Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 Episode 7 Review: Fully Dilated
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 Episode 7, “Fully Dilated,” blesses us with its best episode of the season thus far, complete with a girls’ trip to a time-dilated planet and a surprise appearance.
It’s a fun follow-up to Season 4’s “Something Borrowed, Something Green” in that we get more time with Mariner, Tendi, and T’Lyn in their element. Plus, who would’ve thought that Boimler and Rutherford spending all that time cleaning the transporter console would be so hilarious? Side note: I hope the console always has a faint smell of michelada.
Micheladas, Taquitos, and Big Melons
“Fully Dilated” incorporates some Star Trek: The Next Generation references, but none are as significant as bringing Brent Spiner on board as a guest star. Spiner is great as Purple Data, and it’s a blast hearing him interact with Noël Wells’ Tendi. They share an easygoing, natural chemistry, even in the short time they’re together (well, time dilation aside).
Wells and Gabrielle Ruiz are the episodic MVPs. Wells gives us another side to Tendi. We seldom see her in jealousy mode. Rather, Tendi’s one of the most supportive characters in the cast. It’s fascinating to see that knee-jerk need to people-please and provide constant support fall away when her dream job teeters precariously before her.
What makes this switch to envy especially intriguing is that it’s T’Lyn—someone Tendi has endeavored to befriend since day one. Of course, Tendi’s jealousy clearly stems from her insecurities; she doesn’t feel she’s as intelligent or resourceful as T’Lyn. The episode deftly explores these facets of Tendi and crafts a compelling journey as she moves through different emotional stages.
Ultimately, it’s gratifying to watch Captain Freeman promote both Tendi and T’Lyn to senior science officer. They realize they’re at their best together.
As for Ruiz, she’s been a fantastic addition to our core lower deckers on Star Trek: Lower Decks, so much so that I wish she had been a regular from the get-go. She masters the monotone manner of the Vulcan cadence while incorporating emotional nuances and warmth. That’s a challenging line to walk.
Upper Deckers and Dimensional Rifts
“Fully Dilated” propels the overarching seasonal narrative while providing a delightful adventure in a pre-warp civilization that feels like classic Star Trek. Again, the Cerritos is repairing a dimensional fissure from which the purple Enterprise-D emerged. These dimensional rifts have been inexplicably sprouting up throughout the season. So far, we don’t know the cause.
However, with three episodes remaining, we’ll undoubtedly get answers. With Tendi and T’Lyn’s promotion to senior officer (yay, bridge crew!) status and next week’s episode titled “Upper Decks,” there’s the possibility the remainder of our crew will move on up. It’s bittersweet — the end is near, but the character growth is well-earned.
“Fully Dilated” is Star Trek: Lower Decks at its best: chaotic, fast-paced, silly, sharp, and heartwarming. While there’s not much of a B-plot, the main storyline is strong on its own. Boimler and Rutherford’s unhinged cleaning session is a hysterical break in the action on Dilmer III.
Here’s hoping Mariner masters the soap flute so she can live her Picard-inspired dream.
Stray Observations:
- The Carbon Creek mention by Mariner is a nod to the Star Trek: Enterprise episode of the same name, in which T’Pol tells a story about her relatives crash-landing in Pennsylvania in the 1950s.
- Purple Data also talks about his disembodied head spending time in San Francisco, a nod to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Time’s Arrow.”
- Methinks we need a purple Enterprise-D Christmas ornament … for science.
- I’ve never wanted a Season 6 more. What do you mean I can’t watch Tendi and T’Lyn being badass senior science officers?
- Someone, give me a replicator so I can get a michelada and taquitos. Yum.
- I love that Rutherford’s stubble is coming in perfectly, while Boimler’s facial hair makes him look like an 18th-century pirate.
What did you think of this episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Star Trek: Lower Decks drops new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.