STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS
SEASON 5, EPISODE 3
SEASON 5, EPISODE 3
The Best Exotic Nanite Hotel
Series: Star Trek: Lower Decks - (2020 - 2024)Season: 5
Episode #: 3
Original Airdate: October 31st, 2024
Writer(s): Stephanie Amante-Ritter
Director(s): Brandon Williams
Guest Stars
Dawnn Lewis as the Kreetassan Female
Fred Tatasciore as the Kreetassan Male
Gillian Vigman as Tersal
Lauren Lapkus as Ensign Jennifer Sh’reyan
Paul Scheer as Lieutenant Commander Andarithio "Andy" Billups
Marcus Henderson as Krog
Marcus Henderson as Ensign Jet Manhaver
Toby Huss as Admiral Milius
Stardate: 59393.7
Synopsis
Captain Carol Freeman records a captain’s log for stardate 59393.7. The Cerritos is docked at the Cosmic Dutchess, a resort ship the size of a moon. A cluster of nanites has infested the resort, and the Cerritos crew must capture and study the robots.
In the Cerritos halls, D’Vana Tendi expresses her excitement at engaging in pest control. Samanthan Rutherford and T’Lyn are excited to have her back. Both Bradward Boimler and Beckett Mariner are stoked about the amenities offered by the resort. But Jack Ransom arrives and says Boimler has been assigned a secret mission. The other four lower deckers arrive in the transporter room. Mariner is looking forward to a straightforward mission. But Jennifer Sh’reyan arrives just before they beam down and identifies herself as Mariner’s girlfriend.
In the Cerritos shuttle bay, Boimler approaches a civilian shuttle. He’ll join Ransom and Andy Billups on an undercover mission. They’re posing as a trio of vacationers. After Ransom and Billups board the shuttle, Jet Manhaver is wheeled over on a gurney. He’s lost both his hands during his most recent mission with Ransom. Manhaver claims Ransom kept forcing him to do all the dangerous stuff, resulting in the injury. He says Ransom uses Lower Deckers as canaries in coal mines. Ransom and Billups call Boimler over. They explain they’re searching for Admiral Millius, who has gone AWOL. Apparently, he was afflicted with “vacation madness.” Boimler asks why he’s being included. But Ransom says Boimler is “exactly what he needs.”
On the Dutchess, T’Lyn asks why Mariner says she never told her she had a girlfriend. Mariner says she doesn’t, and she and Jen broke up. But Tendi questions whether Mariner is sure they broke up. Mariner says Jen dumped her, giving her back a candle. But Jen calls Mariner over by calling her “babe.”
The team finds traces of the nanite cluster. It seems as though the cluster is harvesting material and energy for self-replication. Jen suggests using an energy cell to lure the cluster in. Before going to get it, she kisses Mariner on the cheek. Mariner is confounded by Jen’s belief that they’re still in a relationship. However, she admits that she never specifically told Jen they had broken up. Mariner concedes she messed up and says she’ll go break Jen’s heart.
Mariner approaches Jen. Jen explains that she’s applying to transfer to the U.S.S. Manitoba. While this will mean the end of their relationship, Jen says it is too good an opportunity for her to turn down. Mariner says they should just focus on having a nice last day together. After Jen leaves, Tendi asks how Jen took it. But Mariner says the problem worked itself out.
Elsewhere on the Duchess, Boimler, Ransom and Billups begin their investigation. Millius recently charged a plethora of drinks at the bar. Rather than approach a dangerous looking pair of Gallamites, Boimler offers to approach an innocuous-looking trio playing with a beach ball. Boimler approaches and sips from his drink, offending the trio. He further offends them by eating a snack. Boimler is attacked by one of the aliens. But Ransom intervenes and diffuses the situation. After they’ve left, Ransom explains to Boimler that the species views eating and drinking as the most intimate of acts. Next, Ransom says one of Millius’ acolytes spends a lot of time atop a familiar looking mountain. He says Boimler should get climbing.
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Meanwhile, Jen sets her trap for the nanites. The away team hides behind a table to wait. T’Lyn’s attention is drawn to a poster for a Krog on the Rocks concert, her favorite musician. The nanites appear and are drawn to the cell but decline to consume it. Mariner suggests supercharging the cell with the phaser. Rutherford doesn’t think this is a good idea, but Mariner does it anyway. While it does attract and trap the nanites, they subsequently escape.
On the mountain, Ransom, Billups and Boimler track Millius’ acolyte. Donning skis, Boimler gives pursuit. But he’s soon in over his head on a dangerous hill. He falls off a cliff but is rescued by the acolyte. However, he immediately reveals he’s Starfleet to the acolyte. She informs Millius they’re coming. But at least this allows Billups to locate Millius, even if he knows they’re coming.
Elsewhere in the resort, the away team chases the clump of nanites into an empty concert hall. Mariner and Jen begin arguing over who should be on what team. Jen leaves in a huff. Realizing “not talking” isn’t that different from what her parents do, Mariner concedes that it’s plausible Jen still believes they’re in a relationship. She leaves the other three behind to catch up with Jen.
Meanwhile, Ransom, Billups and Boimler are riding inner tubes down a lazy river. They locate a cave that could be a trap. Ransom urges Boimler to go in first. Boimler grows frustrated at being used as a canary. But Ransom insists he’s just trying to give Boimler a win. However, Boimler’s shouting alerts Millius’ minions to their location. They use dart guns to pop the trio’s tubes before moving menacingly toward them.
In the concert hall, T’Lyn, Rutherford and Tendi check the stage. T’Lyn is distracted by the vibe tubes. Meanwhile, Mariner and Jen argue on the balcony. Distracted by their argument, Jen and Mariner don’t see the looming nanite clump, which has become an icosahedron. They finally see it and flee from it. But the icosahedron does consume T’Lyn, Rutherford and Tendi.
Elsewhere, Ransom, Billups and Boimler are taken hostage at AWOL Falls. Millius requests a private audience with Boimler. Channeling Colonel Kurtz, Millius says he’s been watching Boimler all day. He says they’re cut from the same cloth. He insists they’ve both been thrown to the wolves by their superiors. It turns out he’s upset he’s been assigned missions to milk space whales. He’s mad that he was “relegated to an interstellar dairy farmer.” Millius invites Boimler to go AWOL with him.
Meanwhile, the icosahedron wreaks havoc with T’Lyn, Rutherford and Tendi trapped inside. It continues to take guests and objects into itself. Jen and Mariner give chase in a golf cart. Eventually, they end up trapped near the top of a palm tree. Mariner finally comes clean and admits they broke up. Jen says she knows. She was messing with Mariner because they never officially split. While Jen realized they were broken up, Mariner never gave Jen the chance to voice her opinion on the end of the relationship. Mariner officially breaks up with Jen. Jen officially accepts. Rutherford contacts Mariner and Jen. He says he’s located the signal controlling the nanites inside the icosahedron. Disrupting the signal will incapacitate the nanites. Jen asks if Mariner can trust her one last time.
At AWOL Falls, Ransom and Billups say Boimler wasn’t brought along because he’s expendable but because he’s dependable. He’s reliable, smart and surprisingly wiry. Ransom says he was trying to give Boimler a chance to prove himself. But in retrospect, he can see how that would come across as callous.
Boimler acts like he isn’t convinced. But he uses the sunscreen to momentarily blind Millius before subsequently using it to free Ransom and Billups.
Meanwhile, Jen and Mariner lure the icosahedron underneath their perch atop a building by using the same phaser trick as earlier. They’re holding an object concealed in a sheet between them. When the icosahedron arrives, they jump inside it together. Rutherford says they must disrupt the signal. Mariner and Jen say that’s still the plan. The object they’re carrying is revealed to be the vibe tubes. They pass these to T’Lyn and tell her to play. T’Lyn does so. The icosahedron’s path grows erratic. Rutherford says it’s working and urges T’Lyn to keep vibing. The icosahedron melts, and those inside are freed.
At AWOL Falls, Millius orders his minions to attack Ransom, Billups and Boimler. But that’s not really the vibe. The minions disperse and leave Millius to be taken into custody by the away team.
In the melted remains of the icosahedron, T’Lyn meets Krog. She apologizes for playing his vibe tubes. But Krog says it is illogical to apologize when playing them saved his life. Krog has adopted Vulcan meditative practices in his “ongoing quest for inner chill.” They are fans of each others’ work. Nearby, Mariner apologizes to Jen, while Jen apologizes back. They agree that they were pretty chaotic.
Using his implant, Rutherford makes a discovery. The nanites were being controlled by a microscopic starship. The tiny U.S.S. Endeavor was pulled through an interdimensional rift. The captain is relieved to have contacted Starfleet. She says they’ve been through a month of hell.
Freeman’s supplemental log explains that the Endeavor is from a dimension of a smaller scale. Their attempts to construct an interdimensional portal to facilitate their return resulted in the nanite swarm. While the Cerritos doesn’t have the resources to get them back, Boimler had an idea of who could help them return. Millius is assigned the mission to return the Endeavor.
In the Cerritos bar, Tendi gifts T’Lyn an autographed image of Krog. Jen is about to head off to the Manitoba. Mariner wishes her luck. Jen says this is the first time she hasn’t been mortal enemies with an ex. Meanwhile, Boimler is proud to have shown an Admiral how rewarding Starfleet can be.
Ransom approaches and congratulates Boimler on a job well done. Then he says he’s looking for Manhaver, as they have an away mission to a lava planet. The terrified Manhaver tries to flee but is spotted by Ransom. “I just got these hands,” Manhaver protests in fear.-geekgirlauthority.com
Trailer
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