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WHEN Star Trek: Lower Decks first premiered in the US last August, it presented a perspective we had rarely seen within the Star Trek universe. While we had traditionally focused on the 鈥渦pstairs鈥� bridge crew boldly going where no one had gone before, Lower Decks turned its sharp eye towards the 鈥渄ownstairs鈥�: the workers responsible for the least glamorous tasks on the ship. That it was an animated half-hour comedy further set it apart from what had come before, signalling that we should prepare ourselves for an entirely new kind of Star Trek.
The first season absolutely delivered on its promise, even if it was uneven in spots. In Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) and D鈥橵ana Tendi (No褢l Wells), there was a relatable set of main characters who embodied the hope and promise that Starfleet has always offered, but also the realities (and drudgeries) of day-to-day life aboard a starship.
The show married the delightful absurdity of Star Trek to its heart, a fantastic 鈥� and often difficult 鈥� balance to strike. It is a testament to the Lower Decks writers, led by Mike McMahan, that they were able to pull it off so wonderfully for a season.
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Happily, they have done it again with season 2. The writers excel at stories for both new viewers and diehard fans. The format of the show is much more accessible than a traditional hour-long drama. The in-jokes are fantastic and there are some deep references to past Star Trek canon (both popular and less so 鈥� Gary Mitchell, I鈥檓 looking at you) littered throughout the episodes, but viewers who don鈥檛 pick up on them aren鈥檛 missing much.
The first season of Lower Decks was enjoyable and approachable no matter the extent of your previous knowledge of Star Trek. The second season continues in that vein, delivering smart humour that never feels condescending. The show wants you to laugh with it; it isn鈥檛 trying to make fun of you or point out the holes in your knowledge of Star Trek.
鈥淪trange Energies鈥�, the first episode of the second season, revolves around Boimler 鈥� or more specifically (spoiler alert for season 1) the loss of Boimler, as he accepted a promotion and transferred to a different ship in the first season finale. As Mariner grapples with his decision, and the fact that he didn鈥檛 tell her he was leaving, she must also contend with her new place aboard the USS Cerritos as the right hand to her mother, the captain. It is a role that anyone else would love, but Mariner prefers to operate outside the spotlight.
Mariner is arguably the main character of Lower Decks, and she showed considerable growth last season. During her internal reckoning, she came to terms with the fact that her desire to rebel is at odds with the part of her that genuinely wants to be a good Starfleet officer.
It is unclear where that character development will go from here, but she certainly does seem wiser and more self-aware this season. And Mariner鈥檚 previous growth makes room for the rest of the characters to have their own storylines, which is always welcome. This show is at its best when it is an ensemble, and viewers are treated to plenty of that in the first half of the second season.
With its latest instalments, Lower Decks has found its groove. There are no more growing pains; it stands on its own two feet. At every turn, it is creative and thoughtful, but most importantly, it鈥檚 fun. Lower Decks makes you want to tune in week after week, and each episode will leave you in a better mood than when you started watching. It鈥檚 hard to give much higher praise than that.
