Marinler

"You really think I'd buy you guys are best friends?"

- Barbara Brinson to Beckett Mariner, Cupid's Errant Arrow

Marinler is the het ship between Brad Boimler and Beckett Mariner from the Star Trek: Lower Decks fandom.

Season 1
SECOND CONTACT

The episode opens with Mariner while inebriated and thus not inhibited is being very friendly if not teasing to Boimler about his recording of captain's log, for his part Boimler seemed to have kept quiet about Mariner wounding him with a contraband blade while drunk, even if during the episode Boimler does accept captain Freeman's mission to spy on Mariner for any offenses his ultimate choice to not report anything to the captain, based on Mariner taking his side even when furious with him, laid the foundations for their much more intimate and close relationship they will enjoy during the series.

CUPID'S ERRANT ARROW

Mariner is paranoid about Boimler's new girlfriend, while the text of the episode motivates her erratic behavior as being related to past trauma with a friend of hers, this particular episode is rife with themes of jealousy and romance. Barbara Brinson, the new girlfriend in question, was deliberately paralleled with Mariner in the climax of the episode with Barbara's paranoia being explicitly romantic, the episode ends with Boimler and Mariner walking off-screen together with Mariner commenting positively on Boimler's worth as a romantic partner.

TERMINAL PROVOCATIONS

Mariner and Boimler go to a concert together wearing matching shirts Brad made for them. Afterwards, she expresses to him that she's happy that they spend time together, and that he's actually not as annoying as she previously thought; Boimler reciprocates her sentiment.

After defeating a corrupted computer core, Boimler reaffirms that he enjoys working with Mariner. She then reveals that she stole the keys to the Captain's Yacht1; the episode ends with the two running off to hang out.

CRISIS POINT

In the episode Boimler discovers Mariner's secret—that she is daughter of Captain Carol Freeman—an information she wanted to withhold from the rest of the crew. Afterwards, Boimler has an interview with the captain. Noticing his anxiety, the captain encouraged him to say the first thing on his mind, which turned out to be Mariner. Perplexed by this, Freeman interrogated him further; Boimler blurts out that he thinks Mariner is both “hot” and “nasty” before running away.

NO SMALL PARTS

Coming off of the revelation of the previous episode, Boimler decides to tease Mariner about her secret. He inadvertently ends up revealing it to the whole crew, sparking tension between them, as Mariner decides to compete with him for a promotion, desperate to reclaim her lost anonymity. Their bickering, however, is cut short, as the USS Cerritos is attacked by the Pakleds.

During a skirmish with a Pakled boarding party, Boimler confesses to Mariner that she's his best friend, and that he doesn't want her to leave for another ship. She makes fun of him for getting too sappy, but not before smiling to herself. The two make their way to the bridge, where Mariner takes command. However, the Pakleds end up overpowering the Cerritos. When all hope seems lost, the USS Titan—commanded by Captain Riker—arrives just in the nick of time, and forces the Pakled ships to retreat. Mariner and Boimler exchange a quick glance, relieved that they survived.

Mariner and Boimler are later seen chatting in the bar, the latter maintaining constant eye-contact. Boimler thanks Mariner for mentoring him throughout the season. Annoyed by Boimler's attitude, she asserts that they can hang out without her being his mentor. Boimler counters this by saying that this is what she wanted, to which she replies that her target moves. Boimler then declares that he'll no longer be obsessed with promotion, and that he'll start appreciating what he has on the Cerritos. The two are then interrupted by Captain Riker; he commends Boimler for his bravery, and asks Mariner to buy him a drink. It is revealed that Boimler was offered a promotion to the Titan, which—unbeknownst to Mariner—he accepted.

The episode ends with Mariner in her bunk at night, flooding Boimler with angry voice messages, threatening and screaming at him for leaving and ghosting her.

Season 2
STRANGE ENERGIES

Mariner's first scene deals with her feeling abandoned by Boimler, with her specifically choosing not to save a holographic Boimler in a simulation. She laments the fact that she now has to spend more time with her mother— who became her new best friend during his absence— which doesn't feel the same. The holographic Boimler tried to find excuses for his real life counterpart, claiming that perhaps Mariner intimidated him, and that's why he left.

KAYSHON, HIS EYES OPEN

AN EMBARRASSMENT OF DOOPLERS

THE SPY HUMUNGOUS

WHERE PLEASANT FOUNTAINS LIE

I, EXCRETUS

WEJ DUJ

The Badgey Directive
FEAR OF A BADGE PLANET

Badgey attempts to scare Boimler, Mariner, Tendi, and Rutherford by revealing their greatest fears. At one point, he makes Boimler naked, much to his chagrin. While Tendi and Rutherford speculate that public nudity is actually his greatest fear, Mariner interjects and reluctantly says that this fear is actually hers. A moment later, a hologram of Freeman appears and compliments Boimler's appearance. Freeman asks Mariner why she and Boimler never dated, saying that they're such good friends. Mariner gets flustered and asks her mother why would anyone want her and Boimler to be together. Freeman replies that she just wants to see her settle down with someone nice, and that she'd like to have grandchildren to enjoy in her twilight years.

It would seem that Mariner's greatest fear is getting even closer to Boimler, by having their relationship turn romantic for example. This ties into Mariner's fear of commitment established in "Mining the Mind's Mines." Her nightmare in that episode was settling down and becoming "boring."

Personal Logs
"Personal log, Stardate 58001.2. Had some trouble today with a collector ship but whatever, the big news is Boims the betrayer is back on the Cerritos! You know the real winner here is Jet. Truly, I mean it can take years for me to let someone get close, truly, I was going to make his life a living hell. Now, Jet's free and I can focus my energy on being pissed that Boimler abandoned me to go the Titan! You know what feels like order is restored, everything just feels right. And yeah, I mean maybe I sort of missed the purple jerk, but that's like one percent of one percent of the anger. Okay! Whatever! Shut Up! Leave me alone. Boimler has a lot of work to do to get back on my good side. The best part is, he KNOWS he messed up. Figuring out creative ways to get back at him is going to give me life."

- Beckett Mariner

Season 1
Second Contact


 * In the cold open, Mariner starts pestering Boimler while drunk—she's quite touchy with him.
 * When Boimler meets and starts flirting with Tendi, Mariner instantly gets between them. She then ruffles his head and calls him a "little rascal".
 * Mariner tells Boimler to "take off his pants," even though it wasn't necessary for her plan to distract the spider cow. Judging from his reaction, he probably took it the wrong way.
 * When Boimler reveals that he didn't tattle on Mariner, she instantly hugs him and is incredibly touchy with him for the remainder of the scene.

Envoys


 * In the cold open, Mariner remarks that "getting some uptight hunk all wound up" turns her on; coincidentally, the episode is about Mariner bugging Boimler on an away mission.
 * Mariner sacrificed her reputation on the ship to make Boimler feel good about himself.

Temporal Edict


 * Mariner goes out of her way to ruin Boimler's violin performance in the cold open.
 * It's revealed that diplomacy and ethics are a turn-on for Mariner.

Moist Vessel


 * Mariner gave Boimler a senior officer replicator access card.

Cupid's Errant Arrow


 * Upon first meeting Barbara, Mariner is mortified by the fact that she is, in fact, real.
 * She starts following the couple around the ship, and is vexed by seeing them kiss and interact.
 * Barbara states that Boimler radiates a "primal confidence," and claims that Mariner must have felt it too. She declares that she tries not to feel anything around Brad.
 * Mariner then, drawing from her past traumatic experience, arrives at the conclusion that Barbara is not what she seems, because there's no way someone as attractive as her could possibly date Bradward Boimler.
 * She begins stalking her around the ship, growing increasingly manic when her attempts to expose Barbara are fruitless. Feeling defeated and dejected, Mariner finally accepts that Barbara is indeed real.
 * After realizing that neither of them is a parasite, Mariner and Brinson reconcile and bond over their experiences with Boimler. Mariner finally proclaims that while "he is a dork," he's her dork.
 * Even though the parasite is said to make the "host chemically irresistible to potential mates," Mariner—the person that arguably spends the most time with Brad— was not visibly affected by its influence. This would imply that Mariner is already attracted to Boimler, or that she's not a "potential mate" altogether; the wording here would suggest that the parasite can affect multiple people at once.
 * While Mariner's behavior in the episode could mostly be excused by her personal trauma, some of her reactions—beyond a reasonable doubt—appear to be a product of jealousy. Mariner is clearly bothered and grossed out by Brad and Barbara's public displays of affection, and in the climax of the episode, she exasperatedly implores Boimler to stop using the word 'lover' in reference to his girlfriend.

Terminal Provocations


 * Mariner and Boimler go to a concert together wearing matching t-shirts the latter made for them.
 * Mariner steals the keys to the Captain's Yacht, and invites Boimler to hang out with her

Much Ado About Boimler

Veritas


 * Mariner and Boimler wear their uniform the same way while working.

Crisis Point


 * During an interview with Captain Freeman, Boimler blurted out that "Mariner is hot," before running out of the room, panicked.
 * It's revealed that Mariner loves the warp core, just like Boimler.



No Small Parts


 * Mariner is rejoiced that Boimler is becoming more of a rulebreaker.
 * Boimler starts making kissy faces at Mariner in front of the whole bridge crew.
 * Mariner is distressed when Boimler tells her that he wants to pursue a promotion to the.
 * Mariner and Boimler exchange looks after being saved the USS Titan.
 * Boimler ghosts Mariner after accepting the promotion; Mariner sends him a barrage of angry texts and voice mail.

Season 2
Strange Energies


 * Mariner put a holographic duplicate of Brad Boimler in her holodeck spy fantasy; she leaves him behind as payback for the real Brad betraying her.
 * Hologram Boimler suggests that the real him ran away, because Mariner intimidates him.
 * Even three months, Mariner still believes that Boimler will return to the Cerritos, and she's saddened by thought that she might never see him again.

Kayshon, His Eyes Open


 * In the episode's cold open, it's revealed that Mariner and Boimler prefer to keep some distance from each other while showering together; Mariner is greatly upset when Jet invades that space.
 * Throughout the episode, Mariner keeps bringing up Brad, clearly still thinking about him three months later.
 * When the two finally reunite, there are no hostilities, and Mariner welcomes him back with open arms, rejoiced that she got her friend back. She instantly touches him on the shoulder too.

We'll Always Have Tom Paris


 * The episode's title is a reference to an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" which saw Picard reuniting with an old flame of his, whom he abandoned to pursue a career in Starfleet.
 * During Mariner and Tendi's trip to Orion, the two girls start talking about dating and the kinds of people they like. Mariner claims that she's into "bad boys, bad girls, bad non-binary babes, and bad Bynars" and that she's constantly seeing someone new. Tendi remarks that she only hangs out with Boimler.
 * Mariner instantly gets defensive and nervous, and Tendi presses her further, stating that the two are so inseperable that they "practically sleep in the same bunk".
 * Through her faux disgust, Mariner finally claims that Boimler is like a pet to her.
 * Mariner admits that it's cool that Boimler got beat up by Tom Paris.

Mugato, Gumato


 * In the cold open, Mariner beats up Boimler during a match of anbo-jyutsu.
 * Mariner calls Boimler and Rutherford "two beautiful nerds".

An Embarrassment of Dooplers The Spy Humongous
 * The premise of the episode is Mariner asking Boimler out to a fancy Starfleet prom.
 * Alien shopkeeper, Malvus, calls Boimler—much to his chagrin—Mariner's boyfriend. It's a blink and you'll miss it moment, but Mariner actually waits to see Boimler's reaction, before denying it herself.
 * While driving through the aviary, Mariner points out to Boimler that she went on a date there once.
 * Mariner and Boimler get into a car chase which ends with them driving into a pond. In “Much Ado About Boimler” it's revealed that a similar thing happened to Mariner and her ex from the Academy.
 * Desperate to go the party, Mariner tells Boimler that she "didn't put on underwear for nothing".
 * The bouncer denies Mariner entry to the Starfleet afterparty. She gets into an argument with Boimler, accusing him of abandoning her. The bouncer then comforts Mariner, stating that he knows what it's like to be vulnerable.
 * The music that plays at the Starfleet party is an extract from Borodin's "Polovtsian Dances". The melody has also been used in a song "Stranger in Paradise" from "Kismet," where it's performed by the characters of the Caliph and Marsinah. According to Wikipedia, "the song in the musical is a lovers' duet and describes the transcendent feelings that love brings to their surroundings."
 * At the party, Boimler realizes that he misses Mariner, and that he doesn't have fun without her.
 * Boimler finds Mariner drinking alone at an empty dive bar. They reconile, and Mariner admits that he's the only person she makes an exception when it comes to showing her feelings; he then calls her his "number one."
 * Mariner and Boimler notice a carving on the bar's counter that reads “Kirk + Spock”. They bond over that, and decide to carve their own names into the bar.
 * Later on, the crew of the Cerritos joins them at the bar. Carol approaches them, and starts teasing Boimler, agreeing that he's actually Mariner's "number one."
 * The episode ends with Carol looking at the "Mariner + Boimler" carving with a kind of knowing motherly look of approval.


 * Mariner is upset when Boimler decides to hang out with the Redshirts. She is grumpy for the remainder of the episode.

Where Pleasant Fountains Lie


 * The episode's title is a reference to "Venus and Adonis," a poem by William Shakespeare which explored the themes of unrequited love, conflict between attraction and personal ambition, and the youthful desire to seize the day.
 * Boimler gets reassigned and put on a mission with Mariner; she suggests they get ramen after they're done.
 * AGIMUS reveals that Mariner got Boimler reassigned to a mission with her.
 * Boimler confronts her about sabotaging him. Visibly embarrassed, Mariner blurts out that she was protecting him.

I, Excretus


 * Boimler is present in Mariner's "Naked Time" simulation; seeing him mortifies Mariner as she quickly runs out of the room. However, in the episode it's stated that the simulation was designed to tempt the examine, which begs the question as to why would the computer put Boimler there in the first place. Two girls Mariner is canonically attracted to are put front and center for her, while Boimler appears together with Jet, a guy who fits her 'muscular hunk' type.
 * Mariner is saddened by the fact that Boimler would rather try to ace his score instead of hanging out with her, Rutherford, and Tendi.
 * Carol calls Boimler one of her best officers, which upsets Mariner for some reason.

wej Duj


 * Boimler is a bit flustered when he realizes that he's going to spend time with Mariner alone.
 * In the ending of the episode, Mariner comforts Boimler and pets his head.

First First Contact


 * Mariner ruffles Boimler's hair and admits that he's "great".

Season 3
Grounded


 * Boimler is the first person Mariner goes to when looking for help.

Mining the Mind's Mines

Room for Growth
 * Boimler teases Mariner about dating Jennifer the Andorian, which makes her blush. She denies it and says that they're just hanging out.
 * Boimler is more touchy with Mariner in this episode than ever before.


 * Mariner is amused by Boimler's antics throghout the episode, and they get touchy with one each other at one point.

Hear All, Trust Nothing


 * Castro and Wendy point out to Mariner that Boimler is attractive, and ask her if he's single.
 * Predictably, Mariner has none of it, and decides to get drunk instead.

The Stars At Night


 * Tendi and Rutherford note that "the longer Mariner's not around, the more Boimler loses his grasp on reality."
 * After returning to the Cerritos, Mariner runs up to Boimler to give him a big hug.
 * Curiously, while Mariner and Boimler hug, Shaxs and T'Ana can be seen directly behind them.

The Badgey Directive
Holo-Darkness, My Old Friend


 * Mariner and Boimler get stuck in a turbolift together.
 * Boimler asks Mariner if she ever wants to have kids. She jokingly asks him if he wants to have children with her. He gets flustered and denies it, but ultimately lands on a "yes."

Threshold My Beer


 * While testing a shuttle, Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford get turned into slugs, as a reference an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, "Threshold."


 * It is later revealed that Mariner and Boimler "spawned a bunch of baby slugs." Rutherford calls them "Mariboims babies."


 * Mariner whines that Boimler and her agreed in the broken turbolift that they wouldn't raise children together.


 * Curiously, earlier in the episode, Dr. T'Ana states that Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford's personalities remained intact while in slug form.

Fear of a Badge Planet
 * What's more, everything in the episode took place on the Holodeck, which means Mariner and Boimler didn't actually get turned into slugs; they only thought they were slugs.


 * Badgey tries to scare Boimler, Mariner, Tendi and Rutherford by summoning their greatest fears.
 * At one point, he makes Boimler naked. While Tendi and Rutherford assume that this is his fear, Mariner says that it it actually hers.
 * A moment later, a hologram of Freeman appears, and asks Mariner why she never dated Boimler.
 * It would appear that Mariner's greatest fear is becoming even closer with Boimler, by having their relationship turn romantic for example.

Star Trek: Lower Decks (IDW)

 * In the second issue of the comic, one of the Holo!Dracula's tapestries features him as a baby with Mariner and Boimler as his parents.

Behind the Scenes
"A strong section of the fandom wants Beckett and Brad to get together. […] This is a growing movement. Oh, look, it is a growing movement. People have sent me Reddit screenshots. People are telling me- they are telling me, that they are- that this is a thing that a significant portion of the fandom wants."

- Tawny Newsome, the voice of Beckett Mariner

Tawny Newsome has liked, retweeted, and replied "damn, why did you drag me irl tho" to a tweet stating that Mariner has a "raging obsessive bully crush" on Boimler.

Fanon
Marinler is by far the most popular ship in the Lower Decks fandom, with over 100 works on AO3 as of September 2022. Their dynamic is often compared to Spirk, even in-universe, with Mariner seeing herself as a "Kirk-style free spirit".

Due to the events of the Season One finale with Boimler leaving to pursue his career and Mariner's shock and feelings over hurt, a common theme in Marinler fics are reunion fics with Boimler choosing or being forced to go back to the Cerritos him and Mariner having an confrontation about what he did and more often then not finding forgiveness and starting to date.

Another common trope is Mariner and Boimler communicating via messages on their PADD, this allows the characters to behave in a way most teens and younger adults will recognize from real life.

Generally speaking Mariner is characterized in fan works as the more active participant even if she does not internally acknowledge her actions are romantic with Boimler being on the receiving end, but this is not an universal trend as some fanwork depict Boimler actively wanting a relationship and not being sure if Mariner would accept him. Tantalizingly, the show might have hinted at this in canon; Boimler in "An Embarrassment of Dooplers" admitted to have considered Mariner too jaded and badass to care about him, and in the episode "Strange Energies", a holographic replica of Boimler told Mariner that the real Boimler might be intimidated by her hence their communication difficulties.

Other common tropes and scenarios used in fanon works are holodeck simulations, shuttle crashes (happened in canon in "Where Pleasant Fountains Lie") and cross-overs with the Mirror Universe (one such cross-over was simulated in "I, Excretus").

A common pairing that tends to also happen in Marinler fics is Tendiford.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

FAN ART

WIKIS