Envoys (Star Trek: Lower Decks)
| "Envoys" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: Lower Decks episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Kim Arndt |
| Written by | Chris Kula |
| Original release date | August 13, 2020 |
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"Envoys" is the second episode of the first season of the American science fiction Star Trek television series Star Trek: Lower Decks. It was released on August 13, 2020 on CBS All Access, before the streaming service provider was rebranded to Paramount+ in March 2021.[1][2] The episode recieved favorable reviews to the show's pilot, "Second Contact"[3]
Plot[edit]
In the opening scene, Mariner and Tendi and walking through the hall when they encounter a sentient form of energy. When Mariner threatens to trap it in a contained, much to Tendi's distress, as she feels the ball of energy is a living thing, it grants her one wish, that uses up some much of its power that it becomes non-existent. Boimler is assigned to a mission to transport Klingon general K'orin to the Federation Embassy on Tulgana IV. Mariner has herself assigned to the same mission, revealing that she is old friends with K'orin. The pair drink and reminisce while Boimler flies them to the planet, annoyed that they are so unprofessional and informal. After they land, a drunken K'orin steals the shuttlecraft. While tracking down K'orin, Boimler and Mariner face multiple dangers, including dealing with hostile aliens, making their way through a strange, crowded new city, and encountering a bloodthirsty monster masquerading as a beautiful woman.
After Mariner easily handles the situations and he feels unprepared for field work compared to her, and even threatens to quit Starfleet, throwing his badge in a puddle. They give up and begin to return home, but they are offered a ride in a broken-down spaceship from a Ferengi whom Mariner believes is trustworthy, but Boimler cautions against this and is proven correct when the Ferengi pulls a knife on them. Boimler scares the Ferengi away, and proudly brags about it later. The pair find K'orin and leave him at the embassy before returning to the Cerritos. Boimler teases Mariner about the Ferengi, unaware that Mariner had staged the incident. Meanwhile, Rutherford transfers from engineering to other divisions hoping to have more time to spend with Tendi, after she asks to hang out with him more, despite his love of everything that has to do with the job, including working in Jeffries Tubes. Andy Billups and the other crew members who work in are supportive of his decision. He tries out a series of different, new jobs, including working on the bridge, but when he kills 105% of the crew at the end of a simulation, he decides that engineering is where he wants to be, and she chooses to spend time with him while he works, in the Jefferies Tubes.
Production[edit]
Four new promotional images from the episode, which included one of main character Beckett Mariner eating ramen as Brad Boimler watches and another of Mariner and Ensign D'Vana Tendi wheeling a cart down a hall and chatting, were released days before the episode on August 10, 2020.[4] The episode itself was released on Thursday, August 13, 2020, on CBS All Access.[5] The episode titled and release date was revealed along with those of the other three episodes in the first four of the series, in late July 2020.[6] The writer and director, Chris Kula and Kim Arndt, respectively, were revealed to have worked on the episode after its release in August.[7] Arndt went on to direct the fifth and eight episodes, respectively, while "Envoys" is Kula's only directorial credit for the season.
The episode stars main cast members Jack Quaid as Brad Boimler, Tawny Newsome as Becket Mariner, Noël Wells as D'Vana Tendi, and Eugene Cordero as Samanthan Rutherford. Other characters featured in the episode are Captain Carol Freeman, voiced by Dawnn Lewis, Jack Ransom, voiced by Jerry O'Connell, Shaxs, voiced by Fred Tatasciore, and T'Ana, voiced by Gillian Vigman. In addition, Jess Harnell voices K'orin, the Klingon that Mariner and Boimler are tasked with transported,[8][9] and Tom Kenny portrays the Ferengi that Mariner and Boimler encounter, that ends up being Mariner's good friend, Quimp.[10]
Release[edit]
The episode was released on August 13, 2020 on CBS All Access, before the streaming service provider rebranded to Paramount+ in March 2021, as the second episode.[11] After each episode premiered in the United States on CBS All Access, episodes would stream on Bell Mediaon Canada the same day, as well as on other English and French streaming services.[12]
Reception[edit]
SciFi Pulse praised the episode's characterization and character development, saying "the actors seem to know the characters they aren’t voicing well, and this helps to make the interactions plausible," though the review criticized the animation in the episode.[13] FanSided called the episode "a laugh riot," saying that it was far better than the premiere, and commenting on both the A-plot, about Mariner and Boimler flying a Klingon general to another planet, and the B-plot, which revolved around Rutherford not wanting to let Tendi down and switching jobs, so as to have more time with her.[14] A review on Electric Bento said the episode got "lost" in its attempts to be "self-aware and edgy," though it praised the opening scene, also noting that "Newsome [as Mariner] was much more restrained."[15] Alex Perry of Trek Core called the episode "hilarious success, as the show’s sophomore episode, "Envoys" builds upon the groundwork laid in last week's premiere while continuing to tell a fun—and funny—story." Newsome reviewed even more praise from the review site, which called her performance as Mariner "utterly delightful."[16]
Den of Geek noted that the true message of the episode was: "The concept that some aliens are not exactly what they seem;" the review also said that Boimler and Mariner's mission "feels bizarrely more realistic than other Star Trek episodes with a similar premise."[17] TrekMovie.com praised the episode's pace, saying "[the episode] settles nicely into a rhythm, delivering character and situational comedy, with a more tempered pace than the jam-packed pilot," and also complemented the story arcs, noting that they were "able to find the moments of humor and moments of tension without pitting these characters against each other or making them into jokes themselves."[18] "contains all the attention to detail that we are quickly coming to expect from this show and Lower Decks‘ quirky self-reflexive humor is becoming the highlight of the show, especially to long-time fans. It’s smooth sailing for this show so far," said Kyle Hadyniak of TrekNews on the episode.[3] On TV Fanatic, one review read, "Things move fast on ["Envoys"] and along two totally separate plot tracks so it sometimes feels like watching two completely different episodes."[19]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Envoys (Episode) - Trekipedia". trekipedia.com. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ Paramount+ - Stream live TV, movies, originals, sports, news, and more, retrieved 2021-02-24
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hadyniak, Kyle (2020-08-13). "[REVIEW] STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS Episode 2 "Envoys" - The One with the Blast Shield". TREKNEWS.NET | Your daily dose of Star Trek news and opinion. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ Staff, TrekCore (2020-08-11). "New Photos for STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS 102: "Envoys" • TrekCore.com". TrekCore.com. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ "New Images From Star Trek: Lower Decks: Envoys – TrekToday". Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ Staff, TrekCore (2020-07-22). "New STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS Images and Episode Titles Revealed Ahead of Thursday's Comic-Con Event • TrekCore.com". TrekCore.com. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ Lee, Juno John; Arndt, Kim (2020-08-13), Envoys (Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi), Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells, Eugene Cordero, 219 Productions, CBS Eye Animation Productions, Secret Hideout, retrieved 2021-02-24
- ↑ "Lower Decks Features the Return of a Classic Star Trek Alien Species". CBR. 2020-08-18. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ "Star Trek: Lower Decks Calls Back One of TNG's Most NSFW Episodes". CBR. 2020-08-16. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ "Quimp". Memory Alpha. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ Lee, Juno John; Kelly, Barry J. (2020-08-06), Second Contact (Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi), Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells, Eugene Cordero, Important Science, Titmouse, CBS All Access, archived from the original on 2020-10-20, retrieved 2020-12-10 Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Staff, TrekMovie com. "'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Coming To CTV Sci-Fi Channel And Crave In Canada". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2020-12-10. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "In Review: Star Trek Lower Decks – Envoys (Episode 2)". SciFiPulse.Net. 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ "Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 1, Episode 2 recap: Envoys". Show Snob. 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ "'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Review - You Can't Have It All". Electric Bento. 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ Perry, Alex (2020-08-16). "STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS Review: "Envoys" • TrekCore.com". TrekCore.com. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ "Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 2 Review: Envoys". Den of Geek. 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ Pascale, Anthony. "Review: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Drinks The Bloodwine, Skips The Jamaharon In "Envoys"". TrekMovie.com. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ Keng, Diana (2020-08-13). "Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 1 Episode 2 Review: Envoys". TV Fanatic. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
External links[edit]
- "Envoys" on Memory Alpha, the Star Trek wiki
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