s right! The iconic space station that brought serialized storytelling to the Star Trek Universe and blew us away with bold and brave storylines, finally returned to the canon mix. And that meant, we got some epic cameos. For Nana Visitor reprised her role as Colonel Kira Nerys and Armin Shimerman returned as Quark and we finally got to see the station post ‘What You Leave Behind’ and learn that the station was in great hands with Kira at the helm and that Quark managed to strike it rich with franchises by way of a fancy new replicator that just enhanced drinks in a way that no other replicator could. 

But while it was indeed amazing to see this iconic station and have one’s younger, inner geek soar with joy… there were shenanigans to be had in this tale. After all, Captain Freeman and her crew were there to try and re-open trade with Karemma, in the hopes of reopening more lines of communication with the Gamma Quadrant to heal the wounds of the Dominion War. Which did not go well, mainly because Quark stole technology from the Karemma. Forcing Tendi and Rutherford to work hard to save the day once Quark was kidnapped. And they did because they’re awesome and because Tendi has Orion Pirate skills we weren’t aware of, and oddly enough… her ability to use those skills for good, and Mariner’s storyline… brought forth some deeper moments.

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Because Tendi was struggling greatly with her past in this tale, mainly because she and Ruthy ran into a fellow Orion Ensign who was very proud of the pirate heritage of his people, and he kept pushing and pushing for Tendi to sing songs and praises of such matters, and she simply did not want to in the slightest and resisted her pirate heritage for as long as possible. All while Mariner spent the day with Jennifer and her friends, in an effort to try and bolster their relationship and that was a struggle as well. Since she was trying hard to please Jennifer and be chill at the ‘Salon’ gathering she was invited to, even though Jen’s friends were just pushing her around left and right. Which of course, led a to a moment where they were forced to shed their respective façade and let loose.
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Which allowed for Pirate Tendi to save the day and for Mariner to take control and teach those uppity gals a lesson with the stun setting of a phaser. A pair of moments that were designed to teach us all an important lesson. In that, we should never hide from who we are or where we’ve been. Because we are who we are and the past is the past and trying to hide from that… just creates problems and frustrations and when we do embrace our inner self instead, wonders come forth. Since we might just save the day or get to blast annoying people with a phaser. Which was a wonderful and impactful lesson to find here and that made for one fulfilling tale when all is said and done, one that also saw Bold Boimler return and nearly break the Dabo bank on DS9.

But what mattered most, was that this was a rich tribute to a respect and beloved corner of the Star Trek Universe. Since Deep Space Nine’s legacy has aged as well as a fine bottle of Chateau Picard, and it was just wonderful to see that series get the respect it is due and of course… to finally catch up with the station. Not to mention, that little nod to Kira and Captain Benjamin Sisko’s working relationship was just beautiful, and it spoke volumes to Kira’s long and winding journey, and well, this one is going to go down as one of the show’s best episodes for certain… and it leaves us eager to see what other tributes and beautiful moments are going to await us this season and beyond. Simply because these wondrous shout outs really capture the magic of Trek and remind us why we fell in love with this franchise in the first place, and you can never go wrong with that particular type of nostalgia. Until next time.

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A pair of legends return to the ‘Star Trek’ Universe.

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