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We count down the 10 most shocking and twisted deaths in Star Trek: Lower Decks. From darkly comedic to genuinely disturbing, these moments show the series isn’t afraid to go to extremes.
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00:00In Star Trek Lower Decks, the stakes tend to be fairly low. It's a comedy after all,
00:04who wants to see the characters that make them laugh explode into smithereens,
00:08or even disappear up the chimney of a transporter accident?
00:11No one, that's who. End of the list, thanks for joining.
00:14Although, Lower Decks still is a Star Trek series, and as such features the same kinds of danger
00:22that one might find in Discovery or Deep Space Nine. The Jem'Hadar may be lying in wait while
00:27a giant anomaly slices its way through the galaxy, hoovering up all of the particles in its wake.
00:33Standard Tuesday in The Final Frontier.
00:35While the show is admittedly a little lighter on the horrific body count,
00:40it still contributes a few examples for our series. Things may seem grim at Trek Culture Towers when we
00:48concentrate on the grisly demise of our favourite heroes, but then what's life without a bit of
00:54balance? And what's death without the chance to come back, hiking boots and all?
00:59Lower Decks gave us the great get out of jail free card that is the Black Mountain,
01:05but how many officers and crew passed over it? And more pointedly, how many of them were junior
01:10officers or just those exalted senior staff? Join us as we take a look through the obituary section of
01:18the USS Cerritos and beyond. I'm Sean Ferrick for Trek Culture and here are the 10 most messed up deaths
01:25in Star Trek Lower Decks. 10. The Genesis of Locarno
01:32In 1982, audiences were treated to the awesome power of the Genesis device. As it detonated,
01:39exploding the USS Reliant, Khan and any remaining survivors aboard, it began to reshape all of the
01:46matter in the Mutara sector while the Enterprise escaped at warp. It was a beautiful sight watching
01:52a new planet form in the stars, even if it didn't have a long shelf life. Jumping forward 100 years,
01:58and wouldn't you know it, the Ferengi had managed to get their hands on this technology despite bans
02:04from Earth to Kronos. Tom Locarno, Nick Locarno, disgruntled with his place in society, sought the means
02:12to bolster his Nova fleet and hold the quadrant to ransom. He acquired a Ferengi Genesis device as
02:20insurance but activated it during a fight with Lieutenant Junior Grade Mariner, having badly
02:25misjudged his former academy classmate. While she was beamed away, he attempted to deactivate the
02:30device only to discover that the Ferengi had installed a paywall in front of any deactivation
02:36commands. Out of time and latinum, Locarno was vaporized in the resulting explosion, though it didn't
02:41end there. His atoms, molecules in every part of him were reshaped and reformed, becoming the basis
02:48of a new world, Locarno. While an explosion to the face isn't the best way to go, having your atoms
02:54reform into a world that would be used for refugees to resettle is actually a bit of a consolation.
03:019. The Black Mountain
03:04When Lieutenant Shaxx met his bitter, or triumphant depending on who you ask,
03:08end in no small parts, one would be forgiven for believing that was the end of the road for the
03:14Bajoran security chief. This man had lived his life in service to the prophets and explosions.
03:20So, he was on a one-way ride to the Celestial Temple. Easy.
03:25Suddenly, Ensign Rutherford started to notice some strange things aboard the Saritos. Who was the hulking
03:32Bajoran walking around the ship in gold? Why was there an officer who bore a striking resemblance
03:37to the dearly departed Shaxx still serving on the bridge? It was true, Shaxx was back,
03:43and he didn't come via the easy route.
03:45Star Trek Lower Decks took fine aim at those times characters popped back from the dead in the rest of
03:53the franchise. Spock had taken a siesta in The Wrath of Khan, and Harry Kim may even be a record
03:58holder
03:59in death's standings. But both of them came back. Why not Shaxx? Why not everyone? It involves a black
04:05mountain and a large koala. When Rutherford confronted Shaxx, the latter whispered the truth
04:10into the former's horrified ears, warping his very understanding of reality and the universe.
04:16Some things are better left unsaid, as Rutherford would surely agree.
04:21But hey, at least we got Shaxx back.
04:238. Death by Neckbreak
04:27When you're an AI being with a heart full of digital hatred for your creator,
04:31is there anything worse than having that same creator lay his hands on your head and twist
04:36it violently around? If you want to know what that feels like, it's best to ask the original
04:40version of Bajie if one can get in touch with him on the higher plane.
04:44When Rutherford's errant AI started to show its true maniacal leanings, things were looking
04:50grim for the young ensign and his friends. Trapped on the holodeck, surrounded by a frozen tundra
04:55and running out of time, Rutherford tried to reason with the charmingly murderous Starfleet Delta.
05:01Having run out of options and with diplomacy rapidly failing, he tried the only option left,
05:06a little mercy killing. Rutherford snapped Bajie's neck, despite the anatomical questions raised,
05:13killing him and saving the ship. Things obviously didn't end there, as Bajie was directly responsible
05:20for Shaxx's death later in the season, and is currently an omnipotent being travelling the very
05:26highways of reality, but in the moment it was a fairly brutal way to go. Death by parent has got
05:32to be grim, Delta shaped body or not. 7. Patleds? Really?
05:39Captain Dayton and the crew of the USS Solvang had one of the more tragic endings in Star Trek Lower
05:46Decks. Long before they took over the fresh out of the wrapping USS Solvang, they were faced with
05:52the loss of their previous ship, the USS Rubidoux. That ship was the birthing site of a large space
05:58organism, so at least there was life from lifelessness. The Solvang was not so fortunate.
06:03In one of the more shocking twists of Lower Decks' first season, the Pakleds had begun to gather
06:11pieces of other technology together, forming huge clump ships. Though they weren't burdened with an
06:18overabundance of intelligence, they were suddenly in possession of fairly devastating ships. The USS Solvang
06:24is ambushed by these Pakleds and quickly overpowered. Captain Dayton is horrified, naturally. She had just
06:30been chiding the crew not to wear their shoes on the carpet on the bridge, and then here comes some
06:36of the galaxy's dumbest villains, ready to ruin her day. The shields are quickly depleted, so a quick
06:42escape would seem to be the best course of action. Dayton gives the order to warp away, not realising that
06:49the Pakleds had grabbed the ship with giant claws and tendrils. As the Solvang engages the warp engines,
06:55a nacelle is torn away from the rest of the ship, causing a devastating explosion and destroying the
07:02Solvang, Dayton, and all hands were lost. It's bad enough to lose the ship and her crew, but to lose
07:09them to the Pakleds? What a chump way to go. That's just sad. Number 6. Harry. Again.
07:17Though it took more than 20 years, as well as two guest spots from his podcast co-host,
07:24Garret Wong returned to Star Trek in the fifth season, penultimate episode, Fisher Quest.
07:30The catch was that it wasn't the original Harry Kim on our screens, though to be fair,
07:36the original Harry Kim's body was still floating in space somewhere in the Delta Quadrant, so who's to
07:41say. Harry, Harry and a group of Harrys found themselves aboard the USS Anaximander, captained
07:48by Captain William Boindler. The ship was tasked with closing quantum fissures, all of which were
07:54damaging reality one tear at a time. Though the cause of the tears was benign, the impact was anything
08:01but. One of the Harrys, tired of being the brunt of most jokes, took his second pip and the rest
08:07of
08:08the Harrys, hijacked the Beagle and made straight for one of these fishers. Though he was determined
08:14to take his tribe somewhere to get a bit of respect in the universe, the rest of them were having
08:18none
08:18of it, trying their best to overpower him before causing yet another explosion. In the end, Harry
08:24was flying solo with only his lieutenant's bars to keep him company. Engaging the drive, he pushed
08:29forward, heading straight into the mouth of a massive explosion. The result was another dead Kim,
08:35and the potential end of reality as we knew it. The promotion was a mistake.
08:41Number 5. Killer AI in the face
08:44Vice Admiral Les Buenamigo is very much responsible for his own demise, to be clear from the outset.
08:50His ambition and his hubris resulted in not only his own death, but the deaths of many other officers
08:57and crew in Starfleet. He is yet another cautionary tale of putting too much trust in entirely automated
09:04ships, a lesson one would think had been well learned by 2381. His plan to implement the Texas
09:11class ships into Starfleet was part of his long-term ambition to advance. Though he began the project
09:17as a lieutenant commander, by the time he'd reached Vice Admiralty, he felt that he'd hit the ceiling in
09:22terms of promotion. The Texas class was then to be his legacy, though as things turned out it wouldn't be
09:27a legacy he would particularly want. He had been responsible for then-cadet Rutherford's Vulcan
09:34implant, leading to a complete personality shift. Rutherford had been an errant and troubled young
09:39man and had designed an artificial intelligence program that Buenamigo would use, though, as the
09:46future would show in the form of Bagi, it was not suitable for autonomy. In 2381, Rutherford recognized
09:53his own work, corrupted and controlling the USS Aledo, but it was too late for Buenamigo. Fearing
10:00exposure by Captain Freeman and the USS Cerritos, he gave the Texas class ships full freedom to control
10:06themselves and ordered the destruction of the California class ship. The Aledo instead turned
10:11its phasers on the Vice Admiral, vaporizing him and destroying his office aboard Douglas Station.
10:17Number 4. Decapitation by Mugato It's quite a thing to see a cheerful Tellarite,
10:24yet Patingi was exactly that when Ensigns Boimler and Rutherford encountered him on the surface
10:29of Freilon IV in 2381. He claimed to be a biologist of some renown, with five whole books on Mugatos.
10:37Boimler and Rutherford had just encountered several such Mugatos herded by Ferengi in an illegal trading
10:43mission and had watched them break free. Mugatos, not well known for their calm nature, escaped into
10:50the forest full of rage at having been captured. Patingi bursting with confidence assured the young
10:55men that he knew enough to keep everyone safe. Something about his story began to confuse the boys.
11:01Though he had implied that he had written five books, he had in fact read five books on the wild
11:07animals. Adding to this, he didn't seem entirely sure what they were called. Were they Mugatos or Mugos?
11:16Brushing any uncertainty aside, he stepped out of their hiding place, confident that he had learned
11:20how to communicate with an angry Mugato looming overhead. Before he had a chance to do anything
11:26about it, the Mugato lifted him up, opened its mouth, and chomped down on the Tellarite's head.
11:31He was decapitated, leaving only his ponytail behind. Perhaps he should have read a sixth book after all.
11:37Number 3. Moopsie. A cuddly little murderer is a fine description for a beloved deadly ball of
11:44squish. The Moopsie may have been Narge's favourite, but the problem was, the Moopsie fancied Narge too.
11:50In particular, it fancied his bones. In Narge's Miraculous Menagenarium, Mariner Ransom and Ensign
11:57Gary are assigned with retrieving some humans who have wound up in an alien zoo. The zookeeper, Narge,
12:04is a kindly sort who is more than happy to answer questions, give them a tour, and show them the
12:09various species on display. One such species is the Moopsie, all cute and smiling, locked tight in
12:16its enclosure. Naturally, the Moopsie gets out. What could be wrong with that? Well, the Moopsie has a
12:21certain diet that might not be the most fun for vertebrates, as Narge quickly demonstrates. Despite
12:27their efforts to hide from the creature, the Moopsie manages to find a way past locked doors and winding
12:33air ducts, dropping down with a grin onto Narge's shoulder. In one swift move, the Moopsie bares
12:39its razor sharp fangs and sinks them into the unlucky zookeeper, liquidising and drinking his bones. As the
12:46empty corpse sinks to the floor, the Moopsie squeaks in happiness, while Mariner, Ransom and Gary run away,
12:52screaming.
12:58Number 2. Vaporised by the Breen
13:01The Ornarans and the Brekkians were introduced in the next generation's first season episode,
13:07Symbiosis. There, they were presented as two worlds engaged in an uneven exchange, with the Ornarans
13:13addicted to Felicium, while the Brekkians kept them supplied. Captain Picard refused to help either
13:19side repair their ships, eventually leading to the Ornarans to be cut off from their supply of the drug.
13:24A dark time of withdrawal followed, with the entire population struggling with the effects of
13:29Felicium leaving their systems. Thankfully, that time passed and the population began to thrive again.
13:36Over on Brekka, things were less rosy. By the time the Cerritos arrived in orbit,
13:42the Breen had taken control of the planet, subjugated its people and killed anyone who got out of line.
13:49One poor local spotted the arrival of the Starfleet crew, signalling them to be quiet and stay safe,
13:54but to no avail. After a period of occupation, the woman was mercilessly killed by the helmeted
14:00hardasses, who then proceeded to chase the Cerritos in their own ships. Even a show as light as lower
14:05decks can sometimes surprise with a shocking death, and this was a full-on shock in the third season episode,
14:11trusted sources.
14:13Number 1. Riemann Torture
14:15We are not saying that the Riemanns are the nicest species in the galaxy, but they sure have
14:19experienced their fair share of strife in their time. Forced to work under the heel of the Romulan
14:24Star Empire, the Riemanns were trapped, for the most part, on the dark side of Remus. There,
14:29they mined dilithium and were often drafted as soldiers for war. The events surrounding Shinzon's coup on
14:36Romulus probably did very little to bolster Riemann reputations in the Empire, whether they were
14:41directly involved in the plot or not. Long before the Hova supernova destroyed, presumably both worlds,
14:48the scimitar was destroyed with all hands thanks to Lieutenant Commander Data's sacrifice. Whichever
14:53Riemanns were left behind, were not in for a happy future. In the early 2380s there was enough ill will
15:01towards them that Romulan soldiers tortured several of them to death, dismembering them and tossing their
15:07bodies into a waste bag. Malok, one of the Romulans tasked with cleaning the room, wryly comments that
15:14Riemanns leave the biggest messes for them to clean up. Though hardly a noble ending for a Riemann soldier,
15:21perhaps they could take slight solace in the fact that Malok and Sub-Commander Vrek both had to deal
15:26with stains on their uniforms from the pieces of Riemann that were left behind.
15:38Hi, I'm Duncan Relic, no relation, and I collect relics from before the burn. Thanks to a temporal wormhole,
15:47I now have an unlimited supply of Trek culture t-shirts and I'm selling them to you.
15:55You could be wearing this stylish down and up t-shirt. Or how about this fish watching design?
16:03Bright yellow on black, the colours I'd use in thumbnails, I tell you that for nothing.
16:08I plan to take these designs and transfer them via quantum duplication onto hats, mugs and posters.
16:17So look out for those.
16:22Treat this unlimited supply as a limited time deal. Get your t-shirt quick. Who's your daddy?
16:40And that's everything for our list today, folks. Thank you so much for watching along. You are
16:44awesome. You are wonderful. Thank you so much, Bill, who edited this video and you can follow us
16:49all of the various socials. We're at TrekCulture or at TrekCultureYT on Instagram. I'm at Sean Ferrick
16:53and you are all wonderful. Thank you everyone who has subscribed to the channel. Please do so,
16:58or the moopsies coming to get you. I will keep the moopsie at bay as long as you promise to
17:03live
17:03long and prosper, and I'll see you again soon. Thanks very much.
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