Lower Decks ends with a new beginning

Spoilers for “The Next New Generation”.

When Starfleet said they had sent the Enterprise to help Cerritos seal the rift, I was worried. It has spent the past four years stepping out from the shadow of its more famous predecessor. Its grand finale didn’t need a cameo that would grab the focus from any of the films The next generation cast (or even hidden ). Fortunately, no one came, and we got one last chance to spend half an hour with the Cerritos crew on their final flight. For now at least.

length Previously… The sequence was proof enough that this was going to be a packed episode. In fact, it was as if creator Mike McMahan had set himself the task of resolving every plot point in a single episode. You can imagine that some of these matters could have been addressed in some future episodes had the show not been cancelled. But even with a slightly longer runtime, the episode moves too quickly to really enjoy it.

As usual, Cerritos is the only ship close enough . On the way to closing the rift, the crew meets and Malor, who are fleeing from a fleet of Klingon warships led by Rilga, and sister. The fleet chases Cerritos into a rift that pumps waves of uncertainty into interdimensional hopping. This creates a fascinating scene as Cerritos is remade into different classes of ships as it hurtles toward the center of the rift.

All of this unfolds as Rutherford battles with his implant and general distaste for the Cerritos family. Tendi and Tlin fight for supremacy as the ship’s chief scientific officer, and Boimler is still using his alternate self to advance his career. A regular half-hour show can accommodate an A and a B story; Here we are down to G or H, at least. Because there’s just been a lot of fun on this show Spend time with these charactersit’s a shame their farewell has to be interrupted while boxes on the list are ticked off.

There are a lot of great moments, like when Mariner and Boimler walk up to Freeman and are immediately believed. In-universe, characters have gained enough confidence to be taken at their word. It is also a sign of how far we have come compared to the days ofOr when Rutherford realizes what’s wrong and is able to solve the problem by remembering that the California class is Starfleet’s Swiss Army knife. Or when Boimler smashes his board to protect Mariner, because their friendship is more important than his career.

The episode ends with the rift settling, creating a permanent, interdimensional wormhole for the multiverse. Starfleet towed Starbase 80 there, with William Boimler tasked with exploring its various dimensions. But such a high-profile mission needs an experienced boss, and so Captain Freeman is appointed to take command of Starbase 80. This means Mariner must say goodbye to her mother, and Freeman must say goodbye to her dedicated crew of misfits.

Ransom takes command of Cerritos, with Mariner and Boimler serving as joint first officers, at least for now. Rutherford’s implant is removed, and it suddenly becomes clear to everyone how he’s had a crush on Tendi all this time. T’Lyn and Tendi are now the best of science friends, sharing the role as Cerritos heads off to explore new parts of the galaxy. Ransom’s choice of phrase for his twist command is so in keeping with his love of exercise, I won’t share it here.

You can never escape Star Trek once it’s on your resume, and I’ve said before that this isn’t the last time we’ll see the Cerritos crew. Animation doesn’t need your actors to remain the same age and we could easily see a revival in a few years or so. McMahan was clear that Season 5 was also being used to set up potential spin-off ideas, so there’s plenty of room for more. That is why I will not write an obituary for him Basement floorsdoesn’t need one.

However, it’s crazy to think how things have changed since then Basement floors It first appeared as a wildcard goofy alongside its more popular siblings. discovery and Picard They were supposed to be reputable shows with Basement floors Little more than a class clown for the die-hard fans. It turns out that both are much less than the sum of their parts Basement floors It retained the spirit of Star Trek far more effectively than the so-called best. He was the only one of that trio to come away with anything close to a cohesive legacy, and with real fan affection.

Basement floors He knows this, and ends his episode by celebrating Cerritos and Star Trek in general. The show is a celebration of the everyday work that would never be celebrated in these boldest, most brash people. Punch fighter Trips. USS Cerritos is an island of misfit toys that have banded together to make themselves and each other a little better. Hell, this could be a commentary on Star Trek, or its fans in general, but it’s cool that it’s one of those inappropriate games.

Cerritos is strong!