Star Trek: Lower Decks Review - 6 Ups And 0 Downs

1. Star Trek Is For Everyone

One insight that's come out of the early reviews for Lower Decks is that, if you're a huge Star Trek fan, the show is going to feel like it's been made specifically for you. Even in our opening episode, there is going to be some obscure reference in there that delights every single fan. Be that a nod to your favourite movie, a joke about your favourite character, or even just pointing out a trope of the show that's always low-key bothered you.

But when you go down that route for a show, you run the risk of alienating people who might be tuning in for the first time. Saturating it full of lore and in-jokes is great for the hardcore amongst us, but daunting and impenetrable for the casuals.

Lower Decks has, on the basis of this, got the balance just right. The characters and the stories are strong enough that anyone can drop in and enjoy them, and the links to wider Trek familiar enough to not make you think you've missed something.

In our closing meta dump, Mariner references Spock, Kirk, Worf, Troi, Khan, and Sulu, but when she gets to Gary Mitchell, a way more obscure reference, Boimler admits he'll probably have to look it up. Lower Decks is brilliant, and best of all it just absolutely Gets It.