As kind as you Star Trek: The Next Generation Death was, I am happy Star Trek: Lower Decks chose not to resurrect the character. throughout Star Trek: The Original Series, Unnamed crew members were regularly killed on off missions to illustrate how dangerous the situation was for the main character. This happened so often with red-shirted security officers that it became a trope referenced throughout popular culture. I appreciate that Star Trek: The Next Generation Started to make Star Trek Dead matter.
Like many science fiction and fantasy properties, Star Trek has developed a habit of bringing characters back from the dead. I don’t necessarily dislike this trope, as it can sometimes work well, as with Data (Brent Spiner) n Star Trek: Picard Season 3, but it can also feel like a cheat. in Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 7, Episode 15, “Lower Decks,” Ensign Sito Jaxa (Shannon Fill) Was killed on her first real mission. Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4 finally connected the series back to the TNG Episode that inspired his name, but I’m glad they didn’t resurrect Stio Jaxa.
I’m glad Star Trek: The Lower Decks didn’t resurrect TNG’s Ensign Sito
Sito’s TNG death meant something
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4 revealed that Lt. Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) attended Starfleet Academy with Sito Jaxa. I enjoyed seeing Sito’s brief return via flashback Lower decks Season 4’s finale, “Old Friends, New Planets,” and I’m glad the episode stopped there. While at Starfleet Academy, Sito was a mentor and friend to Beckett Mariner And Mariner took her death particularly hard. Cito’s death informed Mariner’s tendency towards self-destructive behavior, as she never wanted to become a senior officer who would send ensigns to their deaths.
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Like Sito’s Star Trek: The Next Generation Death is never shown on screen, Star Trek: Lower decks Could have revealed she survived, but I’m glad the show chose to let her be. Tng S “Lower decks” remains one of Star Trek saddest episodes, As Sito died before her Starfleet career truly began, highlighting the dangers of life in Starfleet. The tragedy of it all is what makes “Lower Decks” such a powerful episode. While Lower decks Could probably have found a way to make Sito’s return work, it would have lessened the impact of Tng S Original “Lower Decks” and changed Mariner as a character.
Sito being alive would have created questions Star Trek couldn’t answer
Where has Sito been all this time?
Sito Jaxa’s return in Star Trek: Lower Decks would have raised a lot of complicated questions. Star Trek: The Next Generation “Lower decks” occurred around 2370, while Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4 finale was around 2381, leaving eleven years unaccounted for. Cito’s escape pod was reportedly destroyed while she was on a secret mission to Cardassian space. If she survived, She would probably have been captured by Cardassians. I wouldn’t wish this fate on anyone, and it would have been unnecessarily cruel to heap more misery on top of Cito’s character.
Shannon Fill returned to voice Sito in Star Trek: Lower Decks Flashbacks.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Would have to devote time to explaining where Sito was all this time. What did she do during the Dominion War, for example, and Why did she never contact Starfleet? If there was any evidence that Cito had survived, Starfleet would have searched for her. Plus, Starfleet would likely have heard something during the Dominion War if Cito had been a prisoner of the Cardassians. Although I would have been happy to see Sito alive again, her surprise survival would have raised too many complex questions and undermined an excellent episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.