7 Ups & 1 Down For Star Trek: Lower Decks 5.10 - The New Next Generation

There's twice the Cetacean Operations in Cetacean Observations in the finale. They couldn't well say goodbye without saying two last hellos to everyone's favourite beluga whales. Double the hilarity, too, when 'go check on navigation, Mr. Boimler' simply meant hosing down Kimolu (at that point). Then, in Mariner's montage near the end, there was one final pool party (for us to see) with Nurse Westlake and Commander Steve Stevens. Ransom was too busy being captain.

We've already listed the majority of the Starfleet ships on show in The New Next Generation, Schrödinger field mostly obliging. One of the most pointed references was not of Federation design, however, but Klingon. "Oof, an ancient Klingon sailing barge. All lives lost," commented Ransom as one of the Birds-of-Prey transformed into its lethal alternate. That would be quite literally the Barge of the Dead!

We first learnt of that particular boat from the eponymously titled Star Trek: Voyager episode. The stuff of Klingon myth, the Barge was captained by the "first Klingon," Kortar. Presumably wanting to set an example for the second, third, and fourth… Kortar destroyed the gods and was then "condemned to ferry the souls of the dishonoured to Gre'thor".