In this review of Star Trek: Lower Decks #13, Boimler and Rutherford’s newest acquisition wreaks havoc on the U.S.S. Cerritos as Beckett Mariner rises hairy heck in trying to avoid a much needed dental appointment.
Star Trek: Lower Decks #13
Written by: Tim Sheridan
Art and Main Cover by: Vernon Smith
Variant Cover: Chris Fenoglio
Page Count: 28 pages
Release Date: November 12, 2025
This review contains spoilers
Star Trek: Lower Decks #13 begins as Lieutenants Brad Boimler and Sam Rutherford’s eagerly awaited item turns out to be a “Norman” model android, and not the “Norma” model they ordered from the “Harry Mudd” Collection (see Star Trek: ToS “I, Mudd). Questions abound regarding the pair’s intention for the android and why they expressly wanted a female android. Boimler and Rutherford have plans but they’re really boring.
After Rutherford and Boimler complete Norman’s assembly, they find an extra part but decide it’s no big deal. When activated Norman aggressively hits on Boimler (shades of “The Naked Now”) until Rutherford uploads the program that turns Norman into the ultimate tabletop gamer. Meanwhile, Shaxs tracks Beckett Mariner across the Cerritos because she bailed on her dental appointment (shades of “The Game”).
On the bridge, Captain Freeman orders the U.S.S. Cerritos to set course for the Laap System on an official second contact mission. In the dining hall, Norman dominates Boimler and Rutherford in a tabletop game and goes berserk, believing that he is malfunctioning only to actually damage himself in the process.
Shaxs catches up to Mariner near the dentist’s office and the commotion draws Doctor Vsh’Ss out into the hall and directly in the path of the runaway Norman. The renegade android viciously disembowels Doctor Vsh’Ss and is felled by Shaxs’ phaser moments later. Soon after in Sickbay, Doctor Vsh’Ss is recovering (he’s alive) while the deactivated Norman also gets a bio-bed nearby.
Star Trek: Lower Decks #13 ends with Doctor T’Ana activating the “Emergency Dental Hologram” for Mariner, while the away team on Laapeeria report back that the city appears dilapidated and abandoned.
Analysis
Star Trek: Lower Decks #13 kicks off another enjoyable two-part story that cleverly evokes elements from classic Star Trek episodes, while expanding on existing canon (the Emergency Dental Hologram looks like a giant toy). Writer Tim Sheridan continues to add his own spin on Lower Decks, first with Rutherford and Boimler’s quest for a new gaming buddy that goes horrifically awry, and then that absurdist Shaxs and Mariner inner-ship chase (“Wesley Crusher did it better” is probably not what anyone was expecting to read).
The mystery of the missing Laapeerians (with whom the Cerritos made actual first contact) isn’t suspenseful but is at least curious. Doctor Vsh’Ss is an unusual looking alien character, whose very name apparently sends chills down every crew member’s spine (except Shaxs, per his backstory). Norman’s unexpected and bloody gut punching of the good dentist is shocking, and were he to have been killed, the repercussions for Boimler and Rutherford would’ve been huge.
Vsh’Ss seems to be in good spirits despite his injury (but maybe that’s just the meds talking). Norman’s flip out and resulting short-lived mayhem is an extreme counterpoint to the character’s previous
in-canon appearance in Star Trek: ToS (where the Norma and Norman models were shorted out just by gaslighting them). Norman’s programming confusion turned him into a killbot instead.
Artist Vernon Smith matches the animated series style, and adds clever visual gags including Mariner’s holodeck reveal, literal side-eye from the delivery person, enraged Norman, horny Norman, the Emergency Dental Hologram’s 1980s style toy design (so much for putting patients at ease), the Exocomps as safety barriers and the sequence with Norman’s freak out. Shaxs also goes from malicious glee to frustrated intensity as his pursuit continues.
That final double-page spread reveal is also a nice touch, as is Norman’s self-diagnostic.
Final Thoughts
Star Trek: Lower Decks #13 is another enjoyable installment with all the hallmarks of a “classic” Lower Decks episode. The character moments, the absurdity played as straight up drama, the sight gags and pop culture references all meld into a fun read.
