9 Ups & NO Downs From Star Trek: Lower Decks 5.7 — Fully Dilated
4. UP — (Senior) Science Officer The S**t Out Of This
Fully Dilated was another standout episode for Tendi. At the very start, we learnt that Captain Freeman was considering finally filling the position of senior science officer, something Tendi had dreamt about "since [she] was old enough to carry a dagger". The problem was, T'Lyn had applied, too.
When in Starfleet mode in particular, Tendi is typically the most considerate, the most self-effacing of all the Lower Deckers. As a result, her uncharacteristically competitive turn in Fully Dilated might have felt a little jarring, were it not for the lieutenant's own epiphany towards the end.
Tendi explained that her behaviour was likely a holdover from her recent time on Orion. Moreover, the fact that "Orions aren't usually science officers," as she commented to Data('s head), weighed heavily. In that sense, it's tough to find fault with her storyline this week.
The prospective senior officer certainly needn't have worried. She could science the potato out of vodka! Tendi powered that positronic matrix with little more than a hand crank, after all. In the end, she was, in truth, only competing with herself.