S02.E03: We'll Always Have Tom Paris

[starri]

Quote

Assigned a special task by Dr. T’Ana, Tendi enlists Mariner for help. On the U.S.S. Cerritos, Rutherford is consumed by a bridge crew mystery.

 

[dwmarch]

Hilarious episode, as usual.

I like that while this show isn't afraid to make fun of Star Trek in general, it's also not afraid to make fun of itself. We get explicit callouts here to the character pairings thus far and how people who spend that much time together would be considered a couple. Mariner does not seem to think Boims is dating material while Tendi says that her and Rutherford are "not really" dating.

Tendi the stereotypical Orion was hilarious as was Mariner's reaction. I also loved "now you're just showing off" in response to Tendi knowing Mariner's first name.

The Cerritos actually gets some love for a change! First and foremost, a rare instance of the ship not being made of paper when the shuttlecraft at ramming speed just bounces off, doing zero damage. Tom Paris also said something complimentary about the ship's engines and he's enough of a ship geek that he wouldn't blow smoke about that kind of thing.

Shaxs coming back with no explanation was another great poke at a Star Trek trope. There was a surprising amount of emotional depth in Rutherford's confession that he felt guilty about how Shaxs died. Characters don't spend a lot of time dealing with guilt in this franchise so it was nice to see it acknowledged here.

It was a cheap gag but I got such a good laugh out of Dr. T'Ana just wanting the box her artifact was in.

[meatball77]

Loved the call out to Paris being a salamander and the Doctor playing in the box at the end.

[starri]

3 hours ago, dwmarch said:

There was a surprising amount of emotional depth in Rutherford's confession that he felt guilty about how Shaxs died.

Shax telling Rutherford that he didn't need to feel guilty because protecting the latter was the former's job had more heft than I would have expected.  As was his clear fondness for Rutherford, calling him "baby bear" again.

Less surprising is that they're selling those plates.

[marinw]

Excellent episode title.

[starri]

I was a little disappointed that Tendi and Mariner went to Qualor II, because I was hoping it was going to be Stardust City.  But it was nice to see that Amarie, the four-armed piano player from "Unification" was able to open her own place.

Also, did we know Mariner is pansexual?

[Chicago Redshirt]

7 hours ago, starri said:

I was a little disappointed that Tendi and Mariner went to Qualor II, because I was hoping it was going to be Stardust City.  But it was nice to see that Amarie, the four-armed piano player from "Unification" was able to open her own place.

Also, did we know Mariner is pansexual?

The powers that be had said something about that being the case, and I think there was a vibe that Mariner might have been into Boimler's girlfriend who was attracted to him when he was infected with the parasite, and her old Academy buddy. But nothing explicit was said of either.

[Arynm]

Love, love, love Tom Paris! Even in plate form. I loved when Boimler fell out of the ceiling and Paris thought he was a Kazon. I hope he gets his plate signed, you have to have the complete set!

Great episode as usual.

[marinw]

Did Quark move to Qualar 2 or is Quark's  now a franchise? I'm thinking the later.

Why not try to replicate the ceremonial scratching post? Becuase it wasn't beamed aboard the shuttle so thetevepuld be no transporter record? Or are some things to big to replicate?

 

Edited August 28, 2021 by marinw

[ottoDbusdriver]

Would the Franklin Mint still be in existence in the 24th Century ?
Though I have to admit that Boimler's Voyager Tom Paris commemorative plate is WAY more durable.

Still find Mariner annoying.  And her background continues to be confusing -- she was on 5 ships and has more life experiences than most Trill symbiotes ?  How old is she supposed to be ?

[starri]

If she was on DS9 with Worf, this is only about five years after "What You Leave Behind."  If that was her first assignment, and she graduated the Academy at 22, she'd only be in her late 20s.  Even if she was only there when he first got there, that would only make her about 31, tops.

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 8/28/2021 at 6:55 AM, marinw said:

Did Quark move to Qualar 2 or is Quark's  now a franchise? I'm thinking the later.

Why not try to replicate the ceremonial scratching post? Becuase it wasn't beamed aboard the shuttle so thetevepuld be no transporter record? Or are some things to big to replicate?

 

I think that we can assume that Quark has franchised/will franchise. There was a Quark's in ST: Picard on another planet, and for some reason I thought there was a Quark's in a previous LD episode (possibly the one where Boimler and Mariner were chasing the drunk Klingon general), but I could be making that up. 

I tend to doubt that the scratching post would be too big to replicate as a general principle, since it was only (seemingly) about as big as our heroes. I think it was just that they figured fixing it was the best call.

I suspect that as an heirloom, there might be some aspect of it that might be too nuanced to be captured by people who truly care about it. 

On 8/28/2021 at 5:27 PM, ottoDbusdriver said:

Still find Mariner annoying.  And her background continues to be confusing -- she was on 5 ships and has more life experiences than most Trill symbiotes ?  How old is she supposed to be ?

Not sure what is so confusing about her background. I wouldn't say that she has "more life experiences than most Trill symbiotes." She just has done a lot of living in her posting to five ships plus DS9. Off the top of my head, here's the summary of what she has done that we've been told about: ETA

1. Was part of the 1st contact crew for the planet the Cerritos visited in S1E1.

2. Been in a sentient alien cave for weeks

3. Had a shapeshifter-esque being adopt the persona of a friend's significant other while on DS9

4. Been buddies with a Klingon general and done black ops with him.

5. Was in a Klingon prison where someone stole her shoes to be a dick.

6. Almost got her head taken off by a singing crystal.

7. Befriended a Ferengi.

8. Dated a bad boy alien whose species like red. 

I'm sure that I'm missing a few things in there. But the point is that it's really not that much compared to the things that people have experienced during, say, what is captured in just one season of any of the Trek shows. Keep in mind that each season is a chronological year, and that there were undoubtedly other experiences that didn't get captured. Also keep in mind that like Wesley Crusher, Mariner could very well have been doing things before joining Starfleet Academy formally.

If we accept the premise that each of her postings has been about a year or two, then she could be in her high 20s or early 30s (assuming she graduated Starfleet Academy at 21). Given that her dad is an admiral and that she is apparently a prodigy in her own right, she could have graduated earlier than 21 and could be younger.  

Edited August 31, 2021 by Chicago Redshirt

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 8/28/2021 at 8:26 PM, starri said:

If she was on DS9 with Worf, this is only about five years after "What You Leave Behind."  If that was her first assignment, and she graduated the Academy at 22, she'd only be in her late 20s.  Even if she was only there when he first got there, that would only make her about 31, tops.

Yeah. According to Wikipedia, Worf started on DS9 in 2372, WWLB took place in 2375, and the current season of LD takes place in 2381. Of course, we currently don't really know anything about when exactly Mariner might have served on DS9 relative to the rest of her career. 

So at least a partial timeline: has been suggested by the show

2371 - Mariner is an ensign on the Quito. We know this because during S1's Cupid's Errant Arrow, she recounts a situation that happened while she had been serving on the Quito. She was with her friend Angie and Angie's evil Harvongian shape-changer boyfriend, and Angie talked about that Data had an evil brother and they teamed up with the Borg. That's from Descent I/II, the S6 finale and S7 premiere. We know that TNG S7 took place in 2371. And it seemed like in the scene they are talking about something that happened relatively recently So we can reasonably assume that Mariner has been in Starfleet at least since 2371, possibly before. (It's possible that Mariner and Angie were talking about something that happened way back in 2371 more recently, but the scene suggests that the situation just had come up.)

2379 - Mariner is a lieutenant on the Quito. We know this because in S1E1, Boimler asked her how she knew the Galadornian farmers, and she responded that "because I was here for first contact last year on the Quito before I got my ass demoted and transferred to the Cerritos." Presumably this posting on the Quito was her last before the Cerritos, but we don't officially know. She could have gone through a bunch of ships before the Cerritos was considered a last resort.

2380 - Having done some (I think) unspecified thing to get demoted, Mariner is an ensign on the Cerritos,

I don't know if we have information to know if Mariner did her other postings between 2371 and 2379, all in 2379, or what.

For all we currently know, Mariner started at DS9 around the same time as Worf in 2372, but she had done a bunch of years at other postings before then. Or she had been on DS9 up until like 2379 and did only a hot second again on the Quito before getting demoted.