Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4, Episode 5 - "Empathalogical Fallacies"
Summary
In Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4, Episode 5, the modified map of the Romulan Star Empire featured in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is undone, presenting a map consistent with the original series episode "Balance of Terror."
The emotional distress experienced by Lieutenant T'Lyn unintentionally impacts the crew of the USS Cerritos, leading to a close encounter with the Romulan Neutral Zone and the potential risk of provoking a war.
The days of the Romulan Star Empire are limited, as their sun is expected to go supernova in 2387, resulting in the destruction of Romulus and Remus. This catastrophic event will have significant implications for the power balance in the Beta Quadrant.
In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 5, a map displaying the Neutral Zone and the Romulan Star Empire was shown, which contradicts the correction made in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, based on Star Trek: The Original Series' map. The Romulans first appeared in the iconic TOS season 1 episode, "Balance of Terror," where the concept of the Neutral Zone was introduced. This fortified border separates the United Federation of Planets in the Alpha Quadrant from the Romulan Star Empire in the Beta Quadrant. The map featured in "Balance of Terror" identified Romulus and Romii as twin worlds, with Romii later being recognized as a star system within the Beta Quadrant.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Reversed Strange New Worlds’ Romulan Map Fix
: In the fifth episode of season 4 of Star Trek: Lower Decks, titled "Empathalogical Fallacies," Lieutenant T'Lyn (played by Gabrielle Ruiz) unknowingly transmitted her emotional distress through Vulcan telepathy to the entire crew of the USS Cerritos. Afflicted by Bendii Syndrome, T'Lyn's frustration exacerbated the emotional outbursts of most of the Cerritos' crew members, including three undercover Betazoid Intelligence agents posing as socialites. Amidst the ensuing turmoil, the Cerritos came dangerously close to crossing into the Romulan Neutral Zone, but Captain Carol Freeman (portrayed by Dawnn Lewis) skillfully maneuvered the starship back in time, consequently avoiding an unintended conflict with the Romulan Star Empire.
In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 5, a member of the USS Cerritos' Security team highlights an interesting Easter egg and reference. They point to a map of the Romulan Neutral Zone, reminiscent of the one depicted in Star Trek: The Original Series' episode "Balance of Terror." This map shares the same graphic design and identifies the planets Romulus and Romii within the Romulan Star Empire. However, the map was later corrected in the finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, titled "A Quality of Mercy." It acknowledged the presence of the twin planets Romulus and Remus, along with Romii.
Romulans Are Doomed In Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Era
Romulus and Remus, the two interdependent planets, have played significant roles in the Star Trek universe. Romulus has been prominently featured in various Star Trek episodes, while Remus and its inhabitants, the Remans, were introduced in Star Trek: Nemesis. Interestingly, Romii, the planet itself, has not been visually depicted in any Star Trek series or film, apart from its inclusion on maps in TOS, Strange New Worlds, and Lower Decks. The map in Strange New Worlds has retroactively revised the map from TOS, implying that it may be the accurate depiction of Romii's location in the Star Trek timeline. This revised map continues to be relevant in the 24th century depicted in Star Trek: Lower Decks.
In the era of Star Trek: Lower Decks, which takes place around the early 2280s, the Romulan Star Empire still reigns supreme. Despite the overthrow of the Romulan Senate and Praetor by Shinzon (played by Tom Hardy) and the Remans in Star Trek: Nemesis, it appears that the Romulans have retaliated against the Remans after Shinzon's demise. However, the clock is ticking for the mighty Romulans, as their sun is projected to go supernova in 2387, resulting in the destruction of both Romulus and Remus. Within a few years, the balance of power in the Beta Quadrant will undergo a permanent upheaval once the Romulans lose their homeworld.
Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 is approaching significant events described in the backstory of Star Trek: Picard season 1. Admiral Jean-Luc Picard will spearhead the Federation's mission to save the Romulan Empire from the impending supernova, only to be met with abandonment and a disillusioned Picard departing Starfleet in protest. The Mars Attack in 2385, directed by Commodore Oh, a secret Romulan general embedded in Starfleet, compels the Federation to enact a ban on artificial lifeforms in the Alpha Quadrant. Additionally, the Romulans encounter a disabled Borg Cube, resulting in their takeover and transformation of the Cube into the Artifact, the focal point of the Romulan Reclamation Project. Notably, the map of the Romulan Empire depicted in Star Trek: Lower Decks will soon become obsolete. Catch Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 every Thursday on Paramount+.
