8 Ups & NO Downs From Star Trek: Lower Decks 5.6 - Of Gods And Angles

Doctor T'Ana never fails to amuse with caustic wit and grumpiness. A skilled physician, she is also a Caitian, or in other words, a cat. Much like any cat of the domestic variety, and you'll know if you have one or have looked after Spot, rapid changes in mood are part of the and their territory.

The rather brilliant thing about Lower Decks is that it plays on T'Ana's feline features to the absurdist degree. In other words, she may be a skilled doctor and Starfleet officer, but they never lose sight of her basic instincts. This week, poor Boimler found that out the hard way when he became a scratching post (and then some). Speaking T'Ana's language — swearing, not Caitian — resulted in a full-on hissing and caterwauling attack.

It was completely bonkers, but it was also a level of physical comedy that only Lower Decks can achieve or get away with. That is, we never saw Beverly throw any of the crew across sickbay. The downside to/point of the absurd is a measurable breakdown in meaning, though that hardly matters in the hyperreal world of the Cerritos. Canonical issues aside, provided it's funny, what counts is the essence of the cat.