Picture: Paramount
Sequels are at all times a difficult endeavor, in Star Trek or in any other case. However there’s one thing about Star Trek cinematically that makes it actually tough—the franchise not often ever escaped the cursed of the odd-numbered sequel, and so it’s becoming that Decrease Decks approaches its personal first try at a direct sequel with a way of trepidation… and principally makes it work.
“Disaster Level II: Paradoxus” is, because the identify implies, a direct sequel to the movie-riffing delights of “Disaster Level,” the late-game Decrease Decks season one episode that was the spotlight of an already extremely sturdy season. “Paradoxus”—the identify Boimler has given his holo-sequel to Rise of Vindicta, the place he performs the heroic Captain Bosephus Dagger of the usS. Wayfarer—has quite a bit to stay as much as. That’s when it comes to each the pastiche it brings to the desk, on condition that “Disaster Level” already fantastically parodied Star Trek’s cinematic self, however in additionally what it may well convey to the desk by itself phrases. Fortunately, the latter is the factor that issues most right here, and it’s what “Paradoxus” largely will get proper.
Picture: Paramount
That’s to not say the pastiche isn’t enjoyable—the time-hopping journey Boimler has written for him and his pals positively performs on some Trek classics, and there’s every thing from the flamboyant upgraded film costumes (the Decrease-Decks-meets-TNG-movies vibe is so good it ought to virtually turn out to be the present’s principal uniform) to an absurd motion automobile chase sequence. Making the Romulans the menace this time continues that TNG film vibe, even when fortunately there’s nothing as dangerous as Nemesis right here. It’s good, it’s simply… form of what “Disaster Level” already did, so it loses a few of its sheen the second time spherical.
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Like “Disaster Level” earlier than it nevertheless, the energy of “Paradoxus” lies in its character work, and it’s way more of a broadly intimate piece. Whereas “Disaster Level” shone its highlight solely on Mariner’s struggles, “Paradoxus” builds like sequel ought to and comprises vital improvement for each Boimler and, surprisingly, Tendi. Boimler’s arc sees him take care of the obvious grief of shedding his transporter twin William in a random fuel leak on the Titan, eschewing the heroic, daring persona he’d crafted for himself as Paradoxus’ Captain Dagger to make use of the algorithmic storybeat technology of the Holodeck’s programming to as a substitute chase down a seek for which means in his life. And whereas there’s additionally one thing for Mariner to be taught right here—she initially sees Boimler’s distracted temper as irritating and disrespectful to the cinematic universe she created in Vindicta, solely to melt when she learns of William’s accident—the emphasis on Brad’s catharsis right here, and attempting to grasp and course of the difficult emotions about what it means to die in obligation, is profoundly touching in a method Decrease Decks not often is. That it comes from a dehydration-induced hallucination of George Takei as a retired Sulu is simply, properly, additionally completely Decrease Decks.
Picture: Paramount
Tendi’s improvement, in the meantime, is way more subdued, however nonetheless appreciated. As she and Rutherford chase down the A-plot of Boimler’s film within the background—with Tendi as Dagger’s “Appearing Captain”—their friendship slowly turns into an increasing number of strained as she takes her function significantly, whereas Rutherford treats it because the movie-LARP it truly is. It explodes in a realization for Tendi that picks up on her doubts earlier within the season: she doesn’t simply wish to strive being a senior officer, she needs to be within the captain’s chair sometime, virtually as a lot as Boimler does. It’s an enchanting improvement for her (somebody put her on a path with former Science Officer turned Captain Kathryn Janeway, please and thanks) contemplating Tendi’s nervousness about taking the lead generally, and good materials to select up on together with her because the present progresses.
Whereas that is all good, “Paradoxus” additionally picks up on the errors sequels makes too. Decrease Decks continues to be seemingly incapable of creating its 4 core characters as a unit, continuously splitting them into the Tendi/Rutherford, Boimler/Mariner pairings, and stretching two massive character arcs throughout two completely different pairings and two completely different threads provides the episode an pointless messiness that takes among the shine off the load of what our characters undergo. There’s additionally the very fact like among the most annoying sequels, it form of exists simply to hook future plots—on this case, the “twist” lampshaded within the present itself as annoying cliffhanger, a joke that solely actually works should you don’t instantly have an annoying cliffhanger. That twist is the revelation that William Boimler has gone full Tom Riker, and is not only alive however faked his loss of life to affix Part 31 in a seemingly nefarious plot—and it’s laborious to not see the weather of the episode which are actually good simply get misplaced within the bits which are half-hearted echoes of what got here earlier than it.
Picture: Paramount
It’s maybe devoted to numerous Star Trek sequels in that regard—however possibly it is a regard by which Decrease Decks didn’t should be. A second act can at all times be powerful to drag off, and whereas we will’t precisely say that’s what the present did right here compared to the unique “Disaster Level,” it a minimum of tried to. Generally that’s ok for a sequel.
New episodes of Star Trek: Decrease Decks arrive Thursdays on Paramount+.
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Originally published at Gold Coast News HQ
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