IR TV Review: STAR TREK - LOWER DECKS - EPISODES 1 & 2 (“Twovix” & “I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee”) [Paramount+-S4]
Sometimes the essence of "Star Trek" can bleed through on an ethereal level. Other times it can be reflective. Other times it is about playing with concept. With "Star Trek: Lower Decks", creator Mike McMahan riffs somewhere in the middle, sometimes coming up with such inspired elements that hit at the heartstrings while still understanding the basic metaphors that primally drive the backbone of lore. With the first two episodes of Season 4: "TwoVix" and "I Have No Bones And Yet I Must Flee", he pulls on two different lexicons to perpetuate his story and yet still reflect the characters they are happening to.
"TwoVix" (B+) specifically refers to an episode of "Star Trek: Voyager" where Tuvok and Neelix are melded in a transporter accident into one being and the inherent moral dilemma it creates when taking this apart. Granted the Cerritos crew reacts differently as one would expect, and the essence of what this crew is ensues. However that is one side of the story, there is another plot element that actually takes place on the aforementioned ship and that is where some of the deep cuts (and some emotional resonance come in...especially with the use of certain plot and holodeck cues which are not overdone but pays homage to the old school. There also seems to be a brief tongue-in-cheek reference to a certain crossover episode that just happened on "Strange New Worlds" but it is done very very subtly. What the episode does do is speak to again certain essence of Boimler and Mariner and why that works...and why they act the way they do...since it won't last forever.
Episode 2 (both are released as the premiere this season is "I Have No Bones And Yet I Must Flee" (B) which points more to a Star Trek: The Animated Series episode of a zoo in space...and yet there is a name reference to something else in TOS (which doesn't pan out). The baseline element of it works but it plays more to Mariner and Ransom (Jerry O'Connell) and their reverse psychology to both advance and devolve at the same time. The episode plays on a plot device which is both funny and terrifying in its own way. It is surprising in this one that are not more creature deep cuts. Boimler meanwhile with something as simple as a room is having an existential crisis while everyone keeps going on with their lives. It is actually a small moment between Rutherford (Eugene Codero) and Tendi (Noel Wells) which rings the most true.
Both episodes don't hit it out of the park but "TwoVix" fares better simply because again of the balance of full deep cut details whose lessons inspire the Lower Decks crew no because of who they are but who they might be.
By Tim Wassberg
