Star Trek: Lower Decks 2.4 Review - Ups & Downs From Mugato, Gumato

3. Tendi's Sidestory - DOWN

Star Trek Lower Decks Tendi
CBS Media Ventures

D'vanna Tendi had a fantastic week last week with her adventures to deliver T'ana's heirloom. Unfortunately, though, she's left a little out in the cold this week. She is given another assignment by Doctor T'ana, this time to get the last few members of the crew to complete their physicals. She manages this far more quickly than the doctor imagined, though that then leaves...T'ana herself.

Honestly, the entire side-story is quite funny, so it isn't bad in so many words. Rather, it feels largely pointless to the episode. Tendi doesn't interact with any of our other main characters. Sure, she gets some good extra time with T'ana, and their relationship is becoming more and more enjoyable, but this scene could have been lifted and dropped into any episode. Had the final person on the list been Mariner, then this at least would have tied back into the larger plot of Beckett's secretive backstory.

DOWN - though fun and enjoyable, it felt out of place among the rest of the action. Having this come one week after a particularly strong Tendi episode didn't help either.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"