As a longtime “Star Trek” fan, I was skeptical of “Star Trek: Lower Decks” when it premiered in 2020, since the idea of an animated comedy series set in the “Star Trek” universe seemed like it could be a vehicle for cheap parody.
But like many other “Star Trek” fans, I was almost immediately won over by “Lower Decks” creator Mike McMahan’s genuine love and respect for “Star Trek,” which enhances the comedy because the jokes have more thought and knowledge behind them.
"Star Trek: Lower Decks" is streaming on Paramount Plus
I’d now say that “Lower Decks” is the best of the latest crop of “Star Trek” shows, and its new fifth and final season, streaming on Paramount Plus, is further proof of how effectively McMahan and the rest of the creative team have blended humor with the signature ambitious sci-fi of “Star Trek.”
It’s a shame that Paramount Plus has decided to end “Lower Decks” now, because it’s clearly still in its prime, telling clever, exciting stories that are steeped in “Star Trek” continuity, with rewarding character development and consistently funny jokes.
‘Lower Decks’ remains sharp and funny in season 5
From the beginning, “Lower Decks” has successfully found humor in the entire — often ridiculous — tapestry of “Star Trek” history. That track record continues in the fifth season, which makes plenty of jokes about “Star Trek” minutiae while remaining accessible for viewers who’ve never watched any other “Star Trek” shows or movies.
The five episodes available for review feature the crew of the Starfleet vessel Cerritos facing off against alternate-universe versions of themselves, plus main characters Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) and Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) participating in a dangerous Klingon ritual, and their Starfleet colleague D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) leading Orion pirate raids.
These are all familiar “Star Trek” storylines that “Lower Decks” infuses with sardonic, often sophisticated wit, from the perspective of low-ranking officers on a ship that handles all of the menial Starfleet tasks. “Someone has to close the space-time potholes” is how Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) describes their mandate, but even space-time potholes lead to crazy adventures.
The absurd danger that Starfleet crew members face every day is one of the biggest sources of laughs on “Lower Decks,” and the fifth season continues to find new entertainingly bizarre situations for the Cerritos.
The character relationships continue to deepen
“Lower Decks” was launched with the simple concept of depicting the unsung grunts on a Starfleet ship, but over time those characters have expanded their duties and realized many of their goals as Starfleet officers, without compromising the essentially low-stakes set-up of the show. The friendship among the four main characters remains endearing and genuine, forged across numerous missions and the hard-won promotions to lieutenant junior grade that they achieved last season.
When engineer Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) is falling to pieces while Tendi is away from the Cerritos serving in her family’s pirate empire, there’s real anguish, even while it’s also amusing to watch. Mariner and Boimler have the kind of compelling mutual respect among colleagues that is a “Star Trek” hallmark, from Kirk and Spock in the original series to Picard and Riker in “The Next Generation” to Pike and Number One in “Strange New Worlds,” the only rival to “Lower Decks” for the best of current “Star Trek.”
It would be easy for an animated show to keep its characters in permanent stasis since they never have to age or progress in their lives. But McMahan and the “Lower Decks” team have opted instead to continue looking forward, and while the characters may have begun the show as anonymous peons, it’s easy to see them as the bright future of Starfleet once the season ends.
Season 5 isn’t a grand send-off — and that’s a good thing
There’s a slow-building subplot in these first five episodes about a proliferation of dimensional rifts, but it’s less expansive than previous season-long storylines, and it doesn’t seem to be building to some epic finale. Instead, “Lower Decks” continues to do what it does best, with episodic stories about the Cerritos encountering odd obstacles while taking on seemingly routine assignments. The show has built up a solid supporting cast of fellow Cerritos crew members, some of whom get welcome spotlights in these five episodes, alongside the main quartet.
It’s particularly fun to see psychologist Dr. Migleemo (Paul F. Tompkins), from the bird-like Klowahkan alien race, get his own subplot, after serving as a comic foil throughout the previous seasons. Later episodes this season promise guest appearances from some major “Star Trek” characters, and “Lower Decks” always handles those cameos with a mix of irreverence and celebration.
The “Star Trek” universe continues to expand, with new seasons and new shows on the horizon, but that doesn’t make the end of “Lower Decks” any less disappointing. I’ll be savoring these final episodes for their creativity and humor, while also hoping to see some of the most memorable and engaging characters in all of “Star Trek” go out with the fanfare they deserve.
Thus far, this season is offering exactly that — just as I’d expect from a show that has always perfectly understood what makes “Star Trek” so appealing at its best.
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