Star Trek's Next Insurrection: A Sensible Twist

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Captain Freeman's rebellion in the final episode of Lower Decks offers a more logical and compelling storyline compared to Picard's actions in Star Trek: Insurrection. In her courageous pursuit to save her daughter and protect countless lives from a grave danger, Freeman takes monumental risks.

The stakes in the finale of Lower Decks surpass those of Star Trek: Insurrection, with the antagonist Locarno wielding a destructive Genesis Device capable of obliterating an entire planet. Mariner's involvement in the situation adds a deeply personal aspect, thereby validating Freeman's act of defiance.

Captain Freeman's actions are morally justified, irrespective of Starfleet's orders, due to the potential disastrous consequences of involving non-Federation worlds without intervention. Catch the finale of Lower Decks season 4 on Paramount+. Captain Carol Freeman, portrayed by Dawnn Lewis, defies orders in the final episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4. Her rebellion holds more logical reasoning compared to Captain Jean-Luc Picard's stance in Star Trek: Insurrection. While Lower Decks primarily focuses on the ensigns and lieutenants of USS Cerritos, Captain Freeman plays a significant role. Not only does she command the ship, but she also looks out for her daughter, Lt. Beckett Mariner, portrayed by Tawny Newsome. In episode 10 of Lower Decks season 4, titled "Old Friends, New Planets," Freeman and Mariner showcase their best as they collaborate to thwart the actions of disgraced Starfleet cadet Nick Locarno, portrayed by Robert Duncan McNeill.

Throughout Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, an enigmatic adversary has been launching assaults on non-Federation vessels and specifically targeting former Starfleet personnel. Following the revelation that Nick Locarno is the mastermind behind these attacks, he abducts Mariner under the mistaken belief that she will aid him. Possessing a pilfered Ferengi Genesis Device capable of annihilating all life on a planet, Locarno's plans are thwarted by Mariner, who successfully diverts him and his cohorts on a fruitless pursuit. Despite Starfleet's orders to refrain from engagement, Captain Freeman embarks on a mission to rescue her daughter and prevent Locarno from imperiling others.

Lower Decks Season 4’s Star Trek Insurrection Makes More Sense Than Picard’s TNG Movie

Captain Picard and the USS Enterprise-E crew embark on a mission to the planet Ba'ku, prompted by a malfunction in Lt. Commander Data's systems. Despite Starfleet's assurance that his presence is unnecessary, Picard has a gut feeling that something is amiss, compelling him to proceed. To their surprise, they uncover a sinister scheme to forcibly relocate the Ba'ku inhabitants to a different planet in order to exploit the rejuvenating powers of the Briar Patch, a unique region in space. In a valiant effort, Picard aids the Ba'ku people by exposing Starfleet's collusion with their adversaries, the Son'a. The motivations behind Starfleet's decision to align with the Son'a, rather than negotiate with the Ba'ku for access to the rejuvenating area, remain unclear.

Lower Decks Season 4’s Finale Had Better Stakes Than Star Trek: Insurrection

The involvement of the Starfleet officers in this scheme already constitutes a violation of the Prime Directive, thereby casting doubt on the validity of their commands. In the final episode of Lower Decks season 4, Starfleet issues an order to the Cerritos, instructing them not to pursue Locarno for diplomatic reasons. Given the potential complications that could arise if a Klingon or Romulan were harmed or killed by Starfleet, multiple non-Federation worlds being implicated, Captain Freeman's actions can be argued to hold moral righteousness, irrespective of the directives she was given.

In Star Trek: Insurrection, Captain Picard and his crew fought to protect the Ba'ku people's right to remain on their planet. However, it was revealed that Starfleet had no intention of killing the Ba'ku, as the particles found in the Briar Patch offered a potential solution to save countless lives in the Federation. This raised questions about Picard's actions throughout the movie, especially considering his history of saving the galaxy alongside his Enterprise crew.

On the other hand, the stakes were significantly higher in the season 4 finale of Lower Decks when Locarno disclosed the possession of a Genesis Device capable of devastating a whole planet. Despite claiming that the device was merely a bargaining chip, Locarno's unstable nature and unpredictability made the situation much more urgent.

The Genesis Device poses a planetary-scale threat, but Mariner's involvement intensifies the stakes, especially for Captain Freeman and Mariner's friends and crewmates on the Cerritos. Captain Freeman asks her crew if they are willing to risk a court-martial, and they all agree that rescuing Mariner is worth it. Unlike Picard and his crew's initial lack of personal connections with the Ba'ku people, Mariner's role as one of the main characters on Star Trek: Lower Decks makes viewers feel more invested. This involvement provides Freeman and the Cerritos crew with greater justification for disobeying orders. Stream season 4 of Star Trek: Lower Decks on Paramount+.

Editor's P/S

As a Star Trek fan, I am thrilled to see the bold choices made by Captain Freeman in the season finale of Lower Decks. Her defiance of orders to save her daughter and countless lives from a grave danger presents a compelling narrative that surpasses the coherence and stakes of Star Trek: Insurrection. Freeman's actions are morally justified, as the potential disastrous consequences of involving non-Federation worlds without intervention are too great to ignore.

The stakes in the finale of Lower Decks are also much higher than those in Star Trek: Insurrection. In Insurrection, the antagonist, Ru'afo, is attempting to exploit the rejuvenating powers of the Briar Patch for his own personal gain. While this is certainly a serious crime, it pales in comparison to the threat posed by Locarno, who is wielding a Genesis Device capable of obliterating an entire planet. Additionally, Mariner's involvement in the situation adds a deeply personal aspect to the story, making Freeman's act of defiance even more understandable.