Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4, Episode 2 - "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee"
Summary
In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 2, there is a delightful tribute to iconic moments from Star Trek: The Next Generation. One particular homage includes a playful reenactment of Crusher and Troi's aerobics scene from the episode "The Price." This recreation in Lower Decks sheds light on the way female characters were sometimes portrayed in TNG, with their conversations revolving around men during exercise sessions.
In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 2, titled "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee," two iconic and somewhat notorious moments from Star Trek: The Next Generation are referenced in a particularly hilarious manner. This episode continues the show's tradition of paying tribute to the Star Trek franchise and including obscure references in each installment.
In the first scene of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 2,
Crusher & Troi’s TNG Yoga Returns In Star Trek: Lower Decks
(Jerry O'Connell) and Lieutenant Shaxs (Fred Tatasciore) engage in a synchronized workout session at the USS Cerritos gymnasium. This particular moment pays homage to the iconic scene from the TNG episode "The Price" where Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) partake in joint aerobic exercises while discussing Troi's newfound love interest. Subsequently, in the later sequence titled "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee," Dr. T'Ana (Gillian Vigman) and Shaxs immerse themselves in a Robin Hood-themed holodeck program, intentionally alluding to the TNG episode "Qpid."
The scene featuring Dr. Crusher and Counselor Troi in "The Price" episode of TNG has gained notoriety due to their absurd leotards, which clearly cater to the male gaze. This scene highlights a problematic aspect of TNG that has not aged well - the female characters often received less attention when it came to their storylines. In an interview with Variety in April 2023, Gates McFadden refers to this particular scene when discussing TNG. She expresses her belief that the show lacked a strong female presence, as their scenes usually revolved around exercising or discussing men. Interestingly, Lower Decks recreates the TNG scene almost identically, as pointed out by Twitter user @gaghyogi49 below.
TNG’s Robin Hood Is Also In Lower Decks’ Holodeck
Lower Decks humorously satirizes the Dr. Crusher and Troi moment through the amusing portrayal of two characters, who are typically seen as more masculine, engaging in stretches while wearing comical leotards. By assigning Ransom and Shaxs to reenact this scene, Lower Decks effectively highlights the problematic aspects of the original moment from TNG.
In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Qpid," Q, an all-powerful being portrayed by John de Lancie, endeavors to assist Captain Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, in navigating his romantic entanglement with Vash, portrayed by Jennifer Hetrick. To accomplish this, Q teleports Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D to a medieval English realm, transforming them into the characters from the legend of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. In this whimsical adventure, Picard assumes the role of Robin Hood himself and is given the mission of rescuing Vash's character Maid Marian from Q's portrayal of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
The scene mentioned in "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee," whether it is a recreation of Picard's adventure or not, is clearly a reference to "Qpid." However, unlike TNG, the activities of T'Ana and Shaxs on the holodeck are left to the imagination. The abundance of obscure references in each episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks indicates that the show's creative team shares the same love for the Star Trek franchise as its most dedicated fans. You can catch season 4 of Star Trek: Lower Decks streaming Thursdays on Paramount+.
