Star Wars or Star Trek? That is a question that will probably divide many minds. Until now, I have always played on Team Star Wars. Because to be honest, I had never watched anything from Star Trek – until I discovered “Lower Decks.” But does the series even work for “Star Trek” beginners?
What is “Lower Decks”?
- “Star Trek: Lower Decks” is an animated series from 2020.
- Currently, there are 4 seasons, some of which can be seen on Prime Video (seasons 1-3) and Joyn (season 1). The fourth season just recently premiered in November 2023.
- On IMDb, the series has a rating of 7.7/10.
In the trailer, you can get an impression of the series:
This is what “Lower Decks” is about
Lower Decks takes place a year after the events of the film “Star Trek: Nemesis.” Unlike many science fiction stories, it is not about the captain and other high-ranking officials but, as the title suggests, about the ordinary workers on an insignificant Starfleet ship.
The focus is on four young “ensigns,” which is the lowest rank after graduating from the academy. The ambitious Boimler, the rebellious Mariner, the clever Rutherford, and the lovable Tendi. The mismatched colleagues experience many adventures and become more and more like friends.
Star Trek with a pinch of “Rick and Morty”
What makes the series special is not only the change of perspective. Lower Decks is also a very humorous series that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Not just because of the visuals, it often reminded me of the series “Rick and Morty.” Exaggerated characters travel to various planets and experience crazy adventures with aliens. Alcohol and curses are also included.
While Rick and Morty is a bit crazier, anyone who enjoyed that type of show could also have fun with Lower Decks.
With “Lower Decks” into the universe of Star Trek
As I mentioned earlier, I was an absolute “Star Trek” novice before Lower Decks. Did I still have fun with the series? Absolutely!
This is remarkable in that Lower Decks is often celebrated for its numerous Easter eggs from the Star Trek universe. And I can understand that. I can only guess how many guest appearances, film references, and lore details show up in the series. For fans, it’s definitely really cool.
But even as a non-initiated person, I never felt overwhelmed by the series or bored by fan service. Everything made sense on its own, just as zombie viruses, seductive alien lizards, or species that duplicate out of shame can make sense.
The cool approach of experiencing a spaceship from the perspective of the lowest workers, interesting characters with good development, and not least the humor – all of that makes Lower Decks a really good and entertaining series even for “Star Trek” newbies like me.
The perfect introduction? Especially with a franchise that has existed for as long as Star Trek – the first series started in 1966 – I often find it difficult to get started as a newcomer. There is a sheer overwhelming amount of material, where to even begin? I quickly get the feeling that I don’t understand something correctly because I don’t know the “original series.”
The advantage with Lower Decks for me was that the series is entertaining even without deep understanding. Maybe I don’t know where this funny artifact comes from, but I can still find it funny what the chaos crew around Ensign Boimler does with it.
This made Lower Decks a pleasant and light introduction to the world of Star Trek for me. And I shamelessly admit that the series has piqued my curiosity. I’m just excited to see the great adventures of the USS Voyager that were mentioned. Or to learn more about the combative Klingons and emotionless Vulcans.
I don’t know if it’s the absolutely perfect entry point for “Star Trek” newcomers. Probably it’s best to start with the original series. But if you’d rather take a casual dip into the world first, “Lower Decks” offers, in my opinion, a great opportunity.
When the fifth season premieres in 2024, I will definitely not miss it.
Are you “Star Trek” fans? If so, how did you start with the franchise? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
Of course, for such a large franchise as Star Trek, there are also PC games. The strategy game “Star Trek: Birth of the Federation” was just released, which took a full 20 years to arrive. But whether the wait was worth it is questionable:
New game about Star Trek starts on Steam: Has already suffered heavy damage in the warp core
