IR TV Review: STAR TREK - LOWER DECKS - EPISODE 6 (“Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place”) [Paramount+-S4]

The essence of interpersonal relationships and those things that keep people apart or together is, of course, the backbone of any great show. The essence of platonic can always transform depending on the amount of time spent together. Boimler and Mariner have other compulsive structures on their mind but it is interesting with Tendi and Rutherford since they are made for each other, through and through. Episode 6: "Parth Ferengi's Heart Place" brings the focus back to the core four on a episode that purely is for character development for the most part. We do see the return of Rahm from "DS9" and his now lovely wife as he functions as the Grand Negus. It is a cool progression but only if you are aware of how they functioned on that show.

Captain Freeman's eventual handling of the negotiations as the Ferengi are planning to join the Federation is a subtle but crucial point. The key backpoint is Rutherford and Tendi going to a couples resort because Ransom gives the four leads the assignment to write a tour guide for the Ferengi Homeworld. It is the irony of the whole angle here that works because being a couple and the awkwardness shows how close Tendi and Rutherford actually are. It has that ring of the couple outing for Clark and Lois in "Superman II" when she continually doesn't know who he is. The foreshadowing here works well since the melding of a partial cybernetic person and a fiery Orion who is trying to find her center is a neat idea. Mariner of course just wants to start fights and Boimler ends up in a situation completely antithetical to his process but it just goes to show how much these cadets want to be perfect yet they are only human...or close to it. B+

By Tim Wassberg