Tread Perilously is a podcast in which hosts Erik Amaya and author Justin Robinson watch the “worst” episodes of popular TV shows, attempting to determine if they would continue to watch the series based on the most off-key moments.

This Week: Star Trek: Lower Decks‘ “Veritas”

Tread Perilously‘s month of modern Star Trek continues with a look at the Star Trek: Lower Decks episode, “Veritas.”

The Lower Deckers find themselves guests of a lizard-like alien attempting to ascertain the truth about the Cerritos’ recent mission. Each ensign can only speak to their experiences — which include Mariner and Boimler sneaking back onto the bridge and making some bad calls, Tendi becoming “the cleaner,” and Rutherford half-experiencing a Gorn wedding. Will their scraps of stories lead to a satisfactory answer for the alien? Or will the actual truth of their deposition lead to something far weird than they expect?

Justin’s second run-in with Lower Decks goes slightly better than his first, but Erik is uninterested in changing his opinion. Instead, they attempt to find the veritas in the Don’t Worry Darling press debacle. Chris Pine goes up in rank on the Chris list. Erik discusses the rigors of film festivals. Justin reveals his dislike of Jack Quaid. Second-generation actors are, of course, discussed. Gerd Shockley celebrates his birthday (sort of). Erik argues that people have forgotten what a truly stoned person looks like. Justin admits he worries about his friends, and the “dumb reasoning” of California Class spaceships proves impressive.

Be sure to subscribe to Tread Perilously on Apple Podcasts and follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@TreadPerilously)!