WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks, season 4, episode 6, "Parth Ferengi's Heart Place."
Summary
- In Star Trek: Lower Decks, watching television has fallen out of fashion in the United Federation of Planets, with characters preferring holodecks and holo-novels for entertainment.
- The absence of television in the future of Star Trek is ironic considering the franchise's origins and its production of TV content. It seems odd that they would abandon television entirely.
- Boimler's obsession with Ferengi television in the series shows that television can be just as addicting in the future as it is today, serving as a relatable aspect for viewers.
While movies still have their place in the far future, Star Trek: Lower Decks implies watching television has apparently fallen out of fashion in the United Federation of Planets. When Lieutenants Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), D'Vana Tendi (Noël Wells), and Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) are tasked with touring the planet Ferenginar, Boimler discovers how addictive a television can be. As Tendi and Rutherford struggle to pose as a married couple and Mariner reconnects with an old friend, Boimler spends his entire trip in a hotel room watching Ferengi television.
In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 6, "Parth Ferengi's Heart Place," Grand Nagus Rom (Max Grodénchik) and his wife Leeta (Chase Masterson) meet with Starfleet's Captain Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) and Admiral Vassily (Fred Tatasciore) to discuss Ferenginar's application to join the Federation. As the two sides negotiate the terms of the agreement, the Lower Deckers spend time exploring the various amenities that Ferenginar has to offer. Not only does Lower Decks season 4, episode 6 introduce Boimler to an addictive new pastime, but it also offers a look into the ways Ferengi culture has changed since Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
