Oh great, another trapped in a cave mission of Lower Decks. How could they make this one seem original? In the final episode of Megan Lloyd’s run this season as director, we’ve got Ben Rodgers’ “Caves.” Rodgers is the story editor and writer from seasons 1 and 2, with stories such as “Crisis Point,” “Mugato, Gumato,” and “Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus.” However, I think of all their work on Lower Decks so far, “Caves” is the nearly forgettable one.

Don’t get me wrong, it is great to have an episode that focuses on our main four and their character work both as themselves but also as a group. Though I’m left thinking, “That was an interesting twist on the Star Trek cave story, literally, but you can only really do that once.” Our lower deckers are trapped in a cave with a moss that is perceived to be a killer, and the only way to pass the time/keep it at bay, is to tell stories of other times they were stuck in caves. Yes, it is that prevalent!

Beckett has some time dilation stuff, Rutherford has a clone baby, and Boimler was trapped with a psycho that thinks jet fuel doesn’t melt isolinear chips. I could end the summation there and call it a day, as that’s the whole episode in a few short words. The trouble, I think, is that once again I’m thinking “ok, these are all interesting ideas that could be single episodes.” Rutherford was pregnant and had a kid in minutes, showing T’ana that kids and engineers aren’t so bad. Name a more interesting concept!

Ok, I will. Beckett took ensigns on an away mission as the senior member and crashed, breaking a dude’s leg, and the only way to save the shuttle and return home was across a room. Sounds simple, right? No, the room is filled with something that causes those who walk closer to the Pergium to age rapidly. Yeah, the story with Levy might be a bit weaker, but still a great idea for not only Lower Decks but also the unbelievably stupid that surround us daily. I mean, who would honestly believe big-lobed men speaking funny appeared in Nevada in 1947? Madness, I tell you.

I think the funniest joke is one that you get on the second viewing, and I try not to talk about specific jokes often unless I can play off of them but the cave (singular) is the best visual gag. It is set up just well enough that you can watch the first time and hear the line about all Star Trek caves looking the same and think it is about past shows. However, throughout, the main section Boimler’s story, Beckett’s story, and the one we’re trapped in during the present time are just different lighting for the same cave.

The setup to the joke is a poke at the production of 60s and 80s/90s Trek because you’d use the same set to save on the budget. Lower Decks is animated/everyone is drunk, on a technical level. Rodgers, Lloyd, and the team didn’t need to use the same cave, but it makes that joke much smarter than it is on the first viewing. This is what I wish more shows would do (animated or not), use the full scope of TV to tell the story or write a joke, not just the dialog.

Again, I don’t hate “Caves,” I think it is a fun, entertaining, and enjoyable episode that does everything it needs to. However, we’ve been building to this mystery ship that we initially thought was destroying other ships. Instead, it was taking them to do something. We’ve had that second act twist of the season, but now we’re in the third act and there isn’t really any known connection. “Caves” is effectively a standalone episode (so far) for the rest of the season.

I’ve already said it, there is solid character work, even for Levy, but I don’t know why I’d come back for another rewatch. Yes, there is the one joke that uses second-viewing details, but going back for a third viewing? Even a year or two from now? Putting aside the gimmick of poking holes in the cave mission stories, it is just another cave story with a further four stories of being trapped. Separately, yeah “Caves” is a solid episode that does what it is supposed to, but as part of the whole series, it is another one that only did something a little different.

There is a fun game of placing voices, such as Dawnn Lewis (Captain Freeman) voicing different characters with the same voice. The same can be said with Fred Tatasciore, Noël Wells, and Jerry O’Connell. Maybe there will be a long-term thing there, but otherwise, it is a fun thing that doesn’t need to be explained in detail. This is the problem with competently written short episodes of TV, I’m left clutching at straws to say something worthwhile. I keep saying it, not just to complain, but the occasional longer episode of Lower Decks could make it less difficult to talk about.

Ultimately, yes “Caves” is a solid episode that is worth watching at least once, maybe even twice, but at the end of the day, it won’t last in the memory long. A simple concept that has surprisingly not been done before, but you can also see why something like this wasn’t done as it is four episodes in short 5 minute chunks. With a lesser writer and director combo, I could see it being a lot less enjoyable as an episode, which makes me glad Lloyd directed. Though much like Rodgers, I think this might be her weakest offering.

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Lower Decks "Caves"

7.5

Score

7.5/10

Pros

• Rodgers and Lloyd's writing and direction benefit "Caves."
• That simple visual joke about the cave.
• Great character work.

Cons

• Could have been a longer episode to expand on those ideas.