Decrease Decks’ Fights The Rise Of The Machines In “A Few Badgeys Extra” – TrekMovie.com

“A Few Badgeys Extra”

Star Trek: Decrease Decks Season 4, Episode 7– Debuted Thursday, October 12, 2023
Written by Edgar Momplaisir
Directed by Bob Suarez

The return of some enjoyable, acquainted characters brings a variety of laughs, a variety of hazard, and a variety of coronary heart.

RECAP

“He’s making an attempt to salvage you!”

This week we kind of acquired two teasers. First, we decide up on the post-credit scene from the season 3 finale: Rutherford’s previous eyepiece (with the evil Badgey AI inside) is retrieved by Drookmani scavengers. The captain claims the tech as his personal and Badgey makes it clear he’ll gladly provide up Starfleet secrets and techniques, ominously promising “I’ve definitely by no means killed anybody.” Quickly sufficient, the eyepiece wires come alive and connect themselves to the captain. Subsequent up, we meet some Bynar decrease deckers… the drill. After a few of their unintelligible pc chatter, there’s an alert and so they head to the bridge, the place the pair of captains tries to take care of the thriller ship and shortly sufficient they meet the identical destiny, with their catamaran-style ship apparently destroyed. Issues come full circle because the Drookmani scavengers present as much as collect the remaining particles, with the captain and crew now beneath the thrall of Badgey. Cue maniacal laughter! (There’s going to be a variety of that this episode, BTW.)

“Have enjoyable with the sinister robots!”

Lower to our favourite 4 decrease deckers including a grappler to their unending shuttle mission. Rutherford will get pissed off when his concentrating on system misses the goal and pins Tendi to the wall, however she encourages him with the reminder that science and experiments are speculated to be messy. The 4 are known as to a briefing on a Bynar misery name; Starfleet has tasked the Cerritos to analyze whether it is a part of the current assaults. Nonetheless, Tendi and Boimler will not be coming alongside. D’Vana has been known as to look on the parole listening to for Peanut Hamper and Brad is coming alongside as AGIMUS, the megalomaniacal pc sentenced to the identical facility, claims to have info on the Bynar assault. He’ll solely speak to Brad—particularly, solely to that “stringy ensign meat pipe.” Everybody assumes it’s some thoughts sport lure, however Boimler goes simply in case he has actual intel. At Daystrom, Peanut Hamper and AGIMUS are busy with some gardening remedy, studying “life varieties are as straightforward to develop as they’re to annihilate.” The pair is having fun with “scheming and conniving” as they (no shock) plan an escape for AGIMUS after Hamper is paroled. He’s going to trick Boimler by switching his purple gentle to blue, which she agrees makes him look “completely not evil.” When Brad exhibits up, he stays skeptical however admits that blue gentle is “reassuring.” AGIMUS does appear to have legit information on the assault, so Brad agrees to take the pc to the placement of certainly one of his drones to get all the main points on the Bynar assault. As soon as on the shuttle, AGIMUS is happy to listen to Peanut Hamper has been launched after giving a pleasant speech about her regrets, so the devious pc goes purple and makes use of drones to take management and put the Cerritos duo in restraints. Tendi nails it with: “You’ll be able to flip your purple gentle blue? You’re a jerk.”

“Hello father, put together to die.”

When the Cerritos arrives on the website of the Bynar ship disappearance, they discover the Drookmani captain hailing, asking for assist from the “demon triangle” simply as Badgey takes management and assaults. Because of all that Starfleet data, the disruptors bypass the shields, however the AI says “boop” after every shot, so it’s sort of lovable. Rutherford ignores Captain Freeman’s objections and area leaps to the Drookmani ship in an act of sacrificial atonement, and Mariner jumps alongside as she isn’t going to let him go alone. Her “What’s up celebration individuals?” swagger upon arrival is tempered when she learns Rutherford doesn’t have a cool virus and even an AI-killing knife. His plan is to do one thing he ought to have completed a very long time in the past… give his son a hug. This candy second of crying and catharsis truly works till Badgey glitches and splits into two. The half moved by his father’s compassion introduces himself with “I’m Goodgey, we should always run for our lives!” whereas what’s left of Badgey threatens to “rip your spines out.” Hiding on the ship solely will get the evil AI angrier because it takes management of the Cerritos programs, filling the ship with poisonous fuel. With time working out, Samanthan has a brand new thought. He returns to the bridge to argue with the AI that vengeance has no profit, which works as a result of Badgey remains to be a pc program, in spite of everything. However the hologram glitches and splits once more, this time excising “Logic-y.” The remaining pure primal evil Badgey ups the stakes, now planning to kill everybody within the Federation. Youngsters, am I proper?

“We will nonetheless be mates with out vanquishing individuals.”

On the rendezvous in Martinique, Tendi and Boimler are taking part in alongside as captives when AGIMUS reveals the plans he needed to be a part of Peanut Hamper. They head to a planet the schemers had picked out, good for some good subjugation. First involved at her no-show, he then sees hope in his perception she has betrayed him to take over Plymeria on her personal, in order that they head over, however she isn’t there. AGIMUS nonetheless takes over the planet “in report time,” however his coronary heart simply isn’t in it and he laments that his jail buddy led him astray with all her co-conspiring. He perks up when Tendi says she will find Hamper utilizing the jail parole system and relishes the thought of discovering her concocting some plan “extra nefarious than I imagined.” The depart the conquered planet flying banners of AGIMUS and Peanut Hamper behind and discover her amongst different exocomps at a analysis station, fortunately working alongside her dad. AGIMUS can’t imagine she (and different sentient robots) are willingly doing menial work, however she finds the Zen of it. She admits that she had enjoyable scheming about dominating stuff with him, however her time behind bars (power fields?) led her to true regret. AGIMUS admits he actually isn’t that into planet subjugation anymore; he simply needed to hang around together with his new buddy. With this, his gentle turns blue for actual and Boimler and Tendi’s restraints fade away. Earlier than dragging him again to jail, Boimler offers AGIMUS a minute to satisfy Mr. Hamper (whose title is Kevin) and have a while together with his pal, “You’ve a really particular daughter.” Aww, he has completely conquered friendship.

“All life are strands within the cloth of actuality”

As all that was occurring, issues have been escalating on the Drookmani ship as Badgey decides to add himself into each ship, station, and planet. Logic-y jumps into motion and again into Badgey, however the evil AI is simply too robust, splitting once more and killing him. “Logic-y!” Rutherford pleads, saying he nonetheless thinks there’s good in Badgey, however the AI scoffs as he begins his subspace add—and is overwhelmed by the huge unfold into programs throughout the galaxy… and the “limitless energy and infinite data” modifications him. Now blue, Badgey sees the fantastic thing about all life, natural and artificial. His try at revenge has led to a religious awakening. He lets go of genocide and embraces a brand new plan to create his personal universe, possibly even hang around with the Q Continuum. All of them watch in awe because the transcendent AI leaves this dimension into the embrace of the Nice Koala.  His creator bids his goodbye, wishing his son “good luck being all the pieces.” That is actually turning out to be an enormous day for AI catharsis.

“Is that this man going to homicide us?”

AGIMUS is once more saved again at Daystrom, the place he will get some sass from his fellow megalomaniacal computer systems for the failed escape try. He vows to do the work and use the ability’s remedy to course of his “poisonous habits” so he can actually be rehabilitated and be launched to reunite together with his finest buddy. This good plan was nonetheless adopted up by his signature maniacal chuckle…  child steps. Oh, and it seems he wasn’t mendacity about having information on the Bynar assault, and offers Boimler a picture that modifications all the pieces. The thriller attacker isn’t destroying the alien ships, it’s stealing them! He thanks AGIMUS and exits, leaving the AI vowing to assist Tyrannikillicus, a fellow former evil pc making an attempt to be a greater synthetic intelligence who needs to find out about making mates. And talking of lovable, Rutherford introduced Goodgey again to the Cerritos to assist with that grappler concentrating on system. The opposite decrease deckers are naturally involved about one other rogue AI, particularly after a little bit of glitching, in order that they make their exit (aside from Boimler,  caught to the wall by the grappler). Sam and his son wrap issues up as they fortunately tinker collectively.

ANALYSIS

Followers have been hoping to see the return of those computerized villain characters and Decrease Decks didn’t disappoint, bringing again Badgey (now Badgeys?), AGIMUS, and Peanut Hamper . Whereas this sequence nonetheless indulges periodically in dives into the Trek canon like final week’s go to to Ferenginar, this fourth season continues to shine brightest when Decrease Decks relishes its personal lore as “A Few Badgeys Extra” did with these characters, together with the Drookmani and extra, all seamlessly woven into the brand new season thriller arc in addition to the person season 4 character arcs. However the present isn’t simply taking part in the hits. This episode mixes issues up by pairing up Boimler and Tendi for the AGIMUS/Peanut Hamper story and having with Mariner be a part of Rutherford for his troublesome father/son reunion with the Badgeys. It’s a testomony to the energy of the characters and their voice actors that these completely different dynamics nonetheless had the good comedian chemistry that’s on the core of the success of the sequence. And whereas T’Lyn has been missed these final couple of episodes, it was nice to offer Rutherford (and Eugene Cordero) time to shine.

After all, this episode shines due to some implausible visitor stars. Fan favourite Jeffrey Combs relishes within the supervillain tropes as AGIMUS, offering a number of the funniest moments of the episode, however he, too, will get some good character growth as does Peanut Hamper, the (previously) self-centered exocomp, who grew to become his quick buddy at Daystrom’s Self-Conscious Megalomaniacal Pc Storage. Does it make sense that this AI penitentiary had all of the frequent jail trappings like a yard for weight lifting? No, however who cares? It was humorous. And even Peanut Hamper, a personality who has examined the boundaries of annoying, has additionally discovered her method on this episode tied collectively by the frequent Trek themes of friendship, household, and redemption, helped alongside by a extra nuanced efficiency by Kether Donohue. An instance of how tightly this present works is her return to her father, tying up her arc after she refused to assist the Cerritos crew within the season 1 finale as a result of she solely joined Starfleet to piss off her dad. Nowhere have been these themes extra on show than with the Badgey storyline as Jack McBrayer went above and past, taking part in Badgey, Goodgey, and Logic-y. This storyline additionally had good refined touches that performed on some basic Trek tales of harmful AIs, together with Rutherford wielding logic like Kirk did with Nomad, Logic-y preventing his “brother” like Knowledge and Lore, and even the connection and transcendence of Badgey evoking V’Ger. There was additionally one thing good about the best way that when Badgey obtained that final energy as a substitute of going all Gary Mitchell, he grew to become enlightened.

The thriller ship assaults arc has now moved to the forefront, the driving power behind Boimler’s project in addition to his infinite persistence with the spiraling AGIMUS as he caught with it to get that key intel. As a facet be aware, Brad’s manipulation of AGIMUS exhibits how far he has come and was only one instance of how the characters on this present can all present their smarts, not counting on tropes to create rigidity and battle. As for the destiny of the Bynars (yeah, Bynars!), we discovered the important thing new undeniable fact that the thriller ship isn’t destroying alien ships, it’s stealing them. As Boimler says, the destruction (with particles left behind as proof) was all a lie. This (virtually) confirms a TrekMovie concept from the beginning of the season that the thriller ship isn’t killing all these aliens; nonetheless, a lot stays to be found, particularly who’s driving that ship and what their motivation is. This plot arc has ramped up slowly however absolutely in the course of the season, including extra enjoyable thriller with out dragging it out or getting in the best way of the episodic tales.

Ultimate ideas

Episode 7 cements the concept that that is the perfect season but for Decrease Decks because it will get even funnier when the present builds by itself lore whereas nonetheless making loads of nods to canon. The spectacular writing, voices, artwork, route, music, and extra pack a lot into such a short while that each episode is price watching twice. What extra may you ask for?

MORE BITS

Random stuff

• The episode title is a play on the title of the basic spaghetti western For a Few {Dollars} Extra.
• Badgey’s restoration within the Kalla system was from when he was left behind in the course of the Battle of Kalla within the season 1 finale, first hinted at within the season 3 finale.
• Badgey threatened the lives of the Cerritos crew by releasing Neurazine Fuel, however that fuel was used to incapacitate people by the Dominion (in response to DS9). It’s Neurocine Fuel that’s poisonous, utilized by the Cardassians as riot management (additionally seen on DS9).
• When Badgey uploaded himself throughout subspace, we noticed the impact on numerous acquainted places, together with the USS Vancouver, Douglas Station, Deep House 9, and the Vulcan ship Sh’vhal.
• Badgey’s transcendence mirrored that of O’Connor from season 1, the place we first noticed the Nice Koala.
• Peanut Hamper returned dwelling to the Tyrus VIIA Station from the Star Trek: The Subsequent Era episode (“The High quality of Life”) that first launched the exocomps.
• Mariner and Boimler speaking up how grapplers (launched in Star Trek: Enterprise) are cool picks up on them saying the identical in the course of the Unusual New Worlds crossover episode “These Outdated Scientists.”
• Tendi reveals that Orion seashores don’t have sand, simply sharp little pebbles.

Extra to come back

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New episodes of Star Trek: Decrease Decks premiere on Thursdays, streaming on Paramount+ within the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and Europe. It is going to stream on Paramount+ in S. Korea later within the yr. Decrease Decks additionally airs on Thursdays in Canada on CTV Sci-Fi Channel.

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