Why you should watch... Star Trek: Lower Decks
A beloved sci-fi franchise, a show-runner who produced and wrote on Rick & Morty, and the nephew of the man that screamed at aliens while flying an F-18 into their spaceship... a recipe for gold...
Star Trek is one of those darling franchises that hasn’t just stood the test of time — be it through surviving cancellations, its creator’s passing, or creative & narratives shifts under new stewardship — but has remained as precious to fans (new and old alike) through its almost sixty-year history.
A huge part of this is that there’s truly something for everyone, under Trek’s hood…
From an immense universe of lore, to expanded media in books & comics, fifty-four years of lovingly made video games, thirteen theatrical movies, and nine-hundred and forty episodes of television (told across forty-nine seasons, and twelve main-line series)…
Star Trek has, and continues to be, a franchise that is for and inclusive of everyone… and in this humble Trekkie’s opinion, no show of the last twenty-or-more years has epitomized this ethos more earnestly or truly… than Star Trek: Lower Decks.
“…while on the surface it appears to be nostalgia-bait, closer inspection reveals that at the heart of Lower Decks pumps one the most earnest and well-told Trek series to date, propelled by great characters and its love but critique of the franchise…”
—Jessie Gender, Jessie Gender on YouTube
(May 9, 2022)
Star Trek: Lower Decks represents a number of ‘firsts’ for the beloved, long-running franchise. Both in terms of medium and approach to story, this show represents a reflection of the core values instilled in the franchise by Gene Roddenberry, while elevating and relating its tonal narrative to reflect a contemporary-yet-hopeful tone.
The biggest compliment I can give to this show is that it feels like a love-letter to fans, by fans… while avoiding the often inescapable reality most media falls into when doing this — by not veering from ‘reverent & endearing’ into ‘cliche & reductive’. Don’t let the fact that this is animated warp (no pun intended) your perspective going in… this is one of the most intentionally thoughtful, empathy-driven, and character-rich pieces of media on televison period.
It also acts as a great ‘barrier remover’ for those that aren’t already invested in the franchise. Trying to get into any show or series that has a history (and fanbase) as long and diverse as Star Trek can feel herculean, and daunting… but Lower Decks welcomes you with a familiar & nurturing embrace, regardless whether you’ve been a fan since The Cage, or if this is your first exposure to the universe-at-large.
“…for five years now, this show has been a gift to Trekkies and Trekkers everywhere, bringing the laughs, the Easter Eggs […] it hasn't all been about cameos - we've come to love Boimler, Mariner, Rutherford, Tendi, Shaxs, Freeman, Ransom, T'ana, and Miggleymo…”
—Seán Ferrick, Trek Culture
(October 8, 2024)
A true triumph of this show is its mutual accessibility and joy-bringing for established Trekkies and new fans, of all ages. As a kid, I recall sitting on my parents’ floor watching re-runs of T.O.S. (‘The Original Series’ and not to be confused with ‘Those Old Scientists’) on BBC2, Sunday afternoon… now — an undisclosed number of decades later — I get to sit with my own kid, who eagerly clamors for more adventures with her favorite ship & crew, as they explore the galaxy, seeking out new life and new civilizations…
I often interacted on social media with the creator Mike McMahan (hi Mike!) extolling the gift that this show had been to me as a parent and to my child, in seeing the joy that it brought her… truly, when its cancellation was announced, my husband and I looked at each other with a sorrowful look knowing what it meant for our daughter… but that’s also another gift that Star Trek: Lower Decks gives you…
Just as T.O.S. was my entry, I had the almost two-hundred episodes of The Next Generation (not to mention the still airing Deep Space Nine and Voyager shows) to keep my love and fascination with this universe going after I’d finished those first three seasons. Now, my daughter has almost a thousand episodes of television, countless games, movies, books, and comics that she’ll be able to pull from, all thanks to the spark that Lower Decks has ignited within her.
It’s bittersweet when a show that is so beloved and full of genuine mirth and love by its creators & actors is cancelled… but in the age of streaming, when other installments of the franchise have found new homes… an ending doesn’t always mean the end…
To paraphrase the words of the late Leonard Nimoy, if there’s one show I hope lives long and prospers, it’s Star Trek: Lower Decks.
You should watch Star Trek: Lower Decks if you…
Have a love for irreverant sci-fi comedies, that fully embrace their ability to ‘have fun’ with themselves
Enjoy animated shows that make complete and intentional use of their medium, to tell stories-of-scale that live-action doesn’t always have the budget for
Are either an established Trekkie, or just someone that is unsure of where to begin watching a sixty year old franchise
Want to see some of the most human performances of 2D characters ever put to screen (big or small)
Love stories the show how collaboration, friendship, trust, and community are the most powerful forces in this (or any) universe
Where to Watch
Sci-Fi/Comdy • 2021-2024 • 5 Seasons • TV-14/PG • English
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