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Star Trek Lower Decks Beginners Guide and Tips

But be careful – if they don’t succeed, they’ll die for real. and even worse: they’ll miss the party.

Star Trek Lower Deck Mobile Game

Star Trek Lower Decks is the much-awaited game for Star Trek fans is now brought to them by the very own, East Side Games Studio to bring back all the memories and storyline of the Star Trek lower Decks series which was started back in 2020 and continues till the present. The game follows up with all the significant characters and storylines shown in the series with the exact fun that the fans demand. Hence, let us dive into the world of the Star Trek Lower Decks with our beginners guide so that the newbies don’t miss their first simulation.

Gameplay Overview

The game sticks directly to the storyline and lets the players feel the same way just like the series. There are a few characters who help in upgrading the simulations with the best supervision under them. The game has some of the most valuable currencies such as Lithium, Di lithium, Platinum , and Simulation Chips .

star-trek-lower-deck-gameplay-overview

These resources and currencies are very important in the game. These resources help a lot while upgrading simulations and significant characters. There are 11 simulations in which the players have to build and upgrade their base.

Introducing the Simulations

Simulations are the most important aspects of the game. There are 11 simulations in the game which are simulated by the players. Every simulation rewards Merit Points to the players after a certain time limit. These Merit Points help the players to increase workers in the simulation sites and to start another simulation as well.

The merit points increase from the initial simulation to the final one. Hence, Shuttle Bay provides the least Merit Points and Q’s Courtroom provides the maximum number of Merit Points. All the Eleven possible simulations are:

  • Shuttle Bay
  • Genesis Planet
  • Kilingon Ascension Rites
  • Sector 31 Chip
  • Chateau Picard
  • Cadassian Interrigation Room
  • Q’s Courtroom

Players must hire Holo Crews that provide a boost for earning more Merit Points through the simulations. Players must always try to unlock the simulations as soon as possible to earn more Merit Points. The players must invest more in the subsequent simulation and upgrade the base. Players also earn rewards for hiring Holo Crews. Upon hiring, rewards like Grant Chips and Di lithium are earned by the players. These rewards are granted at every objective or recruitment level.

Upgrade the Simulations

Upgrading simulations is as important as working with the simulations. This helps in increasing Merit Points from each of the simulations. For upgrading simulations, players need simulation chips and Di lithium. Below mentioned is the process for upgrading the simulations:

star-trek-lower-decks-simulations

  • On the game screen, tap on the Tool icon.
  • After tapping on it, you can see all the simulations in the section. The required Simulation chips and Di lithium are mentioned below every simulation.
  • Tap on the Upgrade button and upgrade the simulation which is required to be upgraded.

Understanding the in-game Currencies

Resources such as Di Lithium, Simulation Chips, Character Cards and Latinum are the main items that are most necessary by the players while playing through every episode. Let us know how can we grab these items easily and proceed further into the game easily:

1. Video Ads

The game comes up with a lot of options in between where players can earn resources such as Di Lithium and Merit Points. Hence, if you are short of resources then you must watch some of the Ads to receive them so that you can utilize them and construct more simulations. 

star-trek-lower-decks-trading-currency

Players can trade some characters and earn Di lithium in place of it. This option appears near Shuttle Bay where the Tractor appears and offers the players this deal. Grab this deal if you have extra Character Cards and have some Dilithium.

3. Holo Crew Recruitments Achievements

At the start of every simulation, the game assigns some of the requirements which are to be completed by the players. There are these requirements of having some exact number of Holo Crew in the simulation sites which comes up with some valuable rewards for the players. So, check for those objectives and complete them to earn more Di lithium, Character Cards, and Simulation Chips that will help you proceed firmly into the game.

4. Shop section

star-trek-lower-decks-shop

From the Shop section., players can buy crates that will reward them with valuable resources such as Di Lithium, Character Cards, and Simulation Chips . Players can also buy Character Cards and Simulation Chips with the Di lithium they have and upgrade the Simulation sites and characters.

Players can earn valuable resources upon completing every episode. The game rewards as a crate and from that players can win Di lithium, Character Cards , and Simulation Chips. These cards help a lot of the players in upgrading the specific characters and simulation sites.

Mastering the characters

The characters in the game are the same as in the series. These characters yield a lot of Merit Points and thus every simulation needs some of the specific characters that boost up the simulations. Hence, these specific characters boost up Merit Points from these simulation sites. Common characters like Mariner, Boiler, Tendi , and Rutherford are always available from scratch in the game. But the characters which help in boosting up Merit Points are thus unlocked after the completion of every episode.

Upgrading Characters

The characters are required to be upgraded as every upgrade values a lot. The characters after upgrade boost the yield of Merit Points and thus simulations become easier with the specific characters. Thus, follow the steps now to upgrade the characters:

star-trek-lower-decks-characters

  • On the game screen; tap on the Three pivot figure icon present at the bottom of the screen.
  • After you tap on it; you can see all the characters you have owned in the game. Select the character you want to upgrade and tap on them.
  • Tap on the Do It option to upgrade the characters and thus boost up the merit points on every simulation site.

The main things required to upgrade the characters are character cards and Di lithium. These can be obtained by the method mentioned above and thus upgrade your characters.

Star Trek Lower Decks Beginners Guide: Tips and Tricks

After investing so much into the game; here are the best tips for beginners so that they can easily play and simulate every possible site in just the blink of their eyes.

1. Collect resources

 Beginners must collect as much of the resources as they can. Resources help a lot while progressing in the game. resources such as simulation chips, character chips, and Di lithium are thus utilized in upgrading characters and simulation sites so that they can yield more merit points that will further help to start new simulation sites.

2. Upgrade the characters and simulation sites

Beginners must upgrade the specific characters and the simulation sites. The specific characters help in boosting up the merit points and the simulation sites also come up with the capacity of more holo crews and also yield more merit points as well.

3. Start with the simulation sites as soon as possible

As soon as you collect the required merit points, start with the simulation sites so that you can yield more merit points. The initial simulation site generates the least number of merit points and thus increases as per the sequence. Hence, start with the simulation sites as soon as possible.

4. Open as many crates

Beginners must open all the crests they receive. Crests come up with the maximum number of valuable resources which are thus required for progressing into the game. So players must open the crests and also check for the free crest every day to earn valuable resources.

5. Complete all the milestones

At the start of every episode, players are assigned some of the milestones which are to be completed. Completion of the milestones leads the players towards the completion of the episode and players also receive valuable rewards for every milestone they achieve.

Final Thoughts

The Star Trek Lower Decks is a fantastic gift for Star Trek fans. The fans will enjoy the game and take the same feel they got while binge-watching the series. Players must follow up through the tutorials properly. Players must complete the milestones and complete every episode to earn valuable rewards. The resources are the most important aspect which is to be collected by the players. This helps a lot of the players in progressing further in the game.

Overall, there is a lot of stuff new players can do, and they should take their time with it and enjoy the game at their own pace. So go ahead and give it a try! If you find trouble, don’t hesitate to fall back on this Star Trek Lower Decks beginners guide for tips.

That’s all from us for the Star Trek Lower Decks Beginners Guide! Did you find our Star Trek Lower Decks beginners guide   helpful? Do let us know in the  comments !

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Star Trek: Lower Decks

The official star trek: lower decks idle game.

Finally, after yet another tedious duty roster, the Lower Decks crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos is ready to party at a Zebulon Sisters concert! Tendi’s even more excited, as this’ll be her first Chu Chu Dance! But first, they need to get through routine training exercises on the holodeck, which Boimler has been entrusted to organize. Boimler? With power? When has that ever been good?

Impatient to get to the dance, the crew try to end the simulation only to find the Cerritos’ computer has been hijacked by rogue AI Badgey. He’s locked them in the holodeck and deactivated all safety protocols – so now Boimler, Tendi, Rutherford and Mariner must work through Star Trek stories, both familiar and new, so they can return to the real world. But be careful – if they don’t succeed, they’ll die for real. And even worse: they’ll miss the party!

THE ENTIRE STAR TREK UNIVERSE IN YOUR HANDS

Star Trek Lower Decks: The Badgey Directive gives you the chance to tap through classic Star Trek stories in the humorous style of Lower Decks. Enjoy your favorite storylines with a fresh funny twist – and maybe even give them new endings!

DEFEAT MAJOR STAR TREK VILLAINS

Every holodeck simulation will see the Cerritos crew facing off with a big bad boss, who must be defeated to get to the exit. Level up your crew with training exercises and mini-games in Science, Engineering, Security and Command!

UNLOCK AND TRADE MORE CREW

It’s not just the Lower Decks crew of the Cerritos here to play – Badgey has a whole array of characters from the Star Trek universe for you to collect and trade! Complete regular events to unlock special characters to bolster your crew!

NEW SIMULATIONS ALWAYS AWAIT YOU

With mini-events landing twice a week and a main event each weekend, there’s always new simulations for you to explore! And you won’t miss out even if you’re busy – you can automate your crew to train while you’re away!

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Please note that this game is free to download and play , but some game items are available for purchase using real money. A network connection is required to play the game.

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Review: ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Takes A Long Look At Itself In “Reflections”

reddit star trek lower decks game

| September 22, 2022 | By: Anthony Pascale 53 comments so far

“Reflections”

Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3, Episode 5 – Debuted Thursday, September 22, 2022 Written by Mike McMahan Directed by Michael Mullen

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

A focus on Rutherford’s backstory brings the laughs and allows Eugene Cordero a chance to shine in a hilarious episode that ramps up the references without forgetting the characters.

reddit star trek lower decks game

Eugene Cordero as Ensign Rutherford

WARNING: Spoilers below!

“You really bought into that whole okie dokie bulls##t didn’t you?”

Cerritos is back at Tulgana IV to upgrade the Federation Consulate power system, leaving time to fill in some quotas which include a bit of Starfleet recruiting, with the assignment going to Boimler and a grumbling Mariner. Meanwhile, Rutherford is having a recurring nightmare of an explosive engineering incident, so Tendi fixes his problem by purging his implant’s cache of some “stuck” long-term memory. After another sleep, Rutherford wakes up a whole new man—literally. This Rutherford is not happy to find himself assigned to a California class “junker” with “ugly” nacelles. Snarky Rutherford also is surprised to find he has an implant, and that his reflection (the real Rutherford) is screaming at him to give back control over the body.

The imposter wants off the ship but when he presses Tendi for info on ship security shifts she quickly spots something is off and calls for help. Fakerford is eventually tracked down and stunned by Shaxs, irritated the imposter mocked his “Baby Bear” nickname. Now unconscious, Dr. T’Ana figures out an alien hasn’t possessed Sam; it’s a version of Rutherford from a decade ago. The two personalities find themselves stuck together in the subconscious. Our Rutherford doesn’t remember this younger space hot rod-making version, apparently erased with the installation of his implant. All those times it glitched over the years was this repressed pear-lover trying to assert himself. Rutherford learns he used to earn space money doing risky races and so he agrees to a challenge from Young Sam: whoever builds the winning racer wins the brain. No pressure.

reddit star trek lower decks game

Eugene Cordero as the Rutherfords

“We got new worlds, they’re strange and they need seeking out. ”

Mariner’s loud complaints about recruiting duty fall on deaf ears with Ransom, who lays down the stakes
 leave the booth, get a transfer to the dreaded Starbase 80. Boimler is impressed by how much this motivates Beckett to get into the job. But her anger returns as she gets trolled by the “independent space archaeologist” from the neighboring booth, who warns prospective signups that Starfleet crews get assimilated by the Borg “all the time.” This too-cool Petra Aberdeen used to be in Starfleet and she really knows how to goad Mariner with cracks about Starfleet, making it harder and harder for Mariner to stick to the booth and avoid Ransom’s wrath.

Soon enough, other recruiters notice this limitation, leading to drive-by mockery that from conspiracy theorists demanding the truth about Sisko. They also know all about those creepy bugs from, well
 “ Conspiracy .” Through it all, Boimler keeps his cool while Mariner steams, but then the (just the worst) outpost scientists show up and start mocking Starfleet uniforms. That is the breaking point as Boimler goes Bold all over the other booths, running around to lay down the law on how the other recruiters all owe their lives to Starfleet, who just wants to “explore and study f—king quasars!”  In a reversal of their usual roles, Mariner stays put, watching Boimler break the rules as she frets over Ransom’s Starbase 80 threat.

reddit star trek lower decks game

Jack Quaid as Ensign Brad Boimler and Tawny Newsome as Ensign Beckett Mariner

“If you see any Romulans, run. They don’t f—k around.”

Back inside Rutherford’s mind garage, he recreates Tom Paris’ Delta Flyer, which his younger self dismisses as a “shuttle with a paint job.” Youngeford thinks he has it “easy” with his ship, mostly a collection of big engines strapped to a little cockpit. And it looks like the kid is right, taking an early lead in the race—at least until a giant Romulan ship shows up to fire at them both. But this allows our Rutherford to deploy a secret weapon
 his friends. Rutherford’s versions of Boimler, Tendi, and Mariner as the crew of the Delta Flyer deal with the Warbird and even rescue his younger self, who now sees that with age has come wisdom. As the youngster fades away so does his anger, welcoming the grown-up Sam now in control, and leaving him with a gift: He unlocks another memory of getting the implant, revealed to be part of a coverup, with the question of which Starfleet higher-up was responsible to sort out later.

Down on Tulgana IV, it turns out that Boimler’s Starfleet evangelizing rampage was the best recruitment driver they could ask for, giving Mariner a line of possible recruits and impressing Ransom. The commander spares Brad from the threatened transfer, but in another Mariner reversal, Boimler gets a night in the brig. His first! Ransom is actually proud of the ensign for standing up for Starfleet, especially for giving it to those outpost scientist losers. Things wrap up season 1 style but with Boims on the inside of the brig forcefield and Mariner left to do the mission log.  She gets interrupted by a call from Petra, who admits her booth was just a ruse so she could sneak off and “emancipate” a staff stolen from the Grand Nagus from a crooked museum. She thanks Mariner for the distraction and offers the opportunity to join in on her adventures if she ever gets bored of Starfleet… leaving Beckett with a lot to think about.

reddit star trek lower decks game

Noel Wells as Ensign Tendi, Eugene Cordero as Ensign Rutherford, Tawny Newsome as Ensign Beckett Mariner and Jack Quaid as Ensign Brad Boimler

The new yous

Lower Decks ramps up the humor in a densely packed episode that raises character stakes established at the beginning of the season. “Reflections” brings in some welcome character development for Rutherford that was teased at the end of season 2 but has been lacking so far this season. Having two competing versions of a character is of course a Star Trek tradition, but Lower Decks found a new spin by having “Red Rutherford” be a repressed younger, angrier version of the happy-go-lucky version we have known to love over three seasons. This gave Eugene Cordero an opportunity to step up and shine, playing both the broad comedy of the conflict and the heartbreaking pathos of losing this younger self and the mysterious trauma that he is only now starting to understand they endured. And the resolution to this storyline also couldn’t be more on brand with Star Trek, as “Blue Rutherford” showed his true strength came from his crew, his family, working together. But there was still something to admire from his brash young self, so it will be interesting to see if the character of Rutherford evolves to bring a little bit of the bad boy edge from his past.

reddit star trek lower decks game

Jessica McKenna as Ensign Barnes and Eugene Cordero as Ensign Rutherford

Even with all that going on, it was actually the B-story that delivered the big laughs while still adding new layers to the season 3 focus on developing and maturing these characters. The Trek references big and small in both storylines were fun, but the show continues to build on its own canon and characters for some of the best gags. The Mariner under Ransom’s scrutiny storyline allowed for a fun reversal of positions with Boimler, as he was the one who caused all the troublemaking—another way the show is changing up some of the dynamics for this season. It was not all nods and gags as the recruitment storyline was also a “reflection” for Mariner, who is faced with the fundamental question: does she really want to be in Starfleet? with Petra demonstrating what a real space rebel lifestyle can offer. Jack Quaid truly indulged himself as Bold—and now extra profane—Boimler let the world have it, with the show itself indulging in a bit of meta-commentary on the franchise, such as the debate over whether or not Starfleet is a military organization. And all of this paid off, so maybe Mariner’s concern that Boimler’s new Bold thing is going to get him killed wasn’t foreshadowing… or perhaps this is the calm before the storm of consequences.

reddit star trek lower decks game

Eye on mystery

Lower Decks likes to keep things tight and episodic, and this week did that for the most part, but it did pick up on a thread that has been dangling all series, which is the story behind Rutherford’s implant. The show is now pushing this as a big unresolved mystery and may even indicate a possible Starfleet coverup and conspiracy. Some project younger Rutherford got involved in went bad, losing him an eye and his memory of the whole thing. The series instinct to avoid heavy plot serialization has made this a very slow-burn story, but hopefully, they don’t leave it for another season to resolve.

reddit star trek lower decks game

Final thoughts

As we hit the halfway mark, the third season is really starting to come together with a close-to-perfect balance of character development, humor, and sci-fi plot, which is demonstrated in “Reflections.” After a lot of setup, it feels like things are really going to take off for the second half of season 3, and the anticipation can’t be greater.

reddit star trek lower decks game

Random stuff

  • Stardate 58354.2
  • The USS Cerritos first visited Tulgana IV in the season one episode “Envoys.”
  • The “hellhole” Starbase 80 was previously mentioned as an undesired posting in the season one episode “Terminal Provocations.”
  • Tendi signed up for Starfleet at a recruitment booth.
  • Mariner has a degree in xeno-history.
  • The red and blue implant differentiator for the two Rutherfords could be a reference to the red pill/blue pill choice from The Matrix .
  • Petra Aberdeen’s name could be a mashup inspired by Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games .
  • When Petra was in Starfleet she was assigned to the USS Victory , which was seen and mentioned in TNG and DS9, and served in the Dominion War.
  • Rutherford transferred to the Cerritos from Douglas Station on Stardate 56329.4. The station was first featured in the series premiere “Second Contact” set on Stardate 57436.2.
  • Rutherford has been on four dates with Ensign Barnes .
  • When Blue Rutherford manifests a scanner, it is the cool new T-88 diagnostic tool, like those he “borrowed” from the USS Vancouver.
  • Young Rutherford named his racing ship Sampaguita , after a flower found in the Philippines. Eugene Cordero is Filipino-American.
  • Boimler failed the Kobayashi Maru scenario 17 times.
  • Boimler added his own graffiti to the brig with “Boimler’s Guesthouse” with one check, next to “Mariner’s HQ” which has four marks.

reddit star trek lower decks game

The Rutherford’s ships

Laugh lines

  • You’re an anaphasic alien! / Nuh-uh, you are!
  • Hey pal, you are signing up for seven years in a windowless room.
  • Prepare yourself for warp 10 excitement. Discover the undiscovered country.
  • Starfleet crews get assimilated all the time. Hope you like being covered in black rubber tubing.
  • Yep, now we are both stuck in a blank white void.
  • Do you ever get to touch mummies?
  • How do we know you two don’t have butt bugs?
  • Stop trapping people inside of games!
  • The Doctor didn’t spend seven years in the Delta Quadrant for you f—ks to question his agency! He’s got rights!

reddit star trek lower decks game

Jack Quaid as Ensign Brad Boimler

More to come

Every Friday, the TrekMovie.com All Access Star Trek Podcast  covers the latest news in the Star Trek Universe. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify ,  Pocket Casts ,  Stitcher and is part of the TrekMovie Podcast Network. On Saturday, we’ll post our weekly analysis of Easter eggs and references for this episode.

New episodes of  Star  Trek: Lower Decks premiere on Thursdays on Paramount+ in the U.S. and on  CTV Sci-Fi Channel  in Canada, where it’s also available to stream on  Crave . It is available on Amazon Prime Video internationally on Fridays. It debuted in Latin America on Paramount+ in September.

Keep up with all the news and reviews from the new Star Trek Universe on TV at TrekMovie.com .

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A pretty good episode and imo that this episode is a return to proper Lower Decks quality after 4 weak episodes.

I loved seeing more about how Rutherford got his implant and i hope we find out more about what went on this season. I liked seeing Mariner and Boimler at the recruitment booth and was surprised that it was Boimler who lost his cool rather then Mariner.

I kinda hope we see Mariner eventually leave Starfleet (even just for a few episodes) and join up with Petra as i have always felt she didn’t really want to be in Starfleet.

I thought the first episode was pretty good, but I totally I agree that the past 3 episodes have been “meh” at best. This episode felt like it was really doing something different which, in my opinion, is lower decks at its best!

Tastes vary.

I actually thought the premiere was one of the weaker episodes, but still solid even so.

My spouse and I have really enjoyed every episode this season. It’s a measure of enthusiasm that my spouse is actually caught up and I’m not rewatching with them weeks later. And their still laughing out loud many times per episode which is rare.

Red and Blue Fringe

Sorry, Trekmovie, but it’s a bit weird crediting the voice actors in each of the above pictures. Independent of the actual voice, those images aren’t the actor, they are
doodles. If anything the visual artist should be credited in the captions!

Oh, for crying out loud. I’m sure you are the only person who finds it weird.

LOL, I agree

Nah, it’s always struck me as odd too.

The past two and a half seasons have been 75% Mariner & Boimler, 25% Tendi and Rutherford. I was so very glad to get to spend more time with Rutherford this week and to get some back story on him!

I just hope whatever the plot is about him doesn’t involve Section 31.

I really think it’s Section 31.

It is 100% S-31 and I hope they have a real good time with it.

Boimler’s freak out at the Starfleet booth is probably the best scene in all of STLD. Loved it!

LOL this one was great! Loved every minute of it. The stuff with Rutherford was classic deep dive character stuff in a great creative way and pushes the mystery that’s going on with him. But I thought the B story on Tulgana IV was soooo much fun! Boimler losing it and defending Starfleet was great to see. And I just loved all the references in this episode.People really do know about the exploits of Starfleet in all the worst ways possible lol. But hey who else protecting the alpha quadrant against the Borg, Domion, Romulans and butt bugs?

SEVEN SEASONS AND A MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am incredibly grateful to Lower Decks for giving me a lovely distraction from my weekly immunotherapy treatments on Thursdays.

After a few weaker episodes, this one hits it out of the park. I’m in too much pain to write out a whole review, so let me simply say this: Lower Decks’ strength is in how wholesome it is. Rutherford beats his asshole younger self through the power of friendship, and that’s just one example.

This show is hilarious, but it’s kind, wholesome, and not cynical. That matters.

Hang in there, and feel better.

I’m pulling for you, dude!

One other little Easter egg was that the starship model in the recruiting booth was the USS Victory that was mentioned in the episode.

Red & Blue Rutherford is more likely a reference to the classic Superman Red/Superman Blue story and the Petra Aberdeen is an archeology joke, Petra is Greek for Rock and Aberdeen is the site of numerous areological discoveries. Nothing to do with The Matrix or Hunger Games.

Reading a lot of what people are saying about this episode on Reddit, it really proves how great this show is. One of the things that is still VERY confusing for people is the whole military vibe Starfleet portrays. We know its NOT the military but they basically do treat it as such, the biggest being actual combat! I been watching Trek since the 70s and even for me, I still have a hard time with it.

It’s like if NASA armed their space vehicles and all the astronauts had to go through boot camp before being shot up into space. But it doesn’t stop there, if an unknown alien force in our universe, not Star Trek’s, did show up one day, then NASA would be the one to fight them too. I get in Star Trek when you’re exploring some isolated sector and you’re the only starfleet ship in the entire region and you come across some major dicks (Romulans, let’s just all say it, the Romulans) yeah you have to defend yourself. But when the Borg shows up to assimilate Earth there should be other people for that kind of thing too, like say, a military. Incidents like Wolf 359, Battle of the Binary Stars or fighting an entire war against the Dominion shouldn’t just be the explorers showing up for this stuff. There should be a specialized organization who fights solely to defend the Federation in my opinion. Call it a different name if you have to, but it should be there.

But it’s just great someone FINALLY just called it out on the show. This is why I love McMahan and this show. It really hits on all the things we both love about Star Trek but also the things that is questionable about it as well.

Walks like a duck, talks like a duck…

So, putting aside all the Roddenberrian hippy-dippy stuff, it is the military.

I just don’t understand if Roddenberry was so against Starfleet looking like the military, then why not create something else similar to it then? It really makes no sense to me at all. Of course, I understand you need to have excuses for Kirk, Picard or Sisko to fire on a ship or have a shoot out on a planet but you can still have military units too.

That’s why I loved the idea of the MACOs. That was a great addition to Trek and frankly just a realistic one. And I loved the conflict they added too because it created another layer of Starfleet officers seeing themselves as peaceful explorers but the MACOS was a reminder that space was really really dangerous and like it or not they were a necessary component; especially once they went to confront the Xindi. Of course once the Federation was created, that ended that so we can have a former MACO soldier turn into another uber-villain wanting to destroy the Federation over it, but I digress. ;)

Frankly the MACOs should’ve stayed and just became a self defense force to protect Earth or called upon when the Borg, Klingons or Breen showed up looking for trouble. Let the explorers keep exploring.

We can only guess what was in Roddenberry’s mind, but I think a large part of him never left the 60s. In this case, it was the lingering reaction to Vietnam and American ‘might makes right.’ Which is understandable. But still. If you have an organization of people who defend borders, have a rank structure like the US Navy, and have ships armed with torpedoes, along with a hero ship named after a WW2 aircraft carrier, well, I’m sorry but you got yourself a military there.

The best way I heard it put is like this: The Federation would like nothing more than to give the universe a big hug. Turns out, though, the universe isn’t a hugger, so that’s why Starfleet exists.

Yeah, can’t really argue with that! And that’s why I believe Starfleet had to be a huge organization after the Romulan war (even if TOS didn’t have the money or technology to really show it on screen) if you are both exploring the galaxy but also defending your territory in an area where there isn’t one but two neutral zones to patrol.

Although funny now I guess by the 25th century neither neutral zones exist anymore, so progress! :)

Yeah this confuses me too. Glad Boimler set those idiots at the booth straight but it does come off like a military outfit at times.

In the first JJ Verse movie Pike said Starfleet was an armada or something like that but no one should ever take the JJ verse movies seriously. 🙄

It was worse than that. If I’m remembering right, the writers were even more confused and called the ‘Federation’ a peacekeeping armada.

LOL, you are saying that like the JJ verse writers are the problem here. Ah, the irony. :-))

What? I’m not sure I know what you mean. I was pointing out that the writers of the 2009 movie got the Federation and Starfleet mixed up and it ended up in the final movie. It’s a bit of trivia.

What’s the ironic part?

My comment is not really directed at you specifically. It’s more that I find is ironically hilarious that many of the same Star Trek fans who apply critiques of the canon issues, mistakes and brain-farts in JJ Trek, give Lower Decks a complete free pass — and to me, Lower Decks insults my love and understanding of Star Trek at a much higher level than the Kelvin movies ever did.

Personally I can see and admit the issues on both shows though, but many of the fans who are buying everything they see as “real Star Trek” on LDS I think have lost all perspective given the sorts of brain-dead stuff for laughs on that show — WHICH IS CANON — far exceeds stuff like Budgeneering or a “Starfleet Peacekeeping Armada” mistep line in Trek 2009. So I find the ironically humerous!

PS: People also forget that lines like that “Starfleet is a peacekeeping armada” were in a script that was “locked” during filming due to the writers strike at that point in time, so rewrites to fix stuff like that was not possible. LDS doesn’t have excused for stuff that we see like them making snarky comments on Star Trek production stuff that is outside of canon and should never be said, or stuff we see like the entire starship physically shaking in space due to some music in the crew lounge.

Well, I don’t buy any of that “this is canon” stuff from the creators of LDS. I think it’s all just corporate talk so they can have their marketing opportunities for a “shared universe” and whatever multi-series crossovers they can advertise for Paramount+ and so forth. That’s simply the business model now in popular culture.

Me, I just try to take LDS as the standalone satire of Trek that it should have been all along and leave it at that. Saying this stuff is canon might be the biggest joke of them all.

Good point!

This is a great point actually. I’ll be honest I don’t care what’s canon or not canon I only care that I like it. I am a Star Trek fan but never obsessed about it either. Basically the only Star Trek I liked for a long time was TNG and VOY. I didn’t even really call myself a Star Trek fan until years later because I wasn’t into the other shows including TOS. It felt weird to say I was a fan of the franchise if I never watched the original show. At least to me at the time.

But my point is I never watched something because it was ‘canon’. I think LDS should be canon but it doesn’t have to be either. I don’t like JJ verse at all but I don’t care it’s canon either. Never had an issue with that or any of it. But like you said I think it’s become a corporate mindset to just make it all canon because it gives all of it weight I guess.

Look at Star Wars, when Disney took it over they went even further with it and made EVERY piece of media canon. That doesn’t just include the comics and novels which wasn’t under Lucas but now even the video games are canon. THE VIDEO GAMES BRO!!! They gone crazy with it. 🙄

So if people think LDS shouldn’t be canon because it’s bonkers I totally get where they are coming from. I don’t have an issue at all but I’m biased because I love it! 😁👍

But I would still love it if it wasn’t. I think most fans would feel the same. But it could be worse at least the new Lower Decks video game isn’t canon…yet. đŸ€Ł

One day though, Paramount may go Disney on it all if they think they will get more $$$ out of it.

Ok thanks! I couldn’t remember the exact wording. I’ve only seen it twice back in 2009 at the theater. Never had the urge to watch it ever again.

WHY THE EFF’ is this show so good?

IT’S A CARTOOOON it’s not SUPPOSED to be this gooood.

Two great character-driven episodes in a row, with deep cuts that don’t feel like force-fed fan service.

The show is zany and silly, but I love how ultimately warm-hearted it is. The moment that the entire gang showed up in the Delta Flyer, I actually cheered.

The last two episodes have been brilliant, I still think the Rutherford implant memory was originally for a story arc relating to Captain Freeman’s arrest at the end of season 2

Lower Decks just keep on bringing it!! Another fantastic episode!

Show is on top of its game. As a hardcore 24th century Trek fan if I had only TNG, DS9, VOY, PRO and LDS as the only Trek I get to watch for the rest of my life I wouldn’t complain! 😎

I can’t get over how well written this entire episode is, it’s so deep in the weeds of the TNG universe that I take for granted that I’m watching a NEW Star Trek series and not a rerun. As always, another episode that proves Mike McMahon was raised on the same Trek I was, no detail spared.

Damn, that’s the second ep in a row that’s reverted to the middle-school level BS that it was seeming like they have moved past this season. I had been enjoying the first couple eps until last week’s, now we get this crapfest. Like Starfleet would ever need to have recruiting booths set up with these immature bozos trying to get people singed up — give me an effing break.

It’s just pathetic to see Star Trek reduced to this nonsensical BS. I’ll keep watching thought given I’m told by CBS that everything I see on this series actually happens in Star Trek’s future history.

Come on, let’s have more eps like the first two eps on this season. Those actually made sense and were not insulting to my intelligence and love for Star Trek.

This was a fantastic episode, my favourite of the season so far.

This we agree on! :)

Now that’s more like it. After a mixed bag in the first four episodes this one was excellent.

“Ooh, the one where you’re in a new timeline with Kirk and Spock where they have cinematic chemistry?”

How did I miss this line?!? I missed it in my first watch but someone mentioned it on YouTube and I had no idea what they were talking about. I watched the episode again when I got home and it’s hilarious! This is why I love this show so much. And it’s always nice when somebody remembers the Kelvin movies and don’t treat them like they have a disease.

See, McMahan cares! ;D

lol I am glad I am not the only one that thought Kelvin timeline.

“…don’t treat them like they have a disease.”

They are danger and disease, wrapped in darkness and silence. See, I remember ’em… -)

Seriously, I like them, at least 1 and 3… STID was horrible…

Probably one of the best episodes of the series so far. It felt like they balanced the humor with the drama/mystery well. On a side note, did anyone notice that the electronic headgear attached to Rutherford in Sickbay looked sort of like the helmet scanner thing Dr. Crusher wore in “Lonely Among Us”


Absolutely delightful! I actually find myself caring about these characters, in this case Rutherford. That’s not unusual for a cartoon or Trek, but I’ve not seen NuTrek pull those strings with me in ages.

I really loved the ships designs in this one. The Rom warbird was especially great looking and full of nice reflections. It looked better then TNG. Delta flyer was also nice.

I hope we get another season of LD.

Well season 4 was green lit a year ago, so we’re good for that. I’m hoping we get SEVEN seasons…and then a MOVIE! ;D

Ha ha that would be so cool! Let’s hope so! 👍👍

I think “seven years in a windowless room” is a bit of an oblique reference to Jon Adams’ “Chief O’Brien At Work” webcomic. https://chiefobrienatwork.com/post/106684455801/episode-1-rĂ©sumĂ©-builder-read-the-next-episode

lol I have never seen this. Sounds very likely this is a reference.

I really enjoyed this one. Rutherford’s implant back story is intriguing and I loved the callback to Voyager. By far, Boimler’s meltdown was the best! I was in tears laughing so hard.

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The episode’s A-story involves Commander Ransom (Jerry O’Connell) and Ensign Mariner  (Tawny Newsome) leading an away mission that also includes Ensign Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) and Lt. Billups (Paul Scheer) to Dulaine, a planet with a health-based culture that relies on orbital lifts (space elevators) to transport people and goods from the planet’s surface to orbit.

Having been given direct authority over Mariner in “Grounded,” Ransom is looking to put that to the test, creating circumstances to test Mariner’s resolve and her desire to rebel against Ransom’s authority. To do that, Ransom sends Rutherford and Billups to meet with the Dulainians directly, while he and Mariner work to fix a broken space elevator.

Rutherford and Billups are not up for the task of negotiating directly with an alien culture however, and once hijinks ensue, they must be rescued by Ransom and Mariner before being sacrificed to the planet’s sentient volcano.

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Back aboard the Cerritos , Ensign Boimler (Jack Quaid) is devastated to discover that Ensign Vendome — the Bolian lieutenant seen in early Season 1 — is now a captain. Convinced by Ensign Tendi (Noel Wells) that his awkward reticence is holding him back, Boimler decides to become “Bold Boimler” and say “yes” to every opportunity presented to him… even when a giant alien named K’ranch (Nolan North) requests to be able to hunt Boimler for sport.

“The Least Dangerous Game,” from Lower Decks ’ executive story editor Garrick Bernard, leans hard on sitcom tropes – purposefully putting characters in situations they’re not right for to increase the humor factor, the character who decides to say yes to everything and gets offered a bunch of terrible choices – but for as much as this episode feels very sitcom-y, it works. The jokes are tight and funny, and the Dulainians are a funny exploration of a few Trek tropes.

The character design for K’ranch is a cool; I really like it when the Lower Decks team leans into the animated format of the show to present a unique and interesting alien design for us. And the motivations behind K’ranch are subversive and surprising in a fun way. I am also curious to see how this character turn for Boimler plays out in future episodes, if it does at all.

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It feels like in order for the character to advance he is ultimately going to have to become more of a confident Starfleet officer, and perhaps “The Least Dangerous Game” was set up to get him on that path.

This season, Lower Decks also begins to expand its repertoire of Star Trek references, going beyond callbacks just to the other Star Trek shows, but increasingly calling back to itself as well. Boimler learning that Vendome — the hapless ensign who was struck by a spear in “Temporal Edict” and who appeared as a background character multiple times in Seasons 1 and 2 — had made captain is a big plot point for this episode.

And it’s entirely based on Lower Decks itself, and not some callback to another show. I think we’ll see more of this as season three goes on, and it feels like Lower Decks confidently asserting its own place in the Star Trek franchise by saying they’re just as willing to call back to themselves as they are to any other show in the franchise.

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Also, special shout out to the episode’s framing device – the Klingon version of Dungeons & Dragons , a.k.a. Bat’leths & Binuchs . I enjoy any time Lower Decks is able to break the fourth wall and pull parts of what’s fun about being a Star Trek fan into Star Trek itself, and so the idea that our Lower Deckers get enjoyment out of tabletop roleplaying games (as someone who’s nearly two years into playing in a Star Trek Adventures group myself!) is a lot of fun to see.

It’s a thrill hearing Martok (J.G. Hertzler) once again, even if it is just a Ferengi holographic knock-off.

TREK TROPE TRIBUTES

  • The appearance of the Dulainians plays with a number of tropes around the kinds of cultures that Star Trek That they are a “health based” culture is clearly designed to spoof races like the Edo where most of the characters were scantily clad.  
  • In addition, the rulers of the Dulainians — a sentient volcano named Morgo, a psychic baby named Nandrick, and a sentient computer named 355 — are send ups of all the cultures encountered in Star Trek that worshiped one of these entities as a leader. Though on this planet, all three together provide “a system of checks and balances.”  
  • According to Ransom, “Starfleet isn’t all about being fed fruit by erotic aliens with slightly different nose ridges.” Having watched Star Trek , I’m not sure I agree with him!

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CANON CONNECTIONS

  • Mariner orbital skydives, with many of the shots designed to evoke the orbital skydiving sequence from the 2009 Star Trek film.  
  • Boimler agrees to play on the ship’s springball team — a Bajoran version of racquetball — with characters dressing in attire very similar to Bashir’s outfit in “Rivals.”

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

  • The Klingon version of Dungeons & Dragons looks like a lot of fun, complete with miniature figures and an interactive, holographic dungeon master. I really hope we get to see the Gowron expansion pack some day!  
  • An episode about space elev — er, orbital lifts — without a single “Rise” reference?  
  • I enjoyed the moment where Ransom is watching the equivalent of a YouTube tutorial video for how to fix the space elevator.  
  • Mariner activates her flight suit by tapping an icon at her navel, the holy body region of the Dulaine culture.  
  • It’s always great to see Matt and Kimolu again, the two Cetacean Ops beluga whales introduced at the end of Season 2. (They’re right, Boimler is a real drama magnet.)

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Because it relies so heavily on sitcom tropes rather than Star Trek tropes, “The Least Dangerous Game” is probably not going to appear all that highly on many fans’ Season 3 Lower Decks rankings. But that’s not because it’s a bad episode — it’s fun and funny in all the ways you want this show to be — but because it just doesn’t quite hit the heights of what Lower Decks can do commenting on Star Trek itself.

I still had a great time, and what more can you ask for?

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Star Trek: Lower Decks returns with “Mining The Mind’s Mines” on Thursday, September 8 on Paramount+ in the United States, Australia, Latin America, and the Nordics, as well as on CTV Sci Fi Channel in Canada and on Prime Video in many other regions.

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This cartoon is the best Star Trek has been since Deep Space Nine

The critical success of this animated spin-off proves that you shouldn’t judge a holonovel by its isolinear rod.

Lower Decks isn’t a ‘traditional’ Star Trek show. That sentence makes perfect sense, right? Of course it’s not a ‘traditional’ Star Trek show. It’s a cartoon. The characters all speak really quickly like they’re in a cartoon. It’s animated, and it’s written and produced like a cartoon, because it’s a cartoon.

In reality, the concept of a ‘traditional’ Star Trek show is a faulty one. This is a series/franchise/media brand/shared universe (pick the least nauseating term) that thrives on reinvention, producing a bewildering number of spin-offs that all, for better or worse, come with their own unique proposition for what a Star Trek show can be about.

The only thing untraditional about Lower Decks is its premise: that it follows the lives of a core ensemble of bottom-rung characters, on one of the least important ships in the fleet, where the usual command level heroics and big picture stories are merely a backdrop. It understands and respects Star Trek Tradition perfectly well enough. It has to, in order to turn it on its head so deftly, with the love and affection for Trek’s past that exudes from every aspect of the production: the 90s throwback art direction, the sound design, the deep cut in-jokes that you won’t get unless you spent your teens reading The Deep Space Nine Technical Manual instead of smoking tabs and having loads of awkward sex.

Indeed, the very fact that it takes its name from a landmark TNG episode, one sequelised in this latest season (all now bingable on Paramount Plus) to outstanding effect. A painstakingly earned connection to a classic episode, poignant, thrilling, and deliberately silly. It's incredible television, and does things with the Star Trek formula that just couldn't happen anywhere else. Which is why a lot of Trekkies simply won't watch it.

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When a Beloved Thing becomes a Cultural Institution, it’s usually a death sentence. If not for its status as a going concern, then for whatever spark of creativity or inventiveness that made it beloved in the first place. Hit TV shows either bow out while they’re still good, leaving the people wanting more, or they limp along for what seems like forever, locked in a downward spiral of diminishing returns, terrified of changing the formula lest it alienate the devotees.

Star Trek wasn’t a hit TV show, and it didn’t bow out while it was still good either. Cancelled after a dismal third season, it was an expensive headache of a show that never quite found its audience. Not until it was syndicated some years later, in fact, which led to its revival as a saturday morning cartoon, then a series of films that ranged in quality from “Peerless Science-Fiction Masterpiece” to “Directed by William Shatner”, then the aforementioned spin-offs, beginning in 1987 with Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Infamously, Star Trek fans hated it, because it changed things. This bald academic is no substitute for Kirk, etc etc. Nowadays it’s probably more highly regarded than the original show, of course, because generations of people have grown up loving it. People who now find themselves presented with a revived Star Trek franchise that keeps Getting Things Wrong.

It’s traditional at this point to draw a parallel between Trek fans in 1987, those idiotic fools who failed to appreciate TNG’s genius from the off, and modern Trek fans, these idiotic fools who don’t understand that Discovery will be regarded with the same reverence as TNG in twenty years, and anyone who thinks it’s a load of incoherent Targ’s kidneys in which every conflict is solved by Michael Burnham sobbing about her mother, or whatever, is destined to look foolish by that point. Assuming there’s anyone left to pass judgement by then who hasn’t boiled to death in the climate apocalypse.

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The thing about those foolish Trek fans in 1987, though, is that they weren’t entirely wrong. TNG’s first couple of seasons did suck, due to numerous factors that entire books and dozens of hours of documentaries have been produced about. But it got better as it matured, and found its own feet, stepping out from under the shadow of its predecessor and inspiring a load of spin-offs of its own. One of which was Deep Space Nine, which is still the best Star Trek show ever produced. And, yes, trekkies hated it when it started. And, yes, they kinda had a point: that pilot was rough going, and it took about thirty episodes for the show to start picking up. Which seems mental now, but this was a time when TV seasons were usually between 22 and 27 episodes long.

In a very Star Trek fashion, Deep Space Nine wasn’t really appreciated in its day either. It was generally regarded as the ugly stepchild of the franchise. For years, the prevailing view was that it sucked because it was slow, it wasn’t even set on a ship, and the crew rarely went anywhere except Bajor which was a boring planet full of boring arseholes. The consensus shifted dramatically, though, with the advent of box sets and streaming. DS9 could never have been made in a different time: it is a 90s production through and through. And yet, the best way to enjoy it is to binge watch. It seems designed for that, despite predating the concept by over a decade.

When marathoned, or at least watched at a higher frequency than 26 episodes per year, DS9’s grand vision comes together much more quickly, and the various arcs can truly be appreciated for their long-game boldness: the Dominion War, for example, which dominates the latter three seasons, is very clearly seeded from the get go. But if you were watching once per week, you’d never keep it all in your head. Imagine the usual tangent about Babylon 5 here if you want.

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Lower Decks and DS9 are tonally about as opposite as you can get. Even DS9’s big war action scenes with massive battle fleets smashing into each other are positively sedate compared to LD’s 200mph line delivery of four ensigns having their morning cuppa. But the two shows have a lot in common beyond the shared universe: LD’s reverence for 90s Star Trek, and the glee with which it has fun playing in that world, is not unlike DS9’s eagerness to pick up threads dropped by the Original Series and run with them. And much of the show’s characteristic humour shines through in these episodes. The intrinsic daftness of Klingons. The regular city-breaks to the Mirror Universe, where the actors are let loose on theatrically twisted, comically weasley versions of their usual characters. An entire Tribbles callback episode full of TV production jokes, that even ends on a massive punchline.

Not to mention the genuinely hilarious Ferengi episodes, which a lot of philistines skip. The borderline sitcom relationships between Quark and Rom, Bashir and O’Brien etc. The point is, far from being a stuffy, serious show about doing a space war, DS9 does a lot of jokes. It has a sense of humour that is genuinely laugh-out-loud once you’ve dialled into it. Which is a bit of a Trek staple actually: every series has its own comedy frequency, including the original.

Lower Decks is more or less an entirely complete Berman era Trek show. All the elements are present and correct: strong character arcs, situation-of-the-week drama, quality performances that elevate silly sci-fi plots which are often, y’know, a bit crap when you think too hard about them. Humour, of course. It’s all the same stuff. But the sliders have been fiddled with. The gag rate dialled up 1000%. The pacing set to warp factor 9.9. And, perhaps most riskily, its self-indulgence channelled through the deflector dish and shot through a Borg cube. It absolutely revels in being Star Trek, in messing around with the goodies in that vast interstellar toybox, but it isn’t afraid to remix those things in ways that would scarcely occur to the writers that originally came up with them.

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It’s a Star Trek show that loves being a Star Trek show, which I realise is an iffy proposition in an era of cultural stagnation where it’s impossible to get anything commissioned unless it’s tied to some existing Media Brand and has a pre-packaged audience. And that’s why there are still a lot of Trekkies who just can’t get past first appearances when it comes to Lower Decks. We know this because they all kicked up a right stink when Lower Decks characters made their live action debut in this year’s Strange New Worlds crossover (which was excellent, by the way).

I get it. I understand. The prospect of Trek being set upon by ex Rick & Morty staffers and turned into some horrid bastardised Funko Pop generator is a galling one. Or “the back corner of HMV”, as a friend of mine once lamented. And let’s face it, the rest of New Trek didn’t exactly inspire confidence in this bold experiment. Discovery is unfettered crap. Picard was abysmal until it just threw its hands up and did a TNG epilogue season, which was Mostly Fine, but by that point Mostly Fine represented a significant improvement.

VG247’s associate editor Alex Donaldson and I have a shorthand when it comes to watching the bad Star Trek: one of us will text the other and say “Just about the put the bins out”. It means “I’m about to put Discovery or Picard on and wince for 50 minutes”. If you’ll permit me to explain a joke (sorry), the point is that we’re old Trek fans who have decades invested in this thing. Thousands of space miles logged on the good ship USS Franchise. At this juncture, they could do an entire season of Discovery about Saru sitting in the bathtub and we’d watch every single second. Because it’s Star Trek. We need to know what happens. There might be a quiz. We have to take the bins out, not because we want to, but because we need to. Otherwise the kitchen will smell of garbage. Look, the metaphor disintegrates if you try and extend it.

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It’s a testament to Lower Decks’ quality that the Bins Out gag never occurs. Only elation. Only joy. Joy and a mild sense of relief about this being one of two Star Trek imprints since literally the late nineties that is just a genuinely good Star Trek show that you don’t have to consciously ignore the crap bits of as you watch: the reflexive self-editing mode that Trek fans have had to program themselves to do after decades of half-baked movies, prequels, reboots, and poorly considered revivals that don’t understand Star Trek’s appeal on any level beyond Kirk Good, Klingons Bad.

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Lower Decks is the most perfect form for Star Trek in the modern age. It respects and enriches its own past, reminding us why we love this thing in the first place rather than leveraging empty nostalgia for its own sake. It will, I’m confident, go down in history as one of the best Star Treks – a Surprise Favourite that started off on shaky ground but that eventually won everyone over. Just like DS9. Just like TNG. Just like TOS.

Badgey is rubbish though, stop doing that one.

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Recap / Star Trek: Lower Decks

Edit locked, unmarked spoilers are present throughout the subpages as well as some of the synopses below. read at your own risk..

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  • " Second Contact ": Captain Freeman charges Boimler with spying on Mariner during a ground mission. Meanwhile, Tendi's first day on the Cerritos is spent dealing with a zombie plague.
  • " Envoys ": Boimler and Mariner's mission to escort a Klingon diplomat is complicated when he steals their shuttle and leaves them stranded. Meanwhile, Rutherford keeps transferring across the ship's divisions in order to have more time to spend with Tendi.
  • " Temporal Edict ": Captain Freeman forces the crew to work without rest after hearing about its tradition of "Buffer Time". Meanwhile, Mariner and Commander Ransom are forced to fight in a gladiatorial arena after a diplomatic mission gone wrong.
  • " Moist Vessel ": A towing mission gone wrong leads to the Cerritos being terraformed by alien technology. Meanwhile, Tendi's clumsiness prevents Lieutenant O'Connor's spiritual ascension.
  • " Cupid's Errant Arrow ": Mariner is convinced that Boimler's too-perfect girlfriend is an alien imposter. Meanwhile, Rutherford and Tendi try to avoid being forced to transfer to the Vancouver .
  • " Terminal Provocations ": Mariner and Boimler need to covertly deal with a feral computer core created by another ensign's mistakes. Meanwhile, Rutherford's experimental training program achieves sapience and tries to kill him.
  • " Much Ado About Boimler ": When Boimler is left stuck in a partly corporeal state in a transporter accident, he's sent off to "the Farm" alongside other victims of freak accidents and is caught in the middle of an uprising. Tendi and her genetically engineered mutant dog are also sent along for the ride.
  • " Veritas ": The ensigns are forced to testify in an alien court about the actions of the bridge crew. However, all of their accounts are filled with holes because Rutherford has amnesia, Tendi has to censor classified information, and nobody tells ensigns anything.
  • " Crisis Point ": Boimler uses the crew's private logs to create a hyperrealistic simulation to train for an interview. Mariner deals with some issues by using it to make a holomovie where she's cast as a villain who slaughters the Cerritos 's crew.
  • " No Small Parts ": Boimler accidentally spills the beans on a secret Mariner did not want her shipmates to know, leading to tensions between the two. While investigating a distress signal, the Cerritos is attacked by the Pakleds, who have become a nascent threat while being ignored by Starfleet.

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  • " Strange Energies ": After being zapped by a strange alien artifact, Commander Ransom becomes a god and goes mad with power. Meanwhile, Tendi is convinced that Rutherford's new implant is messing with his mind and tries to cure him by any means possible.
  • " Kayshon, His Eyes Open ": The Cerritos receives a new Tamarian head of security. He's turned into a puppet during a mission to a dead collector's spaceship, forcing the ensigns to fend for themselves.
  • " We'll Always Have Tom Paris ": Mariner and Tendi panic when they accidentally break Dr. T'Ana's ancestral libido post. Meanwhile, Rutherford sees Shaxs walking around the ship and becomes obsessed with finding out how he came back to life.
  • " Mugato, Gumato ": During a mission to a planet of carnivorous apes, Boimler and Rutherford become convinced that Mariner is an undercover black ops agent. Meanwhile, Captain Freeman is tricked by an alien scam artist.
  • " An Embarrassment of Dooplers ": Mariner and Boimler try to sneak into a party using his transporter clone's invitation. Meanwhile, the Cerritos is overrun by an alien who duplicates when embarrassed.
  • " The Spy Humongous ": Ransom and Kayshon try to keep track of an extremely incompetent alien spy. Boimler is invited in a group of ensigns who try to advance by copying famous captains.
  • " Where Pleasant Fountains Lie ": While escorting a megalomaniacal computer to a secure facility, Mariner and Boimler crash on a barren planet. Meanwhile, Chief Engineer Billups must avoid his mother's attempts to trick him into having sex.
  • " I, Excretus ": The Cerritos 's crew must go through a series of drills to confirm their continued competency. This wouldn't be so bad if they didn't keep failing every one of them.
  • " wej Duj ": On the Cerritos , Boimler tries to pal up with a senior officer during a long warp jump. On a Klingon ship, a junior officer's world is rocked when he discovers that his captain is, in fact, dishonorable. On a Vulcan ship, one crewmember is a pariah for being slightly less emotionless than the rest.
  • " First First Contact ": The Cerritos must charge through a field of radioactive asteroids to save another Starfleet vessel, Freeman's impending transfer leads to an uproar in the senior staff, and Tendi becomes convinced that Dr. T'Ana is going to kick her out of Medical.

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  • " Grounded ": Freeman is put on trial under charges of blowing up the Pakled homeworld. Mariner tries to steal the Cerritos to find proof to exonerate her.
  • " The Least Dangerous Game ": Mariner and Ransom try to fix a broken space elevator while Mariner is on probation for insubordination. Meanwhile, Boimler shortsightedly agrees to be hunted for sport.
  • " Mining the Mind's Mines ": The ensigns must clear psychic landmines that tempt victims with their deepest desires. Tendi must get the captain to pay attention to her during peace negotiations.
  • " Room for Growth ": Freeman tries and fails to get the engineers to relax. Meanwhile, Boimler, Tendi, and Mariner try to rig a lottery to give them better living quarters.
  • " Reflections ": Rutherford's pre-implant personality reemerges and tries to take over his body. Meanwhile, Mariner and Boimler are assigned to a recruiting booth during a job fair but keep getting bullied by the other groups.
  • " Those Old Scientists ": In this crossover episode with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Boimler and Mariner, played in live action by their voice actors (who, by great good fortune, look a lot like their characters ), accidentally get flung back in time and end up at the feet of the Enterprise crew. While it occurs at this spot in the LWD timeline, it is officially a SNW episode and aired on July 22, 2023, well after the end of season 3 and a few months prior to season 4.
  • " A Mathematically Perfect Redemption ": Peanut Hamper returns after crash-landing on a planet of bird people and joining their society. A seemingly idyllic life on a bird planet is soured when Drookmani scavengers attack.
  • " Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus ": Boimler tries to grapple with an emotional crisis when he learns that his clone died. Meanwhile, Tendi's role as the lead in a holomovie helps her realize that she wants to be a captain.
  • " Trusted Sources ": When a journalist is sent to the Cerritos , Freeman cracks down on crew schedules to project the best possible appearance. However, someone still spills the beans on the ship's dirty laundry.
  • " The Stars at Night ": In the wake of the deployment of the new Texas -class starships and Freeman's abysmal handling of having a journalist on the ship, the Cerritos faces decommissioning, but her replacement may not be fit for duty. Meanwhile, Mariner is reevaluating her life in light of her resignation from Starfleet.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stld_season_4_tv_tropes.png

  • " Twovix ": The Cerritos crew head to the Starfleet Museum to visit the iconic starship U.S.S. Voyager .
  • " I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee ": Lieutenant Mariner, Commander Ransom, and a new guy named Gary visit an alien menagerie to rescue two human exhibits, but during the mission, the menagerie's most dangerous (and adorable) exhibit gets out of its enclosure. Ensign Rutherford desperately tries to get promoted. Lieutenant Boimler looks for a good place to sleep.
  • " In the Cradle of Vexilon ": Lieutenant Boimler leads his first away mission on an alien megastructure.
  • " Something Borrowed, Something Green ": Tendi is summoned back to Orion for a wedding.
  • " Empathalogical Fallacies ": A trio of Betazoids cause chaos on the Cerritos .
  • " Parth Ferengi's Heart Place ": The crew of the Cerritos explores the culture of the Ferengi's home planet Ferenginar during a diplomatic mission.
  • " A Few Badgeys More ": The Cerritos has a not-so-happy reunion with three AI villains.
  • " Caves ": Beta Shift recounts their experiences being trapped in caves while trapped in a cave.
  • " The Inner Fight " (part 1 of 2): The Cerritos is sent to pick up a former Starfleet cadet, while Beta Shift has to figure out why Mariner has been acting self-destructive as of late.
  • " Old Friends, New Planets " (part 2 of 2): The Cerritos crew must defy orders to rescue Mariner, while she confronts her past, literally and figuratively, to stop the disillusioned mastermind behind this season’s plot.
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REVIEW – Star Trek: Lower Decks “Caves”

Connor Schwigtenberg

The fourth season of Star Trek: Lower Decks is coming to an end with the eighth episode “Caves” . Season 4 has been a season of substantial change, promoting all of the Lower Deckers . However, amongst all these crazy missions, the four main characters have had very little time to relax and hang out. That’s where this episode comes in, disconnected from any arc and allowing the gang time to reminisce.

So, what does the show do with the classic cave setting this week? How have the gang actually grown and changed since the beginning of the season? And what is this mysterious green moss? All of this and more in this review of the latest Lower Decks crazy antics await the crew of the USS Cerritos so late in the game. All of this and more in my review of the latest Lower Decks adventures.

WARNING – Spoilers below for the Star Trek: Lower Decks episode “Caves” . If you’ve not seen the episode, it’s probably a good idea to watch it before continuing on!

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Another Cave Adventure

As the title rather creatively telegraphs, this episode takes place in a cave. In classic live-action Star Trek , these crazy alien worlds tend to look like Southern California or the same identical cave. It’s kind of surprising that the show had never touched it before late Season 4. However, letting Mariner (Tawny Newsome) dissect classic cave adventures was a great decision. Letting the show be a meta-commentary on Trek is where it generates the biggest laughs from me.

Sending the four Lower Deckers down on the same away mission is long overdue. It’s been such a long time since they all had a genuine interaction. Splitting the characters up so much has been one of the season’s biggest flaws, and this episode fixes just about all of those complaints in one go. Having them work toward the same common goal, and being trapped in the same enclosed space is a stroke of genius.

The confined setting forces them to actually deal with one another. While there’s obviously no animosity or serious conflict, there’s a sense that they don’t know each other anymore. Having them share stories of their solo adventures while on their first mission together in ages allows the characters to address this flaw. It does it rather well, but also allows the episode to lean into a classic TV trope that Star Trek hasn’t done in a long long time.

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Classic Filler Format

The episode’s a sort of clip show, but all the footage they cut away to is stuff that we actually haven’t seen before. Clip shows, especially where the footage is from previous episodes, tend to not be held in high regard. Just look at the Next Generation episode “Shades of Gray” , held to be a letdown of a season finale as well as a poor hour of television.

A parody like this, a healthy middle-ground between the absurdity of Rick and Morty and the craziness of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is delightful. There aren’t really any guest stars in the cave they share, which forces them to play their memories solely off one another. While these unseen adventures look like fun, the best part of it is that the cave setting in all these stories is the same one that the crew find themselves trapped in in the present.

The identical set in an animated show is far from an unnecessary addition if only to highlight the similarity of the cave episodes of Star Trek . This is honestly the best use of the ‘clip show’ format I’ve ever seen. It’s not recapping a series, and the characters seem to be genuinely bonding for the first time in a long time. It may be overdue, but it creates the most sentimental episode of the season by far. If this is a bonding experience leading into a tragic finale, this would be devastating.

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The Survivors

The stories that the individual crewmembers tell are funny while not totally compelling enough to fill out their own episode. Writer Ben Rodgers understood the assignment when it came to what warrants an episode, and what’s probably best suited to a short skit. The most notable of the four, and probably my favorite, came from Boimler ( Jack Quaid ). As with all the stories, he finds himself trapped in a cave.

However, he’s trapped with someone who can only be described as an idiot. He’s a conspiracy theorist in just about every way, with a couple of obvious connections to the sort of stuff they spout these days. While it feels a little overdone in comedy, there’s something charming about a Star Trek version of this sort of stuff. It’s very tongue-in-cheek, and having him actually be correct about some stuff is a genuine shock.

What was most surprising though was the inclusion of the Vendorians from the original Animated Series episode “The Survivor” . Given it’s the 50th anniversary of the classic series, it’s fitting. Although, it’s not the first time the species has appeared in the series, with both having animated roots. It’s nice that after all this time, and about a century later, they get the chance to be fleshed out a little more.

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Ageing Lines and Babies

There are two other cave stories from throughout the episode, including some paternal instincts and briefly becoming far far older. Rutherford ( Eugene Cordero ) becomes trapped with Dr T’Ana ( Gillian Vigman ) in, you guessed it, a cave! There are some big Star Trek monsters that wouldn’t have looked very good in the ’90s, and some strange male pregnancy played for laughs. It’s an absurd premise, but nothing that the shows haven’t done before.

The best bit of it all is the paternal instincts that Rutherford develops for the strange clone baby. It goes to show that perhaps the natural endpoint for these characters could well be parenthood. Not only that but T’Ana continues to be one of the show’s funniest characters. It’s a real shame that she and Shaxs (Fred Tatasciore) are often sidelined and totally absent. Softening on babies, and engineers marks what is probably her best moments all season.

Mariner’s story focuses on her and Delta Shift in a cave. They’ve been rivals throughout the series, so letting them make up also feels overdue. While some of the moments here, the leg stuff in particular, lean a little too far into the absurd for my taste, it’s still a good time. Playing around with the characters’ ages allowed for a great show of acting on all of the actors’ parts. While it wasn’t the best skit, there was clearly a lot of effort put in here.

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The Turbolift

Throughout the episode, Tendi ( NoĂ«l Wells ) keeps trying to tell a story about a turbolift. However the other characters keep stopping the story because it’s not a cave. They need ideas for a cave escape, and that’s not what they’ll find in a turbolift. While the story isn’t the secret to escaping, it’s a really heartwarming sight. In a surprise twist, she gets to tell the story after the carnivorous moss becomes sentient and insists.

It’s a sweet note to end the episode on too. The story is from shortly after the rage incident in the pilot episode, with the animation style subtly changing to match. Amid all the power failures, they got trapped in a turbolift. It forced the four of them to bond over hours and hours, with Tendi getting to know them essentially for the first time. The situation mirrors where they are in the episode’s main story, but they’re having way more fun together.

This is the sort of retrospective I would try and do before an emotionally devastating finale. There are two episodes left in the season, and ending on such a sweet note doesn’t bode well for the characters. Although if this is one of the last times that the gang is happy together, it could hardly end on a funnier note. What an inventive episode, using a classic sitcom trope and hilariously calling back to very old-school Star Trek budget limitations.

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“Caves” is a real standout episode from season 4. In allowing the characters to come together, and actually bond, it plays into the show’s biggest strength. Over the past four seasons, the cast have all really settled into their roles. Allowing them to actually interact with one another is something the show hasn’t done enough of this season. It fixes what is probably everyone’s biggest complaint all in one go.

I hope that the final episodes of the season actually wrap up the story satisfyingly. This has been the first episode since “In the Cradle of Vexilon” not to explicitly tie into the season’s ongoing arc. Given what was revealed last week, the final showdown is going to be big. Even better is that the characters will be going into this conflict more united than ever before. Whatever potential devastation the finale has in store, count me invested.

You can find  Star Trek: Lower Decks  streaming every Thursday on Paramount+ in the US, Latin America, UK, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. Each episode is also broadcast on the CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada. The season will also stream in South Korea on Paramount+ later in the year when the service arrives there. For more reviews, news, and general geeking out about  Star Trek , follow Trek Central!

More From Trek Central

📰 – REVIEW – Star Trek: Prodigy Season One Blu-ray

đŸ”„ – REVIEW – Star Trek: Lower Decks ‘Empathalogical Fallacies’

đŸ”ïž – REVIEW – Star Trek: Shaxs Best Day

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Star Trek: Lower Decks - The Badgey Directive lets you enjoy the show's humour in an idle game on mobile, out now on iOS and Android

Star Trek: Lower Decks - The Badgey Directive lets you enjoy the show's humour in an idle game on mobile, out now on iOS and Android

East Side Games Group has announced the official launch of Star Trek: Lower Decks - The Badgey Directive, letting players across the globe get their hands in the idle game on iOS and Android. Made in partnership with Paramount Consumer Products, the game features storylines across the popular sci-fi franchise on top of the characters from Star Trek: Lower Decks.

In Star Trek: Lower Decks - The Badgey Directive, players can expect the same beloved humour from the show. Players can take down Star Trek villains, level up their crew, collect and unlock fan-fave characters, engage in fun mini-games and more.

“ There’s a long history of taking Star Trek shows and making Star Trek things, and this game is  more than just a 'thing' - it’s a neat thing! I love that it’s a game with narratives, so you can hop  on your phone and get a little slice of Lower Decks on the go ,” says Mike McMahan, creator and showrunner of Star Trek: Lower Decks.

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“ Being able to bring such a beloved franchise to the mobile game space is an honour for all of  us at ESGG. We are fans first so as passionate members of the Star Trek following, this is  particularly exciting for us ,” says Jason Bailey, Chief Executive Officer of ESGG. “ Star Trek:  Lower Decks - The Badgey Directive is another top-tier IP franchise adding to what has already  been a record-breaking year for ESGG. ”

If you're eager to join in on all the fun and experience the game for yourself, you can download Star Trek: Lower Decks - The Badgey Directive on the iOS App Store and on the Google Play Store for Android devices. It's a free-to-play game with in-app purchases. You can also visit the official website for more info, or have a look at the embedded clip above to get a feel of the mechanics and visuals in store for you.

Are you on the hunt for more similar titles that will put your skills to the test on your mobile device? Why not take a gander at our list of the best Android idle games ?

Star Trek Lower Decks Mobile icon

Why 'Star Trek: Discovery' deserves more credit as a barrier-breaking series

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Starship Discovery will soon be ending its mission, and what a journey it's been.

“Star Trek: Discovery,” which premiered in 2017, is entering its fifth and final season Thursday on Paramount+. And you’ll need the Captain’s Log to remember all the twists, turns and transformations the show has gone through since it began.

One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the hate the series has received from some Trek fans. (“Discovery” has an overall audience score of 37% on Rotten Tomatoes, a stark difference from the 87% critic rating.)

While the show is far from free of legitimate criticism, many of the complaints seem unfairly – though perhaps tellingly – placed on the show’s focus on a Black woman commander, its LGBTQ+ stars and allies and its inclusive storylines. “Woke agenda” and other dog whistles frequently surface on Reddit and social media posts about the series.

That so much of the negativity is rooted in a backlash against inclusivity raises questions. After all, the "Star Trek" franchise has long emphasized and celebrated culture, diversity and humanity coming together and preserving the integrity of beings they meet across the galaxy.

"It doesn't make any sense, because (these fans) say they love this franchise," series star Sonequa Martin-Green says in an interview. The show “has always been about breaking those boundaries. It's always been about diversity and equality. And our world has changed since the last iteration of 'Trek.' We have a responsibility to push that needle forward and to stay true to that."

More: Issa Rae says Hollywood needs to be accountable. Here's why diverse shows are so important

The series is originally set before the events of NBC's original “Star Trek: The Original Series” (later jumping to the future) and follows Michael Burnham (Martin-Green), who became the starship’s captain, and the rest of the crew of the USS Discovery: first officer Saru (Doug Jones), chief engineer Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp), lieutenant and now Starfleet Academy teacher Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman), medical officer Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), courier and Burnham’s love interest Cleveland “Book” Booker (David Ajala) and ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio).

Many more characters have stood on the bridge, battled with Burnham, or otherwise make up the world of "Discovery." The series had some trouble finding the right footing, but it’s always had heart, especially in its recurring theme of redemption. And it deserves more support for what it has meant for the entire "Star Trek" franchise.

Here’s why “Star Trek: Discovery” deserves more credit:

Prioritizing diversity and inclusivity

A Vulcan philosophy (and one espoused by “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry) is IDIC, or “infinite diversity in infinite combinations,” and many of the related series, movies and books underscore this belief. “Discovery” also has diversity at its core: the show focuses on a Black woman who becomes captain. Stamets and Culber are an openly gay couple, and engineer Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) is a lesbian. And the show introduced a few franchise firsts: Adira Tal as the first nonbinary character in "Star Trek ," and their boyfriend, Gray ( Ian Alexander ), is the first transgender character , both introduced in Season 3.

More: 'Star Trek' documentary unveils star Nichelle Nichols' impactful NASA connection

Starting a new age of Star Trek

“Discovery” helped launch the CBS All Access streaming platform, a CBS subscription service that would eventually become Paramount+, as well as a new era of "Star Trek" series including “Lower Decks” and “Picard.” Before “Discovery,” the last Trek series was “Star Trek: Enterprise,” which ended in 2005.

Exploring strange new worlds

The second season of “Discovery” also served as a launching pad for the well-received spinoff, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” which resurfaced popular characters from the original series including Spock (Ethan Peck), Captain Pike (Anson Mount), Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and Number One (Rebecca Romijn).

Finding time for the simple things

In a few scenes scattered throughout "Discovery," we see characters like Culber and Stamets sharing a meal or talking about their day while brushing their teeth. It’s almost mundane, but there’s also something so lovely about watching LGBTQ+ characters who rarely are the focus in movies or television simply living their lives, being their whole selves. Burnham rocking braids at the beginning of Season 3 speaks cultural volumes. The subtle amid the big battles and overarching plots do have meaning, especially for those whose voices often go unheard.

Going boldly

The first season of “Discovery” went out of its way to highlight its connections to the original series: Burnham is Spock’s adopted sister, and there's a brief appearance by Spock’s father, Sarek. But it wasn’t always so neatly woven, sometimes seeming more like it was using franchise lore as a crutch. But “Discovery” wasn’t afraid to try new things, turning itself around after an overcomplicated first season and again after a very “TOS”-inspired second, slowly building up its own universe without relying too heavily on the old. 

The first episodes of Season 5 are a little rocky before it settles into a comfortable speed. 

"This time around, we wanted to bring in some levity," Martin-Green says. "But there's a grand sort of epicness to Season 5, even though we didn't know it was our last season when we were shooting it. I think looking back on it, and when we share it with the world, it'll seem that way because the season is so big. So people can expect a lot of fun. They can expect it to go really fast." 

It will be interesting to see if “Discovery” sticks the landing through the remainder of the season.

“The good outweighs the bad,” Burnham says in an upcoming episode about a mission, and that’s also true of “Discovery."

The fifth and final season of "Star Trek: Discovery" (two episodes now streaming, then weekly on Thursdays) streams on Paramount+.

IMAGES

  1. Star Trek: Lower Decks

    reddit star trek lower decks game

  2. Star Trek: Lower Decks Review

    reddit star trek lower decks game

  3. Star Trek Lower Decks Beginners Guide and Tips

    reddit star trek lower decks game

  4. Star Trek: Lower Decks Episode 4 Review: Moist Vessel

    reddit star trek lower decks game

  5. THE BADGEY DIRECTIVE Mobile Game Brings the STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS Crew

    reddit star trek lower decks game

  6. Star Trek Strange New Worlds/Lower Decks Crossover Announced

    reddit star trek lower decks game

COMMENTS

  1. lowerdecksgame

    However, it probably needs some slight balance tweaking (maybe lower shop prices to the starting at 15 but goes up by 5 like the new Little Holo-day). Also, having the get Tyln to level 7 for the automation was a bit rough, I was expecting it to be lvl 6 based off of the other simulations. Lastly, I noticed several goals said complete X ...

  2. THE BADGEY DIRECTIVE Mobile Game Brings the STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS Crew

    The Star Trek: Lower Decks-themed idle game is expected to launch worldwide in 2022. The free-to-play mobile game will feature the Star Trek: Lower Decks style and humour to transport players into the Star Trek Universe and will feature characters and settings from across the entire Star Trek library. More information about Star Trek: Lower ...

  3. I freaking love how Star Trek merch is part of Lower Decks canon

    I freaking love how Star Trek merch is part of Lower Decks canon 😂đŸ„č. And extra props to the writers for how obscure some of it is
mirror universe Archer
a Malcolm Reid puzzle
. And I could swear I had Data bubble bath when I was a kid
. 2. Sort by:

  4. Star Trek Lower Decks : r/startrek

    Lower Decks is my favorite Star Trek. I watched a lot of TNG as a kid with my mom, but I was pretty young so my memory is not great with it. I've seen a few episodes of DS9. I've seen several of the movies over the years. But really Star Trek wasn't negative or positive to me, it just was there and it felt overwhelming to really get into it.

  5. STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS Review

    71. "A Mathematically Perfect Redemption" is the most experimental episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks to date, going even further than last season's " wej Duj " in de-emphasizing the Cerritos crew to focus on exploring Lower Deckers of all stripes. But where " wej Duj " focused on heroic Lower Deckers on other ships, this episode ...

  6. 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Mobile Game In Development
 Featuring Badgey

    The crew of the USS Cerritos is headed to your mobile device with the announcement of a new Star Trek: Lower Decks game in development.. Star Trek: Lower Decks The Badgey Directive. A free-to-play ...

  7. Star Trek Lower Decks Beginners Guide and Tips

    Star Trek Lower Decks is the much-awaited game for Star Trek fans is now brought to them by the very own, East Side Games Studio to bring back all the memories and storyline of the Star Trek lower Decks series which was started back in 2020 and continues till the present. The game follows up with all the significant characters and storylines shown in the series with the exact fun that the fans ...

  8. Star Trek Lower Decks Mobile

    The official Star Trek: Lower Decks idle game! Finally, after yet another tedious duty roster, the Lower Decks crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos is ready to party at a Zebulon Sisters concert! Tendi's even more excited, as this'll be her first Chu Chu Dance! But first, they need to get through routine training exercises on the holodeck, which Boimler ...

  9. Star Trek: Lower Decks

    The official Star Trek: Lower Decks idle game! Finally, after yet another tedious duty roster, the Lower Decks crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos is ready to party at a Zebulon Sisters concert! Tendi's even more excited, as this'll be her first Chu Chu Dance! But first, they need to get through routine training exercises 


  10. Review: 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Takes A Long Look At Itself In

    The new yous. Lower Decks ramps up the humor in a densely packed episode that raises character stakes established at the beginning of the season. "Reflections" brings in some welcome character ...

  11. STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS Review

    Star Trek: Lower Decks episodes can broadly be categorized in one of two ways: those that revolve around some kind of Star Trek trope as their primary storytelling device, and those that rely on more standard sitcom tropes with a Star Trek twist. "The Least Dangerous Game" falls in the latter category — and though I generally find those kinds of episodes have been the weaker of the two ...

  12. Is Star Trek Lower Decks good? Yes, it's great

    Lower Decks is more or less an entirely complete Berman era Trek show. All the elements are present and correct: strong character arcs, situation-of-the-week drama, quality performances that ...

  13. Star Trek: Lower Decks / Recap

    The recap page for Star Trek: Lower Decks. Unmarked spoilers are present throughout the subpages as well as some of the synopses below. Read at your own risk. The first season of Star Trek: Lower Decks premiered in August 2020. "Second Contact 


  14. Star Trek Lower Decks Game

    Star Trek Lower Decks Game. 5,715 likes · 9 talking about this. Join the Lower Decks Cerritos crew on idle adventures in the Star Trek Universe! Support - message us in-game or via...

  15. REVIEW

    The fourth season of Star Trek: Lower Decks is coming to an end with the eighth episode "Caves". Season 4 has been a season of substantial change, promoting all of the Lower Deckers. However, in amongst all of these crazy missions, the four main characters have had very little time to just relax and hang out. That's where this episode comes in, disconnected from any arc and allowing the gang ...

  16. Star Trek: Lower Decks

    "Being able to bring such a beloved franchise to the mobile game space is an honour for all of us at ESGG. We are fans first so as passionate members of the Star Trek following, this is particularly exciting for us," says Jason Bailey, Chief Executive Officer of ESGG."Star Trek: Lower Decks - The Badgey Directive is another top-tier IP franchise adding to what has already been a record ...

  17. Lower decks idea. : r/startrek

    Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now. Or check it out in the app stores   ... welcoming place on the internet to talk about Star Trek Members ... Lower decks idea. While attending a debates on civility series on teller prime. Shax attends a wedding fashion show where some top designers turned up murdered. Turns out ...

  18. 'Star Trek: Discovery': Why the barrier-breaking series is important

    More:Issa Rae says Hollywood needs to be accountable.Here's why diverse shows are so important. The series is originally set before the events of NBC's original "Star Trek: The Original Series ...