“Shades of Green”
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, Episode 2 – Debuted Thursday, October 23, 2024
Written by Keith Foglesong
Directed by Bob Suarez
A complicated series of stories all tie together thematically as Lower Decks has some fun with Trek lore and philosophy.
RECAP
“For the record, I’m taking responsibility and you chose chaos.”
The Cerritos has been tasked to help new Federation member Targalus IX transition to a post-scarcity society, with Boimler and Mariner on currency recycling duty. Brad shows strong team leader confidence (and a weak mustache) offering “bointers,” but Mariner talks him into being a “fun boss,” so he lets his jaded ensigns take a break to enjoy the party atmosphere. Later when they can’t find the pair, Boimler refuses to ask the Cerritos for help. They soon discover jewel-encrusted terrorists have kidnapped Mackler and Gorm as elitists are fighting the loss of their beloved capitalist system. Mariner and Boimler are on their own for the rescue mission, but he is still in confident mode and commandeers a speeder to chase the rich rebels to their tacky mansion hideout. The kidnappers are using their household robots as guards, which seem easy to get past until a gardening bot captures Brad and Beckett and threatens to “prune” them. The confused (and somewhat insane) thing ushers them to a cell where they discover the two ensigns are dead! Got a bointer for that, Bradward?
“A cute-iny!”
Back on Orion, the Tendi sisters have a strategy slumber party, but D’Vana senses something is up. She does some snooping and discovers D’Erika is hiding a pregnancy. Called in front of the Orion Queen, Houses Tendi and Azure (ha!) get an earful for not bringing in new booty, so they have to compete in an ancient solar sailing quest for hidden treasure—and the losing house will be kicked from the syndicate and lose all their wealth. D’Vana is concerned over the dangerous space race, but D’Erika is determined to lead her house to victory. Once underway, the Blues (I refuse to call the Azures) fight dirty and D’Vana freaks out, fomenting a “gentle, supportive mutity” to keep D’Erika safe. But the slippers, extra pillows, and restraints don’t last long, and D’Erkia escapes. D’Vana comes clean, revealing she knows about the baby, just as their ship crashes into an asteroid. See what keeping secrets does? On a related note, back on the Cerritos, T’Lyn asks Rutherford to show her the ways of shuttle repair, but he’s too busy so she ends up tinkering with the Sequoia on her own. When he stops her with some engineersplaining, the poor Vulcan leaves, dejected. Later, Rutherford is shocked to find T’Lyn has completely repaired the shuttle, so he admits he had been slow-rolling the whole thing so it would be there when Tendi came back. T’Lyn admits to her own deception: Requesting his help was her way to socialize and maybe help him get over Tendi. Human emotions, so illogical.
“I like when stuff isn’t my fault.”
Back at the mansion, the kidnappers show up and freak out over the dead ensigns, then run away to go off the grid and live off mud (they aren’t that clear on how life without money works). Turns out Mackler and Gorm were faking it, using the venom of a local bug… thanks to one of Brad’s bointers! The gardener bot lets them go and the ensigns are ready to get back to partying if Boimler can stop being a buzzkill. At the Orion race, D’Erika reveals she kept her secret to protect her sister from having to stay and train the kid (as per custom), plus Orion women do piracy when pregnant all the time. Newly inspired, the crew boards the Blue’s ship and Tendi destroys the treasure, assuming no booty means a tied race. The Pirate Queen sees things differently and kicks both houses out of the syndicate, but mom and dad Tendi are kind of okay with living a normal life and D’Erika wants her sister to return to Starfleet to follow her heart. Aww. The storylines converge as Tendi reunites with an ecstatic Rutherford, who is even happier when they find the Sequoia in parts. T’Lyn picked up on the clues and destroyed all her work (and more), so they now all have something to work on together. Aww, again. When Mariner and Boimler arrive with their harrowing story, D’Vana spots an opportunity and gets Captain Freeman to hire House Tendi for recycling the Targalus IX “treasure trash,” restoring the family’s standing. The Blues now work for D’Erika, and everything is tied up in a neat little bow.
ANALYSIS
There was quite a lot going on in this solid follow-up to the season premiere. Not resolving the season 4 Tendi cliffhanger in the first episode was a bold choice, forcing the episode to keep a lot of seemingly divergent plates spinning. But strong themes tied things together well and giving the Orion story more time to work out was worth the extra effort. Noël Wells and guest star Ariel Winter as D’Erika made us care, delivering humor with humanity (Orionity?). The Blues (Azures) are a bit one-note, but they are just a part of what is a richer tapestry of Orion culture. Together with episode one, Lower Decks has given us a lot more depth for Orions, with fun new things like the Queen and her screaming blazzard pet as well as the nuances of how it isn’t all about the pirate life for many—part of the dual meaning behind the “Shades of Green” episode title.
The other shade of green was for a planet literally burning all of its currency. Star Trek’s money-free utopia has been a constant through line, yet rarely gets explored. This is mostly because it raises so many questions. Here Lower Decks didn’t take on some of the bigger societal quandaries about how people (even the ones doing the dirty jobs) remain motivated in a world without money, but they did tackle things in their own special way, leaning into the conceit of the mission of the USS Cerritos. Looking just at the transition to this post-scarcity ideal, the show indulged in some of the mechanics about what that would be like. Surely, for most it would be a party, but for others, the loss of the power that came with their wealth would be a catastrophe. And there is humor to be found on both sides of that.
With no mention of the space potholes but lots of follow-ups to the more personal moments of the season opener, the character arcs are what’s tying this season together. Meeting cool confident alt-Boimler has clearly had a big impact on Brad and so far the results are actually positive, but using a PADD from another universe as a cheat sheet is likely going to have repercussions. Mariner, too, is finding her footing after meeting her crazy captain self and seeks a new kind of balance. Together they are maturing, able to impart their wisdom (and respect for “buffer time”) with the next crop of ensigns. Tendi, Rutherford, and T’Lyn are also demonstrating growth as they all acknowledged some truths after sitcom antics resulted from their various deceptions. These familiar tropes are to be expected when such a short episode tries to cram so much in to the point that you can feel the writers knew they were working with a limited clock on their final season. And perhaps the net result is that this episode, while still funny, wasn’t as big of a hoot as the season opener.
Final thoughts
Lower Decks continues to impress as it keeps us laughing while building on Star Trek history. But what really makes it work is these characters who we have grown to love, and in this season they continue to evolve without losing what makes them so fun to watch. Together with episode one, this was a great way to start a new season for a show that will be missed—but not just yet. There is clearly much more ground to cover, and not just on Boimler’s face.
RANDOM BITS
- The episode title could be a reference to the season 2 TNG episode “Shades of Grey,” although this was no “clip show.”
- The episode debuted along with episode 1 of season 5, “Dos Cerritos” [reviewed separately]
- Stardate: 59376.9.
- We learned two of Brad’s “bointers”
- #3: Lift with your legs and your spine will be fine.
- #16: Always research flora and fauna on a new planet, you never know what might be trying to kill you.
- Billups’ mom gave him a dragon as a present. We didn’t see the dragon, but the fire-breathing effects were apparent.
Easter eggs and more to come
We will take a deeper dive into Pyrithian bat milk and all the Easter eggs and canon connections this weekend and discuss the episode on this week’s episode of the All Access Podcast, available on Friday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
New episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks premiere on Thursdays, streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and Europe. Lower Decks also airs on Thursdays in Canada on CTV Sci-Fi Channel.
Keep up with all the news and reviews from the new Star Trek Universe on TV at TrekMovie.com.
I don’t see how this is related to “Shades of Grey,” even though I keep seeing people say it is. The title refers to the fact the Orions come in many shades.
Both are true. Several Lower Decks episode titles are plays on words of other Star Trek titles even if the episode itself has nothing to do with the original. Another such example is last season’s “The Inner Fight” which had little to do with TNG’s “The Inner Light” other than a similar sounding name.
Thought the most blatant example would be “We’ll Always Have Tom Paris.”
This show is made with love, humour and heart. Love all the little nods to TNG et al
That’s basically all the show is. Nostalgia and cheap fan service.
Nah, the stories are more than that. The fan service is omnipresent, but more as an overlay than a foundation.
Forced to disagree. The fan service is indeed the show’s foundation. The main character is herself a Star Trek fan!
Saying it over and over doesn’t make it true, Emily. The only one trick pony here is you and your pet cause.
Wow is that Emily? This really does explain so much. 😂🙄
And so strange how they repeat the same thing about Star Trek but completely OK with all the nostalgia, fan service and legacy character Star Wars does all the time.
It isn’t and you are extremely tedious. Nobody is going to come around to your point of view, so maybe just give up?
Don’t think that person expects anyone to come to share their point of view. There is nothing wrong with expressing opinion in these threads. So many feel threatened by that. Weird.
Only if your vision doesn’t penetrate the surface. Thinking that’s all Lower Decks is is an incredibly shallow read of the series.
You need more sugar in your life.
It’s really sad you can’t see beyond that or think that’s the only reason why so many people love it. It is actually the characters and stories themselves that makes this show special for so many of us. I love the fan service but if that’s all I cared I would’ve gotten bored long ago. The show has to be more than that for me to love it this much and thankfully it is. 🙂🖖
I agree, Harry. For an adult animated comedy, though, it generally works. I’m not a big fan of the show, but I do appreciate what it’s doing. And I absolutely adored their live-action appearance on SNW.
The post scarcity thing was great. Our primitive culture is obsessed with the accumulation of things to the detriment of the planet and all life on it.
A society founded on the ethic that improving yourself and the lives of others is infinitely more rewarding and fulfilling than the accumulation of stuff you mostly don’t need wouldn’t be without its own challenges, but would be vastly preferable to what we have now.
Much as I think I’d like to, I can’t even begin to imagine a path forward toward that and away from ‘the most toys’ aspect that dominates westernized life as I’ve known it. Not unless it started its ascent by stepping on the absolutely dead bodies of the top 1% — and then the top 10% under them, and so on and so on — cuz you just know they ain’t gonna want to lose or share any of their toys and in fact will always want more of them, even if their wealth exceeds the GNP of whole countries.
The Buddha could land in an alien spaceship and heal the planet’s physical ills as demonstration of a way forward and still you know they’d want to Klaatu that sucker rather than let their wealth-obsessed childhood just end.
I’ve gotten in the habit of checking this board when I get up in the a.m. and I think I better stop, this is often putting me in the foulest and darkest mood for the day (as much as checking the news feeds, which I’ve largely stepped away from.)
Some people think the writers of Lower Decks deserve nothing because it’s just making a joke of Star Trek and a mockery of science with time travel and economics where as a hard working garbage person is providing an actual service. Some people think the writers of Lower Decks deserve $1MM/year because it’s a funny comedy. Some people think the writers deserve $1 billion trillion dollars because they are pushing humanity forward because cartoon like this inspire. Who decides?
Why it obviously should be you? Of course. Scarcity over despite actually needing actual resources and people developing those resources to survive.
Or alternatively maybe comedy cartoons and tv aren’t the place to understand economics, which props to this episode as providing comedic value..
Wow, I may have to actually watch this one.
As noted above, it at least has a pretty funny jab at the stock market early in the episode. Ironically or not, the writer earned their quatloos with that one.
I guess billionaires have just decided to regard the world as their personal playground at this point, with all that it contains as their playthings. (Apparently including, as of today, the Washington Post.) Which actually infuriates me a lot less than the fact that so many who have far less in the way of resources than I do are nevertheless eager to make it happen.
Over 40 years ago, a scientist in the film LOCAL HERO said it best, He explains that they can head off what he calls the big freeze coming for the planet, that they had proved it in tests. But it wasn’t going ahead. Why? He says, ‘they want to freeze.’ It does really seem like that, with respect to a large number of poorer people embracing their limited creature comforts over preserving/saving the planet.
I think I’ve mentioned SOLAR CRISIS here before, but if I haven’t … it’s a bad big-budget (50 mil in 1990) space movie that didn’t even make it to theaters domestically. The sun is going to burn up the Earth shortly, so we send a ship there with a bomb to blow the sun back to normal. The villain of the piece (an exceptionally poor performance from Peter Boyle, but then again, this has a suckfest of a script) is a super-rich guy who sabotages the mission because he thinks it will hurt his bottom line if it works. ?????? If it doesn’t work, your bottom line won’t even be a cinder!
I used to used it as an example of how ridiculous bad movies can self-sabotage, at least until the Craig era of Bond and Trek09, but (mostly in the last decade), I’ve seen real-world examples that seem hell-bent on emulating that SOLAR CRISIS bad guy with their critical blindness caused by intentionally wearing blinders.
It makes you enraged while you’re shaking your head sadly, and really does cause wonder about whether we’re worth saving.
Maybe I understand why that dolphin in the papers recently sexually attacks human swimmers. Maybe we really are asking for it.
It’s long been a given that even sophisticated human societies were ripe for manipulation by demagogues when their people were under enormous stress, e.g. hyper-inflationary Weimar Germany. Remember Quark’s observation to Nog about humans being kind and cuddly so long as they had their replicators and creature comforts? The revelation that comes in the autumn of my life is that somewhat well-educated people even in a time of relative prosperity are subject to such manipulation, using the same old time-tested methods. The other day Tucker Carlson suggested to a crowd in Georgia that America was like a fifteen year-old teenager overdue to get the spanking she deserved, and when Trump took the stage they cheered and called him their Daddy. Here we are.
Sadly so agreed my friend and why Star Trek is so great! And it is a reminder why so much of the real world is so depressing today.
Spoken for truth. One of the things that made me a Trek fan in the 90s when I learned money no longer existed on Earth because humans learned to not look at the world and even people as just a commodity and that we strive beyond that. Sure it’s a pipe dream in the real world but it’s what makes Star Trek so special! 🖖
Also agree Luke. One of the things I have always loved about Star Trek and that humans will go beyond that.
And it’s not that people in Star Trek don’t like having stuff, since replicators can give them basically anything they want and the episode noted that. It’s just that it’s not the end all and be all to life either. They don’t see the need to have the most expensive stuff and in excess. Having these things in Star Trek is just seen as a tool, the same way me typing on this computer is, but not a brand extension the way people look at things such as an Apple computer today. We know we need stuff to live, but we look at things today as a lifestyle brand and try to accumulate it as much as possible. But that’s how capitalism works. You make the best stuff to sell the most of it.
That’s why I liked this episode. I know for the more conservative fans, it’s just Trek going all super liberal again, but I don’t see it that way at all. Nothing says humans can’t work to have nice things (and yes some do still earn money too even in the 23rd and 24th century just not necessarily on Earth), it’s just not a requirement to have a fulfilling life anymore. And of course many people don’t think that way today but unfortunately we are made to think that way, ie, to be ‘successful’ is to be rich even though 99% of the planet isn’t close to that or could ever achieve it.
The biggest problem with an economy predicated on endless consumption isn’t that you’re constantly encouraged (programmed?) to want “nice stuff” you can’t afford and mostly don’t need — that might, in fact, even be harmful to you. It isn’t even that mass production of such stuff may not be compatible with the planet’s biosphere. No, the insidious idea is that in order for you to feel really good about owning the stuff, it is necessary for your neighbor not to own it.
But then who gets the nicest homes? There is a nice mountain top to put your home. Who get’s it? There is only one mountain top. This is just one of the problems. Replicators can solve many of society’s problems but certain not ALL of them. The Captain still get’s the nicest and biggest room on the ship. He still gets a yacht. Do the ensigns all get yachts? They obviously can’t replicate those. Or space. Therefore some sort of currency MUST exist. Capitalism has done more to lift humanity out of poverty than any other system yet created. Not so say something better might come along. But not yet. And replicators simply won’t create the utopia Picard described in that one throw away line in First Contact.
This episode made me ugly cry like I was captain on the Disco crew
T’Lynn. Definitely Rutherford and Tendi’s reunion as well, but it’s just so tried and true what they did with T’Lynn. You have a character who usually hides their feelings make a gesture that’s heartfelt, and the emotional return is ten fold what you’d get if they’d been constantly gushing what their feelings were every episode.
I agree so much and why T’Lyn is such a great character. She truly cares about her friends and try to express it in her own Vulcan way. Another reason why this show is so awesome.
Loved the yesterday’s enterprise reference and did you guys notice the Caprica “Serge” household bot design?
Are Rutherford and Tendi not only best friends but also madly romantically in love with each other without either of them being willing to admit it, or maybe even recognizing it? That is the undercurrent that I picked up on rewatching the Ferengi episode where they go undercover as married people, but I’d be curious to hear what others think of this idea? Is that the vibe that you get?
I think there might be something there. If this is the final season, maybe something happens by the end? We’ll see :)
I’ve always had a romantic vibe for those two because of how they act with one another, all the way back to like the second episode when Rutherford switched divisions just so he could watch a pulsar with Tendi.
I think Other ford was the best evidence of his feelings. As they said in that episode he basically became a Borg after she left for Orion so he didn’t have to deal with his feelings, going as far as deleting her from his memory.
They vibed so well things kept going even after Prime Rutherford lost his memory, so I expect Otherford and OtherTendi to bounce back despite the deletion should they meet again someday.
If they finally went there it wouldn’t faze me at all. They’ve set it up properly.
Riker and Troi got together by the end of TNG, so McMahan will obviously want his version of that.
Because no other show has had a will they/won’t they relationship before. Do you need a step ladder? You’re reaching.
That and the fact Riker and Troy didn’t even get together at the end of TNG and in fact it was Troi and Worf as a couple, so no clue what he’s talking about. That didn’t happen until Insurrection.
This one was great too but I was a bit disappointed that it didn’t lead to an all out Orion civil war. We haven’t had an inter-species war since the Klingons back in the TNG days. I know this is Lower Decks, they don’t really do stuff like that so I didn’t expect a LOT but I was hoping it went at least 1-2 more episodes before it was settled. Oh well.
But man I think I fell in love with D’Erika these first two episodes. She is a fire cracker lol. I honestly hated her when she was introduced last season. Not as much as I hate Tilly, Neelix, Adolf or Tilly but close enough. But now I realize I just misunderstood her and that she has a good heart for a trained Orion assassin and pirate. She really loves Tendi.
I could not stop laughing over how much she hated the blue Orions. She hated them as much as Kirk hated the Klingons or Worf and the Romulans or Kira and the Cardassians or Ro and the Cardassians or B’Elanna and the Cardassians, well, you get it! But I cracked up at every line. I really hope we see her again.
And it was nice to see Mariner and Boimler relationship develop more but I think they could’ve done more with this subplot. We already seen Boimler loosening up and try to be more outgoing and fun when he became bold Boimler in season 3. I did like Boimler’s Bointer tips though lol.
And I’m not sure if a planet just wiping out their economy in a week is a good idea. Sure, they probably don’t have to worry about buying food or things anymore but there are still lots of things that needs workers to keep society running. I guess we have to assume all those people would just keep working without money? I think they could’ve done a little more with that and not just the rich people upset they can’t be at the top of the food chain anymore. But yeah it’s a comedy, I know.
And finally, I also loved T’Lyn in this episode and how she shows how much she cares about the crew in her own way. When she dismantled the shuttle so Tendi and Rutherford could start from the beginning was so heartwarming. T’Lyn is just amazing. One of the best characters in Trek and definitely NuTrek. Tendi is still my favorite though.
Season is starting off great so far!
”Believe it or not, it actually smells better now.” Okay, that was actually pretty funny.
I didn’t think this episode was as strong as the first one, but definitely liked it. I really loved how Tendi and her sister’s relationship the most. We are getting a great peek at how Orion culture works, it’s really messed up lol, but not every culture has to be like the ‘perfect’ humans either. I just love how much we are learning about Orions in general and it’s really fun to watch them.
I also loved how they handled a planet who decided to do away with money and live a more Federation philosophy. Sure, it probably would be a total disaster to just do away with it so fast (and they obviously showed not everyone would just be happy about it) but it is a 30 minute comedy and we can only expect so much.
But I love that LDS just highlight how absurd so much of Star Trek universe truly is on every level. From its aliens to the crazy science and how people live in it. Not that I have an issue how they live of course, but not close to the reality of our real world; and why I like it.
As expected. While the first episode landed a few good gags for a change, this one went right back to the what the show decided it is. A typical unfunny awful episode about characters that are very very difficult to care about.
Which is unfortunate because the B story was rife with potential jokes and gags. Yet none were touched on at all.
This show has ended up being a tremendous disappointment. I’m a huge Trek fan but even I know the universe is just filled with potential humor in the right hands. The first couple of Very Short Treks proved it. Alas Mike McMahon was, and this is a huge problem with Secret Hideout, just not the right person for the job. He let his personal reverence for the source material get in the way of making good jokes. Humor’s hands just cannot be tied.