The most chaotic ensigns in Starfleet are back in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, and thanks to some upheaval in the first episode, they’re forced to confront some final frontiers of their own. That means more responsibility to shoulder, tougher problems to create and then solve, and plenty of laughs to survive it all.
Personal growth is the theme of season 4, with each character discovering new parts of themselves. Mariner (Tawny Newsome)’s efforts at self-sabotage are sabotaged in turn. Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) do some unexpected bonding, while Tendi (Noël Wells) is forced to make peace with an old life she doesn’t want to talk about. There’s romance, trauma bonding, freaky biological events in the worst possible times and places—season 4 has something for everyone.
The latest story arc has just as much daffy comedy and inside jokes as previous seasons. The lower deckers still don’t get to do any of the important stuff that the bridge crew concerns itself with, but they’re a resourceful bunch, so they still figure out how to get into trouble. They end up trapped in caves and human zoos, going undercover to gather data of questionable importance, fighting hostile aliens and even more hostile AIs. Moopsy, an adorable killing machine briefly glimpsed in the trailer, is hypnotically cute. I’m not usually a sucker for cuteness, but Moopsy is like if Pusheen and Pochita had a baby, and then that baby ate them and absorbed their cuteness. Lower Decks is both a parody of Star Trek tropes and a loving homage to the human dreams and foibles at the heart of the franchise, and it’s a ton of fun on both levels.
In previous seasons, the gags in the show sometimes got in the way of plot and character development. Four seasons in, the show still occasionally struggles to balance comedy and genuine storytelling, but for the most part, the writing this season is pretty seamless—and the talented cast continues to infuse their characters with just the right amount of earnestness. Mariner will always be Mariner, knocking back drinks and getting into trouble, but she’s also the kind of friend you want to have by your side if you’re facing off against Moopsy. Tendi and Rutherford’s bubbly personalities, along with Boimler’s anxiety, somehow don’t get old this season, and that’s a testament to the chemistry between the cast members. The jokes are funny, but it’s the ensigns’ enduring friendship that makes the show so great.
In an era of long-form, serialized TV that sometimes takes itself a little too seriously, it’s refreshing to have a bite-sized Star Trek series that offers just as much joy, humor, and adventure as its meatier counterparts. Season 4 hints that big changes might be on the way for Mariner and the gang, but as long as they’re in the lower decks, I’ll be tuning in to watch them.
(featured image: Paramount+)
