When Paramount+ announced that they had brought on Rick and Morty writer Mike McMahan to create an animated Star Trek comedy series, fan reactions were mixed, to say the least. Though some were excited to see the first animated Trek series since Star Trek: The Animated Series, others were skeptical that an animated comedy set in the Star Trek universe would work. Their skepticism wasn’t unfounded. Though the Star Trek universe was filled with intentional and unintentional comedic moments, all the shows in the Trek canon fell solidly in the science-fiction drama category. A Star Trek comedy was a brand-new endeavor that fans weren’t sure they wanted.
When the show premiered in 2020, the first few episodes caused an uproar in the fandom. Though some fans loved the casual, irreverent perspective on the Star Trek universe, others insisted that McMahan’s creation lacked the dignity that characterizes the Star Trek universe. While some were delighted with the Easter eggs and callbacks, others criticized the show as fan service. But as the series continued, the awkward, cheeky crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos and their hijinks grew on many fans. Though Lower Decks still has its haters, many have come to see the show for what it is: a wacky love letter to the Star Trek universe.
Now in its fifth and final season, Lower Decks continues to live up to its reputation for weaving new adventures into the established Star Trek canon. It promises more silly shenanigans, but also a deeper look at the Trekverse, the ideals of Starfleet, and its fledgling heroes. As the show draws to a close, Star Trek: Lower Decks faces the difficult task of giving its characters a sendoff that satisfies the fans who have come to love them.
Reunited and It Feels So Good…For Now
The end of season 4 saw D’Vana Tendi leave the Cerritos to return to her life as a pirate on her home world, Orion. No one knew when, or if, she’d return. In the first two episodes of season 5, which aired on October 24, Tendi made her intentions to return to Starfleet clear, but she didn’t have a clear path to make that happen. Back on the Cerritos, her friends struggled with her absence — none more than Rutherford, who was working non-stop so that he didn’t have to think about how much he missed his best friend. Luckily, Tendi brokered a deal with her sister, D’Erika, and returned to the Cerritos at the end of the second episode of the season, “Shades of Green.”
While Tendi’s return to her roots brought some hilarious circumstances and a deeper look at Orion culture than any other Trek series has offered, it also set the stage for themes that will persist throughout the season. Part of Lower Decks’ brilliance is its ability to show fans the other side of Starfleet: what it’s like away from the action, in the grind of the daily tasks for the people who aren’t on the bridge. That perspective also makes Lower Decks the perfect medium to explore aspects of Starfleet that don’t fit in the noble narratives that follow the organization’s heroes.
In the third and fourth seasons, Lower Decks did an excellent job of examining the aspects of Starfleet that aren’t so noble: what happens to people who make mistakes, who don’t fit the mold, who are just a little too rebellious. The fifth season dives into the realities of what it means to devote one’s life to an ideal and put duty over everything and how those realities impact relationships.
For the first time, this band of misfits, who have become family, get separated. They have to face what that means for their friendships. More often, they’re separated for missions, and their work makes it harder to find time for each other. And as friends outside their tight circle start to transfer to other ships, the Lower Deckers start to understand that their little family will have to adapt as they grow into their careers and apart from each other. Luckily for fans, the Lower Deckers face this new chapter in their lives and their friendships with the same chaotic approach they always have, and plenty of laughs accompany the heartfelt lessons.
Meeting a Familiar Lower Decker
Another strength Lower Decks has exhibited throughout its four seasons is showing fans what some of their favorite legacy Star Trek characters have been up to since their onscreen stories ended. Previous seasons have seen Tom Paris, Kira Nerys, Quark, Rom, Leeta, Tuvok, Martok, and more return to the screen. Season 5 will have at least one familiar face as well: Harry Kim.
Kim’s appearance in Lower Decks demonstrates not only the show’s love for Star Trek canon, but the delight it takes in being hilariously meta. Kim became a bit of a joke within the fandom, because he somehow made it through several years on a ship stranded in space without ever getting a promotion. He infamously remained Ensign Harry Kim despite demonstrating exemplary skill and commitment to his crew. Even in flash-forwards at the end of Star Trek: Voyager, fans never found out if Kim ever got that promotion.
With a gaggle of Kims shown in the season 5 trailer, Lower Decks is set to reveal whether Kim ever got his due. The trailer confirms that at least one Kim has been promoted to Lieutenant, but fans don’t yet know whether it’s the Kim from the Prime Universe or another one. And since the Cerritos has already been to an alternate universe this season, nothing can be ruled out.
Are the Lower Deckers Gone For Good?
If there’s anything that the Paramount+ Star Trek universe has taught Trekkies, it’s that there’s always a chance they’ll see their favorite characters again. So, just because Lower Decks is done after season 5 doesn’t necessarily mean fans will never see Boimler, Mariner, Tendi, Rutherford, T’Lyn, or other members of the Cerritos crew again. In an interview with TrekMovie.com, McMahan didn’t outright say that his Lower Deckers would return, but he did hint that they could.
“The show is an era for these characters, and we got to experience an era from beginning to end… the way the show ends, while it does feel final, it also blooms into all these other opportunities that we could either make shows, or we could do comics or write books, or fans could just very fully imagine that these characters are still doing awesome Star Trek stuff.”
He also promised that the show would end in a satisfying way that gives its beloved characters a proper sendoff. Fortunately, fans will have to check out the rest of season five and judge for themselves. New episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks air on Paramount+ every Thursday.