It’s that time of week once again, meaning we have a brand new Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2 Episode for you all!
Give me a warp in the fact of five, six, seven, eight!
Welcome to Trek Central! I’m your host, Captain Jack, and let’s get into it!
This week's episode is called “Mugato, Gumato”.
The title is a reference to the fact that the Mugato were originally called the Gumato, but actor Deforest Kelly who played Dr McCoy couldn’t pronounce it in Star Trek: The Original Series,
so they changed it to Mugato. This fact is slightly brought up in this episode even, did you catch it?
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Before we jump into the review, as a quick note, i am ill at the moment so you're going to have to put up with that one...
Something is going around, so hopefully back to usual soon, anyway let's talk about Star Trek: Lower Decks!
Switching things around this week, we’re jumping straight into our Episode Review and then will discuss some key moments later on in the video.
As a reminder, SPOILER ALERT, we’ll be discussing the episode in full detail, so you have been warned!
The throwback to the weird Star Trek: The Next Generation martial art of “Anbo-jyutsu” was an interesting take,
given how it fits into the Star Trek Universe.
Though watching Rutherford and Boimler try and one up Ensign Mariner says something about their characters in my opinion.
This martial art was of course shown off by William T. Riker and his father, Kyle Riker,
in the TNG episode “The Icarus Factor”.
Let’s just say the outfits are rather interesting, given it’s basically light protective armour that can easily be smashed it seems.
Starfleet Black ops references are being thrown in and around this episode. Yes of course Section 31 was mentioned,
as well as Starfleet Intelligence placing agents on ships and also Tuvok from Voyager being placed onboard a Marquis ship.
Let’s be honest at this point Starfleet is well known to not be all the bells and whistles of how great it actually is.
So the idea that people still are shady about secret agents and undercover operatives does make sense.
Though mentioning Section 31 is an interesting choice, as the organization should not be that well known by this point in the Star Trek Timeline, unless they have been exposed….
That is a longer conversation for another time… hmm.
Personally, this episode was very enjoyable, if not a little repetitive in it’s style.
The action elements of Shaxs storming the Ferengi compound were some of my favourite moments,
though the switch of Mariner apparently stabbing him was a turn I did not expect, even though it was set up during the conversation with the bartender.
By the end of the episode, we find out Mariner is winding up the bartender with false stories so that he spreads them around the ship.
Thinking about it, I’m sure we all know someone who does this,
you tell them something secret, and then everyone knows it within the next hour.
Of course the whole Mariner thing was a ruse set up by herself.
While it was sorta funny to see her apparently murdering Shaxs and kicking the life out of Rutherford and Boimler, part of me feels like this has been done to death a little.
Maybe I am just overthinking it, but let me explain more.
We’ve already been made aware in Lower Decks Season One that Ensign Mariner has had trouble fitting in on other starships,
given she always ends up in the brig and being demoted, or in trouble etc.
So why it needs to be reinforced to us viewers that Mariner is apparently a flawed person, I’m not sure.
One of the funniest moments in this episode for me was the death of P-tingy-ty, however you say or spell that name.
In hindsight, saying his death was dunny may sound bad, but hear me out.
It’s that sorta thing where someone says and pretends there is an expert, and then gets their ass handed to them. That usual trope will typically get a laugh out of me anytime.
The whole Ferengi aspect of this episode was enjoyable, seeing them up to the stereotypical no good was cool,
but seeing them turn a new page and suddenly care for the Mugato was even more interesting.
Of course it’s only in the interest of more Profit, along with a neat reference to the famous Quark of Deep Space Nine.
I wonder if he is still on Deep Space Nine at this point? One day I do hope Lower Decks even goes there.
Ensign Tendi’s side-mission aka the B-plot of this episode held no real value for me personally,
it was almost likely put in here just to carry the episode forward in the sense of giving her something to do,
as she was unlikely going to fit into the mission down on the planet.
Though her working to find and get Doctor T’Ana’s medical report was unique. Fancy a doctor not doing their own medical report,
though I guess it is not underheard of in the grand scheme of things.
I mean she breaks her arm in the process of getting this, I guess as a character we can say that Tendi is dedicated to her job for sure.
As I always mention when I get an opportunity to talk about her, Doctor T’Ana remains one of my favourite characters of this show.
She boosts up Ensign Tendi, but then knocks her down when getting carried away.
Captain Freeman getting caught up on a scam is something we can all relate to, especially the lie of apparently losing a shuttle in a blackhole,
given Starfleet and any Star Trek series has a long history of losing starships in about anything as possible.
Though she did eventually catch up with the scammer and get her ready room junk, I mean collectibles back.
I think overall this episode was good!
Not the best of Lower Decks Season Two so far, but overall very enjoyable to watch.
Lower Decks for me serves well as something I can simply put on in the background and watch
as I don't need to be super invested in what is on the screen, if I miss a part, I don't miss the whole context of the episode.
What did you think of the episode? Let us know in the comments as per usual. Don’t forget each Wednesday we stream here on the Trek Central YouTube channel, so tune in for our live discussion on the latest Lower Decks episode!
Once again this week's episode was full of iconic Star Trek references, some are known, some are not.
Of course Denobulans had a small cameo at the beginning of the episode, who were attacked by the Mugato and puffed up their faces, which we have seen Doctor Phlox do in Star Trek Enterprise.
Mugatu creatures are once again a throwback to Star Trek: The Original Series.
I do really love the fact that the writers of this episode made constant references to the different name thing, as we mentioned before.
Essentially it’s cool that it’s inconsistent that Mugato have different pronunciations.
Even Shax’s during his briefing and mission keeps changing the pronunciation of the species.
Fun little fact, Ensign Mariner served on the USS Atlantis.
There were actually 2 USS Atlantis’ in Starfleet in the 24th Century, the USS Atlantis NCC-72007, Captained by Jana Park in 2364, and the USS Atlantis NCC-32710 captained by Dick Brownfield in 2365.
This episode of Lower Decks gives us some even better looks at the refit of the USS Cerritos.
We’ve recently done a video on this, taking a look at all the upgrades and changes to the Season Two version of the USS Cerritos for Lower Decks, so do check out that video here on the channel!
Don’t forget to catch Star Trek: Lower Decks Season Two every Thursday on Paramount+ If you’re in the United States, on Crave / CTV Sci-Fi if you’re in Canada and on Fridays via Amazon Prime Video for International viewers!
If you want to keep up to date on all the latest Star Trek news, lore and more, then make sure to hit that subscribe button to never miss a video from the team here at Trek Central! You can also follow us on social media, or join our Community Discord Server!