Review—Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 3, “Temporal Edict”
By D.J. Rivera
The third episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks celebrates the rule-breakers of Starfleet, and is littered with Easter Eggs for Trekkies to hunt and find.
The latest installment of Star Trek: Lower Decks, “Temporal Edict,” gives us a funny look at why slacking off is an important part of Starfleet’s success. This episode does a fantastic job of proving why the Federation needs both rule-breakers Mariner and sticklers like Boimler.
We begin with Mariner and Tindi jamming out, because they apparently they can play instruments, and interrupting a Klingon communication, resulting in an engineer being put to death and Boimler’s violin getting smashed in half.
It’s always fun to see what the red, blue, and yellow shirts do when they’re not exploring the mysteries of the galaxy. Apparently they have a lot of free time, which they keep by stretching out the time it takes them to complete a task, ensuring they always finish the workday early. They call it “buffer time.” A scandalized Boimler spills the beans on this scheme to the captain, who is upset that the Cerritos got shafted out attending an historic, once-in-a-lifetime peace negotiation.
The captain puts everyone on a strict, timed schedule, causing mass chaos as crew members run themselves ragged trying to keep up. Things are rushed and done improperly, resulting in stuff like a failed peace mission with Mariner and Ransom on the planet surface.
“Temporal Edict” — Pictured (L-R) Eugene Cordero as Ensign Rutherford and Noël Wells as Ensign Tendi of the CBS All Access series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS. Photo Cr: Best Possible Screen Grab CBS ©2020 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The natives attack the ship with graffiti and spears, and because the crew is so preoccupied with their tasks, they’re unable to stop them. It’s the most laughably low-stakes threat in Starfleet history.
The only person thriving in this high-stress environment is Boimler, but after seeing what’s it’s doing to his colleagues, he devises a way to reinstate buffer time. The captain loosens the rules and allows the crew to deal with the less-than-threatening situation on board the Cerritos. Boimler becomes an unwilling poster child for the value of breaking the rules.
“Temporal Edict” — Pictured Jerry O’Connell as Commander Jack Ransom of the CBS All Access series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS. Photo Cr: Best Possible Screen Grab CBS ©2020 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
One the planet’s surface, Mariner and Ransom argue about who will engage in trial by combat. Ransom stabs Mariner in the foot and ends up winning the match, freeing his crew. Mariner doesn’t report him, but Ransom still has Mariner thrown in the brig, although that’s her favorite place to be, so it works out.
Mariner continues to be the highlight of the show. We keep learning more about her extraordinary background, which would make for a great show on its own. Boimler being immortalized for breaking the rules is a side-splitting surprise that’s immediately topped by Cheif Miles Obrien from Deep Space Nine and The Next Generation being revered as the most important person in Starfleet history in the far future. Not many Trekkies saw that one coming.
There are a lot of well-placed references in this episode. Boimler’s violin opener is an homage to Data’s fondness for the instrument, and his purging song could be a nod to the way the infamous android sang “precious little life forms” in Star Trek: Generations.
“Temporal Edict” — Pictured Jack Quaid as Ensign Brad Boimler of the CBS All Access series STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS. Photo Cr: Best Possible Screen Grab CBS ©2020 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
“Buffer time,” meanwhile, is a reference to the one and only Scotty from The Original Series. It was also hilarious how they name-dropped the Enterprise, which apparently has a crew capable of multi-tasking, although they do crash pretty often.
Star Trek: Lower Decks is great at planting Easter eggs for the Trekkies in the audience. It gives the episodes a lot of replay value.
Episode Grade: B
Next. Star Trek: Lower Decks offers up a wickedly funny premiere. dark
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