STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS
SEASON 1, EPISODE 10
SEASON 1, EPISODE 10
No Small Parts
Series: Star Trek: Lower Decks - (2020 - 2024)Season: 1
Episode #: 10
Original Airdate: October 8th, 2020
Writer(s): Mike McMahan
Director(s): Barry J. Kelly
Guest Stars
Jonathan Frakes as Captain William T. Riker
Marina Sirtis as Commander Deanna Troi
Kether Donohue as Ensign Peanut Hamper
Jack McBrayer as Badgey
Rich Fulcher
Kari Wahlgren
Merrin Dungey as the U.S.S. Solvang First Officer
Nolan North
Ryan Ridley as the Injured Bajoran Crew Member
Neil Casey
Echo Kellum as a U.S.S. Titan Lieutenant
Paul Scheer as Lieutenant Commander Andarithio "Andy" Billups
Lauren Lapkus as Ensign Jennifer Sh'reyan
Jack Quaid as Betan Male #2
Fred Tatasciore as Landru
Fred Tatasciore as Steve Levy
Gillian Vigman as Captain Dayton
Stardate: Unknown
Synopsis
While Captain Freeman and Commander Ransom attempt to re-liberate the Betans of Beta III from the evil computer Landru, Mariner is busy distributing Starfleet items to the children of the planet without the Captain’s authorization. Boimler joins in, breaking the rules because now he knows Mariner’s secret. Except, as he confronts Mariner about the truth, his comm badge is on and everyone on the Bridge hears it - including the Captain who beams the pair directly on to the bridge.
Later, Mariner begins to get annoyed as seemingly the entire crew is sucking up to her in an effort to get the Captain to notice them. Even Boimler tries to use Mariner’s connection to get a promotion to the U.S.S. Sacramento. This gives Mariner the idea to apply as well where she could start with a blank slate. If only things were that simple.
Elsewhere, Rutherford accidentally damages his implants. He tries to cycle through his personality algorithms to reach his normal state, but he can't find the correct setting. This couldn’t happen at a worst time. Tendi is assisting a new exocomp, named Peanut Hamper, to join the medical team. Except, the exocomp isn’t dexterous. Just as Tendi begins to worry that Peanut is going to be ripped to pieces by Dr. T’Ana, Peanut turns out to be extremely clever and useful. So much so that Tendi gets pushed to the sidelines. But somehow Tendi turns this into a positive. She’s been working with Peanut so her assistant fitting in and doing the job is a win in Tendi’s book.
The drama on the Cerritos is soon interrupted by a distress signal from the U.S.S. Solvang. This ship is ripped to pieces by the Pakleds, a group of lowly spacefarers who were, heretofore, thought of as jokes in Starfleet. The Pakleds have Frankenstein-ed ships and technology from multiple species to create mega-ships. As soon as the Cerritos confronts one of the Pakled ships, she’s harpooned, and a nacelle is ripped off.
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With the Cerritos in tatters, Captain Freeman turns to the one person who can save the ship – Mariner. Mariner’s brief foray as a straight-laced Starfleet officer is quickly abandoned. Mariner’s plan is to introduce a virus into the Pakled ship that’ll cause a cascade effect to disable their ships. And to execute this plan, Mariner needs a machine.
Tendi and the senior crew turn to Peanut for help. She’s small enough to sneak aboard the enemy ship and introduce the virus. Yet after a brief moment of reflection, Peanut declines the mission and beams herself off of the Cerritos into open space.
Rutherford has another plan for injecting the virus – using his murderous AI ‘son’ Badgey. Badgey promises to help, but his plan requires someone to physically land on the Pakled ship. Rutherford, having cycled back to his normal personality accepts the mission without batting an eye. Despite Tendi’s pleas, Rutherford is whisked away by Shaxs while the rest of the crew fight the intruding Pakleds with Mariner’s assorted contraband weapons. Facing imminent death, Boimler confesses that he wasn’t interested in the Sacramento promotion, but he didn’t want Mariner to take it either because he’d miss his friend.
Shaxs is able to get Rutherford on the enemy vessel. He fights off the oncoming Pakled crew while Rutherford uploads the virus. Unfortunately the evil Badgey slows down the upload so that he can take Rutherford down with him. Shaxs rips off Rutherford’s implant, disconnecting him from the ship. He gets Rutherford on to the shuttle and shoves the vessel out just in time for Rutherford to escape. But it’s too late for Shaxs. Badgey alters the virus to perform a self-destruct sequence of the Pakled ship, destroying all aboard.
As Rutherford's shuttle makes its way back to the Cerritos, more Pakled ships arrive and soon the Cerritos is surrounded and trapped. Captain Freeman is badly injured but she’s not willing to let her ship go. Mariner orders the escape pods to be prepared for deployment. Just as all hope is lost, another Starfleet ship arrives. It’s the U.S.S. Titan, captained by William T. Riker. And right by his side is Commander Deanna Troi. The Titan makes quick work of the Pakled ships, who quickly flee the scene, leaving the Cerritos safe at last.
Later, on a nearby starbase, Riker teases Captain Freeman and then grabs a drink with Mariner. Deanna, on the other hand, takes Ransom down a peg or two.
Captain Freeman orders the Cerritos to be restored to her former glory and sits her daughter down for a heart-to-heart. Starfleet is unaware of the true nature of the universe and they’re letting systems and people down. If Starfleet kept a closer eye on things, then the Betans wouldn’t have fallen prey to Landru again and lives wouldn’t have been lost to the ‘jokes’ that are the Pakleds. Captain Freeman’s hands are tied by protocol, but Mariner can work in the grey areas. Finally, mother and daughter agree that only by working together can they make things better.
While Captain Freeman bids Shaxs a touching farewell, Rutherford has to cope with amnesia from having his implants removed. Tendi is initially upset by this but then sees this as a new opportunity to become friends with Rutherford again.
Boimler takes a transfer - and promotion - to the U.S.S. Titan. The transfer doesn’t sit well with Mariner who harangues him with calls and messages. But Boimler is finally where he wants to be - on the bridge of the Titan, warping the ship to new adventures.
Trailer
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