What do you expect the all-powerful amphibian to do with everyone's clothes?

Just leave them on??!

It's just an A.I. learning how to name Star Trek episodes.

Coming soon: A sequel called "Star Trek: Synths" about a ship of androids with one human--with a cast that is all Deepfakes except one human--written and produced by software and one human.

If the Leif Ericson class didn't exist, how could it be in the handbook??!

"Robbie McDunc"? Really? ¹

Billups as the masked pilot surprised me. I expected it to be Locarno.

I thought that was a well-executed fake-out, and enjoyed the heck out of it. I thought it really made the B-plot work--Freeman is very rarely at her best when around Mariner, which means we see her screw up a lot, so I was very happy to get a reminder that she's the sort of officer Starfleet would give a command to.

"Robbie McDunc"? Really? ²

1: see 2.

2: it's a question worth repeating.

The Bynar lower decks are a fun place--the animators did a great job communicating some casual insults on a foundation of deep affection with just a few facial expressions. I bet the Cerritos could face the bad guys from Buffy's Hush easily enough.

Well, that's a decision you'll have to make for yourself. I happen to have grown up on DS9, and in my heart there's not much room for Worf's Wacky Adventures on Risa; people a couple years older than me tend to have performed some personal, private retconning of at least one episode of TNG's first season--if not more. And I have just finished the novel "Spock's World," and realized I wish I'd read it years ago and some of the thing's Diane Carey wrote in that exceptional book are better than the contradictory idea's Paramount officially introduced in later media.

What season 2 of Picard means to the producers is far less important than what it means to you--and if it inspires you to go back and watch TNG, you may want to jump straight to Season 2 of that show, as well.

I have been working under the assumption that the unknown vessel is Peanut Hamper. Because that seems like a comedic call back. But Lower Decks has a history of surprising me!