2x05 An Embarrassment of Dooplers

[9.5/10] I absolutely loved this one, A wonderful blend of character moments, classic Star Trek homages, thrilling action, uproarious comedy, and tons of heart. This is peak Lower Decks, and I’m glad to see it.

One of the best things about the episode is how it picks up the pieces after the events of season 1 in a committed way. That hasn’t really happened thus far, despite some hints at the margin here and there.. It’s most evident in the A-story, where Mariner and Boimler finally hash out their differences over Boimler leaving for the Titan.

There’s some great bits in the lead-up to the emotional climax of things. Boimler jokes with one of Mariner’s old friends about how much of a handful she can be, whileMariner bristles at him taking out of school about her marooning him. You can see the little flare ups between them as they go on the adventure of the week which gesture toward bigger issues that have gone unresolved.

Those issues come to a head when Boimler’s able to get into the big Starfleet Command party by posing as his Titan transporter twin William, but can’t get Mariner in as his plus-one. She throws barbs at him for abandoning her again, and he barks back that she’s been a lousy friend for not appreciating the promotion he earned. It’s the Titan situation in a microcosm, which makes it a good opportunity for the pair to deal with each side’s beefs from that experience.

That’s the beautiful thing, though. At the end of the day, Boimler gets to the fancy Starfleet party and realizes it’s no fun without his “number one”, after seeing the famous captains with their good friends and second-in-commands by their side. He returns to a dive bar where Mariner’s having a pity party and tells her as much.

It’s such a lovely monet, Boimler deciding he’d rather be with his friend than rubbing elbows with the bigwigs Given how much of a butt-kissr and career opportunist, the choice carries such weight. It’s just as lovely when Mariner again admits that she was hurt because of her abandonment issues and BOiler apologizes for how he left, worrying that the strong-willed Mariner would talk him out of going. It’s true to form for both characters and their personalities, but also their unique friendship.

That’s what this episode is most strongly devoted to. For all their needling and ribbing one another, Mariner and Boimler are a pair worth watching, who will stick together and one day do great things. The fact that they find a carving in the bar for “Kirk + Spock” is a benediction of sorts, a sign that the show wants us to think of them as following in those hallowed footsteps in their own, off-kilter way. And I’m hard-pressed not to be as touched and inspired by the whole scene as they are.

In the same vein, Rutherford and Tendi’s story likewise follows up directly from the events of last season. We haven’t done much this year to grapple with Rutherford losing his memory. So I appreciated this one delving into the character’s difficulty with living up to his past self and how frustrating he finds it, despite his typical upbeat attitude. One of the great things Star Trek’s done across shows nd fils is take outlandish premises seriously and examine what it would mean for individuals wrapped up in them. In that spirit, having Rutherford fixate on model-building that he did pre-memory wipe on a quest to prove himself just as good as he ever was nicely accomplishes the same thing.

But I like Tendi’s revelation to him, that the model-building was always just their means of deflecting social attention. Rutherford is as good as he ever was, and even if he’s “behind a year on being friends with” Tendi, she’s still there for him and ready to give him a boost when needed. Her reassurance giving him the confidence to use his skills to find them an escape from the danger is a great beat and moment of friendship and self-actualization.

And what amusing danger! I just love the concept of the Dooplers. The notion of a species that duplicates itself when flustered or embarrassed is so off the wall and fun. Richard Kind does fantastic work as always in his reactions to the various bits of social awkwardness. The solution to the problem -- that the Dooplers start rejoining when made angry -- is a funny solution, with their affronted reactions being just as amusing. The whole thing is brilliantly sideways tribute to “The Trouble with Tribbles”, replete with our heroes using the quickly replicating pests to taunt their enemies (albeit this time it’s supercilious Starfleet officers rather than Klingons).

Speaking of which, this episode is chockablock with hilarious inside references to fun Star Trek ephemera. Let’s start with the smallest but also the biggest -- the first appearance of a Kzinti in canon in nearly fifty years! Somewhere Jimmy Diggs is smiling. There’s a great reference to small bits from TNG like Okona (acknowledged by Captain Freeman as outrageous) DJ-ing the big party, or the fish people played by Mick Fleetwood making an appearance. And I died laughing at the Deep Space 9 model coming with both an Ezri and a Jadzia. The writers know their stuff, and it’s just a delight.

But references aside, this one is a great outing for Captain Freeman as well. Her frustration with the Dooplers is palpable, but she gets the win when her frustrations are what allow the team to find the solution to the problem. And her speech to the bouncer at the big Starfleet party is low-key inspiring. The Captain is right. The Cerritos may get second class jobs in a first class organization, but they do them damn well and deserve some recognition for it. The fact that she and her sneir officers, plus Mariner and Boimler of course, manage to make their own fun party on a random corridor of the space station, speaks to their ability to make the most and the bests of whatever they have.

This is an easy high water mark for Lower Decks, paying tribute to the central bond between Mariner and Boimler, the enervating friendship of Rutherford and Tendi, and the determination and capability of Captain Freeman. These were the building blocks of the series from the beginning, and with “An Embarrassment of Dooplers”, the show stacks them up to show us just how high they can all reach.