star trek lower

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek: Lower Decks is the ninth main series set in the Star Trek universe, the tenth including the companion series Star Trek: Short Treks , and the twelfth Star Trek series overall. It is the second series to be entirely animated, after Star Trek: The Animated Series , with episodes running half an hour, and the third series to have animated episodes, after Short Treks . Lower Decks is the first original animated series commissioned by CBS All Access, as well as the first produced by the new CBS animation arm, CBS Eye Animation Productions , and was announced in October 2018 , with All Access committing to a two-season order. [1]

Created by Mike McMahan , the series is an adult animation comedy produced in association with Titmouse, Inc. and forms part of Alex Kurtzman 's five-year deal with CBS to expand the Star Trek franchise. Lower Decks focuses on " the support crew serving on one of Starfleet 's least important ships. " [2]

The show takes place aboard the California -class USS Cerritos on the "lower decks". [3] The show's time period is described as the Star Trek: The Next Generation -era, more specifically 2380 , after Star Trek Nemesis . [4] [5]

A full-length trailer was released on 12 July 2020. [6]

The first season was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Animated Series. [7]

In April 2021 , it was announced that Lower Decks had been renewed for a third season. [8]

McMahan has acknowledged that some fans have referred to the four leading characters as "the warp core four," though the production team's shorthand for them is "The Lower Deckers." [9]

↑ John Van Citters has chosen "LDS" as the series' official abbreviation, while also alluding to it being a reference to Kirk 's line about LSD in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . [10] This is consistent with the three letter abbreviations for other series, though no "official" abbreviations have been given for Star Trek: Short Treks , After Trek , or The Ready Room . MA will use the abbreviation "LD" for Lower Decks to remain consistent with using the first letter in titles with more than one word after Star Trek .

On 18 January 2022 , it was announced that Lower Decks had been renewed for a fourth season , followed a year later by a fifth season renewal announcement on 28 March 2023 . The series was canceled on 12 April 2024 and will end with the fifth season.

• 1.1 Starring
• 1.2 Special guest stars
• 1.3 Additional recurring characters
• 2 Opening credits
• 3.1 Season 1
• 3.2 Season 2
• 3.3 Season 3
• 3.4 Season 4
• 3.5 Season 5
• 5 Production companies
• 6.1 Season 1
• 6.2 Season 2
• 6.3 Season 3
• 6.4 Season 4
• 6.5 Development
• 6.6.1 Products
• 6.7 Cancellation
• 7 Reception
• 8 Related topics
• 10 External links

Cast of characters [ ]

The ensigns of Lower Decks

The command crew of the USS Cerritos

Starring [ ]

• Tawny Newsome as Beckett Mariner
• Jack Quaid as Brad Boimler
• Noël Wells as D'Vana Tendi
• Eugene Cordero as Sam Rutherford
• Dawnn Lewis as Freeman
• Jerry O'Connell as Ransom
• Fred Tatasciore as Shaxs
• Gillian Vigman as T'Ana

Special guest stars [ ]

• James Cromwell as Dr. Zefram Cochrane
• Jeffrey Combs as AGIMUS
• John de Lancie as Q
• Shannon Fill as Sito Jaxa
• Jonathan Frakes as Capt. William T. Riker
• Susan Gibney as Dr. Leah Brahms
• Max Grodénchik as Rom
• Drookmani Captain
• Alice Krige as Borg Queen
• Chase Masterson as Leeta
• Nick Locarno
• Lycia Naff as Sonya Gomez
• Armin Shimerman as Quark
• Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi
• George Takei as Hikaru Sulu
• Nana Visitor as Col. Kira Nerys
• Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher

Additional recurring characters [ ]

• Carlos Alazraqui as Les Buenamigo
• Eugene Cordero as Winger Bingston, Jr.
• Kether Donohue as Peanut Hamper
• Phil LaMarr as Alonzo Freeman
• Lauren Lapkus as Ensign Jennifer Sh'reyan
• Jack McBrayer as Badgey
• Cerritos Computer
• Ben Rodgers as Steve Stevens
• Paul Scheer as Andy Billups
• Carl Tart as Kayshon
• Fred Tatasciore as Vassery
• Paul F. Tompkins as Migleemo
• Gillian Vigman as Dayton
• Ariel Winter as D'Erika Tendi

Opening credits [ ]

The opening credits for Star Trek: Lower Decks contain imagery of the USS Cerritos passing near various spatial phenomena, often with deleterious effects.

Episode list [ ]

Season 1 [ ].

LD Season 1 , 10 episodes:

Season 2 [ ]

LD Season 2 , 10 episodes:

Season 3 [ ]

LD Season 3 , 10 episodes:

Season 4 [ ]

LD Season 4 , 10 episodes:

Season 5 [ ]

LD Season 5 , 10 episodes:

• Ruth Lambert
• Robert McGee
• April Caputi
• Robert Lee Terry
• Aaron Baiers
• Robyn Johnson
• Brad Winters
• Heather Kadin
• Katie Krentz
• Alex Kurtzman
• Mike McMahan – head writer
• Rod Roddenberry
• Trevor Roth
• Mike McMahan – executive producer
• Garrick Bernard
• John Cochran
• Dave Ihlenfeld
• Ben Rodgers
• Dave Wright
• Chris Prynoski
• Shannon Prynoski
• David Wright

Production companies [ ]

• CBS Eye Animation Productions
• Roddenberry Entertainment
• Secret Hideout
• Important Science
• Titmouse, Inc.

Development [ ]

In 2018, Mike McMahan, then head writer of the animated comedy Rick and Morty , was brought in to pitch an idea for his ideal Star Trek series to production company Secret Hideout. Won over by his pitch of a series following "the people who put the yellow cartridge in the food replicator so a banana can come out the other end", Secret Hideout moved forward and eventually sold the series to CBS All Access, the streaming service airing Star Trek: Discovery . On 25 October 2018, they announced that Star Trek: Lower Decks , named after an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , was picked up for two seasons.

Promotion [ ]

Products [ ]

Eaglemoss/Hero Collector introductory XL Edition USS Cerritos

Eaglemoss/Hero Collector revealed that the USS Cerritos , USS Titan , and USS Vancouver have been manufactured as starship miniatures and confirmed that its Lower Decks ships line would debut at retail in January 2022 . [12] [13] After an introductory XL January outing in the main Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection , a separate Star Trek: Lower Decks The Official Starships Collection was indeed launched in April 2022, but was cut short however due to the August 2022 Eaglemoss bankruptcy.

These three starships are also explored in the second edition of the company's Star Trek: Shipyards - Starfleet Ships 2294 to the Future reference book , which was released in August 2021 . [14]

On 13 July 2021 , ViacomCBS Consumer Products and Playmates Toys jointly announced that the latter had acquired new licensing for " action figures, vehicles and ships, role play and other toy categories ", and slated the first of these products for retail release in 2022. Among other Star Trek series and films, this licensing encompasses Lower Decks , Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Picard , and Star Trek: Prodigy . [15]

Cancellation [ ]

On 12 April 2024 The fifth season announcement in March 2023 was followed by an announcement on 12 April 2024 that the series was canceled and would end following that season. No explanation was given for the cancellation, but unlike franchise sibling Star Trek: Prodigy , it was not slated for removal from Paramount+. [16] [17] Yet, while discussing cancellation of Star Trek: Discovery , also a post-season five termination, with CinemaBlend.com, franchise head Alex Kurtzman expressed his thoughts on how he considered ostensibly premature cancellations a recent symptom of a very changed television landscape: " I don't know, it's very hard. I mean, the fact that [Discovery went to] go on five seasons is sort of a miracle. I think most people watch two seasons of a streaming show, and they check out, you know, and that's not specific to Trek. I just think that's the watch pattern for television in the streaming world. It's hard to know. " [18]

25 May 2024 was declared to be the "All Hands On Decks Streamathon" on which fans of the show were encouraged to binge-watch the program to show support for it. [19]

Reception [ ]

Star Trek: Lower Decks has been nominated for one Emmy Award , in the category of "Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation".

Related topics [ ]

• LD directors
• LD performers
• LD recurring characters
• LD studio models
• Star Trek: Lower Decks comics
• Star Trek: Lower Decks soundtracks
• Star Trek: Lower Decks on Blu-ray
• Star Trek: Lower Decks on DVD

External links [ ]

• Star Trek: Lower Decks at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Star Trek: Lower Decks at Wikipedia
• Star Trek: Lower Decks at the Internet Movie Database
• 1 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)
• 3 Daniels (Crewman)

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Episode list

Star trek: lower decks.

S4.E1 ∙ Twovix

S4.E2 ∙ I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee

S4.E3 ∙ In the Cradle of Vexilon

S4.E4 ∙ Something Borrowed, Something Green

S4.E5 ∙ Empathological Fallacies

S4.E6 ∙ Parth Ferengi's Heart Place

S4.E7 ∙ A Few Badgeys More

S4.E8 ∙ Caves

S4.E9 ∙ The Inner Fight

S4.E10 ∙ Old Friends, New Planets

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More from this title

More to explore, recently viewed.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

• Store Filled Season 1
• Store Filled Season 2
• Store Filled Season 3
• Store Filled Season 4

The price before discount is the median price for the last 90 days.

• Episode number
• Newest episodes
• Available to watch

Customers also watched

Other formats

1866 global ratings

How are ratings calculated? Toggle Expand Toggle Expand

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Registry & Gift List
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 85% Speak No Evil Link to Speak No Evil
• 77% Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Link to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• 95% Rebel Ridge Link to Rebel Ridge

New TV Tonight

• 94% The Penguin: Season 1
• -- Emmys: Season 76
• -- American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez: Season 1
• -- Agatha All Along: Season 1
• -- Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: Season 2
• -- Twilight of the Gods: Season 1
• -- Tulsa King: Season 2
• -- High Potential: Season 1
• -- Frasier: Season 2
• -- A Very Royal Scandal: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 61% The Perfect Couple: Season 1
• 90% The Penguin: Season 1
• 74% Kaos: Season 1
• 63% The Old Man: Season 2
• 85% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• 100% Dark Winds: Season 2
• 100% Slow Horses: Season 4
• 86% How to Die Alone: Season 1
• 99% Shōgun: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 95% Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Season 1 Link to Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

50 Best New Action Movies of 2024

Toronto Film Festival 2024: Movie Scorecard

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Movie Re-Release Calendar 2024 & 2025: Your Guide to Movies Back In Theaters

2024 Emmy Winners: 76th Primetime & Creative Arts Emmy Winners

• Trending on RT
• Hispanic Heritage Month
• Spanish-Language Movies
• Re-Release Calendar

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Where to watch.

Watch Star Trek: Lower Decks with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Cast & Crew

Tawny Newsome

Ensign Beckett Mariner

Ensign Brad Boimler

Ensign Tendi

Eugene Cordero

Ensign Rutherford

Dawnn Lewis

Captain Carol Freeman

Jerry O'Connell

Commander Jack Ransom

More Like This

Related tv news, series info.

Watch 1st look clip from 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Season 5 (video)

Paramount+ reveals new sneak peek at Season 5 for Star Trek Day.

Come autumn, crimson and gold leaves won't be the only thing we'll be saying goodbye to as Paramount+'s  " Star Trek: Lower Decks " takes one final flight when it rolls out its fifth and last 10-chapter season on Oct. 24 with a double-episode debut.

To crank up the anticipation on Star Trek Day this past Sunday, Paramount and CBS Studios took the wrapper off a vibrant new poster by ace artist Matt Ferguson and an exclusive clip from their amusing animated sci-fi series, "Star Trek: Lower Decks."

Here's the official final season synopsis:

"In Season 5 of 'Star Trek: Lower Decks,' the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos is tasked with closing 'space potholes' — subspace rifts that are causing chaos in the Alpha Quadrant. Pothole duty would be easy for Junior Officers Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford... if they didn't also have to deal with an Orion war, furious Klingons, diplomatic catastrophes, murder mysteries, and scariest of all — their own career aspirations."

Boldly branded as "an adventure five seasons in the making," this farewell voyage is a joyous salute to these unsung Cerritos heroes who are precariously close to being awarded promotions that would take them from the support ranks to bigger, brighter roles within the Starfleet organization.

"Star Trek: Lower Decks" Season 5's vocal cast includes Tawny Newsome (Ensign Beckett Mariner), Jack Quaid (Ensign Brad Boimler), Noël Wells (Ensign Tendi), Eugene Cordero (Ensign Rutherford), Dawnn Lewis (Captain Carol Freeman), Jerry O’Connell (Commander Jack Ransom), Fred Tatasciore (Lieutenant Shaxs), and Gillian Vigman (Doctor T’Ana).

If you're in need of a refresher, visit our guide to last April's " Star Trek: Lower Decks " Season 4 Blu-ray release. Our full " Star Trek " streaming guide will help you catch up on all the other "Trek" shows to prime you for "Lower Decks'" final season this fall.

Get the Space.com Newsletter

Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!

Animated by the talented Emmy Award-winning folks at Titmouse, "Lower Decks" streams exclusively on Paramount+. It's produced by CBS' Eye Animation Productions, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment. Executive producers engaged for this last galactic lap are Alex Kurtzman, Mike McMahan, Aaron Baiers, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

This Week In Space podcast: Episode 128 — Starliner is Back! What Now?

The best 70s sci-fi movies

SpaceX's private Polaris Dawn astronauts will return to Earth early Sunday. Here's how to watch live online

Most Popular

• 2 Astronauts 3D-print first metal part while on ISS
• 3 This Week In Space podcast: Episode 128 — Starliner is Back! What Now?
• 4 A sprinkling of cosmic dust may have helped kick-start life on Earth
• 5 Super Harvest Moon lunar eclipse: How to watch online for free on Sept. 17

REVIEW: Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4 Episode 8 Hilariously Reunites Its Leads

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Lower Decks Robot Revolt Is Here - But Not the Way Anyone Thinks

Lower decks crew are no longer star trek screw-ups in season 4, star trek actors band together to save lower decks.

As Star Trek: Lower Decks nears the end of its fourth season and its big climactic showdown, there is room for one more standalone adventure. The season's eighth episode, simply and aptly titled "Caves," finally puts all four leads together in a routine mission gone horribly wrong. A cheeky Star Trek riff on sitcom clip shows , the episode leans into what Lower Decks does best, mixing laughs with self-aware humor about the franchise's well-worn tropes and quietly furthering its individual character arcs.

In the months after their promotions to Lieutenant Junior Grade, the junior officers have largely been tasked with different assignments instead of working closely together. This changes when the quartet is told to scan rare fungus growing deep within a cave on a remote planet. Trapped after a cave-in and with their communications to the starship USS Cerritos scrambled, the group reminisces about separate experiences they've had previously in caves as they search for a way back to safety.

Lower Decks' three rogue AIs make their move in Season 4, Episode 7. The surprising results reveal a show with a lot more than laughs on its mind.

As fun as the unusual team-ups and spotlights on individual characters have been throughout Lower Decks Season 4, "Caves" highlights that one of the big reasons the Paramount+ animated series is so effective is the entertaining interplay between its four protagonists. This reunion is a long time coming, and it feels good to see Beckett Mariner, Brad Boimler, D'Vana Tendi and Sam Rutherford back together again and on the job as a close-knit unit. This group has formed an engaging rapport that has only deepened over time, and they haven't lost a step in how well they play off each other.

More to the point, "Caves" is just a funny episode and a strong reminder that not every Lower Decks story needs cosmically epic stakes . Despite their extensive history, the trapped officers learn secrets about each other that challenge their established relationships as the incident forces them into close quarters. Each story plays out like its own vignette -- some more effective than others, but the underlying themes are always present, and the gags stick the landing more often than not.

Star Trek: Lower Decks introduced audiences to Starfleet misfits and screw-ups, but in Season 4 the crew of the USS Cerritos are better at the job.

A lot of comedy comes from Lower Decks spending an entire episode poking fun at just how often Star Trek stories, particularly in the franchise's earlier shows, seem to almost exclusively take place within caves and have things inevitably become catastrophic, Lower Decks takes full advantage of the creative mileage for both narrative and humor present thanks to this common premise. And like some of Lower Decks ' funnier flourishes, "Caves" fully embraces being weird, finding the comedy in the patently bizarre.

"Caves" is easily one of the strongest episodes in Lower Decks Season 4 and arguably one of the better standalone episodes across the entire series. With only two episodes left to go this season, it's likely that the focus will be on concluding the season's overarching narrative. But if there were more standalone episodes of the same caliber as "Caves," the season would've been more than fine. A looser structure has its strengths as the series continues the adventures of the USS Cerritos and its fan-favorite crew.

Created by Mike McMahan, Star Trek: Lower Decks releases new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.

• CBR Exclusives
• Star Trek: Lower Decks

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Teaser Trailer | Star Trek: Lower Decks - Season 2

They're going to be doing so much sci-fi stuff.

They're going to be doing so much sci-fi stuff! 

Paramount+ today announced season two of its hit original half-hour animated comedy series will premiere on Thursday, August 12 in the United States.

Star Trek: Lower Decks streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel. The series will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in the UK, Canada, Latin America, Australia, Italy, France, the Caribbean, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland and South Korea.

• Action/Adventure
• Children's/Family
• Documentary/Reality
• Amazon Prime Video

More From Decider

‘Shōgun’ Almost Sweeps the 2024 Emmys — and Should Have Won More

Candice Bergen Sneaks In A Cutting Dig At J.D. Vance On The Emmys Stage:...

John Oliver Curses Out The Emmys For Trying To Play Him Off While...

‘Bachelorette’ Finale Drama Spills Onto TikTok: Maria Georgas Admits...

'The Perfect Couple' Ending Explained: Who Was the Killer?

Fall TV Preview 2024: 'Yellowstone,' 'Outlander,' and So Much More

'The Bachelorette' Did Jenn Tran Dirty With Unbelievably Cruel Finale

Fall Streaming Movie Preview: 13 Movies We’re Hyped For, From...

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to copy URL

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Season 4 on Paramount+, Featuring The Continuing (Mis)adventures Of Starfleet’s Proudest Platoon Members

Where to stream:.

• Star Trek: Lower Decks

‘The Acolyte’s Cancellation Begs The Question: What Do Audiences Even Want Out of a Star Wars Show???

Stream it or skip it: ‘star trek: prodigy’ season 2 on netflix, where the ragtag group of teen starfleet trainees join janeway on a dangerous mission, ‘star trek iii’ at 40: the story of how (and why) leonard nimoy brought spock back after being killed off in ‘the wrath of khan’, ‘star trek: strange new worlds’ renewed for season 4 at paramount+.

Star Trek: Lower Decks returned to Paramount+ for its fourth season with two episodes dropping simultaneously before the Emmy-nominated hit rolled out the remainder of its ten eps on a per-week basis. Created by Mike McMahan ( Solar Opposites , Rick and Morty ) as an adult animated comedy seated in the Trek expanded universe overseen by executive producer Alex Kurtzman, Lower Decks concerns the careers of those members of Starfleet who do their work below the bridge, members like fellow ensigns Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) and Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), whose friendship always outlasts their misadventures. There’s no shortage of those as season four begins, and some of season three’s biggest cliffhangers will find resolution. But could Beckett and Boims also be in line for promotion?

STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS – SEASON 4 : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?  

Opening Shot: The Federation support starship USS Cerritos has come out of warp before the imposing mass of a mysterious space station. And while Starfleet hasn’t provided Captain Carol Freeman (Dawn Lewis) with a whole lot of info – Top Secret this, Classified that – mysteries aren’t anything Freeman hasn’t seen before. “Take us in.”

The Gist: Classified or not, the work on any given mission doesn’t really change for a starship’s lowest-ranked officers, and as Mariner and Boimler receive their latest assignments, they engage in some ribbing with the ever-enthusiastic Ensign D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) and her new “science friend,” the Vulcan T’Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz), who joined the crew of the Cerritos at the end of Lower Decks season three. Boimler reports to maintenance duty on the holodeck, where he receives an intriguing visit from Jack Ransom (Jerry O’Connell), the ship’s brusque first officer. What? A potential promotion to lieutenant junior grade? Even after Ransom has personally witnessed the crazy that regularly adheres to Boimler and his buddies? And increasingly eager to please on top of his usual earnestness, Boims promptly steps into the middle of the Cerritos’ latest crisis.

That’s just one of the developing stories at the outset of STLD season four, which finds Captain Freeman and her crew tasked with transporting the mothballed USS Voyager to its new resting place on a display mount near Starfleet Command on Earth. But just because Captain Janeway’s storied starship has been decommissioned, doesn’t mean it’s done with the demons of its past. And before we know it, revived macrocosm viruses are replicating wildly all across the ship. Not only that, but a transporter room mishap on Voyager causes Dr. T’Ana (Gillian Vigman) to be merged with chief engineer Andy Billups (Paul Scheer) at a subcellular level, creating a rogue Caitian/human entity dubbed “T’illups.” With the macrocosms creating chaos and T’illups making even more captive hybrids out of the Cerritos officers, it’s up to Boimler, engineering ensign Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero), Tendi, and T’Lyn to try and improvise a solution.

And speaking of Rutherford, his personal journey with the cyborg implant installed over his eye has continued to evolve, to the point that last season, it developed a rival personality of its own. Rutherford also discovered that “Badgey,” a sentient presence he built, went haywire and provided the underlying artificial intelligence to power a fleet of autonomous spacecraft intent on destroying the Cerritos and other California-class starships. Like so many of the crises on Lower Decks , that was narrowly averted. But did Badgey and its evil tendencies really go down with the ships?

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? If you didn’t catch the crossover episode Star Trek: Strange New Worlds did with Lower Decks during its impressive second season (episode seven: “Those Old Scientists”), your orders are to fire it up and commence laughing. (Tawny Newsome, in her live-action form as Ensign Mariner, to Jack Quaid’s live-action Boimler, hundreds of years in Trek ’s past: “‘Hot Spock’ agrees with me.”) And while it was summarily axed from Paramount+ in a nebulous “data-driven” decision, the animated Star Trek: Prodigy showed tons of promise, brought back Kate Mulgrew’s Commander Kathryn Janeway – whose legacy also figures into Lower Decks – and could still resurface in some form on another network. 

Our Take: With half-hour episodes that zip by at warp speed, and jokes that wrap around character moments with such ease that they become ingrained in how we perceive the individuals in its cast, Star Trek: Lower Decks has found a unique footing in the Trek universe as its first animated series since, um, the Animated Series of 1973-4. That’s due in no small part to the top-notch voice acting here, which never feels one-dimensional or detached from how the characters are rendered. But it’s also a cocktail of whimsy, wild action, and heady fan service. STLD creator is an avowed Trek head, and he and his writers are always prepared to blend what they’ve built with what’s come before in ways that feel natural and oddball all at once. In McMahan’s hands, the “Tuvix” storyline from Star Trek: Voyager in 1996 becomes “Twovix” and “T’illups” and a whole new problem for Captain Freeman, whose dedication to the concept of WWJD (What Would Janeway Do) results in even more mayhem when Trek past meets Trek present on the Cerritos.

And hey, the animation in Lower Decks is clean . It’s cool to see Star Trek environments we’re familiar with – the bridge, the holodeck, the officers’ lounge – depicted in cartoon form, and tech like handheld tablets and phasers emulating the graphics and functionality of the show’s live-action cousins. Even the Klingon Bird-of-Prey that appears briefly in the early going of STLD appears no less menacing and deadly as a ‘toon. All of this helps make the series another winner in the Star Trek expanded universe – not obsessed with fulfilling a demand for new formats and more content, but boldly asserting its relevance as another voice to add to the ongoing Trek narrative. Animation is just another final frontier.

Sex and Skin: Some holodeck-adjacent smooching, but that’s it for the first episode.

Parting Shot: Somewhere in Klingon-controlled space, a Bird-of-Prey starship is about to ignore the unidentified, seemingly unarmed vessel it encounters in the blackness when suddenly its systems fail and the Klingons on board are left defenseless to repel a vicious surprise attack. 

Sleeper Star: Like Strange New Worlds , its counterpart in the Trek expanded universe, Lower Decks remains agile and thoughtful in how it helps its characters solidify their personal standing. Here in STLD season four, the addition of T’Lyn to its core group of ensigns is handled with humor and respect for the Vulcan’s personality, while elsewhere, Mariner reminds her pal Boimler why they’re such a good team. “This is why we can’t keep secrets. One of us always ends up covered in slime.”  

Most Pilot-y Line: Ransom has projected bigger things for Ensign Boimler, such as a promotion to lieutenant junior grade. “As long as nothing goes sideways today.” (And this is such a blatant understatement that Boimler himself calls Ransom out on it.) “You’d have to screw up in a historically significant way to mess this one up.”  

Our Call: STREAM IT. Star Trek: Below Decks is back for more character-driven hijinks in its fourth season, and with a host of innovative new ways to assert itself alongside established canon and within the successful expanded Trek universe. 

Johnny Loftus is an independent writer and editor living at large in Chicagoland. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift. Follow him on Twitter:  @glennganges

• Star Trek (2009)
• Stream It Or Skip It

Who Did Taylor Frankie Paul Swing With? 'The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives' Scandal Explained

Demi Moore Gags At The Thought Of Filming 'Indecent Proposal' Love Scenes With Woody Harrelson

7 Shows Like ‘The Perfect Couple’ If You Loved The Netflix Mystery Series

'The Bachelorette's Devin Strader Posts 13-Minute Video Addressing Jenn Tran's "Absolutely Asinine" Finale Claims: "This Is My Truth"

Is 'Dancing With the Stars' On Tonight? 'Dancing with the Stars' 2024 Premiere Date, Streaming Info

'The View's Alyssa Farah Griffin Predicts That Trump Will "Melt Down" 15 Minutes Into Debating Kamala Harris: "He Tends To Diminish"

Star Trek Fans Are Petitioning To Get Another Popular Character Their Own Hometown Statue, And There Are 3 Reasons Why I'm On Board With This

Let's all come together to help make this happen.

Star Trek has given fans myriad wonderful characters over the years — we've even ranked them — to the point where fans have crafted permanent real-life tributes to the spacefarers and the values they uphold as members of Starfleet. Considering that's the case, I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone had the idea to honor a cast member of Deep Space Nine , and it's someone known for being the "Most important person in Starfleet."

That's right, efforts are being made to get Colm Meaney's Miles O'Brien his own statue, and I'm 100% on board with this. For those who haven't seen the Change.org petition, the goal is to erect a statue of Miles O'Brien in the character's hometown of Killarney, which is, of course, in Ireland.

As someone currently streaming Star Trek: Deep Space Nine with my Paramount+ subscription , I'm all in on the idea and have a few additional reasons why it'd be grand to see this happen.

A Miles O'Brien Statue Is A Dual Homage To Colm Meaney, And Star Trek: Lower Decks

I should note that while a statue of Miles O'Brien is a great idea, it's not wholly unique as a tribute. Star Trek: Lower Decks first showcased a statue of O'Brien in the Season 1 episode "Temporal Edict." The chief engineer received the honor of being the "Most important person in Starfleet," which series creator Mike McMahan later told StarTrek.com was because he represented the ideal "Lower Decker." He was a crewman who worked his way up the Starfleet ladder all the way to a prestigious teaching position at Starfleet Academy, raising a family in the process.

He's the heart of what makes a good Starfleet Officer, and in all honesty, a damn good person as well. As we prepare for the final season of Lower Decks after it joined the list of shows canceled or ending in 2024 , why not erect this statue in honor of the series that shined on the everyman of Starfleet who strives to their absolute best? We're reportedly already getting a solid conclusion to the series , but this statue would be some real icing on the cake to honor it.

I Absolutely Love The Janeway Statue In Indiana

As both a Star Trek fan and Indiana resident, I couldn't be prouder that there's an actual statue dedicated to Kathryn Janeway in the character's hometown of Bloomington. Whenever I see an online mutual visit to the memorial, my heart beams with pride. It feels silly to say, especially since I've often questioned why Philadelphia has a Rocky statue when there are legitimate boxing legends worthy of celebrating.

What I've ultimately come to realize via Janeway is that it's about the character and what she represents. It also ended up being an attraction of sorts that actress Kate Mulgrew visited, despite concerns from locals she'd create some sort of temporal anomaly in doing so. Wouldn't it be great to see Colm Meaney visit Miles O'Brien's statue, and share some of his thoughts on the character? I certainly think so, especially considering how much he recently advocated that Trekkies are not nuts as some would believe.

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

Irish Star Trek Fans Deserve A Cool Way To Celebrate The Franchise 

Star Trek is a U.S.A. IP that films most of its work in Canada these days, but it's a franchise that is celebrated worldwide. While the show does its best to represent all cultures and humanist values, it's fair to say fans outside of North America don't get quite as much fun seeing the cast at conventions or attending events hosted by Paramount+.

Irish fans need something cool to embrace, and if I'm being honest, the franchise kind of owes them. For all the WTF moments in Star Trek: Voyager , I think the borderline offensive representation of the country via the holodeck city of Fair Haven. We need more of Miles O'Brien when it comes to the Irish in Star Trek , and maybe for a Deep Space Nine follow-up series to be revealed in the next year or so after Alex Kurtzman hinted at something long ago. I won't get greedy, and I'm fine with just seeing this statue erected for now!

I highly encourage supporters to sign the petition, and also watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine with Paramount+. They can even check out some of his earlier appearances in The Next Generation , which also has a few characters worthy of statues.

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

As 90 Day Fiancé Shows Tigerlily And Adnan's Issues, I Really Wish TLC Would Stop Highlighting This Specific Type Of Couple

I Love That Colin Farrell Walked Out To The '60s Batman Theme At The Emmys, And That's Not All Fans Are Talking About

John Oliver's A+ Emmy Speech Went From A Sad Story About A Pet's Death To Dropping An F-Bomb On The Orchestra

Most Popular

• 2 As 90 Day Fiancé Shows Tigerlily And Adnan's Issues, I Really Wish TLC Would Stop Highlighting This Specific Type Of Couple
• 3 I Love That Colin Farrell Walked Out To The '60s Batman Theme At The Emmys, And That's Not All Fans Are Talking About
• 4 Even If Abbott Elementary Doesn’t Win Any Emmys, Quinta Brunson And The Cast Slayed In Award-Worthy Looks On The Red Carpet
• 5 'We Teeter The Line Of Legends And Canon': LEGO Star Wars' Rebuild The Galaxy’s Gaten Matarazzo Gets Real About Why It's So 'Unreal' Being A Part Of The Show

Star Trek: Actors Who Could Have Played Benjamin Sisko Before Avery Brooks

When it comes to ranking "Star Trek" captains,  Commander Benjamin Sisko of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" might not seem like the flashiest on paper. But because of his calm exterior, chill space dad energy, solid work-life balance, passion for baseball, and talent for serving up tasty Cajun cuisine, he's arguably one of the best commanding officers in the Star Trek franchise. And a big part of what makes Sisko tick is the actor behind him. In a science fiction franchise elevated by the performances of iconic stars like Patrick Stewart and Kate Mulgrew, Avery Brooks is considered by many fans to be one of the finest actors in the "Star Trek" universe.

But according to a set of casting notes released in 2018, Sisko might look very different in a parallel universe where another actor got the gig. Although "Doctor Who" actor Peter Capaldi, who also auditioned for Sisko, isn't on the list, the names that are might surprise you. Posted by X user  trekdocs,  an account that shares vintage Star Trek images and documents, the lengthy two-page document is a casting memo dated 7/22/92. Written up ahead of the "Deep Space Nine" pilot "Emissary" from the desk of casting director Junie Lowry-Johnson, this wish list of potential Siskos is full of interesting names that will be familiar to many science fiction fans, alongside some fairly big-name actors. The list, which includes more than 50 actors, includes names like Colin Firth, Tim Matheson, and Gary Busey.

Laurence Fishburne and Colin Firth weren't interested in doing television

One of the most interesting things about the "Deep Space Nine" casting notes for the role of Sisko is what they reveal about how attitudes toward television and sci-fi have changed through the years. While many TV productions are considered every bit as prestigious as film these days —  even the sci-fi gigs — this certainly wasn't the case in the 1990s. Because of this, we can hardly fault the actors who heard the words "'Star Trek' TV show" and took a hard pass, even if fans think the franchise is the next best thing to "Masterpiece Theatre." Several actors on the 1992 casting sheet were noted as having "No interest in TV Series." Included among them was Liam Neeson, who probably made the right decision; the actor was cast in his breakout role in the Oscar-winning film "Schindler's List" the same year.

Also listed as having no interest in a TV series is Bill Paxton of "Aliens" and "Twister" fame, an actor who would go on to star in the critically acclaimed HBO series "Big Love" 14 years later. Other stars who declined auditions based on their desire to stay out of television at the time include Jamey Sheridan (Randall Flagg from "The Stand"), Rubén Blades (Daniel from "Fear the Walking Dead"), Gary Busey, Pierce Brosnan (James Bond from 1995-2002), Chris Cooper ("Adaptation" and "American Beauty"), Mr. Darcy himself Colin Firth, and Laurence Fishburne (listed as Larry on the casting memo).

David Duchovny and Terry O'Quinn were busy elsewhere

Although it's not specifically noted that the desire to stay out of television played a role in their decision, quite a few other now big-name actors are annotated with "not interested" or "passes." Included among them are David Beecroft ("Melrose Place"), Vondie Curtis-Hall ("Chicago Hope" and "Daredevil"), Gary Cole ("The Good Fight"), David Duchovny (Fox Mulder from "The X-Files"), Will Patton ("Falling Skies"), and Ray Wise ("Twin Peaks"). Terry O'Quinn, who later starred as John Locke in ABC's "Lost," passed specifically because he was not interested in working on sci-fi projects.

Several actors were listed as unavailable because they were already working on other projects. Joe Morton, who would go on to win an Emmy for his role on "Scandal" and star in the sci-fi hit "Eureka," was working on the short-lived Fox series "TriBeCa" at the time, and Jeff Perry ("Grey's Anatomy," "Scandal," "Nash Bridges") was involved in a Chicago stage production. James Avery was busy playing Uncle Phil on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Tim Curry was working on "Loaded Weapon," and John Slattery ("Mad Men") was starring in the ABC period drama "Homefront." Tim Matheson ("The West Wing"), Carl Lumbly (MCU's Isaiah Bradley), and Keith David ("Platoon," "The Flash") were all also too busy to take on the role Avery Brooks would eventually fill as Benjamin Sisko.  And Richard Beymer, who had just finished playing Benjamin Horne for three seasons on "Twin Peaks," is listed as directing a feature.

Mr. Krabs actor Clancy Brown wasn't available

Although there's no way to know for sure, several actors on the casting memo may simply have been out of the Paramount budget. Next to Stephen Collins's name, who would go on to star in "7th Heaven" from 1996 to 2007, a handwritten note reads "NY — lots of $$," indicating location and salary expectations worked against his casting. The name of BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning actor Tom Conti, who played Einstein in "Oppenheimer," appears next to the note "Interest Doubtful, lots of Money." Louis Gossett Jr., listed as Lou Gossett, Jr., is listed as "Tech Avail, Interest Questionable. Offer only." Gregory Harrison ("Trapper John, M.D.") is also listed as "Offer Only."

And then there were the actors who simply had something else going on in their lives at the time, like Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs on "Spongebob Squarepants," among other roles), who had back surgery scheduled at the time. Actor John Kani, who plays T'Chaka in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is listed as only working in South Africa at this point in his career, and eventual "Australia's Got Talent" judge Tom Burlinson is listed as working only in Australia.

Some would-be Sisko actors would end up in Star Trek

Even though not everyone on Junie Lowry-Johnson's casting memo got a turn at Sisko, a few would eventually make it into "Star Trek," even if some of them were roles you may have forgotten about. In 2002, Clancy Brown played a welcoming alien leader who turns out to be a terrorist in the "Star Trek: Enterprise" episode, "Desert Crossing." 

Ray Wise, who had already appeared in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Who Watches the Watchers" back in 1989, later returned to the franchise as a refugee from the Borg's assimilation of his people named Arturis on "Star Trek: Voyager" in 1998. He also appeared in the fan film "Star Trek: Captain Pike" in 2016 along with veteran Trek actors Chase Masterson (dabo girl Leeta on "Deep Space Nine") and Linda Park (Hoshi Sato on "Star Trek: Enterprise"). 

By 1994, it seems Terry O'Quinn had moved past his embargo against sci-fi enough to appear as Starfleet Rear Admiral Erik Pressman in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Pegasus." And Gary Cole would provide the voice acting for Leonardo da Vinci in the "Star Trek: Lower Decks" episode "Crisis Point."