Not sure there is much more room for growth in Star Trek series at the moment. Spoilers.
Not quite as strong an episode as last time, I think because there’s not very much character development in the main Boimler/Tendi/Mariner story. The engineers vs the Captain plot on the spa ship is more successful, but it once again doesn’t give Rutherford very much time to show a distinct character.
The main story is barely a plot, it’s really just an excuse to run through a few little episodes on the way to the goal. They were all played for laughs rather than anything useful in terms of character or plot. The episode could have gone straight to the room where both shifts waited with no real loss of story. And none of the vignettes are that funny really. It’s slightly redeemed by the ending and realising the mistake they made, but only slightly.
The B-story is also straight forward, but we do get to see a bit of the Captain’s approach to things, and the problems with engineers. My only problem with the plot is I spent about 10 minutes expecting it to turn out to be some kind of trap, rather than a real spa.
Quick hits:
– Great TNG callback, but also in service to the underlying conceit of the A story happening away from the main characters of the show.
– Room lottery does not feel like the way rooms get allocated on a military starship.
– Dr T’Ana and Shaxs relationship is fun – it’s both a good pairing of characters, and it seems to be written (as little as we see) as something a bit real.
867 down.