itt we talk about STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS. No, the cartoon.

TFW the Trek series that gets character development and the stories right is the cartoon -- IMO this series is the best of the current crop, and not because I think that DISCO and Picard are bad. Lower Decks is great, and the ending gag from the last episode is the hardest I laughed this year, I think.

the less mariner is the central character, the better. for that reason, among others, the last few have been the series’ best

also, jeffrey coombs

I actually disliked Boimer a lot in the first season, since he was an incredibly self-centered, self-absorbed character, but he's grown a little bit.

i love this damn show SO much

enjoyed the coombs voicework
also when he went evil he looked like Plankton from Spongebob! lmao

Something that's bothered me about nu-Trek is how the series have asserted that their crews are these tightly knit surrogate families, without having put in the story and character work to convince the viewers that they're actually that close -- though this is more of a Disco problem. Not so with LD!

love that there's a range of spaceship models made by the Quark brand

That's another thing, it's the only show (other than those crossover episodes in TNG) that even acknowledges that DS9 ever existed!

i think there was a quark's billboard in a picard episode, and voyager embarked from ds9 in its pilot

the responses to this tweet are gold

Remember when Star Trek was a smart show? Now we have this...And yes, this is real. pic.twitter.com/SlCEN78gj0

— Yeticast (@Yeticast) October 2, 2021

that's the kind of shit roddenberry *wishes* he could have done

How much of this can I skip? The first couple episodes were dire, so I watched the one with the, er, shape-changing dog, and that was pretty fantastic.

I thought it was just ok through most of the first season, just sorta grew on me through being an easy option when we'd just want to watch a 20min thing. Don't really think of it as a thing with stand out episodes, more of a hangout show?

Prior few episodes were kind of meh, but this last one was great. Another DS9 cameo (I'm keeping count), and also, for as long as Trek has been on across all of its shows, it was nice to finally have an extended look at how other species operate without getting filtered through a human/Federation lens (and I kind of hope that T'Lyn becomes a recurring character).

i liked this one! i also just watched the first Pakled ep of Next Gen so i actually got more of the jokes, like that whole exchange w the bridge “you only use a bomb once!” etc

oh and the vulcan always being chided for her “outbursts”

prev episode was good too! with Boymler’s Borg-mission marathon

i also just watched the first Pakled ep of Next Gen so i actually got more of the jokes,

I like how it does references properly, in that the jokes are funny on their own, and they're even funnier if you're a ST fan. Like, Carol's "Ritos" t-shirt is a little sight gag that demands no attention at all, but is a cute reference if you know it.
I thought it was just ok through most of the first season, just sorta grew on me through being an easy option when we'd just want to watch a 20min thing.
It definitely scratches the 20-min-thing itch in our house too, and in the last few weeks has been fitting very well into a Friday night comedy bill of Ted Lasso, Lower Decks, and this week's Taskmaster. Like all those American animated shows, I find it too shouty to watch more than one episode at a time, but I do love how it sticks to proper Star Trek self-contained storytelling.

this wks finale was very good & exciting

his blowhole is broken! spray him with water!
XD

season was v. good but i thought the finale was weak

In what must be the deepest imaginary cut, the Pandronian Shari yn Yem in the #StarTrekLowerDecks episode "I, Excritus" has 4 fingers on each hand in most shots↙️ but 5 in a few others↘️... just like Ari bn Bem has 4 fingers in most shots in TAS "Bem"↖️ but 5 in a few others↗️... pic.twitter.com/UlhCazANkT

— Jörg Hillebrand (@gaghyogi49) October 2, 2021

We just watched the last 4 episodes in a row, the show really grew on us. Also weirded out by the fact that the second officer in the other ship in the finale sounded like Hermes Conrad from Futurama, because it was the same voice actor - who is also Mariner's father, who is also Samurai Jack?

(I say this as if Fred Tatasciore isn't in everything)

im only at s1 e10 and flawed and annoying as it is this is a trillion times better than picard lol

everyone shd shout less tho plz

Yeah, sometimes animated shows are just too shouty.

"this isn't a FRIENDSHIP, it's a STARSHIP! are you are star… or NOT?!"

HELL YES.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMEFo6k3V5c

Deep Space Nine episode was *so* good

I felt kind of let down by most of the last season, but starting with the DS9 episode (which was fun as hell), it got really good, and the finale actually had a moment that made me choke up.

yeah it’s been pretty enjoyable! the finale had exciting high stakes to it

also the rollcall of california class ships had me rolling. (we cheered for Sacramento obv)

OMG I completely forgot my favorite reveal on the finale! The loose-cannon Vulcan!

I really liked the episode with the Mona Lisa Saperstein if she were a sociopathic exo-comp, and also liked the "lower decks on other ships" episode. I guess I like any episode where they don't feature the main lower decks crew.

Quark didn't sound very much like Quark on the DS9 episode. I wonder how much of the Quark voice is due to those uncomfortable-looking pointy fake teeth, which would be a little imposing to ask the actor to wear for a voiceover job.

I guess I like any episode where they don't feature the main lower decks crew.

i would narrow this down to marriner; i don't mind the others apart from when boimler gets super-snivelly

Because I'm neither bright nor knowledgeable on the subject, I hadn't noticed that all of the previous California-class ships were named after places in California. Nor that the Aledo was in Texas. Nor that Corpus Christi was. Nor.... that Dallas was.

It was pretty great to see a full epic finale - with the cliffhanger on the previous episode, I was briefly worried that this was the last series? (It isn't)

i’m rewatching the series again having watched all of TOS and TNG and goddamn this show rules so much

I love thst they fully score it like a “real” series, dramatic scenes and all, how the battle sequences look legitimately great, and just overall how much care they put into add so many earnest touches as well as nerdy touches - despite being a funny animated series they’re not using that to as lazy excuse to cheese out the whole show & make it stupid

but also so many genuinely stupid hilarious moments, like the Klingon trial S1E8 (Gorn wedding! / Rutherford fan dance / “No this is the Beam of Celebration”)

and i could watch Dog randomly morph into a cube all day

https://media.tenor.com/elZczkgWyjUAAAAd/lower-decks-dog.gif

oops

https://media.tenor.com/elZczkgWyjUAAAAd/lower-decks-dog.gif

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCQwncbQx04

More DS9 cameos?!

Also, welcome aboard, T'Lyn!

If there is a new series of Lower Decks. Which I did just watch 2 episodes of and if there is a writers etc strike going on which I hear Tawnie Newson talking about on her podcast Yo, Is That Racist every week. Has this been sitting finished for a while and if so how long?

Like presumably from the way she talks about strike on the podcast this couldn't be made during it? & I thought it had been going on for a while.
So semi surprised to see new product appearing during it. Unless it had been made beforehand. & I thought it had been on for a while.

can we just assume they banked it & talk about how fun the Voyager ep was?

Both episodes i saw last night were good.
Not sure how I got a 2nd episode released. Don't think it was really a 2 parter though that indicates a story arc running elsewhere in the series.

Interesting to expand the Lower Decks idea so wonder if it is something they'll revisit.

Did everybody else get a 2nd episode about a galactic zoo. I didnt get episodes released in odd order or something did i?

I don’t want to get spoiled on the end of DS9 so I’m avoiding this one and Picard for the moment.

oh right, thought 2 things happened at end of episode one but looks like one was in episode 2. So looks like it is a story arc developing over a few episodes.
JUst went back to see how the 2nd episode started and if the other new development carried straight on

I couldn't open IMDB on my phone this morning so right the 2 episodes dropped together.

ₘₒₒₚₛᵢₑ

loool moopsie was great

they were insufficiently moopsieproofed

OK so, the vertical ship that vaporised/transported/whatever the heck happened to the klingons and then the romulans... is that going to be an ongoing thing, or am I dense and that was just the zoo-collection ship and there's no more to it?

i felt that was a season plot arc being set up - wasn’t it foreshadowed by some kind of comment from the lower decks kids?

That was what I was thinking had happened twice in episode 1 and not been followed up in episode 2. Interesting to see the Lower Decks of the other fleets touched upon. I don't remember seeing that before so am I forgetting earlier instances or is thst completely new. Thought it was a nice touch so hope to see more. Not going to be the same crew members obviously.
I thought when they did a double episode for had 2 episodes dropped together at the start of the series it had become tradition to have an extended or intertwined story. It didn't seem to be true of this week's pair so I wondered if I'd picked things up out of order. But the Romulan thing was episode 2 not 1 as I'd initially remembered it and I guess the issue of getting an unwanted promotion was central to action to good degree.
So looks like there are a couple of things going to be part of a longer story arc.

There's an episode in the second season that is entirely about the lower decks of other fleets - it's where we first meet T'lyn, and the Klingon from the first episode of this season.

I met a friend yesterday who was celebrating Star Trek Day (the 57th anniversary of the broadcast of the first episode) and she said she properly welled up when the Voyager theme appeared. Jen (my wife) had watched them all over the last year or so, and I was restraining myself from "did that happen? should I recognise the plant?" when we watched the new Lower Decks episodes.

Both eps were so good, which I'm kind of relieved since I found season 3 to be very meh.

Episode 1: love the TNT (T'Lyn 'n Tendi) dynamic already.
Episode 2: LIVIK! /shakes fist. Also, Ransom's new teeth, I hope they stick around.

NGL if Trek decides to merchandise the mysterious killer shuttle as a USB mouse I'd almost definitely buy it.

As long as they merch a MOOPSIE as well!

I thought moopsie was based on existing designs apart from the teeth. Looks like a Japanese kids thing like Hello Kitty or something. Thought I'd seen it before just not transformed when it fed.

Maybe that was the design aim.

Had Thought there might be something around that might double as a soft toy version. But probably gonna cause copyright problems or defamation of character or something. 🙂

It looks like moopsie was designed to fit an aesthetic of cutesy kitschy animals that I associate with Japanese soft toys and animation. Have seen things pretty similar to it before. Head may be slightly different.

I'm seeing comment elsewhere about a missed opportunity to rake in cash for a plush version. But like you must protect your neck.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1f6eyTFA3l7CtA8rOdc5z2?si=c2f929de616442f9
this week's Yo This Is Racist is actually from a series of picket visit shows that Tawnie Newsome is doing Explains why her show has new shows appearing since they are actually complying with standards that others are fighting for.
Also features the guy who plays Rutherford as somebody she meets on the picket line

Betazoid episode ruled, love the attention to detail this show brings, this time with the Vulcan eyebrow.

superfun! loved that Janelle James, Wendy Malick & Rachel Dratch were the betazoids, they were v funny

Oh I should've guessed that they'd bring in some ringers!

Kind of delighted about the holistic philosophy to security.

And omg I forgot about the Tamarian security officer's Naruto run!

"Parth Ferengi's Heart Place" hahaaaaa. Nice.

Great episode. Did I notice the TNG theme playing as the muzak in the restaurant Tendi and Rutherford were at?

Chase Masterton's voice seemed off, to the point I didnt think it was her doing it til the credits came up. And I was wondering why all the Ferenghi women were clothed, but given Rom's grand nagus now I guess he changed some laws? He'd always been the progressive one in DS9.

I was cracking up at the Landlord cop show Boimler was watching. The whole TV thing gave me Interdimensional Cable vibes.

agreed about chase masterson. i wasn't even sure about rom at first. but i guess it has been 30 years : /

That's sort of what I thought with Shimerman in that Short Trek, but yeah, Masterson wasn't really doing the Leeta voice. Glad to see Freeman get a win, though.

Anyway, now that I've signed up for Paramount Plus, I sure could go for a cold refreshing Slug-O-Cola.

Boy I was totally wrong about the Vendorians!

Also I know that the cool kids are all about SNW but LD is easily my favorite nu-Trek.

i love Lower Decks!
the recent run of eps have been very weird /freeform storywise but i’m not mad at it

Maybe you should try your hand at this Lower Decks quiz then: https://learnedleague.com/oneday.php?4910

i got 7 out of 10! :)

👍

The last few episodes have felt like a Lower Decks quiz tbrr (but I've enjoyed them!)

Latest episode was the best in a while imo. That backstory was really unexpected, and I’m glad Ma’ah is still alive, hope he becomes a recurring character

I didnt twig who exactly Sito was when Mariner mentioned her but as soon as the other guy spoke, I realised it was Paris and then that whole TNG storyline with Wesley came back to me. Cleverly done!

The "service" I use to stream this show mixed up the latest episode with the Frasier reboot and for a few minutes I thought this is going to be the weirdest crossover yet.

agree this episode was one of the best
mcmahan himself wrote it, hence the absolute nerdery of it lol

I've seen people say that this is their first Trek but my lord I don't know how much they could get out of this episode! And it clears up at least two longstanding unresolved mysteries: Locarno and Paris are NOT literally the same person, and Tom Riker is apparently still alive.

Well done for the Mariner stuff too, in putting a touching twist on her recent death wish.

Teach me to tap dance Dr. Crusher...

<3

i don't think you need to know the backstory to get something out of this! it's a little odd that marriner's death wish only comes out/is explored in episode 39, but hey that's television

time for a new spinoff series! On stardate 48467.3 a Maquis terrorist was sentenced to life imprisonment on Lazon II for a crime he absolutely committed. This man eventually escaped a maximum-security stockade to the Bajoran underground. Today, still wanted by the Cardassian government, he survives as a soldier of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help -- and if you can find him -- maybe you can hire . . . TOM RIKER.

It was only a matter of time before Lower Decks did a crossover with... lower decks. I wonder if this is vindication for the writer of the original lower decks episode who got shafted out of Locarno money because of Voyager's cynical "this Tom Paris guy, he's totally different from Nicky, well only different enough so we don't have to pay $5 an episode."

In fairness Trayce, she only appeared in two TNG episodes!

I re-watched "wej Duj" just a while ago, such a great ep

I gotta say the Marriner backstory and hotshot-pilot-but not-Tom-Paris thing both fell a little flat for me - I don’t really remember the former at all and have a dim memory of the latter.

Mostly this show does a great job with making the callbacks fun if you get them but not crucial for understanding.

Without any knowledge of the Sito character that bit just felt like clunky telling-not-showing exposition… and the reveal of the season bad guy was similarly a bit underwhelming… treated like a reveal but a bit of a shrug if you don’t have the knowledge.

Not actually complaining, I couldn’t stay mad at this show. But was notable, mainly cos it is usually very deft with that stuff.

Lol wow there is already a Mariner/Sito fanfic on AO3.

sorry for non-use of spoiler tags above, i think i felt it was a “check in when you’ve seen the ep” vibe but see everyone else is being far more discreet - hope nobody had their experience messed up

I wonder if this is vindication for the writer of the original lower decks episode who got shafted out of Locarno money because of Voyager's cynical "this Tom Paris guy, he's totally different from Nicky, well only different enough so we don't have to pay $5 an episode." - different guys, Locarno was in Cito's previous episode (the writers of which were made madder by the lower decks episode, because it game Sito a redemption, while Locarno's irredeemable nature was the "reason" given for why they had to create a new character)

Ferenghi putting a paywall on a bomb = chef's kiss.

I truly don't enjoy being Debbie Downer on all the Star Trek stuff but while I really love that Lower Decks getting more ambitious I found both the resolution of this and Freeman's big "going against Starfleet" moment very unTrek.

I'm never going to be sympathetic to a storyline where the villain is the person pointing out the system is rotten, but even within that: it's made clear Locarno is an egotistical asshole, ok, but he's not even launching an attack on anyone, just staking out a territory for his group and using a deterrent - we don't even get to see any potential inhabitants he might be colonizing. I appreciate Mariner does everything possible for him not to get killed, but it still feels like there should've been at least a little "both sides"ing suggesting that maybe some of these young officers of various regimes, some of them p absolutist, might have a point? And the big "fuck yeah, she's going against starfleet" moment is severely undercut by Starfleet's actual concerns being that people might die.

I had a good time an' all, don't get me wrong.

I think the thumb is already on the scales there tbh - Locarno is the guy who leads kids astray.

Lower Decks seems more about being fan commentary about Trek than earnestly inhabiting it which oddly out of all the nu-Trek series, the cancelled kids show seemed to be the most serious (and successful!) about carrying the optimistic humanism of Trek/Federation banner.

Also, was Wil Wheaton deliberately doing a Morty impression as Cadet Crusher?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sHSDkxivvo

Talking loud and fast is just an animation thing, apparently!

Frakes asked me, “Do you change your voices for the animated show?” And I was like, “No, we yell and we talk fast and it’s just how animation works.” You don’t have your face and body to emote with so you have to do so much more, there’s just so much more energy and effort that has to go into your voice.

https://trekmovie.com/2023/11/29/interview-tawny-newsome-on-mariners-growth-in-lower-decks-season-5-wants-more-star-trek-crossovers/

Seeing how Tawny Newsome delivered rapid-fire Mariner dialogue was one of the things I was curious about the live-action episode.

Also, that quote sound a lot like the story Kristen Schaal related about when Kevin Kline showed up for the first time to record his lines on Bob’s Burgers and was talking about doing a vocal warm-up or prep. Schaal and Eugene Mirman just responded “what? No! We just yell at scream at each other!”

fifth season will be its last

Ugh, sad.

bummertown usa