History Recap / StarTrekLowerDecksS4E03InTheCradleOfVexilon

** Also for Ensign Taylor, the Kzinti ensign, given how his name is actually spoken aloud for the first time.
** Funnily enough, given how [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kzin#:~:text=were%20spread%20thinly.-,Naming%20convention,by%20their%20rank%20or%20occupation Kzinti have to earn their names through merit]], Taylor might not even have ''had'' that name (or any other) the last time he appeared.

Arriving on an inhabited ancient ringworld, Boimler leads his first away mission while the rest of the lower deckers have to deal with a possible hazing ritual.

* AIIsACrapshoot: Subverted; despite the possibility of things going south and Vexilon going rogue, it actually doesn't. Most of the problems in this episode are because of poor maintenance, since its systems haven't been updated in 6 million years. Even Freeman tampering with the systems doesn't create a rogue AI; it just activates the automated maintenance systems and getting Vexilon back online is the ''solution''.

* KnowWhenToFoldThem: Freeman wisely calls in Billups when she realizes her Minor in ancient technology is woefully inadequate to fix Vexilon's degrading systems.

* BenevolentAI: Despite past experience with evil [=A.I.s=] for Starfleet, Vexilon is nothing but kind and helpful to the inhabitants of the ringworld. Even the dangers of Vexilon has to do more with bad programming than the A.I. itself.

* NeglectfulPrecursors: Spoofed; the problems with Vexilon are because its creators neglected to [[MundaneFantastic perform a system update]] before they ascended to higher dimensions millions of years ago.

* AIIsACrapshoot: Subverted; despite the possibility of things going south and Vexilon going rogue, it actually doesn't. Most of the problems in this episode are because of poor maintenance, since its systems haven't been updatedin 6 million years.

* BenevolentAI: Despite past experience with evil [=A.Is.=] for Starfleet, Vexilon is nothing but kind and helpful to the inhabitants of the ringworld. Even the dangers of Vexilon has to do more with bad programming than the A.I. itself.

* KnowWhenToFoldThem: Freeman wisely calls in Billups when she realizes she can't do much as Vexilon's systems start falling apart.

* AIIsACrapshoot: Subverted; despite the possibility of things going south and Vexilon going rogue, it actually doesn't. Most of the problems in this episode are because of poor programming.

** The decor, floor pattern and backwards-talking entity that Boimler sees in the “afterlife” are reminiscent of the Black Lodge in ''Series/TwinPeaks'' .

* {{Gaslighting}}: The lieutenant behind Mariner, Rutherford and Tendi's hazing, Lt. Dirk, tricks the trio by claiming he has PTSD after being stuck in the ''chula'' board game, thus why they have to check the isolenear chips and not him.

* InitiationCeremony: Mariner, Rutherford and Tendi are tasked with finding a broken isolinear chip and replacing it by hand. Oh, and the room they're in has gas spray out every hour and Billips' pet ferret Lancelot is roaming around ''and'' there’s a second wall of chips. Tendi rightfully deduces they’re being hazed, but Lt. Dirk is able to convince them otherwise.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Freeman decides to update Vexilon's systems as he hasn't been updated in millennia, and things keep getting worse from there.

** The decor, floor pattern and backwards-talking entity that Boimler sees in the “afterlife” are reminiscent of the Black Lodge in ''Series/TwinPeaks''

* TheChainsOfCommanding: Boimler is given the task of aiding in the retrofitting of Vexilon with a group of Ensigns alongside T’Lyn. However, being that he ''just'' got promoted and he's now leading a group of people who are at his previous rank and they could die, he panics and tries to do everything himself.

* HeroicSacrifice: Boimler stays behind to shut down power relaengine, but it blows up in his face when he does. Thankfully, T’Ana revived him.
* HiddenDepths:

* {{Gaslighting}}: The lieutenant behind Mariner, Rutherford and Tendi’s hazing, Lt. Dirk, tricks the trio by claiming he has PTSD after being stuck in the ''chula'' board game, thus why they have to check the isolenear chips and not him.

* InitiationRitual: Mariner, Rutherford and Tendi are tasked with finding a broken isolinear chip and replacing it by hand. Oh, and the room they're in has gas spray out every hour and Billips' pet ferret Lancelot is roaming around ''and'' there’s a second wall of chips. Tendi rightfully deduces they’re being hazed, but Lt. Dirk is able to convince them otherwise.

* TheReveal: We get to see the afterlife Shaxs mentioned back in Season 2, complete with black mountain and the koala.

* ADayInTheLimelight:
** Lt. Dirk hadn't even been named before this episode. Here, he's sharing the B-plot with Tendi, Mariner and Rutherford.
** Also for Ensign Taylor, the Kzinti ensign, given how his name is actually spoken aloud for the first time.

* HeroicSacrifice: Boimler stays behind to shut down the ringworld’s engine, but it blows up in his face when he does. Thankfully, T’Ana revived him.

* TheReveal: We get to see the afterlife Shaxs mentioned back in Season 2, complete with black mountain and the koala.
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: [[EnsignNewbie T'Lyn]] has to talk sense into a very panicking Boimler, who is suffering from TheChainsOfCommanding.

* ADayInTheLimelight: Lt. Dirk hadn't even been named before this episode. Here, he's sharing the B-plot with Tendi, Mariner and Rutherford.

* HiddenDepths: Ransom apparently knows more about artwork than you'd think, given his criticism early in the episode.

* ShoutOut: Corazon highly resembles the iconic ringworlds from ''Franchise/{{HALO}}''.

* {{Gaslighting}}: The Lieutenant behind Mariner, Rutherford and Tendi’s hazing tricks the trio by claiming he has PTSD after being stuck in the ''chula'' board game, thus why they have to check the isolenear chips and not him.

* BenevolentAI: Despite past experience with evil [=A.Is.=] for Starfleet, Vexilon is nothing but kind and helpful to the inhabitants of the ringworld. Even the dangers of Vexilon has to do more with bad programming then the A.I. itself.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Freeman decides to update Vexilon's systems as he hasn't been updated in millenia, and things keep getting worse from there.
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: T'Lyn has to talk sense into a very panicking Boimler, who is suffering from TheChainsOfCommanding.

Arriving on an inhabited ancient ringworld, Boimler leads his first away team while the rest has to deal with a possible hazing ritual.

* AIIsACrapshoot: Subverted; despite the possibility of things going south and Vexilon going rogue, it actually doesn't - most of the problems in this episode is because of poor programming.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Freeman decides to update Vexilon's systems as he hasn't been updated in millenia. And things keep getting worse from there.

* AIIsACrapshoot: The titular Vexilon is actually quite kind... at least until Freeman tries to update his systems.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Freeman decides to update Vexilon's systems as he hasn't been updated in millenia. And things keep getting worse from there.