While this article avoids spoilers, the first five episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 were watched for review.
“We all know any TV show that’s even slightly good gets canceled. Sometimes, two or three times.” — Turanga Leela, Futurama season 8’s “Yo Leela Leela”
It’s true: all good things must end. But Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 proves that sometimes, the best things end all too soon. After four seasons of steadily cultivating a rabid cult following, Paramount announced that Lower Decks season 5 would be the final outing for the adult animated comedy.
In case you’re incredibly bad at reading subtext, I am deeply disappointed in this decision. A devoted (and outspoken) fan of the series since its excellent-out-of-the-gate first season, I had hoped the show would run for at least seven seasons (and a First Contact Day Special). But there is, at least, a Latinum lining: judging by the first five episodes of season 5, Lower Decks is going out at the very top of its game.
These Are the Voyages…
First, let’s focus on the season in a vacuum. The five season 5 episodes screened for this review are each top-notch. All five feature a different facet of the show, highlighting various characters in both the main and supporting cast. Concurrently, different aspects of the Franchise are examined in turn.
Without being too specific (and spoiling nothing that hasn’t already been revealed by the teaser trailer), one of these episodes solidifies Lower Decks as the most outright anti-capitalist series of the Franchise’s modern era (and maybe just in general). I’m not sure if this unapologetic subplot was the result of the show’s cancellation removing any remaining inhibitions, but it exemplifies just how confident the series has become in expressing its unique voice.
Meanwhile, every member of the cast delivers an outstanding performance. Naturally this includes the endlessly charming main cast: Tawny Newsome (Beckett Mariner), Jack Quaid (Bradward Boimler), Noël Wells (D’Vana Tendi) and Eugene Cordero (Samanthan Rutherford) all continue to deliver pitch-perfect performances. To say relative newcomer Gabrielle Ruiz (T’Lyn) holds her own would be an understatement; the Vulcan science officer-in-training could anchor her own spinoff.
Plus, every member of the supporting cast continues to be stellar as well. You’ll want more of Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) and her command crew, Jack Ransom (Jerry O’Connell), Shax (Fred Tatasciore), Andy Billups (Paul Scheer) and Doctor T’Ana (Gillian Vigman). To avoid spoilers, I won’t single out any of the additional supporting cast in this review. But, I was pleased to see my favorite ancillary U.S.S. Cerritos crewmember appear in the first half of the season for a juicy and significant subplot.
What You Leave Behind
And now, I’m going to take a moment to (once again) protest the cancellation of Lower Decks. Just like Star Trek: The Original Series, which was canceled after its second season but resurrected by popular demand (bless you, St. Bjo), Lower Decks deserves more episodes.
Perhaps (read: likely) this is just wishful thinking, but I have wondered if this “cancelation” is more or less a marketing stunt. Maybe Lower Decks season 5 simply ends with our heroes being promoted to a higher rank, and we’ll be picking up their storylines in the next year or so with a direct sequel series called Star Trek: California Class. I know this is far-fetched, but hey: allow your girl a little denial and bargaining, okay? It’s part of the process.
Of course animation isn’t cheap to produce, but I’m already on record suggesting Paramount entertain the idea of a capitalistic compromise. The show is endlessly marketable, and this new season is no exception. Plus, while they are entertaining in and of themselves, most Lower Decks episodes provide obvious off-ramps to revisit older and contemporary Franchise shows (or watch them for the first time). Is any other series so well-suited to the era of the streaming wars?
The main cast have all made it clear that they’re prepared to continue portraying these characters well into the future. So, even if a continuation of the animated series isn’t immediate, I won’t be giving up hope.
Still, I want to be explicit: Lower Decks should not be canceled. While it obviously couldn’t exist without the shows that preceded it, I believe it is a contender for best show yet to come out of the Franchise. The 45 episodes I’ve watched so far are each excellent, but they are not enough and the series deserves more.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5
But if this is indeed the end of Lower Decks, I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to cover it as it was being released. Nothing is perfect, but with Lower Decks, Mike McMahan and his talented crew have come pretty ****ing close.
Clear your buffer time schedules for the next few weeks, because just like the first four seasons of Lower Decks, you’ll want to watch every season 5 episode over and over again. Long live Lower Decks.
The first two episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 debut on Paramount+ on Thursday, October 24, 2024, with the remaining new episodes debuting on Thursdays thereafter.
Keep up with all of The Beat’s Star Trek coverage by clicking here. And don’t forget that the excellent interactive graphic novel Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way will be published on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, and is a superb compliment for the show’s fifth season.
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