Star Trek SNW: Season 2, Episode Seven “Those Old Scientists”

Stardate: 2291.6 (58460.1 in Lower Decks timeline)
Original Air Date: July 22, 2023
Writers: Kathryn Lyn & Bill Wolkoff
Director: Jonathan Frakes                 

“I joined Starfleet so I could be a part of history…”

“Those Old Scientists” opens with an animated Ensign’s log –it is Brad Boimler from Lower Decks. The Cerritos has just entered orbit around Krulmuth-B which houses a unique portal that was originally discovered by Captain Pike and the original crew of the Enterprise (or was it discovered by Orion scientists/pirates?). It has been dormant for 120 years and is somewhat reminiscent of the Guardian of Forever in the classic TOS episode “The City on the Edge of Forever”). The Lower Decks crew talks about how inspired they are by historical figures aboard the Enterprise like Uhura. But then suddenly, Boimler is sucked into the portal when a photograph is snapped and he winds up in the past.  

Meanwhile in the SNW timeline, the Enterprise is en route to deliver a crucial shipment of grain to a colony on Setlik II, but they encounter Boimler, who appears to them as a mysterious time traveler with all manner of futuristic technology (such as a combadge instead of a classic communicator device). Before they can figure out how to transport Boimler back to his own time, an Orion pirate vessel arrives under Captain Har Caras (the ship is revealed to be an Orion science vessel called the “D’Var”).  

Boimler seems to know a great many things that will unfold in the future, but La’an reminds him of certain temporal rules not to be violated with time travel. Meanwhile, the Orions steal the portal which forces the Enterprise to barter with them –they trade the genetically modified grain in exchange for the portal. But when Boimler attempts to travel through it, his compatriot Mariner comes through instead. Since the portal had only enough horonium for one teleportation, the crew races to find a solution. A great deal of silliness and callbacks can be found in this episode as Boimler and Mariner are eventually transported back to the animated world of Lower Decks.   

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My Thoughts on “Those Old Scientists”

A crossover episode! Having never been a fan of Lower Decks, this is still a fun idea –even if this episode features an abundance of mind-numbingly obnoxious humor. Nevertheless, Boimler serves in place of every Star Trek nerd, his excitement in boarding the original Enterprise is every Trekkie’s fantasy. This episode plays out like a gift to Star Trek geeks. It also reminds us that there is always a certain distance between heroes and reality. But the stand-outs for me in this episode include the impressive score and incredible set-designs on Krulmuth-B.

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Star Trek Trivia:

• This episode was directed by Jonathan Frakes, the beloved actor/director who played William Riker in Star Trek TNG. In addition to directing TNG episodes beginning in Season 3, he also directed feature films like Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and then Star Trek episodes in Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Discovery, Strange New Worlds, andPicard. 
• This episode features a beautiful animated intro sequence for SNW.
• The shipment of grain premise in this episode is reminiscent of “The Trouble With Tribbles” and the destination of Setlik II points us toward Setlik III which appears elsewhere in TNG and DS9.
• Starfleet used horonium for its original NX model craft.
• Among the many amusing distinctions between classic and modern Trek, the five-digit stardate vs the six-digit stardate is one of them. Another is the combadge versus classic TOS communicator device.
• At one point, Boimler shouts “Riker!” which was improvised as he mounts the saddle in the “ready room” –this is especially notable since Jonathan Frakes directed this episode.
• Starfleet’s temporal protocols are: no interfering with past events, no sharing knowledge of the future, don’t make any attachments (the latter is personal advice from La’an).
• Classic TS 120 tricorder is mentioned in this episode.
• At one point, Boimler swears by “Warf’s Honor.”
• Pike’s birthday is mentioned as a holiday in the future.
• Chroniton poisoning is mentioned briefly in this episode which appears elsewhere throughout classic Trek.
• Dystopian riots in San Francisco are referenced in this episode –a nod to DS9.
• Triticale grain is being transported by the Enterprise.
• Starfleet Section 48 Alpha-7: “Officers must take meal breaks at regular intervals.”
• Ortegas describes her prior experience working “on the Klingon front.”
• At one point, Boimler says “Holy-Q!” even though in SNW they have never heard of Q, though this is the era of Trelaine who is mentioned.
• Mariner claims people speak much slower in the past.
• Pike reflects on the fact that he didn’t get along with his father.
• Travis Mayweather is mentioned as the first pilot of the NX-01. Hoshi Sato from Enterprise was on that ship, too (she spoke 86 languages).
• Nausicaans are mentioned in this episode –they first appeared in Enterprise.
• The era of SNW is mentioned as the “Golden Age of Exploration.”
• In the future, Una becomes the “poster girl” for Starfleet recruitment. Boimler has a poster of her on his wall.  
• The title of this episode is amusing reference to the “TOS era” which is known in the future as “Those Old Scientists.”
• At the end of this episode, the Enterprise crew drinks Orion “delaq” which transforms them into animated versions of themselves briefly.