Freeform Introduces New “Transformative” Logo

There probably has been no other television network that has changed its brand identity more times than Freeform. Starting as CBN Satellite Service 45 years ago, it was subsequently renamed CBN Cable Network, CBN Family Channel, The Family Channel, Fox Family Channel and ABC Family until Disney’s younger-skewing network adopted its current Freeform moniker in 2016.

The brand transformation did not end there. Two years after ABC Family became Freeform with a multi-color lettering (Bottom right in the image above), the logo underwent a radical transformation with an emphasis on the two “F”s and the introduction of a tagline, “a little forward” (Top right). Both redesigns were done under former Freeform President Tom Ascheim, who departed in 2020.

Two years into her tenure as Freeform President, Tara Duncan is putting her own stamp with a brand refresh.

A new logo, which again marks a significant departure from its predecessors, launched in early September with the premiere of The Come Up. It is keeping the focus on the two “F”s but the similarities end there, with a different color palette and fonts. (Left in the image above).

“Our new look was inspired by the idea that our audience is constantly evolving and always forming and we wanted our look to reflect that notion,” said Joe Ortiz, SVP Content Marketing, Freeform. “When in motion, the logo is transformative and reveals itself to the viewer, creating a sense we are never static and always growing.”

On the new look, Freeform’s marketing team worked with design firm Collins.

“Tara, Joe and team did a fantastic job refreshing the Freeform graphics,” said Debra O’Connell, president, Networks, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution. “Our viewers are young, irreverent and in many ways they are at times in their lives where they are also evolving. This creative is fresh, full of life and exudes a dynamic energy that we think speaks perfectly to Freeform fans.”

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Chris D’Elia Adamantly Denies Claims Made By Woman in Restraining Order

Mary McDonnell Joins CBS Drama Pilot The Never Game

Mary McDonnell is closing in on a more permanent return to the small screen.

The Major Crimes actress has landed her first series regular role since The Closer spinoff concluded.

According to Deadline, McDonnell is set to star opposite Justin Hartley (This Is Us) on the CBS adaptation of The Never Game.

McDonnell is set to play Mary Dove Shaw, Colter’s (Hartley) solid, strong, and uncompromising mother, who raised her three children on the remote California compound where her husband took them before his mysterious death.

She still lives there, self-reliant and upright, the emotional center of Colter’s restless life—and the key to the secrets of his past.

Based on the bestselling novel by Jeffrey Deaver, The Never Game features Hartley as lone-wolf survivalist Colter Shaw, who roams the country as a “reward seeker.”

He uses his expert tracking skills to help private citizens and law enforcement to solve all manner of mysteries while contending with his own fractured family.

“I couldn’t be happier that The Never Game is coming to CBS and that Colter Shaw will be brought to life on screen soon,” Hartley said in a statement last year when the project was announced to be in the works.

“When I read the book, I was immediately drawn to the character and the story; developing this project with Ken has been a true labor of love.”

“Colter is going to kick some serious ass, and I can’t wait for audiences to meet him.”

Hartley is coming off a six year stint on This Is Us, which wrapped its run earlier this year.

The Never Game is currently at pilot stage at the network, but given that Hartley and McDonnell are big draws, it would be a shocker if the series doesn’t get a pickup.

However, it will all come down to how the network’s other pilots come in.

What are your thoughts on the news?

Hit the comments below.

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

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International Insider: Tales From Zurich; Netflix EMEA Restructures; RTS Competition Fierce; Mahsa Amini Protests

Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart here. Our crack team of reporters and editors brought you the news from Zurich to Singapore to London this week, and I’m here to help you digest. Read away.

Tales From Zurich

Marquee attendees: Diana Lodderhose reporting from the Zurich Film Festival where the indie film confab Zurich Summit, the marquee industry event, took place last Saturday and saw more than 100 of the film industry’s top execs take part in an all-day session that drilled down into the state of the industry. Attendees included the likes of former Lionsgate film chief Patrick Wachsberger, Sony Pictures Classics co-head Michael Barker and Tom Bernard, Killer Films’ Christine Vachon, Neon CEO Tom Quinn, CAA Media Finance co-head Roeg Sutherland and Le Grisbi Production founder and president John Lesher.

‘Coda’, Oscars and youth: And there was plenty going on. Wachsberger, who was a producer on Oscar-winning film CODA, spoke at length about the challenges he faced when financing the project and why he ultimately sold the film to Apple TV+ during a discussion about financing indie films in the age of streamers, while Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Helen Hoehne, whose company recently announced the return of the Golden Globe awards to primetime TV, teased an “exciting” host for this year’s 80th edition. Meanwhile, Anonymous Content’s Robert Walak urged delegates to “listen to the younger people on your staff” in order to future-proof the independent film business in an era of rapid change.

Gamechangers: Elsewhere in Zurich, SPC heads Barker and Bernard were feted with the fest’s Game Changer award and they both spoke at length about their careers and the state of the specialty film world in a panel moderated by Sutherland. That trio came into Deadline’s Zurich Summit Studio to talk more about the strength of theatrical and highlight some of their favorite Oscar moments. You can watch that video here as well as many more from our flagship studio at the Summit, where we spoke to the likes of Quinn, CAA’s Sarah Schweitzman, Library Pictures’ David Taghioff and European Film Academy CEO Matthijs Wouter Knol. 

Netflix EMEA Restructures

David Kosse and Netflix (Credit: Netflix)

Counting the Kosse: Agenda-setting scoop from our very own Nancy Tartaglione this week, who bought news of the departure of Netflix VP International Film David Kosse after three years. With that comes a major restructure, which will likely see content categories (film and television) come together under one EMEA content lead, Larry Tanz, while Teresa Moneo leads International Film and will report to Head of Global Film Scott Stuber. Momentum Pictures and Universal Pictures International Founder Kosse has built a solid reputation during a tenure that has seen Netflix’s EMEA output grow vastly, bringing the likes of Paolo Sorrentino, Baltasar Kormakur, Romain Gavras, Edward Berger, Matthias Schweighofer, J.A. Bayona, Louis Leterrier, Dany Boon and more into the Netflix fold, and he told Nancy he is thinking of setting up a shingle.

Tanz you very much: Kosse’s exit is a big loss for the streamer’s EMEA offering, which has mostly remained insulated from the hundreds of layoffs that hit the U.S. following a disastrous fall in subs earlier this year. I coincidentally sat down with Larry Tanz last week and published my interview on the day of Kosse’s departure, and Tanz was bullish about keeping the ship steady in the wake of the subscriber teething problems. “Not only has this not caused a change in direction but we’ve instead continued growing investment, stood by commitments we had and helped crew and talent during the downturn,” he told me. His comments contrasted with Head of Global TV Bela Bajaria’s in June, who could only say that Netflix’s annual content spend will move “in parallel” with subs growth when pressed by Deadline. With his role now likely to be widened, all eyes are trained on what Larry does next.

Competition Fierce At RTS

Big beasts have their say: I headed down to the annual RTS London event this week, featuring all the biggest players from the world of British TV… and Baz Luhrmann (pictured above with Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA boss Priya Dogra). While speakers including WBD’s Gerhard Zeiler, the BBC’s Tim Davie and Channel 4’s Alex Mahon discussed a wealth of different topics, one issue kept coming back up: the competition for eyeballs. Each discussed how their shows and platforms can best cut through the noise and attract viewers in a world where new streaming services have led to an overwhelming proliferation of choice. Zeiler’s hotly-anticipated talk probably generated the most headlines and he very much stuck to David Zaslav’s WBD line by talking up the merits of developing mega tentpole franchises alongside local content. So it was left to Sky’s Stephen van Rooyen to be most stark on the overwhelming competition matter: “Everything is all over the place,” he told a panel alongside Disney+, Paramount and Google execs. “It’s nice to believe that you can monopolize whatever service you have to the fullness of [audience’s] time but the reality is you just can’t do that.” The glass was certainly half empty for Stephen. It was fuller for the BBC factual team, who used an event a day after RTS to unveil a “best of British” weighty factual slate designed to take on the competition and bring those eyeballs back, featuring Louis Theroux, Stormzy, Virgil Abloh and a dinosaur graveyard.

Reflecting: Also of note was Davie, Mahon and ITV CEO Carolyn McCall’s reflections on their coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s mourning period, with Davie, who chaired a working group featuring senior broadcasting bosses, talking of “enormous decisions” that had to be made, and Mahon, who greenlit Gogglebox’s controversial return to the schedules just a day after the Queen’s death, speaking of “complex choices.” For McCall, focus was almost solely on defending the behavior of This Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, who brewed up a tabloid storm when they were (incorrectly) caught skipping the queue for the Queen’s lying-in-state. As more time passes, the nation may appreciate how difficult running a national broadcaster can be at a time of crisis. “We knew we had to do this right and that it was about flawless rehearsal,” Davie considered. Catch up with all the coverage here.

Starzplay No More

Another week, another plus: There have been a fair few swanky London streamer launches this year and this week was no exception. Lionsgate streamer Starzplay rebranded to Lionsgate+ (it remains Starz in the U.S. and Canada) and unveiled major talent at the capital’s Freemason’s Hall, on the same day that Lionsgate said it is considering spinning off its studio instead of the streamer in what was a major Wall Street play. Certainly one to watch. The rebrand has been driven by Lionsgate’s outside-U.S. brand recognition, according to Starz President of International Networks Superna Kalle, who was on hand to present the likes of Sharon Horgan, Paloma Faith and Step Up 3 star Christina Milian, each of whom either stars in or has created a show for the platform. Dancing, themed cocktails and takeaway candles followed, as yet another streaming service set out its stall this side of the pond.

Hollywood Gets Behind Mahsa Amini Protests

Film & TV speak out: The film and TV world joined worldwide protests this week decrying the death in Iran of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of morality police on charges of not wearing her hijab in accordance with the country’s strict religion-based laws. Holy Spider director Ali Abbasi and actress Zar Amir Abrahimi, who won the Cannes Best Actress award for her role in the serial killer thriller, as well as filmmakers Bahman Ghobadi and Shirin Neshat, were among the signatories of an open letter penned by top Iranian cinema professionals calling for protest support. Speaking at Zurich, where he has been President of the Jury for the past week, Oscar-winning director Asgar Farhadi posted a video on his Instagram account calling for “solidarity”.  This was an unusual move for a man who until now has moved freely in and out of Iran, and rarely comments openly about the political situation. International filmmakers have also joined the campaign, with Angelina Jolie posting for greater freedom for women in Iran. A number of high-profile figures in the country’s entertainment and sporting worlds, who have stayed silent in the past, have also courageously and openly joined in a move that comes at great personal risk. Notably, popular, award-winning actress Fatameh Motamed-Ayra defiantly took off her hijab at the high-profile funeral of actor Amin Tarokh this week, as she gave a eulogy in his honor. The Iranian authorities are threatening to punish “celebrities” who have shown support for the protests and there were reports of multiple arrests coming in on Friday. Deadline will be following future developments.

Three APOStles

Kelly Day, Amazon Prime Video Vice President, International

Asian expansion: We’ve written plenty about the streamers push into Asia over the past months and those deep-pocketed SVoDs were laying down their flags this week at the APOS 2022 event in Singapore. First up was Kelly Day, Amazon Prime Video’s international chief, who was keen to talk about India and Japan but as interested in growing territories such as Southeast Asia. The streamer has a new team in Singapore and Kelly talked up various local versions of big formats such as The Bachelorette and The Masked Singer. Later, Netflix East Asia Content Chief Minyoung Kim was on hand to once again dwell on the success of Squid Game and wax lyrical about partnership-building in Thailand and Indonesia, the next frontiers as Netflix pushes further into the booming markets. Plenty more to come from this region as the LA giants look beyond the U.S. for a path to sustainable subscriber growth.

Masters of destiny: Asia has also become a battleground for sports rights and our third apostle was Premier League CEO Richard Masters, whose appearance was timely. The slick overseer of one of the world’s most lucrative sporting leagues interestingly teed up the continent as a potential testbed for Premier League D2C services, although he stressed this was delayed by the pandemic. “It’s going to be a long journey but you will see sports rights holders skilling up and understanding how to build relationships,” explained Masters, coming in the year that multiple Premier League sports rights contracts were renewed for up to six years and the league opened an office in Singapore. Full story here.

Now read this: The Asian events are coming thick and fast and next week will see the nine-day long Busan International Film Festival return in full force after two years virtual. This primer from our Asia expert Liz Shackleton is well worth a read, as she interviewed director Huh Moonyung about the strength of Korean content and a growth in the drama series selection. And if you need educating on the changing role of Korean film markets, this deep-dive with Busan ACFM Chief Oh Seok Geun is well worth your time. 

The Essentials 

Matthew Fox, Sean Penn and Kick Gurry

🌶️ Hot One: Jesse broke the news of Sean Penn’s latest project, an Australian comedy for Stan with ITVX taking UK rights.

🌶️ Another One: Borat breakout Maria Bakalova will star in under-the-radar drama-thriller Electra. Andreas with this spicy one.

🌶️ Getting hotter: Breakout Bridgerton star Charithra Chandran is leading and associate producing Australian drama Song of the Sun God. 

👩🏻‍💼 New jobs: Warner Bros. Discovery set out its France, Benelux and Africa team under Pierre Branco.

🏃 Frontrunner: Mexico submitted Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s hotly-anticipated Bardo as its official entry for the International Feature Oscar race.

🏪 Setting up shop: Killing Eve producer Sid Gentle opened in Bristol

⛏️ Axed: 380 roles from the BBC World Service, with some asked to relocate away from the UK.

🏆 Awards latest: Cannes Directors’ Fortnight unveiled its new Selection Committee. 

🤝 Done deal: Met Film acquired Republic Film Distribution, the firm run by the brilliantly-named Zak Brilliant. Our Zac Ntim had this one.

🎥 Trail: Fridtjof Ryder’s debut feature Inland, co-starring Mark Rylance, Rory Alexander and Kathryn Hunter. Worth a watch.

Diana Lodderhose and Melanie Goodfellow contributed to this week’s Insider.

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Grendel: Netflix Comic Adaptation Series Cancelled Before Filming Completed

Grendel is not coming to Netflix after all. The streaming service has cancelled the live-action series before filming on the first season could be completed. The series is based on a Dark Horse comic series by Matt Wagner. The show revolves around a talented writer and assassin who goes to war against New York’s underworld and then, joins it.

Abubakr Ali, Jaime Ray Newman, Julian Black Antelope, Madeline Zima, Kevin Corrigan, Emma Ho, Erik Palladino, Brittany Allen, and Andy Mientus were cast in the series which was written by Andrew Dabb (Supernatural).

Per Deadline, those behind the series now have the option to shop the series elsewhere. Most of the eight-episode season was filmed before Netflix pulled the plug.

What do you think? Are you a fan of Grendel? Do you hope that another outlet will pick up the series?

Check out our status sheets to track new TV series pickups, renewals, and cancellations. You can find lists of cancelled shows here.

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Trevor Noah Leaving ‘The Daily Show’

Ghosts Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Spies

The Woodstone Manor bed and breakfast is open for business! And all hands were on deck to make it a successful launch.

The first guests’ arrival on Ghosts Season 2 Episode 1 taught Sam and Jay a big lesson about not pleasing everyone.

Plenty of shenanigans were afoot to get the must-have 5-star review. And in typical Ghosts fashion, the group got more than they bargained for.

Sam and Jay were only going to do the best they could on “Spies” based on the situation.

Debbie and Tom were criticizing everything about the Manor, from the food to the bed sheets to the lighting. Sure, a level of hospitality needs to be met for their guests, especially since everyone is creating this new business.

There is one other possibility. We spy on them! Not for our entertainment, but to help you guys. See what they’re really saying behind closed doors.

Alberta

However, the roadblock Sam and Jay would’ve faced regardless was that Debbie and Tom weren’t sharing their feedback with them. How can they fix the issues if they don’t know of any problems?

If the ghosts have access to direct feedback, they should take advantage of it.

Listening in for them solved a lot of hurdles that kept coming up, which helped everyone overall. Plus, it was a great use of the ghosts’ time and abilities during a crucial moment for the business.

The big lesson from “Spies” came from Sam, Jay, and the ghosts learning that they can’t please everyone.

Pete hit it right on the money that Debbie and Tom weren’t going to be honest about their feedback. Trevor, Alberta, Pete, and Flower listening in helped put out some small fires, but it exposed the wave of notes that couldn’t be fixed.

They got the unfiltered truth when they heard everything: the good and the bad.

Sam: Pete says he saw them. He dealt with this all the time back when travel agents were still a thing.
Pete: Hurtful.

Sometimes it’s constructive criticism, and other times, it’s petty venting, like when they commented on Sam’s perfume. And “Spies” did an excellent job of showing Sam’s perfectionism getting out of hand and the complaints/demands escalating.

If the ghosts ever decide to listen in on guests in the future, they’ll have to determine what’s the most important thing to tackle. Same with Sam and Jay; they can’t fix everything, and they need to be happy with the experience that comes up.

I’m glad Woodstone Manor got its official 5-star review.

Since Ghosts Season 1, Jay and Sam have worked tirelessly to get the bed and breakfast off the ground. Also, the ghosts finally were won over to support the business and help Jay/Sam.

The Yelp review was a great culmination of all their hard work.

Welcome to the Woodstone B and B!

Sam

Though, the scene that took the cake was Jay defending Sam and calling out Debbie and Tom for their bad behavior. Jay was ready to say what needed to be said!

We love it whenever Jay goes for it and when Sam and Jay have romantic moments. They’ve got good chemistry as a couple, and it shows.

In the case of Isaac and Thorfinn, Isaac should’ve treated his friend better than he did.

New relationships have a bit of growing room, and Isaac didn’t want to ruin things with Nigel. However, Thorfinn has been his friend for centuries. They have a long-standing history that makes them almost family.

Jay: Oh my God, Pete?!
Pete: Jay? You can see me?! Gadzukes, Jay, say yes.
Jay: I don’t believe it.
Pete: I don’t either. Bring it in big fella!
[Jay passes through Pete’s ghost form]

Isaac should’ve worded the issues to Thorfinn in a better way.

His comments only made things worse, especially in that tone about blaming Thorfinn. It’s no wonder he moved into the basement with the Cholera ghosts.

Thorfinn is a big strong warrior, but he has a soft side. Isaac hurt his feelings in a big way.

The apology was pretty sweet, all things considered. We can thank the Spice Girls for making it happen. (What can’t they do!)

Isaac needed to be there for his friend, and if he wanted to make the relationship with Nigel work, he needed to be honest with him. They both had to respect Thorfinn’s position and his general fun-loving attitude.

At least Nigel and Thorfinn buried the hatchet and found common ground.

Watching ants move along a path isn’t my type of thing, but whatever works for them. A similar hobby is the first step toward a brand new friendship.

Last Thoughts From Woodstone Manor:

  • Sam and Jay fixed that termite hole quickly! They got the job done in barely any time before their next guests.
     
  • Debbie and Tom, not realizing their Yelp reviews were public, was the perfect dose of karma. If they want to dish out all the negative complaints, they must be brave enough to take it. Guess they weren’t.
     
  • Jay seeing ghosts would’ve been an obvious twist. I loved the fakeout of him believing the delivery driver was Pete. It was a touch of a gag that caught us off guard.
     
  • What else will Sam have the ghosts spy for her next?

Now, over to you, Ghosts fans!

What did you think of “Spies”?

Did you side with Isaac or Thorfinn in the fight? Will Woodstone Manor get more 5-star reviews? Should Debbie and Tom have just told Sam and Jay the truth?

If you missed the latest episode of Ghosts, you can watch Ghosts online via TV Fanatic. Come back here and share your thoughts in the comments below.

Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

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‘Tooning Out The News’ Animators Vote To Unionize With The Animation Guild

Animation workers at Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News have voted overwhelmingly to join The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839. The animated comedy news program, which debuted in 2020, moves to Comedy Central next month. Its third season premieres October 5.

“The organizing work done by the Tooning Out the News crew is a testament to the power of animation workers coming together to demand an end to unsustainable workplace practices and provide a collective voice on issues that directly impact them on the job,” the guild said. Key issues include “defining job roles and classifying workers accurately, addressing unrealistic schedules, paying overtime appropriately, improving health benefits, and establishing wage minimums to ensure a livable salary.”

According to the guild, a “supermajority” of the 38-member bargaining unit signed union representation cards, and that a petition will be filed today with the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election and certify the union. At the same time, the guild is submitting a letter for voluntary recognition to CBS Eye Animation Productions, a subsidiary of CBS/Viacom.

The bargaining unit of 38 animation workers consists of After Effects Compositor, After Effects Lead, Animation Coordinator, Animation Production Assistant, Animation Technician, Assistant Director, Background Designer, Character Designer, Design Lead, Digital Animator, Digital Lead, Drawn Animator, Drawn Lead, Graphics Coordinator, Graphics Director, Graphics Artist, Rigger, Rigging Lead, and Supervising Animation Director.

This is the second group of animation workers and production staff in New York to unionize with the guild this year. In January, Titmouse New York became the first animation studio in New York to unionize in more than 30 years, and workers there are currently in the process of bargaining their first contract.

“I was so inspired by my colleagues at Titmouse New York taking the first step to finally allow animation workers in New York to have a collective voice,” said Lynn Fong, a Drawn Animator at Late Night Cartoons’ Tooning Out the News, which airs on Comedy Central. “I’m calling on Late Night Cartoons to voluntarily recognize our Union because all of the amazing, hardworking, passionate people who are my coworkers deserve to have benefits, protections, and fair treatment like any of our peers represented by the entertainment unions in LA.”

“For seven years in this industry I’ve found fighting for myself to be a difficult and mostly futile battle,” said Cassidy Routh, Graphics Artist on the show, who noted that the Late Collective – the name of the organizing committee – “is teaming up to ensure that we all have a voice, and that that voice matters. Consistent and affordable healthcare, reasonable hours, and fair wages are issues near and dear to my heart, and together we ask that Late Night Cartoons voluntarily recognize our union so that we can continue to provide our hard work without fear of what will happen when the season ends.”

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Carole Baskin and Big Cats Sheltering in Place for Hurricane Ian

Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 Episode 6 Review: Hear All, Trust Nothing

I’ve always maintained that a Ferengi-centered sitcom procedural would be a winning formula, and Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 Episode 6 proves me right as Quark’s edgy business acumen nearly gets him Gamma-ed by the equally edgy business-minded Karemma.

Meanwhile, Mariner, on her best behavior, is incredibly awkward and hilarious. Like a “wild animal wearing an evening gown” level of awkwardness. Also, “wild animal wearing an evening gown” level of hilarious.

Once again, Lower Decks succeeds in exploring a unifying theme with diverse plotlines. In this case, the message is one of valuing oneself and recognizing how important it is to be true to that. Even if it means stunning all your significant others’ friends into unconsciousness.

The nostalgic value of returning to Deep Space Nine twenty-three years after the series’s finale is immeasurable. Scoring both Nana Visitor and Armin Shimerman as guest voices to reprise their roles of Kira Nerys and Quark, respectively, is a triumph.

And to pick up on post-war sentiments and lingering Bajoran resistance while the Federation moves forward with Gamma Quadrant commerce is incredibly nuanced politicking for a show ostensibly out for laughs.

Depending on how you parse the narrative, there are as many as five conflicts in play in a twenty-six-minute script.

First, Freeman’s sudden promotion (?) from the mere bearer of gifts to lead trade negotiator thrusts our intrepid captain into a role of placation and soothing of bruised egos when the Karemma arrive, intent on finding fault with the Federation’s offers of trade.

Admiral Buenamigo: The Vancouver has been rerouted to the Asparagus System to evacuate a colony being threatened by a brown hole.
Captain Freeman: Wait, wait, that’s not even a thing.

That leads us directly into DS9’s legacy conflict between Quark and his pursuit of profit and Kira’s intent to keep things on the station running on the up and up.

Despite her commander rank in Starfleet, Kira’s still battle-born and street-smart when dealing with the likes of Quark. So when he refuses to deal with the Karemma, she’s sensitive to his motives.

Kira: What is wrong with you?
Quark: I have principles!
Kira: No, you don’t!

And then, of course, Quark and the Karemma form the episode’s highest profile conflict involving tech theft, kidnapping, an EMP grenade, and a dash to the wormhole.

Behind the scenes, we’re treated to Tendi confronting her Orion heritage and learning to take pride in the skills her pirating family trained her in.

Like the Rutherford backstory on Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 Episode 5, getting to see Tendi activate her ass-kicking abilities is a thing of beauty.

Of course, it all comes at the price of putting up with shanty-singing poser Mesk.

I got adopted by humans and everything I know about Orion I learned from holo-novels. Bad ones too. The ones with the boobs on the cover.

Mesk

Since only Rutherford witnessed Tendi’s pirate-ninja alter ego, it might be interesting to see her break out those skills on a team away mission and blow everyone’s mind.

With everyone else tied up in deep, soul-searching, self-actualizing experiences, leaving Boimler to hit a winning streak at the dabo table is pretty brilliant.

Back on the ship, Mariner’s introduction to Jennifer’s sorority… er, friends is a masterclass in demonstrating how much a character values a relationship by showing what they’re willing to give up.

In this case, Mariner gives up her essence — her snark, her sass, her confidence — in order to make a “good impression” on the friends.

Jennifer: Why are you being so polite? This doesn’t sound like you.
Mariner: Because I’ve been trying this whole time not to be bossy or mean to your friends.
Jennifer: Why?
Mariner: Because if they didn’t like me, you’d get mad and then this wouldn’t work out.
Jennifer: Beckett, I like that you don’t take sh*t from anyone.
Mariner: Really?
Jennifer: Yes! I know my friends can be a bit much. I’ve been looking forward to you tearing them a new one. Go, destroy them!
Mariner: [Sighs] Thanks, babe.

I’m loving this relationship for Mariner. Suddenly, she not only has someone who gets her, but she also has someone she wants to want to be with her.

And yeah, it’s counter-intuitive to think that being disingenuous at a social gathering is going to impress someone who has fallen for the real you, but who among us hasn’t tried to be the best version of ourselves — i.e., not ourselves — because we don’t think the real us will make the grade?

I’m also fascinated by the idea of a girlfriend sleepover in one of those hallway bunks. How exactly does that work? Is there soundproofing or a divider?

Not that I’m here to discuss the sex lives of Star Trek cartoon characters (especially after the Shaxs and T’Ana overshare on Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 Episode 4), but doesn’t Jennifer have quarters? Would sleepovers there just make more sense?

Mariner: Well, I definitely didn’t have ‘Phaser all your friends’ on my bingo card.
Jennifer: That’s what I like about us. You keep things unexpected.

Overall, we’re seeing a LOT of character development in our core four this season.

Whether it’s Bold Boimler or Berserker Boimler, our Boim-Boim is growing up. Of course, it’s Jennifer’s friends who have to point this out to Mariner, who has put on some Big Sister blinders when it comes to Ensign Bradford.

Jennifer Friend 1: Hey girl, can we talk Boimler?
Mariner: Oh, I know what you’re going to ask. And no, he actually not reverse aging, he just doesn’t get enough vitamins…
Jennifer Friend 1: Is he single?
Mariner: What?
Jennifer Friend 2: Purple hair is so sexy!

Tendi’s stepped up with her Senior Officer training and learned to embrace the parts of her she’s tried to divorce herself from. Of the four, she’s the only non-human, but it’s only when her Orion-ness becomes a focus that we remember she has a dramatically different backstory from the others. More of that, please.

Alpha Ensign Mariner has proven (to herself as much as anyone) that she can toe the line given enough motivation.

From rising to meet Ransom’s most unrealistic expectations to falling into relationship tropes because she’s never cared for someone the way she cares for Jennifer, she’s showing layers of vulnerability I could never have predicted in Season 1.

Mariner: Everyone, shut the f*ck up!
Castro: Ugh, you can’t tell us what to do! This is my salon!
Mariner: And this is my phaser. Hey, did you know that when you’re unconscious, you actually consume way less oxygen?
Castro: So? What does that have to do… [Mariner stuns her with the phaser]

And discovering that much of Rutherford’s growth happened before we ever met him is a genius bit of wraparound storytelling. We still have the mystery of his implant/memory wipe to solve.

For the record, my money’s on Jellico.

This foray to Deep Space Nine ends elegantly, with everyone concluding their adventure with a drink at Quark’s.

Between dinner at Sisko’s Creole Kitchen, the visit to Bozeman, Montana, and this stopover at one of the most historically, politically, and strategically important space stations in the Alpha Quadrant, Season 3 has been a guided tour of some of Trek’s most significant landmarks.

Tacky Cardassian fascist eyesore.

Shaxs

Where would you like them to go next?

Will Shaxs ever even the score with Kira?

Who will be the next juicy guest star to sign onto the Cerritos?

Hit our comments with your wishlist!

Diana Keng is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.

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Categorized as Spoilers

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