‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Recap – ‘Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place’

10/6/2023

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Jack Quaid, Noël Wells, Eugene Cordero, and Tawny Newsome as Lieutenant Bradward Boimler, Lieutenant D’Vana Tendi, Lieutenant Samanthan Rutherford, and Lieutenant Beckett Mariner in Episode 406 of ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ – ‘Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place’. (Photo Courtesy of Paramount+.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 406 of ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

When we think of the word, tragedy, and all it entails, we think in negative terms. Because tragedy is supposed to engender sorrow and, in some cases, it can bring about fear, but it can serve as so much more. For it can be a wake-up call for some, or a chance at a grand opportunity for change in one’s life… as long as the person being impacted takes a moment to observe their situation and the tragedy at hand objectively and that of course… can lead to a happy ending. And well, that particular aspect of tragedy is top of mind today, simply because tragedy brought forth some positives in the next episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks on Paramount+. A feat that ‘Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place’ accomplished, by having a dark moment take place involving the Ferengi.

For the strange vessel that has been wreaking havoc across the galaxy, had its first run-in with the Ferengi, at the behest of an ambitious Ferengi, who believed he had the lobes to do business with an enemy that was striking fear into the hearts of everyone. But alas, this mysterious entity cared not about gold-pressed latinum, it wanted chaos and devastation, and it laid that ship to waste. Which put all of Ferenginar on alert and prompted the Grand Nagus… to open negotiations with the Federation to become a member world. Which would provide Ferenginar with all the protections that other member worlds are afforded and that brought the U.S.S. Cerritos, and the U.S.S. Toronto to the Ferengi home world for the signing ceremony and that in turn… made it seem for a moment as though, a positive wouldn’t come out of this.

After all, Rom was not himself. He was distracted and aloof and obsessed with Baseball, and it took Leeta, his First Clerk to set anything up and of course… Starfleet was so eager to make this happen that concessions were being made left and right that outright fleeced the Federation. Which prompted Captain Freeman to ponder upon what was actually happening here, and it dawned upon her, that this was a plot. One designed to see if the Federation was taking this application seriously and if it actually respected Ferenginar. Which prompted her to make some changes to the deal, the kind that showcased that the Federation could play ball with a planet like Ferenginar, and that confirmed that her suspicions were correct. Since Rom dropped the act, signed the standard charter, and thanked her for offering respect to his world. Giving rise to real wonder from tragedy since new allies were forged out of sorrow.

Chase Masterson and Max Grodénchik as First Clerk Leeta and Grand Nagus Rom in Episode 406 of ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ – ‘Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place’. (Photo Courtesy of Paramount+.)

But while it was amazing to see that play out, this is of course a comedy show, and there were shenanigans to be had in this story, courtesy of an away team visit from the Lower Deckers. For they were tasked with updating the Federation’s travel guide regarding this world, and that meant… Tendi and Ruthy had to pose as a couple to get some information on dating hot spots on this world. Which led to all kinds of awkward moments for them since they are indeed as platonic as it gets, and Boims? Well, he failed at his mission because he fell in love with television and binge watching. All of which made for some hilarious moments, and a grand Star Trek: The Experience shout out as well, and the wonder of this story didn’t end there.

Because character development has been a huge focus these past two seasons, and it was Mariner’s journey in this story that handled that. Because she took a little time to visit her old friend Quimp and well, while they were out and about in the city, she felt the need to indulge in some unhealthy behavior. The kind that was self-deprecating and angry, which prompted Quimp… to call her out. Because he genuinely has a soft spot for Mariner and he basically told her, she needed to sort out what was really eating at her and that stuck with her. Because she came to realize in this story, that she isn’t herself at the moment and uncomfortable with being trusted and guided in a healthy manner and she needs to understand why. Which made for some poignant moments, the kind that expressed that Mariner might have some deep-rooted trauma over the path of her career, and some imposter’s syndrome at the moment, the kind that will need to be addressed now that it’s been discovered.

All of which made, for one magnificent episode. One that celebrated the best of Trek by offering up a storyline that spoke to the benefits of understanding and respect, while still offering up great fun through the usual comedy aspects of this show, and it was also amazing… to see Mariner begin to own up to some of the emotional stuff she’s been avoiding and let’s be honest, it was just amazing to be back on Ferenginar for the first time since Deep Space Nine, and get another follow up to how that show ended, since we came to learn that Rom and Leeta are thriving for certain and let’s be honest, it was just a treat to have Max Grodénchik and Chase Masterson reprise their roles, and much like their other counterparts that appeared last year, they simply did not miss a beat. But while there is plenty to celebrate here, we would be remiss to not point out that clearly, we are moving toward a crescendo when it comes to this mystery vessel… since it continues to wreak havoc and it will be interesting to see what we learn about it in the weeks to come, now that it is making waves in the heart of the Federation. Until next time.

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