Did you know that the S in LSD stands for Acid? Sorry, for those that don’t understand the point in making a joke that might tangentially get us into talking about the episode at large, that’s what that is. LSD stands for Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, which doesn’t even have an S to start any of it. Why isn’t it called LAD? It would finally make LADbible a Class-A illegal substance and we don’t have to see UNILAD on Facebook either. Anyway, onto the episode that is a very bad (in a good way) acid trip.

“Room for Growth” is the third and latest episode of Lower Decks by John Cochran. Yes, that is the very same John Cochran from Survivor. This is not a standout episode, as it is another episode about the friendships between our lower deck crew and being standoffish with everyone else. Meanwhile, Carol goes criminally insane trying to get her engineering crew to take 10 minutes to relax. Of course, they are all workaholic psychopaths that will work while they are at a special space spa. I think the only stand-outs are the holosuite sex scenes and drugs.

Something about “Room for Growth” and “Mining the Mind’s Mine” with their “lol, look at us making references to weird tropes of Star Trek,” just isn’t all that funny. They feel like statements of fact rather than taking the trope and twisting it to be funny. The pre-credits scene in “Room for Growth” is the trope of “the captain being possessed by an ancient artifact, again (eye-rolling indignation)” with little to make it funny. It is there to service a later plot point more than anything, with the eye-rolling indignation style of “comedy” that I can’t stand.

Other than the SNL-like attempts to make me laugh while staring at me unblinkingly with what is best described as a serial killer’s grin, “Room for Growth” doesn’t overpack its story or rush its ending. There is some subtlety to elements of the episode’s attempts at comedy, but as has been evident for a while now, none of it purposefully makes me laugh. Like most Trek fans now, I’m here for the references to make me feel like I’m not the only one that wants to talk about the Maquis or everyone’s second-favorite chief engineer. Or more specifically why his actual daughter presents the PC Gaming Showcase.

The black and white scene in the holosuite where Shaxs and Diane want to play a little ditty, mostly on one of her many nipples, is fun. I also like that there is an attempt to draw attention to the resurrection of Shaxs, something often overlooked so we can retcon unliked season finales. Picard stuck it out though. That said, the whole adventure with Beckett, Tendi, and Brad is a bit of a fun exploration of the ship, if only CBS/Paramount would have allowed Stage 9‘s development to continue. I’m not bitter, honest!

The back corridor adventure, despite being similar to the last episode’s story about friendship, offers something fun to watch but nothing new to enjoy. Carol’s story of trying to force the engineering crew into relaxing without understanding that stressing over their tiredness makes her worse does everything it says on the tin. Neither A nor B plots have anything special about them aside from possibly the Honey, I Drugged the Kids and Bajorian-Caitian Bonnie & Clyde foreplay. Otherwise, we’ve plateaued into the baseline that Lower Decks aims to be.

Cochran’s latest episode of Lower Decks isn’t bad from a technical standpoint, nor should it be seen as a complete dud. However, “Room for Growth” isn’t as entertaining or interesting as previous episodes. “Terminal Provocations” had Badgey, the murder hologram. “The Spy Humongous” features Rich Fulcher as many Pakled, particularly Rumdar. With moments of memorable segments, there is just a lack of tangible fun to be taken from such an episode. Though, as a negative, I’m sure some of us could agree Beckett and Tendi getting undressed probably fueled so much Rule34, and some of us could do without that. I ask, where is my Billups Rule34?

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Star Trek: Lower Decks "Room for Growth"

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• Mention of The Maquis.
• The plot about getting the room was enough but samey.
• Teaching captain Freeman a lesson.

Cons

• Where is my Billups Rule34?
• Despite references and colorful elements, not much to pique interest.