Errant Cupid's Arrow: Lower Decks S01 E05

Slightly below par last week but bouncing straight back with an episode that plays to a great set of classic sci-fi topics!

Errant Cupid's Arrow makes a lot more sense as a title by the end of what is a rather fast paced 30 minutes of Star Trek.

Assisting the flashy USS Vancouver on a mission to relocate part of a civilisation from their soon-to-be-demolished moon, Boimler has the chance to introduce Mariner to his new girlfriend. Of course, she has to be an alien, a parasite, something that's 100% intent on killing the by-the-book ensign and Beckett is out to discover precisely what's going on and cover her friend's back at the same time.

Running through a series of typical mishaps and surveillance, Mariner's paranoia actually comes across as a little on the stalkery side as she initially gets in the way before Bradward (not Bradley) Boimler also gets jealous of Barb Brinson's relationship with another of her crewmates from the Vancouver.  The instant belief that Boimler's girlfriend has to be a changeling, a Suliban or some other form of dangerous lifeform plays to the franchise history especially Conspiracy from The Next Generation, the Dominion war and several - if not many - classic 60's stories such as The Enemy Within and Whom Gods Destroy to name just two.

There are some fantastic cross-references in here on Mariner's wall as she plots together the threads that must indicate something's up so watch out for transporter duplicates, shapeshifters and whales in that bit. Nice little trip back to Ensign Mariner's past to demonstrate her over the top suspicions complete with First Contact style uniforms, along with a familiar starship design...and just a hint of a place it's docked at...!

It's an amusing story at the least that does push more into adult territory than we're used to by the end. Once more though, it's Mariner who receives the most development - a flash to her past, more understanding of how her mind works and perhaps an indication that there's a through and through Starfleet officer in there.

On the other side of Errant Cupid's Arrow we have Rutherford and Tendi obsessing over the Vancouver's sexy T-88 tricorders and the chance to get one.  Now, bit of a spoiler, while the end chase is a little crazy, I actually understand Lt Cmdr Docent's reasons for his actions. Being on the front line, being the ones dealing with the red alert situations and all the imminent dangers must take a toll and for once it seems we get to see the result even if it is taken to a more extreme level. Good on you, Lower Decks for touching on one of those very unanswered - and untouched - subjects.

I think Errant Cupid's Arrow may not be Nobel prize-winning literature but it makes you think yet it even manages a little twist and more in one half an hour slot. The difference between Mariner and Boimler is perfect however while we did get to see more of Rutherford, aside from a couple of nuances both he and Tendi are almost the same character. I still don't get the spark there, I don't see the brilliance of the pair and their competition for the tricorder as a particularly Starfleet quality - seeking a physical item over a friendship - but it does remind us that these guys are seriously into their tech (as we'll see more next week). 

Episode five feels more settled in terms of the structure of the A and B stories, establishing the four characters early on then splitting them into pairs to run each of the week's threads.  The situation that is being dealt with on the bridge plays only slightly into the two pieces with the senior staff feeling very much like a tack-on this time, being revisited to tie in the reason for Brinson and Docent to be around for the "main" tales. Captain Freeman has to be one of the least disciplined commanders in Starfleet, taking very little s**t from anyone including her peers or whiny aliens wasting time (let's just blow up the damn moon).

Overall, Errant Cupid's Arrow has a steady pace with two clever twist endings that convinced me this show has a lot to give. If we'd not even been privy to the events on the bridge that wouldn't have had any effect on the rest of the episode and just having two elements means that the run time isn't pushed and trimmed to the max.

Thoughts on episode five? Still working for you?

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