Lots of growth, embracing who we really are, and Bold Boimler is apparently the Dabo King! That’s a quick summation of this week’s Star Trek: Lower Decks, episode 3×06, “Hear All, Trust Nothing.” None of this is even to mention a trip to Deep Space Nine, guest stars galore, and learning some more war stories about our boy Shaxs. There’s also a salon with Jennifer the Andorian, so set your intentions as we discuss episode 3×06, “Hear All, Trust Nothing.”
Field Trip to Deep Space Nine!
The Cerritos is heading to Deep Space Nine to assist with some negotiations with the Karemma in “Hear All, Trust Nothing.” Not only do we get to go back to Deep Space Nine, but we get to hear its majestic theme music and see a couple of old friends. We’ve got Col. Kira AND Quark! In true Lower Decks fashion, we get some legacy characters voiced by their original actors. It is a delight to hear Nana Visitor and Armin Shimerman back at it. Not to mention the ever silent Morn, still in his place at Quark’s bar. (By the way, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Nana Visitor at a con and she is a delight).
It’s been said that Deep Space Nine gets no love in modern Trek, but Lower Decks is doing it right. There are SO MANY tiny Easter eggs in the background of this episode from Deep Space Nine. I’m pretty sure I saw Fenna/Nidell (played by Salli Richardson-Whitfield) from Deep Space Nine episode 2×09 “Second Sight,” walking along the promenade. That’s the kind of deep cut I’m here for!
None of this is to even mention that Bold Boimler has calmed back down from last week’s Berzerker Boimler and is now apparently the Dabo King with a coin purse/clutch. How does he keep winning? Is Boimler that lucky or is he working out the mathematics of Dabo? Either way, it’s a lot of fun to watch. Also, I LOVE that Shaxs and Kira served together in the Cardassian War. I would watch a bunch of Short Treks about the two of them swapping war stories.
Embracing Who You Are
The theme for “Hear All, Trust Nothing” seems to be wrapped up in owning who you are and not being ashamed of it. Tendi has worked to overcome the expectations of her Orion heritage. She’s kind, she’s not a pirate, she’s not a thief, but she’s also ashamed of where she comes from. Mesk’s constant badgering about pirating because he’s Orion grates on her because she hates the stereotype. However, her Orion pirating skills come in handy in this episode.
I’m curious about something she said about her parents, saying they would be so proud of her for pirating the ship. Are her parents proud of her for joining Starfleet? Are they ashamed? It’s something we’ve not covered in Lower Decks and now it’s at the top of my list of things to ask Mike McMahan. Best of all, Tendi gets assurance from Rutherford that he doesn’t care about her pirate upbringing. It’s part of who she is and it will never change their friendship. OH MY GOSH, CAN YOU JUST KISS ALREADY?! Tendi and Rutherford’s sweetness never fails to make me swoon.
Speaking of embracing who you are, I’ve enjoyed getting to see this softer side of Mariner. While yes, we’ve got to work on her people skills, it’s that rough-and-tumble attitude that Jennifer wanted her to share with her friends. Jennifer’s too nice to put those ladies in their place, but Mariner is not. Stunning everyone and putting out the “intention” candles definitely kept me laughing. And gosh, did I ever feel seen watching Mariner attend the “salon.” I fail at nearly all stereotypical woman things and would have felt profoundly uncomfortable at the “salon.” Watching her phaser everyone is *chef’s kiss* perfection and profoundly cathartic.
Final Thoughts
“Hear All, Trust Nothing” is an example of Lower Decks doing what it does best. It homages previous Trek lore with its visual references and legacy character guest stars. But on top of that, it also does a really solid job of giving the audience some great character development. It’s hard to beat Lower Decks as the most consistently written show of the modern Trek era, and it manages to do it all in half an hour.
With “Hear All, Trust Nothing” I get that feeling that I get watching an episode of 80s/90s-era Trek–a nice ending, everything wrapped, and a nice warm feeling that everything is right in the world. Honestly, with all the chaos that’s going on right now in our world, it’s the kind of feeling I need. I hope it gives you a few moments’ peace of mind too.
What did you think of “Hear All, Trust Nothing”? Leave me a comment and let’s talk Trek.
The next episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks will air on October 6, 2022, on Paramount+.
