Creator – Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites)
Starring – Tawny Newsome (The Twilight Zone, Space Force), Jack Quaid (Scream, The Boys), Noel Wells (Old Haunt, American Dad)
Release Date – 2021
Rating – 3.5/5
I believe it was last year when I was introduced to Star Trek: Lower Decks when I was sent season one for review. I’m a Star Trek fan and was interested but I was borderline obsessed when I saw that one of the writers of Rick and Morty, Mike McMahan, was involved. I’m a huge Rick and Morty fan so it was a no brainer that an animated Star Trek show featuring one of the writers would be comfort food for me.
That first season was a lot of fun and after reviewing it I quickly rushed to the internet to ensure that a season two was approved. It was, along with a third, but I decided to hold off on binging them until they received a physical release. Sadly, I forgot to keep an eye on the series until season two showed up on my door step. I didn’t want to wait to check this out and as soon as I finished Creepshow Season Three I quickly tossed this one in.
**Spoiler Alert** The season once again follows the misadventures of the lower deck crew of the Cerritos. We follow them as they struggle with their own self-worth, career aspirations, friendship, and surviving the various missions they find themselves on. **Spoiler Alert**
I never watched the original Star Trek: The Animated Series all the way through. In fact, I gave up on it after a few episodes when I was younger. I really should revisit it at some time, but I can only imagine that it would do nothing for me especially after watching Star Trek: Lower Decks. The adult humor and characters only appearing in this series is what really attracted me to it. There is no sense of nostalgia or gimmicks to pull you in. Only the humor and adult centered atmosphere that you would typically not associate with Star Trek. I love this show and season two was just as good as the first season.
The voice acting in this one is a lot of fun. We have fantastic performances from Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noel Wells, and Eugene Cordero among many more. The characters are a lot of fun and the voice acting is what makes these characters. The characters are well written, but they use generic and stereotypical sci-fi characters as a basis and then add their own spin on it. It’s not lazy but it is creative which gives the voice actors something to make their own.
The stories for this season continue its story arch established in the first season but it does take the back seat in each episode as we take deeper dives in the Star Trek universe. We get a lot of references to other series and films without it becoming a clear cash grab for trekkies. The new missions are fun while keeping with the theme of the show and the humor almost always finds it’s mark. I was a little bummed by the lack of a continuous story, but the episodes were a lot of fun.
Finally, I really enjoy the animation. The style is very similar to Rick and MortyWhich I think would help make it more appealing to the younger audiences especially if they are fans of the latter. Personally, the animation style is one of the reasons I was attracted to the show and one of the biggest turn offs I had from the original animated series. Overall, Lower Deck Season Two is another stellar hit. The characters, voice acting, and stories give viewers so much needed expansion to the Star Trek universe with that adult tone that the other shows and films lack. I highly recommend it.
