TL;DR – A perfect blend of nostalgia and fun.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Review –

I have made it clear in the past when looking at Lower Deck’s First and Second Seasons that I have enjoyed this someone irreverent take on the Star Trek universe. However, in those two seasons, while they may have dipped their toes in referencing Deep Space Nine, my favourite Star Trek show, today, they dive in phasers blasting.

So to set the scene, the USS Cerritos is en route to a meeting to support the USS Vancouver and their trade negotiations with the Karemma. But when the Vancouver was diverted for an emergency evacuation of a colony, the Cerritos and Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) had to take charge. Dropping out of warp at Deep Space Nine, Freeman asks the crew to buy her some time, and Ransom (Jerry O’Connell) suggests pretending to be in awe of the pylons or something. Now from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.    

When I heard that they were returning to DS9, I was a little concerned because I have a lot of emotions tied up with that series [see my probably too-long article about it here]. I was worried that the generally more over-the-top style of Lower Decks would clash with the more grounded DS9. However, the episode did the smart thing and dropped us into one of DS9’s famous/infamous Ferengi episodes, which means those opposing forces complemented each other.

The best part about this episode is that it works just as well for those who have watched DS9 and not those who have not. This is because the focus is on the Lower Deck characters and their growth. For Tendi (Noël Wells), it was confronting part of her past as an Orion that she has never adequately rectified. For Mariner (Tawny Newsome), finding where she stood as her relationship with Jen (Lauren Lapkus) took the next step forward. Also, Boimler (Jack Quaid) discovered that he is a Dabo savant, which might not be on the same level as the others, but just as entertaining.

However, while the crew have some character growth, all of it revolves around the diplomatic mission led by the captain. It is here where the show gets to revel in the station and the history of the show. The moment that Kira (Nana Visitor) and Shaxs (Fred Tatasciore) began trading barbs as to who owed who in the resistance, I had a smile on my face. Watching Quark (Armin Shimerman) be Quark is always a delight, and even when you know where the episode is going, you still love to watch it unfold. All of this was brought to the foreground with a beautiful animation style that absolutely captured the charm of the ‘tacky Cardassian fascist eyesore’.

In the end, do we recommend Hear All, Trust Nothing? Absolutely. This was a perfect episode of Lower Decks while also being a wonderful homage to Deep Space Nine. It balances the two competing halves and makes it a whole.       

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you seen Star Trek: Lower Decks yet ?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day.    
Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Star Trek: Lower Decks
Directed by – Fill Marc Sagadraca
Written by – Grace Parra Janney
Created by – Mike McMahan
Based Upon – Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry
Production/Distribution Companies – Secret Hideout, Titmouse, CBS Studios & Amazon Prime.
Starring – Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells, Eugene Cordero, Dawnn Lewis, Jerry O’Connell, Fred Tatasciore & Gillian Vigman with Armin Shimerman, Nana Visitor, Carlos Alazraqui, Merrin Dungey, Lauren Lapkus, Jessica McKenna, Gil Ozeri, Adam Pally, Gabrielle Ruiz & Tien Tran