There is a second in one of many new episodes of Star Trek: Decrease Decks that encapsulates how far the present has come when it comes to establishing itself inside the Trek universe: No spoilers for Season 2, however at one level the character names Mariner and Boimler are put onscreen proper subsequent to 2 others — Kirk and Spock. Mariner and Boimler, after all, are nowhere close to the enduring standing rightfully granted to the characters originated by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, however seeing their names in that context… does not really feel unsuitable. It is laborious to discover a higher indication as to how the present has managed to discover a technique to match with the franchise.
Star Trek has by no means been afraid of massive swings, whether or not or not it’s creating new takes on the established universe or creating complete new alternate realities to revisit the unique solid. However Decrease Decks was maybe one in all its greatest dangers, because it introduced collectively two comparatively alien ideas to Trek — animation and comedy — in an unprecedented method. Sure, Trek has at all times been open to jokes, and sure there was the animated collection within the Nineteen Seventies, however there was a priority round Decrease Decks’ authentic premiere that the present may slip into satire of the franchise’s most beloved features.
As an alternative, Decrease Decks continues to efficiently thread the needle relating to capturing what makes individuals love Trek whereas ensuring to have some enjoyable, and Season 2 is infused with an entire new degree of confidence on that rating. Largely nonetheless dedicated to stand-alone episodes (with some character-based arcs stretching throughout episodes), the brand new season options no scarcity of deep-cut references to The Authentic Collection, The Subsequent Era, Deep Area 9, and Voyager, whereas additionally exploring heightened adventures that the extra critical live-action collection won’t essentially tackle.
Season 2 does not transfer instantly to revert the alternatives made on the finish of Season 1, which noticed Boimler (Jack Quaid) transferring to the usS. Titan, below the command of William T. Riker. (Jonathan Frakes returns to voice the TNG legend with simply sufficient jazzy spin to make the character stand out; probably the most particular of Particular Visitor Stars.) No spoilers on how issues do finally change for Boimler, however I’ll say that holy crap, it is such a joyous alternative for many who know their TNG lore. That was a deliberate little bit of phrasing, by the way in which, as a result of whereas different Trek properties (::cough cough:: the abysmal Star Trek: Nemesis) may overlook key particulars like “did not Knowledge have already got a twin brother?”, Decrease Decks not solely remembers however finds a technique to craft a terrific joke about it.
A key a part of what makes the comedy of Decrease Decks work is the present’s engagement with the concept that the heroes of the standard Trek reveals are additionally heroes to the remainder of the universe, together with the crews working away on less-impressive ships — it is the proper entryway into crafting jokes about established canon and characters, as a result of these cracking the jokes are additionally enormous followers of what they’re joking about. To get actually meta about it, that is as a result of that is precisely the way you may describe the Decrease Decks writers, as led by Mike McMahan, as he stated in a latest interview with Collider:
I am such a fan of Star Trek that it is necessary to me that we’re as humorous as we might be with out breaking Star Trek always and with out being imply about Star Trek. With the community and with the studio, the conversations are principally after I’m pitching an episode, I will be like, “This is what impressed this episode.” And it is at all times coming from a factor that I like about Star Trek.
Each Trek collection wants a little bit of a shakedown cruise, and whereas Decrease Decks Season 1 was fairly robust by itself deserves, each facet that labored then is now elevated for the second season. For as a lot as the overall love for Trek permeates this present, Decrease Decks actually has begun to come back into its personal with its personal characters and its personal distinctive spin on what makes a narrative work on this specific imaginative and prescient for the twenty fourth century. That is as a result of it by no means loses sight of that the majority stunning and necessary of Trek qualities: Hope. Hope for the longer term, and hope that a greater one is likely to be constructed with assist from our buddies.
Star Trek: Decrease Decks Season 2 premieres Thursday, August 12 on Paramount+. New episodes will probably be launched weekly.
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