Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (July 10, 2022)
Through 2016’s Beyond, I could claim I saw every minute of every Star Trek movie or TV show. However, that eventually changed, and I now find myself behind in my Trek ways.
Though I missed the series’ initial year, I picked up my viewing with Season Two of Star Trek: Lower Decks. This animated series goes for a much more comedic and irreverent take on Trek as it follows the support staff on Starfleet’s USS Cerritos.
This two-disc Blu-ray set includes all 10 of Season Two’s episodes. The plot synopses come straight from the package’s liner notes.
Strange Energies: “Approximately three months after the events of the Season One finale, the USS Cerritos is dispatched on a mission which results in an encounter with ‘strange energy’”.
As noted at the start, I didn’t see Season One of Lower Decks, and that led me to wonder if I’d feel adrift amid the established characters. This turned out not to be any issue, as I figured out the various roles without much difficulty.
The bigger question becomes how well Lower Decks handles its sassy view of the Trek universe. Trek always had an awkward relationship with comedy, as a lot of the series’/movies’ stabs at humor could feel forced.
Series creator Mike McMahan comes from the snarky sci-fi animated series Rick and Morty, so he feels like the right person to handle the jokiness of Decks. The question becomes how well McMahan melds the irreverence with the Trek tales.
“Energies” offers a decent mix of the two styles. While it clearly goes for laughs, it also feels like a “real Trek” story. I can’t claim to love the episode, but I can see promise in the series.
Kayshon, His Eyes Open: “Our Lower Deckers have trouble bonding with Ensign Jet Manhaver (voiced by Marcus Henderson), who has been assigned Ensign Brad Boimler’s (Jack Quaid) bunk and shift duties. Meanwhile, we get a glimpse of Boimler’s life on the USS Titan, which is more intense than he thought it’d be.”
After the good but less than delightful “Energies”, “Open” gives S2 a major boost. I like the view of the regular insanity Starfleet encounters via Boimler’s terrified eyes, and the “collector” plot proves inventive. Hopefully the rest of S2 will feel more like “Open” and less like “Energies”.
We’ll Always Have Tom Paris: “Assigned a special task by Dr. T'Ana (Gillian Vigman), Ensign D'Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) enlists Ensign Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) for help. On the USS Cerritos, Ensign Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) is consumed by a bridge crew mystery.”
“Open” gave us Commander Riker from Next Generation, and “Always” brings back Tom Paris from Voyager. Of course, Riker remains a much more prominent aspect of Trek lore, but that doesn’t make the Voyager connection a dud.
Actually, Paris doesn’t play much of a role, but we still get lots of fun here. The episode explores some inventive domains and offers a strong show.
Mugato, Gumato: “The USS Cerritos is dispatched to a planet to investigate an unexplained sighting of a dangerous Mugato.”
Here we flash back to “A Private Little War” from Season Two of “The Original Series”. It introduced a creature called a Gumato, but DeForest Kelley mispronounced it as “Mugato” and it stuck.
With a mix of alternate pronunciations, this episode plays with that bit of lore, and it uses the Mugatos/Gumatos/Whatevers as a good catalyst for laughs and adventure. I like the “TOS” connection and this turns into another fine episode.
An Embarrassment of Dooplers: “Mariner and Boimler try to track down the location of a legendary Starfleet party while the bridge crew deals with an insecure alien diplomat (Richard Kind).”
Another “TOS” Season Two allusion comes with “Embarrassment”, though it seems less direct. The Doopler emissary duplicates when anxious, so the Cerritos winds up full of Dooplers ala the tribbles from “TOS”.
That theme adds quirky excitement to the episode, and the Mariner/Boimler side succeeds as well. Expect a good show.
The Spy Humongous: “Anomaly consolidation day on the USS Cerritos leaves the Lower Deckers with mixed emotions. Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) attempts to negotiate peace on the Pakled home world.”
Though the Pakleds originated during Season Two of TNG, Lower Decks uses them more than during prior series, and they provide a challenge that makes sense for the show’s goofy environment. Throw in the crazy variety of “Anomaly Consolidation Day” and “Spy” does nicely.
Where Pleasant Fountains Lie: “Mariner and Boimler are stranded on an uninhabited planet with a sentient computer. On the Cerritos, Lt. Commander Billups (Paul Scheer) must prove his engineering abilities to an old adversary.”
Billups didn’t get much to do in prior episodes, so his role at the fore feels out of nowhere. I can’t claim the development of the character does much for me, though Jeffrey Combs’ turn as the conniving computer provides the other plot life.
I, Excretus: “A consultant arrives on the USS Cerritos to run drills that require the Lower Deckers and bridge crew to swap duties.”
All episodes of Lower Decks nod at prior Trek lore, but “Excretus” goes bonkers in this regard. Though it lacks an actual plot, it maintains lots of fun, and we even get a cameo from a prominent First Contact character.
wej, Duj: “Boimler tries to find a bridge buddy while the USS Cerritos crew has down time during a long warp trip.”
Left unsaid from that synopsis: we spend a lot of time with Lower Decks crew on Klingon and Vulcan vessels. Those moments prove the most effective and make me wish “Duj” ignored the Cerritos crew entirely. Even though it bites off a lot, “Duj” delivers a clever experience.
First First Contact: “The USS Cerritos is tasked to aid an Excelsior-class starship on a first contact mission.”
S2 ends with crew intrigue, as Captain Freeman’s potential promotion leads to concerns about the future for those on the Cerritos. It also goes for much more of an action/serious vibe than the series’ usual jokey tone.
Which makes sense as a season-ending episode, even if it can feel a bit out of place with the rest of S2, and the dramatic cliffhanger episode seems off for the series. “Contact” proves entertaining but I admit I’d prefer a less Big Finale Tone to the episode, as Decks just seems more like a series that doesn’t go that way.
Potential finale misstep aside, I find a lot to like about S2 of Decks. It mixes affection for the Trek universe with comedy and adventure to deliver a solid collection of episodes.
