In the fourth episode of Lower Decks‘s fourth season, Boimler joins the club with a purple mustache sprouting from his upper lip. And, wouldn’t you know it, he’s a lot more confident too, taking the lead over his more brash buddy Mariner to make his way through the Klingon legal system.
What made a superfan like Boimler start his no-shave journey in the fifth and final season of Lower Decks?
It took a visit from an alternate reality for Bomiler to understand the importance of growing the beard. In the season five premiere of Lower Decks, the Cerritos crew meets slight variations of themselves. Much to the delight of Prime Boimler, the alternate reality Boimler was confident and in control. And, of course, he had a rich, purple beard.
Over the past few episodes, Boimler has been trying to emulate his other self, mostly with limited results. But that hasn’t stopped him from trying to be his better self by growing facial hair… which turns out to be his greatest challenge. Boimler’s looked downright gross over the past few episodes, with patches of purple peach fuzz splattered across his face.
But in episode four “A Farewell to Farms,” Boimler’s got a full on pushbroom under his nose, and all the Riker-like confidence that comes with it. A lot of the pleasure in “A Farewell to Farms” comes from not just the way a pair of Klingon brothers re-enact the TNG classic “Family” (a bearded Riker episode, of course), but from seeing Boimler find his swagger.
Yet, in classic Boimler fashion, the plan backfires. After all, Riker’s beard, Sisko’s goatee, and Janeway’s bob all signaled a lack of quality in the episodes that preceded them. But, in those cases, TNG, DS9, and VOY all had several seasons of 20-plus episodes to follow.
