Star Trek Lower Decks Season 4 Gives Women a Chance to Shine

Star Trek: Lower Decks blessed us with its strongest season yet. Season 4 breaks a few Lower Decks conventions with an overarching narrative and multi-episode arcs. These tremendously successful changes add more richness and nuance to the series. Additionally, the season brings more Star Trek legacy characters like Wesley Crusher, Sito Jaxa, Grand Nagus Rom, and Leeta into the fold. And I’d be remiss if I omitted Nicholas Locarno from this discussion, who vanished after one Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, only to resurface decades later on Lower Decks. 

The tight, clever writing for the season also extends to the main characters, particularly the women. Our leading ladies get opportunities to blossom, overcome adversity, and be heroes. The result is emotionally resonant character arcs and delightful vocal performances. 

To celebrate the women of Star Trek: Lower Decks, I’d like to highlight how the writers gave them a chance to shine in season 4. Spoilers abound in these here parts, so proceed at your peril.

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Beckett Mariner

Beckett Mariner embarks on a fascinating journey in season 4. For once, she endeavors not to derail her Starfleet career and remain a lieutenant junior grade. That, in and of itself, is remarkable character growth. However, Mariner feels the urge to self-sabotage creep up again when life starts going too well.

Of course, we learn later on in the season that Mariner losing her best friend, Sito Jaxa (who appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation alongside Nick Locarno and Wesley Crusher as a Nova Squadron member), was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Much of that knee-jerk reaction to wreak havoc on her life stems from a lack of self-love. Thankfully, Mariner acknowledges her knack for self-sabotage in the season finale and feels the ardent support from her friends.

Throughout the season, Mariner works on herself while saving the day. She prevents Nick Locarno from using the Genesis Device on innocent people by activating it herself, planning to lay down her life for the universe. Mariner gets a true hero moment in season 4, and it’s beautiful.

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D’Vana Tendi

Everyone’s favorite Cerritos science officer-in-training and resident ray of sunshine, D’Vana Tendi, also has an exciting season 4 character arc. Firstly, we visit her homeworld of Orion, where we also meet her family. Viewers were privy to another side of Tendi. On Orion, she’s the Mistress of the Winter Constellations, a badass pirate whose very presence makes Orions cower in fear.

We learn that Tendi overcompensates with her sunny disposition to distance herself from Orion and those pirate stereotypes. Her season 4 voyage addresses her identity struggles. She eventually learns to embrace who she really is and that she doesn’t have to carry shame regarding her origins.

Tendi’s big moment comes in the season finale when she strikes a deal with her sister, D’Erika, to borrow an Orion ship to save Mariner. In exchange, Tendi hands herself over to Orion, departing the Cerritos and Starfleet to return to her home planet. This narrative move captures how much Tendi loves her found family and how selfless she is.

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Captain Carol Freeman

As much as Carol Freeman bickers with her daughter, Mariner, there’s never been any doubt that the Cerritos captain wouldn’t fight tooth and nail to protect her. Like Captain Pike in season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Carol experiences an unprecedented event (well, at least she can talk about it — Pike can’t mention meeting Mariner in his timeline). She oversees the beginning of the application process for the Ferengi to join the Federation alongside Admiral Vassery. Carol will undoubtedly have a place in history books for that alone.

In typical fashion, Carol outsmarts and out-negotiates Grand Nagus Rom regarding the terms of their agreement. Without her quick thinking, the Ferengi wouldn’t be as close to becoming a Federation member as they are by the end of “Parth Ferengi’s Heart Place.”

Additionally, Carol casts protocol by the wayside to save Mariner from Nick Locarno in the season 4 finale. She risks her job and standing in Starfleet to bring her daughter home. Carol’s story features her heroically putting her crew first, showing she’s a bona fide, exemplary leader.

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T’Lyn

T’Lyn joining the Cerritos in season 4 was an excellent move on the writers’ part. She fits right in with our Beta Shifters. Like all the women on this list, T’Lyn gets a handful of moments to shine while displaying her immense character growth. For starters, she assists Bradward Boimler with the latter’s first mission, leading the charge as a lieutenant junior grade. T’Lyn’s words of wisdom and encouragement fuel Boimler’s resolve when things go pear-shaped.

That’s not the last time T’Lyn gives her Cerritos besties a little push. She accompanies Tendi and Mariner to Orion for a “girls’ trip” in episode four. Tendi struggles to balance her Orion personality while on a mission to rescue her sister. T’Lyn gives Tendi the support she needs to forge ahead. In “Empathalogical Fallacies,” T’Lyn comes to terms with her Bendii Syndrome diagnosis. She finally embraces herself as being “Vulcan as a motherf**ker.”

Eventually she rejects her Vulcan superior’s demand to end her “punishment” aboard the Cerritos; she realizes she loves her new friends. T’Lyn finds unexplored, fascinating layers of herself. She discovers she’s not that different from her human counterparts after all.

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Dr. T’Ana

The good Caitian doctor is in. Dr. T’Ana doesn’t have as significant of a seasonal arc as the above characters, but she adds a healthy dose of fun to season 4. Her brash approach, sardonic sense of humor, and penchant for blatant honesty make for delightful comedic moments. Plus, her relationship with Shaxs is, as the kids say, “goals.”

One T’Ana highlight includes her episodic plot with Samanthan Rutherford in “Caves.” Despite her hatred of babies, she helps Rutherford care for one while trapped in a cave. It’s heartwarming watching her bond with this child. That’s growth, y’all. Additionally, T’Ana saves lives as the resident doctor, notably bringing Boimler back from the dead not once but twice. She’s a witch!

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What’s your favorite character arc from Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4? Join the conversation alongside other Star Trek fans at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Trekkie Sideshow!