‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Recap – ‘Trusted Sources’

Written by Shae Rufe

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 309 of ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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​It’s always important to trust the people who prove their loyalty to you. At the beginning of this season, Mariner was willing to do whatever it took to prove her mom’s innocence. She believed in Captain Carol Freeman, so much that she stole the Cerritos. Mariner is a wild card, but she is undoubtedly loyal to a fault. She has proven that time and time again through her actions. Yes. She’s reckless and impulsive, but she is fiercely loyal.

That loyalty is tested to the max when the Cerritos is visited by a reporter during a post second contact check up on a planet. Captain Freeman is on edge and wants everything to be perfect for this visit. The California Class Ships have a reputation among Starfleet, the Cerritos especially. Freeman just wants everything to be in tiptop shape to impress the brass and the reporter. This lends to her canceling the annual pie eating competition and grounding Mariner and her friends. Literally. Beta shift is suspended until after the reporter’s visit. It’s a strange way to handle things, considering. The pressure is starting to get to her. Freeman even has a list of approved crew members that can be interviewed by the reporter

That only goes so well. Shortly after their planetary visit, where they realize they aren’t needed. They head to the sister planet in hopes of some more action. Between then, Mariner decides she’s not going to be shut out. She manages to talk to the reporter and score a private interview, much to Ransom’s dismay. After Mariner says her piece, the reporter does her final interview with Freeman. Here, she brings up all the bad things that have gone on around the ship and on missions.

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​It’s a humiliating interview, if it can even be called that. Freeman summons Mariner to the Ready Room for a meeting and the whole bridge is mad at Mariner. Before she even gets a chance to explain, Freeman tears into her. This is all Mariner’s fault after all. Freeman isn’t even sure she can consider Mariner her daughter after this betrayal. Without even listening to Mariner, Freeman transfers her to Starbase 80.

Mariner isn’t going to go there, not really, right? Well, she doesn’t do goodbyes, especially not after how she’s been treated here. She packs and leaves on the shuttle. Meanwhile the Cerritos encounters the Breen on the sister planet they went to check on. They’re saved by a Starfleet drone that seems to have advanced weaponry. Funny how it knew where to go. By the time everything settles, the reporter airs her story.

Turns out it wasn’t Mariner after all. Many crew members had negative things to say about the ship. Mariner was the only one praising it. After all she was born into a great family and made a great one of her own on the ship. Freeman desperately tries to contact Mariner, only to find out that she’s resigned from Starfleet. Our Mariner is off being a modern-day tomb raider now. If only those she had been loyal to had been loyal back and believed her.

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