WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks, season 4, episode 9, "The Inner Fight."
Summary
Star Trek: Lower Decks suggests the potential return of TNG's Sito Jaxa, prompting speculation regarding the nature of her presumed demise. Mariner's association with TNG takes on a more profound meaning as she gets abducted by the disgraced Starfleet cadet Nick Locarno, who had ties to Sito Jaxa.
Sito Jaxa, a character from Star Trek: The Next Generation, could potentially be brought back to life in Star Trek: Lower Decks. The animated comedy series, created by Mike McMahan, has always been influenced by McMahan's favorite TNG episode, "Lower Decks", and the season 4 finale seems to further connect the two shows. In a surprising and intimate conversation with Klingon Warrior Ma'ah, Lieutenant junior grade Beckett Mariner disclosed that she was friends with Ensign Sito Jaxa, one of TNG's original Lower Deckers.
Mariner's connections to Star Trek: The Next Generation stretch beyond this point as she is later abducted by Nick Locarno (Robert Duncan McNeill), a former cadet at Starfleet Academy who was expelled. Both Locarno and Sito were members of Starfleet Academy's Nova Squadron and they conspired to conceal a deadly accident in order to safeguard their future careers. Following Locarno's expulsion from the Academy, Sito was determined to prove herself to Starfleet. Unfortunately, Sito's pursuit of redemption ended tragically when she was seemingly killed during a covert intelligence operation by the Cardassians. However, the reappearance of Nick Locarno and Mariner's recollections of Sito Jaxa may hint at a potential unexpected return.
Is Star Trek: Lower Decks About To Bring Back TNG's Sito Jaxa?
In the concluding moments of "Lower Decks," an episode from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Sito Jaxa assumed the role of a disguised Bajoran prisoner, escorting a Cardassian informant. The USS Enterprise-D stumbled upon the wreckage of the escape pod she was supposed to rendezvous in, thirty hours past the appointed time. The Cardassian Union proceeded to declare the elimination of a Bajoran terrorist who had been fleeing capture. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) was left with the confirmation of Sito's demise. However, the absence of her body brings into question the true nature of the circumstances surrounding her supposed death.
It is unlikely that Nick Locarno has been building his new ship and choosing his targets without any assistance. In terms of a potential accomplice, his former teammate from Nova Squadron at Starfleet Academy, Sito Jaxa, would be the ideal candidate. Sito's experience in a Cardassian prison has negatively impacted her view of Starfleet and the Federation. This would significantly raise the stakes in the season 4 finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks, as Mariner would be confronted with the task of facing her former friend and someone she once admired.
Star Trek Tried To Resurrect TNG's Lower Decker Once Before
Originally, producer Jeri Taylor wanted Sito Jaxa to make a later return in Season 7 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In order to maintain this possibility, she instructed for Sito's "death" to be more ambiguous. However, Michael Piller, believing that her survival would diminish the impact of the episode, made the decision to definitively kill her character off. The final outcome seemed to incorporate elements of both intentions, as Sito's body was not found, but Captain Picard still announced her death based on information provided by the Cardassians. After watching the episode, Michael Piller had a change of heart and concluded that Sito Jaxa should not remain deceased.
Star Trek fans expressed their sadness at the fate of the beloved and tragic Bajoran Ensign from "Lower Decks," prompting plans to bring the character back. A storyline was created for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, in which Sito Jaxa was discovered to be a captive of the Cardassians. However, the DS9 writers ultimately decided against this, as they believed it would undermine the conclusion of the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. Instead, elements of the story were incorporated into the Chief O'Brien episode, "Hard Time." Now, decades later, there is a strong possibility that Mike McMahan will finally resolve the plans of Piller and Taylor in the season 4 finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks. The season 4 finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks will be available for streaming on Paramount+ on Thursday, November 2nd.
