Quite possibly the lowest point that Star Trek has ever fallen to. Totally unfunny and downright insulting in places.
i don't understand why Tendi can operate panel on the bridge..
That was one of the funniest episodes to date, and that's no mean feat since there hasn't been a single bad one.
Boimler's need to be the very best was top shelf throughout, but it's made funnier with the conclusion that his perfect score could be turned into a catastrophic failure anyway, because that has always been what's so terrifying about the Borg, that they can turn anything to their advantage. I just wonder what would need to happend to turn it into 0% - not incomplete. Would they achieve godhood and take over the entire simulation? Would they break out of it and come into the real world? Or would the whole thing fall apart because the simulation wouldn't be able to handle it? :joy:
Wow. I really didn't need to see that... Any of that...
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-10-01T00:52:56Z
[7.8/10] What I like about “I, Excretus” is that it would have been a great episode even if it had stopped at the two-thirds mark. If the episode had just been a standard “see how the other half lives” story, it would still have been a quality rendition of it.
The Lower Deckers learn that command scenarios are actually difficult, and not the executive spa-lounging wank they think. And the Commanders learn that while comparatively easy, being on the lowest rung of the totem pole to where you’re out of the loop can be frustrating. It’s a familiar tale. But this realization of it, with our heroes running through simulations of classic Star Trek scenarios in the holodeck, is a blast. And the ensuing camaraderie is well-earned.
But what puts this one over the top is the way the drill wasn’t a ploy to build esprit de corps, but rather a plot by the drill instructor to rig the test against them in order to justify her job. The dark twist on the usual trope gives this one a fun second gear. And what better way to show that the crew of the Cerritos is, despite a certain scrappiness, a well-oiled machine than teaching their booksmart supervisor what it takes to get by in real world scenarios. It’s a fun twist on the setup, and does a nice job of illustrating the way our heroes may not excel on paper, but know their stuff when the going gets tough in the real world.
I also loved the Boimler B-story. It’s lovely to have Alice Krige’s return engagement as the Borg queen in an extended homage to First Contact. More than that, I love the premise of by-the-book Boimler passing the Borg Resistance simulation with flying colors, but compulsively trying to top himself out of pathological need to get the high score. The show keeps finding amusing ways to escalate the situation. His plight comes to a head when the rest of the crew needs him to stall for time, and he becomes the titular “Excretus” in the process. Top notch Boimler-based comedy.
Plus, once again, this is a treasure trove of great Star Trek references. Some of them are obvious, from the climax of The Wrath of Khan to the Mirror Universe to another visit to a Cowboy world. But there were also some fun deep cuts. That starts with the drill instructor, a tripartite alien we haven’t seen since The Animated Series. There’s an homage to the weird wormhole visuals from The Motion Picture. We even get some rarely-seen Borg Babies, a Klingon wanting to commit ritual suicide a la TNG’s Ethics, and the poorly stacked crates in the cargo bay! Once again, the Lower Decks know their stuff, and it shows.
Beyond all that excitement, I love the simple gesture of the commanders delivering an officer’s replicator to the lower deckers as a gesture of acknowledgment and appreciation. It’s a nice way to dramatize the mutual understanding, and I love the callback to Boimler wanting the lobster mac and cheese with bread crumbs.
Overall, another blast of a Lower Decks outing in what’s been a stupendous season thus far.