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A heartfelt farewell to ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’
Celebrating friendships and milestones
Across five seasons of the Paramount+ animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, the voice cast formed a bond so strong that Jerry O’Connell, one of the stars, invited his fellow actors and the show’s creator, Mike McMahan, to his birthday party. At the celebration, O’Connell read a heartfelt poem dedicated to their friendships.
“He had a printed-out set of papers — plural — that he read from,” joked McMahan.
O’Connell expressed his deep affection for the show and his castmates, saying, “I love Lower Decks, we’re a family. And I wanted to celebrate my birthday with my cast.”
Reflecting on the journey
O’Connell and McMahan, along with Lower Decks stars Tawny Newsome and Noël Wells, gathered at the San Diego Comic-Con to discuss their journey up to the fifth and final season of the Star Trek animated spin-off.
Star Trek: Lower Decks follows the supporting crew of one of Starfleet’s most insignificant starships, the U.S.S Cerritos. Interestingly, the first time O’Connell and Newsome met was at Comic-Con to unveil the first season of Lower Decks, an announcement that was met with mixed reactions.
“I met Tawny here at Comic-Con exactly five years ago when we announced the show…it was not thunderous applause,” said O’Connell. “It was rough announcing it.”
“It was a confused Hall H,” added McMahan.
From rough beginnings to Emmy nominations
Despite the initial lukewarm reception, Lower Decks has come a long way, earning two Emmy nominations and a dedicated fan base. As the series heads towards its finale, McMahan reflects on the growth of the characters and the potential for their stories to continue.
“You do get to see everybody grow up in Season 5,” McMahan said. “To me, there isn’t a natural end to being ‘Lower Decks’ because I feel like I am still learning stuff all the time. So yes, the characters do go through a change this season, but ultimately where we end, you don’t feel like they aren’t still ‘Lower Decks’ and that we couldn’t keep telling those kinds of stories.”
Nostalgia and new adventures
With almost six decades of Star Trek lore to draw from, fans can expect plenty of references to past series in Season 5. Newsome teased the return of a Star Trek icon in an unexpected and rather grotesque way.
“There is a legacy character. All I will say is that I get to carry around part of them in a way that is very satisfying,” Newsome said.
“There is a piece of a legacy character, and Noël’s character, Tendi, gets to spend a lot of time with them,” McMahan added. “There is a running theme across the season of these space potholes that the U.S.S Cerritos is closing that are these rifts in space. We had been given enough of a heads up that this could potentially be our final season, and so I suddenly opened up the cupboard of ideas and was like, ‘Alright, what are some mechanics to get all sorts of crazy things to happen in this season?'”
A personal reflection
As a long-time fan of Star Trek, watching Lower Decks has been a delightful experience. The show’s unique blend of humor, nostalgia, and heartfelt moments has made it a standout in the Star Trek universe. The characters, with their quirks and growth, have become beloved figures, and the series has managed to carve out its own niche while paying homage to the rich history of Star Trek.
For those who have yet to dive into the world of Lower Decks, now is the perfect time to start. The series offers a fresh perspective on the Star Trek universe, focusing on the often-overlooked lower-ranking crew members and their adventures. It’s a reminder that every role, no matter how small, is essential in the grand tapestry of space exploration.
Explore more
For those interested in exploring more about Star Trek: Lower Decks, you can watch the trailer and find additional information here.
As we bid farewell to Lower Decks, we celebrate the friendships, the laughter, and the adventures that have made this series a cherished part of the Star Trek legacy. Here’s to the Cerritos crew and the stories that will continue to inspire and entertain us.
