Gabrielle Ruiz Teases Major Returns In Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5

There will be no spoilers here, but if you've been watching Star Trek: Prodigy's second season — and if you haven't, well, go fast and do! — you'll already have enjoyed a whole gaggle of jaw-dropping guest stars that one half of the animated shows has to offer. When it comes to casting legacy characters, it looks like the fifth season of Star Trek: Lower Decks will be no different. As Gabrielle Ruiz — voice of the recklessly out-of-control Vulcan science officer, T'Lyn, and others, including Lieutenant junior grade Castro, in Star Trek: Lower Decks — told Seán on the TrekCulture podcast over the weekend:

Okay, I can say this, now that I'm pulling this out of my brain. The guest star list [for season five] is sick! Then, the people that are coming in that said yes to do it. I'm just squealing for everybody to find out.

We could speculate about just who Ruiz was referring to until the horsey bites Boimler, but suffice it to say that there's always one name on our list at TrekCulture: Denise Crosby. We'll certainly take an animated Sela, any Sela, just give us Sela and/or a bit more of Tasha Yar (through flashbacks or otherwise)!

Lower Decks certainly has precedent when it comes to great guest stars. Last season's (and *spoiler*) baddy was Nick Locarno aka Robert Duncan McNeill, and before that, we'd already had Paris in season two! That's not to forget John de Lancie as Q, Alice Krige as the Borg Queen, Chase Masterson and Max Grodénchik as Leeta and Rom, Wil Wheaton as Wesley, Armin Shimerman as Quark, and George Takei as Sulu, and that's leaving a fair few out! Even a starship made a cameo for one very memorable episode.

On the podcast, Ruiz herself joked that she wanted to appear in an article alongside Patrick Stewart, so that wish is now fulfilled in a small way at least, but we can confirm that the rumours of her playing Jean-Luc in season five were greatly invented by Seán. Still, if Sir Patrick hasn't decided to dedicate the rest of his life to making Instagram the true home of Shakespeare, Picard could well be a candidate for an animated appearance with the lower deckers. There is a lot left to resolve for the Captain/Admiral from the episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that began it all.

Ruiz also teased us with a few hints about one episode in particular of season five in which "girl gang" T'Lyn, Mariner, and Tendi team up in "a very different situation". As Ruiz went on to add,

I can't wait for that specific episode to air because I think it's the best one. It's written the best, the guest star list is the best, the dynamic of us trio of girls going to do a thing is so much fun.

We know that, by the end of season four of Lower Decks, Tendi was on her way back to Orion at the behest of her sister, so at least we can be sure that she gets to see her friends again! For all the crew of the Cerritos, however, the future is, unfortunately, far from certain. Ruiz revealed to Seán that she "cried at the cancellation," adding that it was especially disappointing because they were "just getting started" with T'Lyn's arc. Perhaps a movie for these by now beloved characters? We can only hope.

Whatever happens, we'll always have Gabrielle Ruiz, who loves every second of the Trek experience, even when she's rescuing Seán from sunlight that would have ended the Terran Empire. I suppose, if you can't be good, be careful, they say. But, if you can't be careful, by the transitive property, be as Vulcan as a motherf**ker!

Star Trek: Lower Decks seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Paramount+, and you can catch all 20 episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy season two (and one) on Netflix.