Rent Star Trek: Lower Decks: Series 1 (2020)

Star Trek: Lower Decks: Series 1 review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso

A first glance at Lower Decks may lead one to believe that this is just Rick & Morty in Star Trek, considering that one of the lead writers of Rick & Morty created this show. Executive producer and current Star Trek leader Alex Kurtzman, however, assured everyone that this show would not be that. True enough, Lower Decks doesn’t just regurgitate the same drunken haze of sci-fi goofiness. This is a show with a real heart and stays true to the goals of Star Trek, where different and diverse voices converge to solve problems. It’s also a hilarious show in how it pokes fun and mocks the Star Trek lore while still existing within its world.

The cast is small but loveable whereas a larger group of other Star Trek ensembles features characters who get lost. Nobody ends up with the sad fate as Doctor Crusher who was an afterthought or Diana Troy who ended up being mind-raped in Star Trek: Nemesis because they couldn’t find anything to do with her. With a primary cast of four, we get to know and love the lower deck crew members of the USS Cerritos. This includes the pensive and hard-working Boimler, the cocky Kirk-esque Mariner, the technically unsure Rutherford, and the eccentrically quirky new recruit of Tendi. All of them have a great dynamic. Boimler and Mariner need each other to become better people while Rutherford and Tendi tread carefully to be the best of friends.

The foursome find themselves engaged in all the missions one would expect from Star Trek. They make trips to alien planets where they’ll have to learn the customs fast is they hope to survive. They’ll deal with attacks on the ship from opposing forces, be they energy beings or invading forces. And they’ll always find some way to make the situation work to their benefit. Boilmer is always seeking a chance to prove himself to the higher-ups in hopes of garnering a promotion. Mariner is just hoping to find some more contraband or get a new story to tell, brig time be damned. As for Rutherford and Tendi, they just want to enjoy their engineering duties together. They’re such an adorable couple that the show never spoils this dynamic by keeping them as good friends rather than force them into a romance.

Lower Decks has a lot of fun with the Star Trek universe throughout its episodes. "Much Ado About Boimler" not only tinkers with the problems of transporters but tries to be more critical of Starfleet. It’s refreshing that a show such as this can harp more on the issues of Star Trek’s supposed utopian setting that constantly seems stressed. Here’s a show that tries to draw on the blindspots of Starfleet, mock them, and still embrace all the warts of an organization where peacekeepers and military forces seem to be the same job for any starship. Certain conventions are turned on their head as in "Veritas" where a Rashomon-style trial takes a comical turn.

There’s this great surprise to a series that wants to showcase more stable relationships and a robust work environment that there’s a lot of subversions. For instance, when Rutherford finds himself dipping between duties on the Cerritos, various departments seem welcoming of his uneasiness and honesty with not being comfortable in certain roles. Previous tropes have trained audiences not to expect such respect and Star Trek makes that world believable.

One of the most telling and fun episodes "Crisis Point" parodies when Star Trek enters into the realm of movies. Mariner attempts to work out her issues of trust on the holodeck but through the rip-roaring setting of action-packed movies. Tropes and conventions are mocked all up and down in this episode, including elongated shots of the starship, lens flares, and elaborate lighting.

Star Trek: Lower Decks has a few kinks but is still a much-needed dose of comedic roasting for the Star Trek universe. It features a lot of familiar Star Trek races, drops a lot of references to make any Trek fan giggle, and features some pretty compelling arcs for the characters. There are also a few cameos by legacy Star Trek characters voiced by the original actors. I won’t reveal who shows up but the two notable names who show up in the final episode of the season are a real treat. Of all the Star Trek shows to come about in this new era of Trek, this is perhaps the boldest of series, going further with Star Trek into exploring new worlds and boldly going, yadda yadda yadda, you know the rest.