WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 2 of Star Trek: Lower Decks, "Envoys," now streaming on CBS All Access.
In the second episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks, Ensign Boimler went through a professional crisis. After Ensign Mariner joins him on a mission to act as envoys on Tulgana IV for the Klingon warrior General K'orin, Boimler's confidence is shaken and he has no idea if he has what it takes to continue being a Starfleet officer. Not only does Mariner know K'orin, she gets along with him extremely well -- even if he is a ruthless Klingon. What's more, once the General ditches them on Tulgana IV, it's Mariner who is able to navigate them through the planet's various districts to find their quarry.
Thankfully, Mariner devises a plan for Boimler to get his confidence back -- and remain a Starfleet officer. And it involves a fan-favorite alien race we haven't seen in the franchise in a very long time.
"Envoys" is an episode that celebrates the vast history of the Star Trek franchise. It features name-drops of fan-favorite characters, and it features the return of multiple alien races thanks to Tulgana IV's diverse districts. But near the end of the episode a return is showcased that is bound to make longtime Trek fans happy.
When Boimler and Mariner exit the districts and find themselves in a less populated and much seedier area on Tulgana IV, they are approached by a Ferengi, who insists he wants to help the humans despite him acting in a clearly, deceptively insidious manner. Boimler protests the alien is a Ferengi and that they should be careful, while Mariner thinks he's another type of alien. When the Ferengi attacks, confirming his suspicions, Boimler is the one who steps in and stops him.
After the attack, Boimler is ecstatic to realize he knew something Mariner didn't -- and that's enough to bring his confidence in himself back. Little does he know, however, that Mariner and the Ferengi are friends and that she planned the attack to ensure Boimler would remain in Starfleet, where he belongs.
The Ferengi are a popular race of aliens that were initially introduced as villains in Star Trek: The Next Generation. They would continue to appear in other series such as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Voyager, but their return in Lower Decks marks the end of a long absence. In fact, the Ferengi were last seen in the first season of Star Trek: Enterprise.
The aliens were nowhere to be seen in the new J.J. Abrams-produced movie trilogy, and they didn't appear in CBS All Access' new Star Trek series, Discovery and Picard. Now however, the Ferengi have returned thanks to Lower Decks. And we're certain it won't be as long until we see them again.
Star Trek: Lower Decks stars Tawny Newsome as Ensign Beckett Mariner, Eugene Cordero as Ensign Rutherford, Jack Quaid as Ensign Brad Boimler, Noël Wells as Ensign Tendi, Dawnn Lewis as Captain Carol Freeman, Jerry O'Connell as Commander Jack Ransom, Gillian Vigman as Doctor T'Ana and Fred Tatasciore as Lieutenant Shaxs. New episodes premiere Thursdays on CBS All Access.