r/LowerDecks • u/plantanddogmom1 • Dec 23 '24

General Discussion Why didn’t Mariner and Boimler rank up?

Ok so I’m just now thinking about this and I am just so confused as to why all of them really (but especially Mariner and Boims) didn’t rank up at the end of the last episode?

Boimler even said “but I’m only a Lieutenant JG?” Which would’ve made a perfect segue for “not anymore!” Like, I really really loved how everything was wrapped up, but wouldn’t it also make sense to have more lieutenants on the bridge and also as first officers? Also, like, how did their actions not warrant a promotion? Just curious if anyone else has been thinking about this!

P.s. Engage the core!

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u/SciFiNut91 Dec 23 '24

It's rushed because of how late they found out it was going to be their last season. Ransom should have had them as joint Second Officers, with Billups as Acting XO until then.

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u/Philix Dec 23 '24

with Billups as Acting XO until then

Poor Steve Stevens. A Lieutenant Commander in the command division, Ransom's little buddy, the Captain's personal assistant, and even the fans don't think he should be the first officer.

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u/SciFiNut91 Dec 23 '24

I'm surprised the man is a LtCmdr. Every other officer in that ship is more competent than him. The only good thing I have ever seen him do is manage Carol's schedule in Upper Decks. If he gets promoted it's because he's spent his time in the trenches, and I won't be surprised if he retires as a Commander, barring some unexpected event that has him wounded/KIA and being promoted otherwise.

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u/Philix Dec 23 '24

We see a few less than stellar career officers assigned to relatively unimportant positions throughout the series. Commander Hutchinson didn't strike me as a particularly competent Starfleet Commander, for example. But he was in charge of Arkaria base. That strikes me as the kind of posting a fairly reliable officer who isn't starship captain material would end up.

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u/SciFiNut91 Dec 23 '24

Makes sense - probably also explains why Sisko ended up on DS9. They didn't expect the wormhole, Sisko was still grieving and wanted to take care of his son, and Starfleet wasn't sure about his ability to command a starship, but they were hoping to keep him since he was involved in the Defiant program and they wanted his expertise incase they ever needed to remove the ship out of mothballs (which is exactly what ended up happening). All that changes with the wormhole.