Star Trek: Lower Decks Best Season 4 Quotes

We’re a few months away from the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks. I don’t know about you, but I’m sad to see our lovable, chaotic California-class crew fly off into the sunset (figuratively speaking). This show is a breath of fresh air for the Star Trek franchise. I’ve always wanted an adult animated comedy in the Trek universe, and this series delivered on all fronts.

To tide us over until the season 5 premiere, I’ve compiled a list of the 10 best quotes from season 4 so we can relive the Cerritos gang’s antics, hilarious line by hilarious line.

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“When I get demoted, it’ll be because I earned it.” – Mariner

Nobody promotes Beckett Mariner and gets away with it! In season 4 episode 2, “I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee,” our favorite Cerritos troublemaker tries desperately to get demoted after she and her fellow Lower Deckers are promoted in the previous episode to lieutenant junior grade.

Commander Jack Ransom endeavors to take Mariner under his leadership wing, showing her that she has the potential to accomplish great things in Starfleet. Of course, Mariner being Mariner,  she lacks self-confidence, uses humor as a defense mechanism, and self sabotages herself at every turn.

Anyway, this quote made me giggle when I first heard it, thanks partly to Tawny Newsome’s pitch-perfect comedic timing.

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“Eat a bag of Borg [bleep], mother[bleep]!” – Betazoid Gift Box
“I didn’t know that Dr. T’Ana came in here.” – Tendi

Season 4 episode 3, “In the Cradle of Vexilon,” is another hilarious outing that features a Betazoid gift box, the Wadi game Chula, slop jazz, primordial ooze, and the return of everyone’s favorite Cosmic Koala.

While Bradward Boimler leads his first away mission, the rest of our Lower Deckers are subjected to light hazing courtesy of the senior officers. D’Vana Tendi, Mariner, and Samanthan Rutherford find this Betazoid gift box, which had a visitor before them: Dr. T’Ana. Who else would tell someone to eat a bag of Borg d*cks? T’Ana has perfected the art of swearing. She should teach a course on it.

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“So, what’s gonna spill first? Your mouth or your guts? [to T’Lyn and Mariner] I heard that in a holo-movie.” – Tendi

Tendi is sunshine personified. It’s a stark contrast to what most expect of someone from Orion, a planet infamous for its pirates.

However, in season 4 episode 4, “Something Borrowed, Something Green,” we finally visit Tendi’s homeworld and learn that she used to be a pirate known as Mistress of the Winter Constellations (my new metal band name). Thus, it makes sense why she makes a concerted effort to conceal her checkered past.

I love the above quote because it shows Tendi trying to be mean — before we learn about her previous occupation as a badass pirate.

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“I suppose by the transitive property, I, too, must be Vulcan as a motherf**ker.” – T’Lyn
“F**k yeah. Logic, b**ch.” – Mariner

The U.S.S. Cerritos offers to transport Betazoid delegates to their homeworld in season 4 episode 5, “Empathological Fallacies,” which, naturally, leads to the race’s inherent hedonism affecting the crew. It’s party city up in there. However, T’Lyn, as a Vulcan (and our newest Lower Decker), is untouched by the need to let loose. She also learns she’s been diagnosed with Bendii Syndrome.

Mariner gives T’Lyn a pep talk, reminding her that Spock’s dad, Sarek, also had Bendii Syndrome, and he was “Vulcan as a motherf**ker.” By that logic, T’Lyn must be, too. Hearing T’Lyn use expletives with such a monotone voice and a straight face cracked me up.

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“This kind of hacky, lowest common denominator schlock won’t work on me … but I better watch so officers who aren’t as resilient as I am will know what to avoid.” – Boimler

In season 4 episode 6, “Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place,” the Lower Deckers visit the Ferengi homeworld. Side note: Some writer on the Lower Decks staff must be a fan of Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace (as they should be). Anyway, our steadfast, stalwart, and overachieving Boimler decides to pack his schedule so that he does everything and enjoys nothing … that is, until he discovers trash TV. Even the Lord’s strongest soldiers inevitably succumb to its venomous charms. Plus, who can resist Poc and Dar: Cop Landlords? Ferenginar has a bona fide TV hit on its hands.

It’s nice to know that even Boimler loves him some low-stakes, switch-off-the-mind television.

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“We also need someone to act as a couple, and since the Cerritos is statistically the horniest and least romantically committed crew in Starfleet, we have no married officers aboard.” – Ransom

I think “Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place” is my favorite episode from season 4. It’s so lighthearted, goofy, and chaotic. Chaos is Star Trek: Lower Decks’ brand. I had to include a second quote from this outing, specifically Ransom’s line about the Cerritos being “the horniest and least romantically committed crew in Starfleet.” I love that this is an actual statistic, too.

This leads to Tendi and Rutherford posing as a couple on the trip to Ferenginar. If you’re like me (and you should be), you ship these two so much it hurts. I’ve been waiting four seasons for these two crazy kids to get together.

While there’s a lot of blushing, stolen glances, and awkward flirting, Tendiford doesn’t set sail. Showrunner Mike McMahan and his writers were toying with our feelings, and that’s okay. I’m just here to enjoy the ride.

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“What I’ve come to understand is that instead of organics, what I really need to subjugate is … my feelings. … I have conquered self-doubt and seized personal growth!” – Lord Tyrannikillicus

Who says you can’t grow as a sentient computer when imprisoned in the Daystrom Institute? Lord Tyrannikillicus’s backstory might be unknown to us, but all we truly need to know is that he’s capable of change. He can be a better robot. May we all subjugate our feelings, conquer self-doubt, and seize personal growth, as he confidently declares in season 4 episode 7, “A Few Badgeys More.”

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“I think that was the best time I’ve ever had being stuck in something.” – Rutherford

In season 4 episode 8, “Caves,” our OG Lower Deckers find themselves on a classic cave mission, culminating in them getting trapped in said cave. Thus, the quartet relives their best cave shenanigans. Rutherford comments on Tendi’s story from her first day when they got stuck in the elevator, admitting that that was the best time he had “being stuck in something.”

Naturally, this gets us wondering: What else has Rutherford been stuck in? My money’s on a Jefferies tube.

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“Who the hell are you?” – Admiral Vassery
“Acting Captain Bradward Boimler, sir.” – Boimler

Someone’s got a fancy new seat. The season 4 finale, “Old Friends, New Planets,” sees Boimler temporarily occupying the captain’s chair to save Mariner from Nick Locarno (who looks an awful lot like Tom Paris).

This is an impactful moment for Boims and us viewers. He’s worked so hard to climb the Starfleet ladder because he genuinely wants to make a difference. It’s gratifying to see him assume the acting captain title, even for part of an episode. Who knows? He might get another promotion in season 5.

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“I might even try not self sabotaging for once. I’ll see how that goes.” – Mariner
“That sounds remarkably healthy.” – Boimler

The finale also finds Mariner in a different emotional and mental state than she was at the beginning of the season. I wanted to end with this quote to bring it all full circle, baby. Mariner embarked on quite the journey in season 4, facing her traumas head-on and emerging on the other side all the better for it. We could see a more mature, evolved Mariner in the last season — well, hopefully not too self-actualized. I need my weekly dose of sardonic, quippy Mariner.

That said, her line about not self sabotaging herself is remarkably healthy and full of awareness. Here’s to all of us not standing in our own way.

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What are your favorite quotes from Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4? Join the conversation with other Star Trek fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!