Paramount+ likes Pike, and isn’t letting Lower Decks overQuaid its welcome. Just two weeks later than last year, the streamer has renewed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for a fourth season as it awaits the premiere of its third, while announcing that the fifth season of Star Trek: Lower Decks, which was ordered with that third, will premiere this fall and conclude the series.
Lower Decks creator, showrunner and executive producer Mike McMahan and executive producer Alex Kurtzman, who has been the shepherd of the greater Star Trek TV resurgence that began with Discovery in 2017 (which itself is in the midst of its final season) released a statement regarding Lower Decks’ end being in sight, in tribute to the show and the fans:
To the fans,
We wanted to let you know that this fall will be the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks. While five seasons of any series these days seems like a miracle, it’s no exaggeration to say that every second we've spent making this show has been a dream come true. Our incredible cast, crew and artists have given you everything they have because they love the characters they play, they love the world we've built, and more than anything we all love love love Star Trek. We’re excited for the world to see our hilarious fifth season which we're working on right now, and the good news is that all previous episodes will remain on Paramount+ so there is still so much to look forward to as we celebrate the Cerritos crew with a big send-off.
Finally, thank you for always being so creative and joyful, for filling convention halls and chanting
LOWER DECKS!" We remain hopeful that even beyond Season 5, Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, Rutherford and the whole Cerritos crew will live on with new adventures.
LLAP
Mike McMahan and Alex Kurtzman
Focusing on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, Lower Decks’s crew includes Beckett Mariner, voiced by Tawny Newsome; Brad Boimler, voiced by Jack Quaid; D'Vana Tendi, voiced by Noël Wells; and Sam Rutherford, voiced by Eugene Cordero. The Starfleet-employed that comprise the U.S.S. Cerritos’ Bridge crew include Captain Carol Freeman, voiced by Dawnn Lewis; Commander Jack Ransom, voiced by Jerry O’Connell; and Doctor T’Ana, voiced by Gillian Vigman. There might be plot-related motives behind the series ending, as the main four characters all received promotions in Season 4. However the turbolift doors have clearly been left open for continuing the characters’ stories beyond their ascension the bottom of the Starfleet hierarchy. It should also be noted that every season of Lower Decks, even going back to that first pre-rebrand on CBS All Access, have homaged a Star Trek film corresponding numerically. The fifth original Star Trek film is of course The Final Frontier. It’s not just an homage this time, it’s a mimic of the same intent.
Production on Strange New Worlds season 3 has already begun in Toronto, but due to the strikes, and as probably apparent by being this far into 2024 already, won’t be premiering until next year. Co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers released their own statement, also with Kurtzman for their show, reading "On behalf of the cast and crew of Strange New Worlds we are thrilled and grateful to continue our voyages together. We can't wait for you to join us and the crew of the Enterprise on another season of exploration and adventure."
Strange New Worlds follows the era of when Captain Christopher Pike commanded the U.S.S. Enterprise, played here by Anson Mount. His crew features Rebecca Romijn as Number One, Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock, Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’an Noonien-Singh, Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas, Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga and Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura. It is unclear at this point whether the status of touted recurrers Carol Kane as Pelia or Paul Wesley’s James T. Kirk will change. Season 2 registered in Nielsen’s streaming ratings tracking of the 10 most-watched streaming original series over multiple weeks. The season featured “Those Old Scientists”, which was a crossover with Lower Decks, and the franchise’s first musical episode “Subspace Rhapsody”.
Several of the castmembers posted to their socials, like O’Connell, who, already having learned his CBS talk show The Talk will be ending after 14 years and nearly 3.5 with him there as a permanent host before the year is out said “Thanks for enlisting me Important Science (McMahan’s production company). Thank you Starfleet for making me feel so welcome.” Quaid and Gabrielle Ruiz, who voiced the Vulcan T’Lyn (a guest in seasons 2 and 3 who gained “also starring” credit in season 4) also posted on Instagram their grateful messages. Quaid’s certainly not ready to say goodbye though, as he writes:
Hello Lower Deckers. I’m so sad to announce that Paramount Plus won’t be moving forward with more seasons of Lower Decks. I can’t begin to tell you what an honor it’s been to be a part of this show and the Star Trek universe at large. I am unbelievably grateful for 5 awesome seasons with this wonderful family. I want to thank each and every person who put so much of their hard work and talent into every episode. You are AMAZING. The good news is that everyone who makes Lower Decks LOVES making Lower Decks. I could play Boimler for 17 more seasons. No joke. I’m serious. I love that purple-haired nerd. Hopefully we find a new home, but until then please look forward to an amazing season five (airing this fall). LLAP🖖❤️
Meanwhile “Dear T’Lyn, I have been, and always shall be, your friend. Live long and prosper. 🖖 T’Lyn recklessly went boldly where no Vulcan had gone before. Thank you for the laughs and the brilliant creation of Star Trek: Lower Decks, Mike. And thank you to the fans for the warmest welcome I’ve ever experienced. See ya at the cons! 🖖” She leaves a postscript to it as well: “Castro is still a mean girl and I’ll love that biotch forever too.”
Lower Decks is produced by CBS Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ animation arm, and animated by Titmouse. Both series are produced by Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. The other executive producers are Aaron Baiers, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth, who executive produce Strange New Worlds with Goldsman, Alonso, Jenny Lumet, Dana Horgan, Davy Perez, Frank Siracusa, and John Weber.
Sources: Star Trek (1, 2), Variety, Jerry O’Connell, Gabrielle Ruiz
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