‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Recap: ‘Temporal Edict’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 103 of ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’.
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One particular constant for shows in the Star Trek Universe, is that they tend to reflect the zeitgeist of the times. Something which impacts the storytelling of the respective series for certain, since it allows for the writers’ room of that show to examine some of the concerns and problems plaguing mankind in that moment, and offer commentary on how perhaps we can move past said concerns. Which is one of the many reasons why this franchise is celebrated often, simply because it always has something powerful and insightful to say about our modern world and society. But what’s fascinating about this long-standing standard for this universe, is that an interesting exception to this particular rule has suddenly come about for the franchise. 

Because Star Trek: Lower Decks is a series that has established itself to be an outright comedy through and through, and a funny one at that. And really the conundrum at hand here, is the sheer fact that it really isn’t able to examine our modern world in the same manner as its companion shows. Because poking fun of some of the current events happening in our troubled world would be a poor decision for certain. But thankfully as season one of this series rolls along, it is starting to become apparent exactly what this series is going to examine in great detail. For this week’s episode made it clear that Lower Decks is going to focus heavily on the franchise itself and what makes Trek so great and that made ‘Temporal Edict’ quite the delightful and uplifting tale when all is said and done.

For this particular story took the time to dive deep into what makes a starship crew as legendary as the ones that populate ships named Enterprise and it accomplished this particular feat, by way of a crackdown aboard the Cerritos. For Captain Freeman came to learn about ‘Buffer Time’, the unspoken edict that allows for crew members to work at their own pace to accomplish wonders aboard the ship and well, discovering that after being passed over for important peace talks on Cardassia drove the captain to push this crew like never before. For she eliminated Buffer Time and demanded that the crew complete their tasks according to regulation so they could be the best crew in the fleet and well… that screwed everything up aboard the ship. Because now everyone was rushing to complete their work and they were moving at a pace that quite frankly, was too much for anyone to bear and that allowed for chaos and exhaustion to reign aboard the ship and these problems extended to away missions as well.

Because Commander Ransom’s away team forgot a crucial piece of cargo before they left, because they were in such a hurry to stay on point for the captain and that led to utter disaster on the ground. Since the warrior like species they went to greet, saw the away team's mistake as an act of war. Which meant that it was up to Boimler and Mariner to talk some sense into their respective leaders and that’s when the exploration in question came into play. Because the both of them pointed out that great leaders not only trust their teams to complete their daily tasks, they also use everyone’s strengths to get the job done and once that sunk in for Ransom and Freeman, wonders were once again accomplished. Something that allowed for peace to be made once more and for Buffer Time to return to the Cerritos. A decision that didn’t quite sit well with Boimler, mainly because the captain’s new rule on a relaxed working environment, made him look like an outright slacker through and through.  

But what matters more about this particular exploration, is the sheer fact that it puts an element that we love about this franchise on full display. For there is something quite dynamic about watching a Starfleet captain stand by their crew and encourage their ideas so that they feel as though they matter and that they have something to contribute and seeing that come to life here is just magnificent and reminds us of incredible moments where various bridge crews from other shows, solved impossible tasks by working together. And it is just wonderful to know that the crew of the Cerritos is finally starting to come together in this manner and that this series is going to continue to celebrate the best parts of the franchise in the weeks to come. Because that will make this show a testament to the franchise, and a primer to the uninitiated as it continues along, and it also doesn’t hurt that this show took the time to remind us to reward and treat ourselves when we’ve completed a job well done. Because who doesn’t love a frozen margarita after a hard day’s work? Until next time.  

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