Do you have no humanity? There is no need to get a man out of his bed for Sto’vo’kor. Directed by “Dos Cerritos” director Megan Lloyd, there isn’t much to say about her directorial career given she’s only ever done Lower Decks. While story editor and writer Diana Tay writes her first and I believe only episode for Lower Decks. Something she’s used to as she’s written one episode for Pen15, Human Discoveries, and Three Busy Debras. As well as working on a large portion of Dan Harmon’s created animated show, Krapopolis, as both a staff writer and episode writer in seasons 1 and 2.

On Qo’noS, Ma’ah is back home trying to tame a Targ and ignoring his phone calls, while the Targ is sadly not Molly’s. Not only is it very Star Wars (if any series has a trademark on desert planets with farms, it’s that series) once we get to the opening, that intro was an early sign that this was going to be a special episode. Meanwhile, back on the USS Cerritos, Carol, Tendi, and Rutherford try to accommodate more Klowahkans as ship psychiatrist/counselor Dr Migleemo looks to entertain his fellow bird people. His similarly snooty Klowahkan counterparts of food critic fame.

This is the episode I’ve wanted for the last three goes around. Ok, I could do without Boimler’s sex offender mustache and pubey beard, but the rest of it is exactly what I wanted after “Dos Cerritos.” It is no surprise that Beckett (and Boimler because who else was it going to be) is the one phoning Ma’ah, but generally speaking, this is more of an episode about Ma’ah and Migleemo. An episode that expands and makes the world of Lower Decks feel like it is worth continuing into extended media. Something worth following after the season ends, which it does in about a week (weeks for us).

Taunted by his brother Malor on the family farm, Ma’ah and Malor head to town to sell the blood wine at which point Beckett and Boimler bust in, causing a fuss, looking like he isn’t allowed near a school, and forcing Ma’ah to try and get his Captaincy back. Being stripped of his position for allowing the crew of the IKS Che’ta’. Boring bits out of the way in very characteristically interesting ways, Ma’ah must appeal to the Klingon Oversight Council (KOC) for his position he doesn’t want back but Beckett forces him into it.

Sure, space cowboys with seven-foot-tall hairy men (and women) punting Care Bears at space Nazis in white is cool and all, but I want my bureaucracy on screen, and not in scrolling text. Ok Klingon torture due to Ma’ah killing Dorg, leader of the Oversight Council Bargh’s brother to take control of the Che’ta’, but bureaucracy nonetheless. I really liked “A Farewell to Farms” because it was something different, it doesn’t forget that our characters are changing, and more importantly for Beckett and Boimler, it doesn’t forget an episode ago when Boimler was scared of skiing.

Not only do we have that going on, we get a bit more about the Klowahkans. We learn how food is a massive part of their culture, and how the two coming on board are food critics. The type of food critics have no scale, thus they rate everything they eat as bland. As a B plot, it is pretty solid and does enough to make the story interesting in contrast. Running on general TV tropes of reviewers, they are no Jay Sherman, it puts into contrast the defeatist attitude of Ma’ah.

As usual, I don’t want to go too much into spoilers, especially for an episode that is vastly different from everything else we’ve had this season. The direction is solid, as is often the case with Lloyd, and for the most part, I like Tay’s writing. It did seem there were a few things with editing that Darmon and Garraway should have cleaned up though, that or the typically American production-style writer’s room. Jokes or punchlines that could have been slightly punched up a bit, or inconsistencies following in the next line, mostly.

The most egregious of the lines probably came from “Sir” Legnog, the darker of the Klowahkans, who said something about possibly missing the amuse-bouche when returning to Klowahka. The very same amuse-bouche that Migleemo says, and I am quoting here: “All arrivals to Klowahka are greeted with the traditional amuse-bouche.” So if it is “all arrivals” then you quite literally can’t miss it. It is a joke that would work if the landing was stuck, but surprisingly for a line delivered by bird people, it is like a pigeon slamming into the door of your conservatory and breaking its neck.

Generally speaking, despite the title being a reference to Hemingway’s 1929 novel and some minor gripes, “A Farewell to Farms” is easily the best episode of the season so far. Not only for being refreshing in the grand scheme but also for being quite enjoyable and breezy. Ultimately, I can’t fault Diana Tay on her first and only outing for Lower Decks, and as is often the case Lloyd is a delight when it comes to direction.

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Lower Decks "A Farewell to Farms"

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• I love a special intro.
• A story focused on Ma'ah and Migleemo.
• Remembering that we're changing the characters up a bit.

Cons

• Lines like the one about amuse-bouche could be refined more.
• Boimler's John Waters moustache.