This Recent Animated Series With 91% on RT Is the Best Star Trek Project in Years

The older and more popular a show is, the harder it is for its creators to come up with new ideas. In this respect, Star Trek is on a par with Doctor Who and Star Wars.

Over the past five years, these franchises have spawned controversial and often disastrous film and television projects. But in this series of controversial attempts, new projects have occasionally emerged that have pleased fans, attracted new audiences, and given hope for the future of their universes.

In 2021, the animated series Lower Decks became part of the Star Trek franchise. This show was not only the second animated project in the more than half-century history of the franchise, but also the first full-fledged comedy.

Among other things, it did not focus on the heroes of the Captain's bridge. The author of the idea, Mike McMahan, wanted to tell the story of the everyday life of lower-ranking crew members who do not make tactical decisions.

What Is Star Trek: Lower Decks About?

While the crews of the Enterprise and Discovery decide the fate of the universe, somewhere on the lower deck of the ship Cerritos, the lives of four junior officers go on as usual.

Ensign Beckett is a tough girl who speaks several alien languages, wields a sword, and understands the flora and fauna of many worlds, but a recent disobedience has interrupted her career growth.

Ensign Boimler, on the other hand, obeys the rules in everything, is afraid to deviate from them even an inch, and dreams of one day commanding a ship from the captain's bridge.

They are joined in their adventures by ensign Rutherford, with his constantly malfunctioning cybernetic implant, and ensign Tendi, an enthusiastic newcomer. Together they do dirty but necessary work, which sometimes leads to unpredictable events.

Lower Decks Is Perfect to Get to Know the Franchise

For the casual viewer, the show is a great introduction to the Star Trek universe, better than Strange New Worlds or Enterprise. Old school fans should check it out as well.

Lower Decks is more Star Trek than most of the recent movies and TV shows in the franchise, which try to be more like the epic Star Wars with Star Trek characters.

Lower Decks Is a Good Old Star Trek But Made with Modern Templates

The franchise needed something new to revive it. Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise were similar breaths of fresh air. Fans were wary of them at first, but eventually came to love them because they stayed within the framework of Gene Roddenberry's world, but expanded its rules and boundaries.

Despite the wild dynamics, jokes and Easter eggs, Lower Decks remains what good old Star Trek always was. It is a story about a team of diverse, not always perfect humans and aliens who strive for the best and rise above themselves.