STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS
SEASON 4, EPISODE 5
SEASON 4, EPISODE 5
Empathological Fallacies
Series: Star Trek: Lower Decks - (2020 - 2024)Season: 4
Episode #: 5
Original Airdate: September 28th, 2023
Writer(s): Jamie Loftus
Director(s): Megan Lloyd
Guest Stars
Gideon Adlon as Ensign Haubold
Rachel Dratch as Dolorex
Janelle James as Katrot
Wendie Malick as Cathiw
Jessica McKenna as Ensign Barnes
Gabrielle Ruiz as Castro
Gabrielle Ruiz as T'Lyn
Paul Scheer as Lt. Commander Andy Billups
Carl Tart as Ltjg. Kayshon
Carl Tart as a Cerritos Human Ops Lt.
Paul F. Tompkins as Dr. Migleemo
Stardate: Unknown
Synopsis
T’Lyn records a report for Captain Sokel of the Vulcan ship Sh’vhal. The USS Cerritos is tasked with ferrying three Betazoid “diplomats” — T’Lyn’s description of them as “glorified socialites” is more telling — from Angel I to Risa because of the recent mystery ship attacks. The Betazoids plan to keep partying and fancy seducing Freeman, much to Ransom’s confusion. There is also historical tension between the Betazoids and Caitians… as the latter used to eat the former.
T’Lyn reports that the frivolity surrounding the Betazoids’ visit deepens her resolve to curb her own rebellious tendencies, so that her punishment of being on the Cerritos can be over. The signal to transmit her report is blocked, however.
Mariner comes to invite T’Lyn to the Betazoid party and reveals they’re under total comms blackout while the diplomats are aboard. She agrees with T’Lyn that blocking comms while allowing boozy partying is illogical.
Meanwhile, Boimler is trying to memorize every crew member’s name and face from their files on a PADD, because now that he’s an officer, he feels he should know everything. Rutherford almost manages to trick him into coming to the party but instead calls Shaxs, telling him he has a candidate for “the program.”
To see if anyone can give an ETA on resumption of comms, T’Lyn goes to the party. She finds everybody even more emotional than she’s used to on the Cerritos, to the extent of Doctor Migleemo phasering a replicator. Freeman yells about her desire to not be embarrassed in front of the Betazoids. An officer plans to slow the ship in order to keep the party going but T’Lyn nerve-pinches her. Freeman realizes something is affecting the crew.
Shaxs takes Boimler to a secret area of the ship, where Boimler hopes to learn something like Tsunkatse but instead finds a secret improv club involving the ship’s security officers, currently trying poetry about Worf.
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T’Lyn, meanwhile, has deduced that the Betazoids may be infected with Zanthi fever, and recommends opening comms to contact a Betazoid doctor. Freeman refuses, saying Doctor T’Ana can handle it… when she stops chasing her own tail.
The Betazoids test negative for Zanthi fever. They beat up Mariner, T’Ana and T’Lyn before restraining Freeman. After the improv club ends a game of charades that Boimler wins, the Betazoid women reveal themselves to be members of Betazoid Intelligence. They proceed to hijack the Cerritos. The visiting threesome were on a telepathic tour, scouting for clues to the mystery ship. They now want to take the Cerritos to Betazed through the Romulan Neutral Zone, but Freeman is sure the crew will notice the problem. As the crew attempts to make a naked human(oid) pyramid at the bar, Mariner and T’Lyn make a discovery using Doctor T’Ana’s tricorder; it shows T’Lyn is the source of the chaos.
T’Lyn has Bendii syndrome. On the bridge, Freeman tricks the Betazoids into reading her mind about insults to each other that she’s heard, thus making them fight each other. Boimler, meanwhile, is fed up with the security officers always spending their downtime playing games, including a current Tarot session in which all the cards mean a rebirth. The Betazoids fight between themselves long enough for Freeman to reach the red alert button.
The alert sounds throughout the ship, finally giving the security officers some action. Rutherford, Tendi and the rest of the crew from the bar are shocked to find that proximity to T’Lyn is the cause of their emotional imbalance. They chase her and Mariner, who hide in a closet. T’Lyn reveals that her transfer was a punishment — for saving her ship by acting on instinct — and that she fears she’s not Vulcan enough.
When Mariner points out to T’Lyn that even Sarek had Bendii syndrome, this calms her down, reducing her involuntary telepathic transmission and returning the crew to normal.
Exploiting the calmness of their poetry sessions to be unreadable, security beat up the Betazoids in time to turn away from the Neutral Zone — much to the disappointment of a Warbird crew.
At Risa, Shaxs reveals he and Rutherford just planned to give Boimler a day off, as that’s also a way of protecting the ship and crew. Before leaving, the Betazoids give Freeman a blurry image of the mystery ship. Elsewhere, T’Lyn decides not to send her report and remain on the Cerritos.
Trailer
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