5 Ups And 2 Downs From Star Trek: Lower Decks

2. It's Still Just *So* Star Trek

Yeah, the other half of the Star Trek Animated Comedy bargain is that Lower Decks needs to feel extremely Star Trek at all times. Not the new style of Star Trek that's been written to better fit modern TV tropes, tastes and viewing habits, but the classic old-timey Star Trek that got the franchise where it is today.

This week we meet a new alien race, the Gelrakians, and Commander Ransom shirtlessly enters a deathmatch to free the crew from their captivity. Meanwhile, aboard ship, the incensed Gelrakians stage an invasion and the crew is forced to fight them off. Sounds pretty Star Trek to me, mates.

Of course, the most heartening thing here is that the volume of easter eggs and references still remains unspeakably high. Every scene, every shot, virtually every line of dialogue has something designed to raise a wry smile from fans of every persuasion. Marriner's "what is this, the 2270s?" brought a big pop, but shooting forward to the future to find that Chief O'Brien is regarded as history's most significant figure got a full-throated "YES!" from me.