I love a courtroom episode of Star Trek. If you’ve followed these Thursday reviews for a while back to when it was Doctor Who-flavored, you may remember a mention of “Dax” in the reviews for “Nightmare in Silver” and “The Pyramid at the End of the World.” Of course, that is just an early example from DS9 as well as “Tribunal.” We also can’t forget “The Measure of a Man” from TNG, and countless others. While there are aspects of “Veritas” that are far more forgettable than its earlier geode-based cousin with only a short court process, this is Lower Decks‘ first proper attempt. 

It is a bit strange if you ask me, Garrick Bernard’s “Veritas” steps away from how we’ve seen other episodes do an A, B, and C plot to give us what is practically one story split up into two segments. Let me explain before you think I am stupid. As usual, we have Beckett and Brad together winging it, we have Samanthan Rutherford as Shaxs’ baby bear, and we have [redacted] Tendi doing [redacted] for [redacted] Ransom. Yes, it is one of those episodes where half the dialogue is taken out for some kind of joke, and admittedly some of it works.

This episode from the writer of the Mike McMahan and Justin Roiland series Solar Opposites takes a bit of a twist as I’ve said for a couple of episodes now. The truth is, it isn’t a courtroom drama and in fact, it is one of those episodes where a large misunderstanding was brought about because of several presumptions on the part of everyone. That isn’t to say “Veritas” is good or bad either way. It just makes it a difficult episode to talk about when you spend 20 minutes setting up this grand atmosphere of danger and suspense, perforated eventually by the reveal that it was a celebration and clash of cultures.

It eventually devolves into Beckett swearing a whole bunch while being pulled away by her mother and crew. The grand joke, the point that is meant to have you saying “that was a good episode” goes from, “that was a half-decent courtroom bit” to, “well that resolution is a bit rushed and doesn’t get us anywhere.” There certainly are character moments to the episode, but where the end of “Much Ado About Boimler” has Beckett show she can be the model Star Fleet officer, “Veritas” has a typical cartoon ending. The more that changes, the more that stays the same.

I think the supposed “joke” of the Birds-of-Prey (or Bird-of-Preys?) scanning is where I got a little bit too annoyed by “Veritas” trying to do too much with what is ultimately a throwaway joke. Once, twice, maybe thrice would have been fine, but the sextuple (yes, it is the correct adjective) times very quickly turned an attempt at a scanning joke into a firm parental “stop that.” As I’ve said or intimated before, it is a very American-style (SNL) way of doing a joke and very quickly pushed it to the point of insufferable. The rest of the episode doesn’t push as much, but you can see that influence.

After being put in a silo with sharp swords for the door, in order of Beckett, Samanthan, and then Tendi, our lead four testify in what they believe to be a trial of their commanding officers. Each recounts the events of star dates that are asked of them in decreasingly sinister tones resulting in who they thought as a prosecutor being plainly frustrated. Again, I think a good portion of the episode works to twist the courtroom drama we’re used to, it is just the end that doesn’t stick its landing.

For the third episode in a row, we’re seeing how Rutherford’s characteristic “I’ll mess with the ship’s systems with an aim of improvement” leads to something going wrong. I’ve said it several times already but this is the type of character work that Lower Decks is good at doing. Not everyone can be a Miles O’Brien. Not everyone can be a Riker, Paris, or Crusher, as is evident by Brad’s panicked answers when Freeman asks him for his input. Apparently, Tendi can be all of the above, and S’Chn T’Gai (unpronounceable, ha!) too.

I enjoy the references, of course I do, I’ve just given you Spock’s actual name so they are for people like me. Though if we ever talk about “Sub Rosa” ever again, I’m going to put something in the core and blow up the port nacelle. I’ll listen to anything about Roga Danar or Remus, but I’ll have none of this ghosty nonsense that tries to tie us back to Scotland. Even the Gorn thing, as cartoonish as they still look (yes, that’s a negative) is still far more interesting and fitting with Star Trek than Jonathan Frakes directing Duncan Regehr to have sex with a hundred-year-old woman.

America’s history of hiring non-Scots to play Scots aside, T’ana’s moment of mixing up the NCC-75567 and NCC-75256 (the Alhambra) is great fun. Once again, a large portion of “Veritas” is great and exactly what makes Lower Decks something special. It is just those moments like the scanners, the dance, and the oppressive feeling that SNL corrupts everything good with its barebones nonsense. I don’t hate the rug being pulled out from under the courtroom episode we presume “Veritas” to be. However, something about it just doesn’t land the same as other episodes we’ve enjoyed.

Ultimately, I like when Brad stands up for the crew and there is plenty of “Veritas” that makes it memorable, but there are portions I’d rather forget. Telling Q to go F-kind himself and his response that Picard is boring because he always quotes Billy Shakespeare is the type of fun that Lower Decks can do. Not every episode is going to be a success, but when the episode isn’t hitting that mark when the rest is so good at poking fun at the franchise overall, the imperfections stand out more. “Veritas” is not the worst episode of Star Trek, but it is certainly not the best of Lower Decks either.

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Star Trek Lower Decks "Veritas"

6.5

Score

6.5/10

Pros

• Courtroom-drama turned birthday party.
• Doctor T'Ana's comedy bit oddly tickled me.

Cons

• Some not funny "comedy" that plainly falls flat.
• Mention of "Sub Rosa."