Introduction

Star Trek: Lower Decks is an American adult animated television series created by Mike McMahan for the streaming service CBS All Access.

It is the ninth series in the Star Trek franchise, and was launched in 2020 as part of executive producer Alex Kurtzman’s expansion of the franchise.

Lower Decks is the first animated series created for All Access, and the first animated Star Trek series since the 1973-1974 series Star Trek: The Animated Series.

Outline

Captain Carol Freeman oversees trade negotiations with the Karemma at Deep Space Nine, alongside Kira Nerys. Mariner struggles to be personable with Jen’s friends, who hold pretentious “salons” where they engage in bad performance art and light candles “charged” with their intentions. Tendi and Rutherford tour DS9, but encounter an Orion DS9 officer, Mesk, who tags along, excited to meet another Orion and relishing in their culture’s criminal behaviors, to Tendi’s chagrin. Meanwhile, failing negotiations force Freeman to seek out Quark, who has invented a new replicator used in his successful bar franchise “Quark’s”. The Karemma are livid upon seeing Quark’s replicator and kidnap him, using a device to shut down all power on DS9. The power failure seals the salon attendees inside their room, which begins losing oxygen rapidly due to the candles. Mariner tries to gently suggest extinguishing the candles, but Jen’s hysterical friends refuse to listen. Jen tells Mariner not to worry about her friends affecting their relationship and gives her permission to handle them as she usually would. Mariner gleefully stuns them all with her phaser to reduce their oxygen intake. She and Jen extinguish the candles, kiss, and stun themselves. Meanwhile, Tendi erupts at Mesk, saying that Orion pirate culture makes her ashamed. Mesk confesses that he was adopted on Earth, and only learned of their culture through trashy novels and others’ expectations of him, adopting the persona with no other Orions around to tell him differently. Tendi sympathizes and tells him to just be himself. They witness the Kareema absconding with Quark aboard their ship. Using her impressive pirate skills, Tendi single-handedly commandeers the vessel, allowing DS9 to apprehend the Kareema. In the brig, the Kareema reveal that Quark’s replicators were made of their stolen technology, and that Quark was being arrested, not kidnapped. Freeman forges a successful negotiation where the Kareema receive 76% of Quark’s franchise profits. Tendi resolves to embrace her heritage.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Series

You can find a full index and overview of the Star Trek franchise here.

You can find a full index and overview of Star Trek: Lower Decks here.

You can find a full index and overview of season 03 here.

Production & Filming Details

• Release Date: 29 September 2022.
• Running Time: 25 minutes (per episode).
• Rating: PG.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

Video Link(s)