The overarching storyline from Star Trek: Lower Decks season four is the unknown spacecraft that is attacking other ships and stealing them. “The Inner Fight” dives head first into the narrative providing some big answers to the mystery.
Another season long plot features Mariner’s discomfort with her promotion. It has caused her to act out in reckless ways making her friends and the senior officers concerned for her well-being. They all conspire to send her on a routine mission away from danger while her colleagues keep a close eye on her. But as we all know, there is nothing routine on Lower Decks, and they all find themselves stranded on a distant planet. They soon find out there are other survivors separated into factions based on their species and affiliations.
This Mariner is a culmination of the one we’ve seen all season, just ramped up significantly. During her moment of venting you can sympathize with the doubts she has in a command position. However, her self-destructive behavior and disregard towards her friends make her less endearing, which is probably purposeful to emphasize how low she has fallen.
What’s more interesting is the anecdote she tells of a close friend in Starfleet who recently passed away. It’s clear the loss impacts her emotionally, but for someone who is so gung-ho for the Federation, her remarks are those of someone who is losing faith and becoming disillusioned with an institution that is losing sight of its original vision. Luckily, she is able to pull her self back with a pep talk from an unexpected source.
Elsewhere, Captain Freeman and the USS Cerritos are gathering a high priority target who may be the next victim of the unknown spacecraft. Her venture is of contrasts with the straightlaced Federation lackeys attempting to purchase intel on a planet filled with scum and villainy. It’s easy to be duped while Freeman plays the ultimate long con set up by a series of bungling actions.
In the end, Star Trek: Lower Decks skillfully weaves the episode’s two storylines together despite the separate locations. It calls back to some deep cuts from The Next Generation (TNG) with Freeman’s target and Mariner’s recently deceased friend. This plays to the fan service of the franchise, but is also very fitting considering those characters. They were young and beginning their careers similar to the main protagonists, and Mariner’s friend was featured in the episode that gives the show its name.
Then the reveal of both who the survivors on the planet and the villain behind the attacks are all closely connected. Factor in Mariner’s crisis of faith in Starfleet and where she ends up raises the intrigue and tension as we head into the finale.
“The Inner Fight” provides a deep exploration into Mariner’s anxiety and doubts that have developed all season while interweaving other long form narratives from this show with continuations of TNG plots that feel appropriate.
New episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks are released Thursdays on Paramount+.
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