History Awesome / StarTrekLowerDecks

'''Mariner''': He's an idiot, and his plan is stupid! He's gonna get you all killed because [[ItsAllAboutMe he only cares about himself]]!\\

* Tendi's sister finally agrees to lend them the Orion battleship ''Retribution'', but it turns out it has no vital systems and is completely unusable for their mission. Their solution? '''Throw the ship at Locarno's shields'''. The power overload from such a massive ship allows the senior staff to zip right in on the Captain's yacht before they re-form.

** As pointed out on the episode recap, [[MildlyMilitary there must have been somebody higher-up the command chain to take the big chair]], however, "fling the Orion ship at the shield" part was the ''easy'' part of the plan, it was his group that came up with the solution, it's his friend and mentor they're going to rescue and Freeman knows all that, plus let's face it: over the course of the season, [[TookALevelInBadass Boimler earned it]].

* While Captain Freeman commands a small shuttle to fly through and transport Mariner to safety, she entrusts the safety of the ''Cerritos'' and everyone on it... To '''Brad Boimler,''' who she assigns the rank of Acting Captain. You'd never guess that he was merely Acting Captain, though, considering how wonderfully competent he performs through the entire situation.

** Considering how often ''Wrath of Khan'' either gets [[Film/StarTrekNemesis referenced]] or [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness ripped off]], it's nice to see ''Lower Decks'' just go whole hog.

* Tendi's sister finally agrees to lend them the Orion battleship ''Retribution'', but it turns out it has no vital systems, including working engines and life support. Their solution? '''Throw the ship at Locarno's shields'''. The power overload from such a massive ship allows the senior staff to zip right in on the Captain's yacht before they re-form.
* Mariner manages to single-handedly fly a ship to get away from Locarno and his fellow mutineers. But moreover, she sows seeds of discord by telling each one of them that Locarno can't be trusted. Locarno ends up alienating the others all on his own, but Mariner deserves credit for getting through a dangerous situation without firing a shot, instead appealing to empathy and reason.
* Mariner and Locarno's space duel inside the nebula, an homage to ''Wrath of Khan''.

'''Mariner''': He's an idiot, and his plan is stupid! He's gonna get you all killed because [[ItsAllAboutMe he only cares about himself]]!

** Mariner's ShutUpHannibal moment after she activates the Genesis Device.
-->'''Locarno''': I graduated top of my class. You think I don't know how to disarm a bomb?
-->'''Mariner''': First off, [[PretenderDiss you didn't graduate]]... ''(fists fly)''

* When Locarno asks Mariner to "speak truth to power", she does... by giving every lower decker in the Alpha Quadrant the warning the rest of Nova Squadron probably needed ''before'' he dragged them into the Kolvoord Starburst fiasco, then fighting her way off ''Nova One'' and stealing his Genesis Device. MilitaryMaverick or not, she saw this egotistical douche drag her friend into an idiotic and dangerous plan, and there's no way in hell she's going to let him do it again.

* When Locarno asks Mariner to "speak truth to power", she does... by giving every lower decker in the Alpha Quadrant the warning the rest of Nova Squadron probably needed ''before'' he dragged them into the Kolvoord Starburst fiasco. MilitaryMaverick or not, she saw this egotistical douche drag her friend into an idiotic and dangerous plan, and there's no way in hell she's going to let him do it again.

* When Locarno asks Mariner to "speak truth to power", she does... by giving every lower decker in the Alpha Quadrant the warning the rest of Nova Squadron probably needed ''before'' he dragged them into the Kolvoord Starburst fiasco. She saw this egotistical douche drag her friend into an idiotic and dangerous plan, and there's no way in hell she's going to let him do it again.

* When Locarno asks Mariner to "speak truth to power", she does... by giving every lower decker in the Alpha Quadrant the warning the rest of Nova Squadron probably needed ''before'' he dragged them into the Kolvoord Starburst fiasco.

** While the ''Cerritos'' itself wasn’t in a condition to participate due to having already gotten wrecked, it was in that condition due to taking on all three ships alone, leading them away as bait to get the ''Texas'' ships away from the starbase, and blowing up two of them by ejecting its own warp core, a serious GodzillaThreshold for Starfleet vessels, especially ejecting it ''while still at warp''. The ''Cerritos'' definitely did its part.

* The Orions initially refuse work with Mariner due to her being in Starfleet and charges at her when she refuses to fight them. Tendi immediately jumps in and orders her to stand down, with the Orions immediately genuflect to the Mistress of the Winter Constellation. Tendi warns them Mariner is her friend, and harming her is an attack on her entire house, with the Orions immediately understanding and apologizing.

** The fact that Tendi is willing to use her reputation as [[NamestoRunAwayFromReallyFast the Mistress of the Winter Constellations]] and threaten to bring down the wrath of her whole house , the fifth largest in the entire Orion Syndicate - a fact which is clearly known to the pirates- is really impressive, considering how she’s been trying to run from it.
* Mariner, after a thoroughly Klingon pep talk from Ma’ah, seems to be taking a step back toward wanting to be the officer her friends know she can be, which culminates in her giving a [[KirkSummation Kirk-like Speech]] to the Captains that are marooned on the planet with her and her fellow lower deckers, and actually managing to successfully put together a team of Star Fleet officers, Klingons, Orions, Bynars and Cardassians! The only people she doesn’t manage to get on her team are the Romulans, and even then she still manages to get a cease fire, which is still pretty impressive considering the issues between the UFP and the Romulan Star Empire.

* Mariner, after a thoroughly Klingon pep talk from Ma’ah, seems to be taking a step back toward wanting to be the officer her friends know she can be, which culminates in her giving a [[KirkSummation Kirk-like Speech]] to the Captains that are marooned on the planet with her and her fellow lower deckers, and actually managing to successfully put together a team of Star Fleet officers, Klingons, Orions, Binars and Cardassians! The only people she doesn’t manage to get on her team are the Romulans, and even then she still manages to get a cease fire, which is still pretty impressive considering the issues between the UFP and the Romulan Star Empire.

* Mariner, after a thoroughly Klingon pep talk from Ma’ah, seems to be taking a step back toward wanting to be the officer her friends know she can be, which culminates in her giving a KirkSpeech to the Captains that are marooned on the planet with her and her fellow lower deckers, and actually managing to successfully put together a team of Star Fleet officers, Klingons, Orions, Binars and Cardassians! The only people she doesn’t manage to get on her team are the Romulans, and even then she still manages to get a cease fire, which is still pretty impressive considering the issues between the UFP and the Romulan Star Empire.

* In a meta example, the fact that the creators begged CBS not to reveal this episode and the next to prevent spoilers left everyone blindsided by this return.

** Bear in mind, [=McNeill=] is on record agreeing with the ''Voyager'' writers that the character wouldn't have worked on ''Voyager'' because he's BeyondRedemption, which was why Tom Paris was created instead. If the ''Lower Decks'' crew convinced him to reprise the role, that means either [=McMahon=] found a credible way to redeem him or, more likely given that he's behind the Mystery Ship, [[OhCrap he's a straight-up villain]].

** Bear in mind, [=McNeill=] refused to play Locarno again on ''Voyager'' because he felt the character was beyond redemption, which is why Tom Paris was created instead. If the ''Lower Decks'' crew convinced him to reprise the role, that means either [=McMahon=] found a credible way to redeem him or, more likely given that he's behind the Mystery Ship, [[OhCrap he's a straight-up villain]].