It’s a Star Trek episode taking us where no one has gone before—Starbase 80! Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 episode 5 “Starbase 80?!” is a necessary pit stop on our way to the first-ever scatting battle at a captain’s conference on Casperia Prime. Can we fix our navigation system? Can we stop the shocking developments in cetacean ops? And good grief, why is everyone acting like moronic zombies? It’s a mystery to uncover so let’s search for clues in my review of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 episode 5 “Starbase 80?!”
Overcoming Preconceived Notions
One of the more interesting aspects of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 episode 5 “Starbase 80?!” is that this idea of prejudice against the station outweighs a logical look at what’s happening. Mariner is so bent on the idea that Starbase 80 is the WORST™ that she can’t see that it’s actually the Cerritos crew’s comm badges causing the problem. Further, it’s the idea that everyone at Starbase 80 is incompetent makes it difficult for Mariner to listen to Kassia Nox. (Kassia is voiced by Nicole Byer, host of Nailed It! by the way). Who, by the way, is an El-Aurian, and to my knowledge, the first El-Aurian in Starfleet. Sure, we had Guinan in Ten Forward on the Enterprise D, but she was a civilian, not a member of Starfleet. It’s almost a sitcom trope at that point, overcoming preconceived notions, but the approach to get past their prejudice is very Star Trek. Look at the scientific evidence, and get to the root of the problem. When we do that, we can progress.
MORE: Here are our reviews of Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, and Episode 4!
Making Peace with Who We Are, Were, and Might Be
There is an interesting dynamic of concern over the past and potential future in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 episode 5 “Starbase 80?!” Mariner is so traumatized by her past experience on Starbase 80, and perhaps maybe a little more by the abandonment she felt when she was sent there, that the idea of going back to Starbase 80, even if it’s just to try to get a new navigational system, is utterly abhorrent. Conversely, Captain Freeman is horrified at the idea that in an alternate universe, she’s the Captain of Starbase 80, and Starbase 80 is just as horrifying in that universe as it is her own.
We’ve already touched a bit on how Mariner overcomes that struggle, but for Captain Freeman, it’s recognizing that everyone will end up in rough shape if they don’t get the support that they need. Maybe Starfleet won’t get there anytime soon. But she’s there now. What can she do with her own two hands that can help? If that’s not a metaphor for life, I don’t know what is.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of great callbacks in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 episode 5 “Starbase 80?!”, but namely to Star Trek: Enterprise. The crew of Starbase 80 wears the same jumpsuits that we see in that series. There’s also the decontamination chamber and the need to rub decon gel all over ourselves just like they did in that series. There are also nice visual nods to Star Trek: The Original Series with the wall communicators. As Kassia Nox says, “retro cool.”
Speaking of Kassia Knox, there’s an unexpected message in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 episode 5 “Starbase 80?!” found in her choice to lead Starbase 80. Kassia’s optimism about a rundown place like Starbase 80 is refreshing. It’s a reminder that even if everything around us is a complete dumpster fire, there’s still something to work towards and things can improve if we work to improve them. Yes, she knows the circumstances aren’t great, but she’s making steps to make a difference. I think that’s a reminder we could all use right about now.
What did you think of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 episode 5 “Starbase 80?!” Leave me a comment and let’s talk Trek.
The next episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks will air on November 21, 2024, on Paramount+.
