Star Trek: Lower Decks is the animated comedy series created by Mike McMahan. Season 1 was scheduled for a 2020 release, but surprised me by queue-jumping Star Trek: Discovery! It ran from August to October 2020. Season 2 kicked off a year later and ran from August to October 2021.
Season 3 is now upon us! Check back every week as I’ll be reviewing each episode while the new season is ongoing.
Season 3 Episode Reviews:
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 3, Episode 3: Mining the Mind’s Mines
“A fun episode with some great laugh-out-loud moments, and Lower Decks seems ready to put an underwhelming start to Season 3 behind it…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 3, Episode 2: The Least Dangerous Game
“A fairly bland and uninspired outing for the Lower Decks ensigns…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 3, Episode 1: Grounded
“Lower Decks’ tendency to go for the non sequitur ending meant that the season premiere, while fun and entertaining at first, fell flat as it reached its conclusion…”
Season 3 Buildup:
I wrote a few pieces about Lower Decks in between Seasons 2 and 3 – i.e. from October 2021 to August 2022. You can find those articles here.
Star Trek: Lower Decks theory – evil Boimler
“Are we in for some Boimler-on-Boimler action?”
Ten “comfort episodes” of Star Trek for difficult days
“Jumping head-first into a future that looks safer and better than anything we could imagine today feels pretty great!”
A whole host of Star Trek updates and renewals… but trust in ViacomCBS is still hard to come by
“While these announcements are exciting, I can’t bring myself to fully board the hype train, not until we have more information about how and when these shows are going to be made available…”
What will the Discovery decision mean for Picard, Strange New Worlds, Lower Decks, and the rest of Star Trek?
“Will Trekkies around the world be able to enjoy any new Star Trek in the months ahead? Or will we see repeat after repeat of the Discovery mess?”
Captain Proton? No thanks…
“Out of everything in Star Trek, is Captain Proton the one thing you want more of?”
It’s morally justifiable to pirate all of Star Trek.
“Since ViacomCBS clearly doesn’t care about anyone outside of North America, it seems to me that there’s no point in continuing to engage with the corporation or support it…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks is boldly going for asexual representation
“I’m incredibly grateful to Lower Decks for this episode, this character, and this powerful story…”
Star Trek: The Original Series + Star Trek: Lower Decks crossover theory: Lost human colonies
“Have you ever wondered why Captain Kirk and his crew seemed to encounter a lot of ‘aliens’ who were indistinguishable from modern humans?”
The “adult content” controversy surrounding Lower Decks
“To try to reduce Lower Decks to one insignificant gag in one episode does the series a huge disservice…”
Season 2 Episode Reviews:
Season 2 ran from August to October 2021. You can find reviews for all ten episodes below.
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 2, Episode 10: First First Contact
“First First Contact absolutely epitomises the spirit of Star Trek as a show about science, exploration, and the wild, wonderful, and occasionally dangerous galaxy that awaits humanity beyond Earth…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 2, Episode 9: wej Duj
“The worst thing about wej Duj is that now it’s over that means there’s only one episode left in Lower Decks Season 2!”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 2, Episode 8: I, Excretus
“The episode had a ‘Saturday morning cartoon’ vibe, feeling like a story in the vein of classic cartoons such as Wacky Races or Scooby-Doo, Where Are You…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 2, Episode 7: Where Pleasant Fountains Lie
“I didn’t know that the one thing Lower Decks had been missing was a spotlight episode for chief engineer Andy Billups…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 2, Episode 6: The Spy Humongous
“For the second week running, Lower Decks managed to strike the right balance in terms of stories and characters…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 2, Episode 5: An Embarrassment of Dooplers
“Both main character pairs got cathartic, emotional stories that reinforced their friendships…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 2, Episode 4: Mugato, Gumato
“What I’ll remember the episode for most of all is how it progressed Ensign Mariner’s characterisation in such a relatable and downright emotional way…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 2, Episode 3: We’ll Always Have Tom Paris
“This episode is perhaps my favourite Tendi story so far…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 2, Episode 2: Kayshon, His Eyes Open
“I had a great time with this week’s episode. It’s set a high bar for the rest of Season 2…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 2, Episode 1: Strange Energies
“The episode was solid, but perhaps not the best Lower Decks has had to offer…”
Season 2 Buildup:
In the run-up to Season 2 I wrote a number of articles about Lower Decks, looking back at the first season and discussing news, trailers, and teasers. You can find all of those posts here.
Ten great things from Lower Decks Season 1
“Season 2 is almost upon us, and I honestly can’t wait…”
Lower Decks and Prodigy at Comic-Con
“There’s more than enough to get stuck into as we look ahead to August and the autumn…”
Star Trek news roundup!
“In the last few weeks there have been several of these smaller news stories…”
We’re halfway through 2021!
“I think that makes it a good opportunity to take stock and look ahead to the entertainment experiences that lie before us between now and Christmas…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2 theory – Lieutenant Boimler
“Though it’s a little way off yet it’s never too early to indulge in some theory-crafting and speculation…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks – thoughts on the Season 2 teaser
“This time it’s Lower Decks’ turn to go under the microscope! And a microscope seems appropriate considering series creator Mike McMahan called this teaser a ‘microscopic look’ at the upcoming season!”
Star Trek’s “First Contact Day” event – roundup and impressions
“With so much going on, and so many amazing reveals, it’s hard to know what to talk about first!”
Some Star Trek updates for 2021-22
“These announcements were interesting, and I feel reasonably confident now that we’ll see three Star Trek shows this year instead of the two I had been expecting, so that’s fantastic!”
Star Trek: Lower Decks makes its international debut… finally!
“So if you haven’t seen Lower Decks yet, give it a shot. Maybe it won’t be your cup of tea – but maybe it will.”
23 weeks of Star Trek comes to an end…
“Star Trek feels like it’s in a good place. There are projects in the pipeline that should see the franchise grow and build on what both Discovery and Lower Decks have done over the last 23 weeks…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks is finally getting an international broadcast
“Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 1, which was broadcast in the United States beginning in August, is finally getting an international release. The show will share Star Trek: Picard’s home on Amazon Prime Video from the 22nd of January – with all ten episodes being made available simultaneously on that date…”
Season 1 Episode Reviews:
Season 1 ran from August to October 2020. You can find reviews for each episode below.
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 1, Episode 10: No Small Parts
“After a somewhat stumbling start, Lower Decks improved massively to become a thoroughly enjoyable watch across its first season, and definitively proved that Star Trek can break new ground and do different things…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 1, Episode 9: Crisis Point
“I’m pleased to say that this week’s episode, Crisis Point, was a return to form and an enjoyable story. Not only that, but Ensign Mariner appears to have made a breakthrough in her relationship with Starfleet…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 1, Episode 8: Veritas
“There absolutely were some laugh-out-loud moments this week, but they came in a confused story that jumped wildly from place to place and ended with a twist that – sorry to say – felt rather cheap…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 1, Episode 7: Much Ado About Boimler
“I wouldn’t say that this week’s episode, titled Much Ado About Boimler, was significantly better than the show’s offerings over the last four or five weeks, but it was solid and a great addition to the season…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 1, Episode 6: Terminal Provocations
“For the last three weeks at least, I’ve felt that the newest episode of Lower Decks was my favourite and the funniest yet, and this week is no exception. I think we’re at a point where I just have to say that the series as a whole is funny and enjoyable, so that I can…
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 1, Episode 5: Cupid’s Errant Arrow
“Shows like Friends relied on this style of comedy a lot, where jokes are built around embarrassing and cringeworthy situations, and it’s clearly something that a lot of people find amusing. I hope that at least some of those comedy fans have found their way to Lower Decks by now…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 1, Episode 4: Moist Vessel
“In what was a busy episode there wasn’t enough time for this to play out, and it’s pretty clear that trying to run three storylines each featuring a main character is too much to cram into an episode barely twenty minutes long…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 1, Episode 3: Temporal Edict
“Lower Decks works best when looking at it as an animated comedy first and a Star Trek show second. By doing so, some of the sillier aspects of its premise melt away, and what’s left behind is truly enjoyable entertainment…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 1, Episode 2: Envoys
“Lower Decks still has a very distinct style and sense of humour that won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I’d encourage anyone disappointed or put off by last week’s offering to give it a second chance…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks review – Season 1, Episode 1: Second Contact
“After more the fifty years, the question is whether Star Trek can successfully transition to a new genre. I enjoyed Second Contact, but on that – the biggest question the show faces – the jury is still out…”
Season 1 Buildup:
I wrote a number of posts in the run-up to Season 1’s premiere. You can find them below.
Star Trek: Lower Decks and the ethics of piracy
“Is it any surprise that Trekkies outside the US and Canada turned to piracy to access the series? If it’s literally unavailable any other way, and there is radio silence on when it may become available, what choice to fans have?”
Okay ViacomCBS, let’s talk “priorities”
“It’s incredibly galling to hear that ViacomCBS considers its international fans to be ‘a priority’ when everything they’ve done regarding Lower Decks’ broadcast categorically demonstrates that it’s not true…”
Star Trek: The Next Generation re-watch – Lower Decks
“On the 7th of February 1994, Star Trek: The Next Generation aired the fifteenth episode of its seventh and final season. The episode was titled Lower Decks…”
Comic-Con @Home – my thoughts on the Star Trek panel
“I’m not someone who would be able to attend Comic-Con due to disability, so in that sense I don’t feel I personally lost out in any way from Comic-Con going digital this year…”
Is Star Trek: Lower Decks even getting an international release next month?
“Lower Decks premieres in seventeen days’ time, but fans outside North America still don’t know how, when, or where we’ll be able to see it…”
A look at the first trailer for Star Trek: Lower Decks
“My first reaction was side-splitting laughter for pretty much the entire trailer! Lower Decks looks like so much fun…”
Star Trek: Lower Decks arriving before Discovery Season 3!
“We got a little more information about Lower Decks in the announcement, including a first look at the ship the show is set on: the California-class USS Cerritos…”
Trekking with Dennis 