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The latest episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks is called ‘Where Pleasant Fountains Lie’, which is yet another in many Shakespeare quotes for Star Trek episodes. We start with one of the two plotlines of the story where the Cerritos crew has saved a planet that was being manipulated by an evil computer named AGIMUS (the voice of legendary Star Trek actor Jeffrey Combs).
This ends up being the throughline for the Mariner/Boimler storyline, which starts in a way that is annoyingly familiar then delightfully shakes things up at the end. The two are off on a mission to deliver Agimus to the Daystrom Institute for safekeeping after Boimler was reassigned at the last minute. Mariner is shown getting increasingly annoyed by Boimler’s references to his time on the Titan while Agimus keeps trying to trick them.
And then it’s all shaken up when they crash land on a planet — the particulars aren’t really important which one it is. What’s relevant is the fact that they can only replicate black licorice while Agimus keeps trying and trying to get access to any computer. Eventually the computer is able to discover and reveal to Boimler that it was Mariner that got him reassigned — because he isn’t ‘ready’. It’s quite insulting and Boimler is naturally angry.
He then surprisingly (sort of) stuns Mariner and seemingly falls prey to the evil computer — but it turns out (which I suspected) it was mostly a ruse, and Agimus was simply connected to a dimmer while Boimler has saved the day. Mariner does seem to respect the maneuver and once again, it’s not Mariner proven right after treating Boims badly.
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The other storyline is about chief engineer Billups (Paul Scheer), who is apparently the heir to the throne of some fantasy nonsense planet. His mother (June Diane Raphael, who is married to Paul so that’s amusing juxtaposition) has been trying to trick him into losing his virginity because that will trigger his ascension to the throne. It’s just the sort of nonsense reminiscent of Lwaxana and company, so it still fits in the Star Trek nonsense.
Rutherford goes to help Billups out, but ultimately the story isn’t really about him. After a series of little tricks (paralleling Agimus’ manipulations), Billups is nearly tricked into having a bisexual three-way. The trick of pretending the Queen died is pretty funny as a horrible thing, even if the only thing it really did for Tendi and Rutherford was give her existential dread about Rutherford possibly dying all the time.
But it was overall a very funny episode, with a lot of useful character growth for Mariner and Boimler, even if we got essentially nothing from anyone other than Billups — but I suppose I don’t mind that. I think that the show is getting a better and better handle on itself.
And I utterly adored that final Raiders of the Lost Ark styled shot of a wall of evil computers all competing for conquering the galaxy — it’s the sort of nonsense that completely makes sense. And Hysperia as a weird fantasy/sci-fi people? More of that too please.
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