Star Trek: Lower Decks
You may be looking for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, 'Lower Decks', or the Star Trek: Voyager fan fiction archive, Lower Decks.
| Fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Star Trek: Lower Decks |
| Abbreviation(s): | STLD, LDS, LWD |
| Creator: | Mike McMahan |
| Date(s): | August 2020-present |
| Medium: | animated television |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| External Links: | Star Trek: Lower Decks (Official Site) |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
This article or section needs expansion. |
Star Trek: Lower Decks is an animated sci-fi comedy series created by Mike McMahan. It is the ninth television series in the Star Trek franchise. Lower Decks takes some inspiration from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode of the same name. (McMahan previously wrote faux episode synopses for his handle, "@TNG_S8", on Twitter. It was subsequently published by Gallery Books as the paperback, Warped: An Engaging Guide to the Never-Aired 8th Season (2015) of Star Trek: The Next Generation.) The animation style of Lower Decks is reminiscent of another series, Rick and Morty, for which McMahan is a writer.
The first season of Lower Decks began airing in August 2020 on CBS All Access in the United States. The ten-episode first season ended in the October. Later seasons were released on the renamed Paramount+. As of September 2023, four seasons have been released, with a fifth in production.
Canon
In contrast to previous Star Trek entries, this series primarily focuses on lower-ranking members of Starfleet, colloquially known as "lower deckers".
The show follows ensigns Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler (the former being capable but openly rebellious and the latter being a rule-stickler to a fault), along with fellow ensigns Sam Rutherford and D'Vana Tendi, as they go about their lives on the USS Cerritos (one of Starfleet's "least important" ships). They face a variety of challenges together, ranging from boring daily chores to life-threatening encounters with hostile aliens. The ship's main mission is "second contact", following up previous missions by other Starfleet crews.
Characters
- Beckett Mariner: a human ensign with a dislike for Starfleet rules and an apparent love for causing chaos. Despite this (and sometimes because of it), she is a capable officer, with vast experience in the field and skill in battles. She frequently clashes with other Starfleet officers, from Boimler to her own mother.
- Bradward "Brad" Boimler: a human ensign who aims high and sticks to the rules no matter what. He is incredibly knowledgeable in matters of Starfleet regulations and protocols, but often falters in the field. He frequently clashes with Mariner over her constant rule-breaking. (Boimler's identical transporter clone, William, serves on Captain William Riker's USS Titan in Season Two.)
- D'Vana Tendi: an Orion ensign working in Medical. She is excitable and optimistic, thrilled to be working for Starfleet and eager to meet new people. She is close friends with Sam Rutherford.
- Samanthan "Sam" Rutherford: a human ensign with a love for engineering. His cybernetic implant has both helped and hindered him. He is close friends with D'Vana Tendi.
- Carol Freeman: the human captain of the USS Cerritos. She is a no-nonsense leader, but she does have a temper; especially when trying to work with Mariner, her rebellious daughter.
- Jack Ransom: the human first officer of the Cerritos. He is a physically strong and capable officer, but has a something of an ego (which does not help him catch the eye of any women, something he tries to do frequently).
- Shaxs: a Bajoran tactical officer. He is an extremely capable fighter and has a temper.
- T'Ana: the Caitian head of medical on the Cerritos. She is a skilled doctor with an acerbic personality and the vocabulary of a sailor.
Fandom
The fandom for Lower Decks is small compared to other Star Trek fandoms (partially due to how new the show is).
As of December 2023, there are over 730 works for Lower Decks on AO3, and over 160 on Fanfiction.net
Shipping
The most popular ship is Brad Boimler/Beckett Mariner ("Marinler"), with over 100 works on AO3. Gen fics are also popular, as are crossovers with other shows in the Star Trek canon.
Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fanart
- excited for s2 by madain-sari
- Love is... by russianblue-nx01
- lower decks is a master piece by pencilscratchin
- when your bestie is an alien by stephanisoejono
Fanfics
- Engineering by Stellarete (Gen, Rutherford & Tendi)
- Enterprising Young Man by FFcrazy15 (Boimler/Mariner)
- feel me like a steel knife by Anonymous (Mariner/Tendi)
- The Mariner Protocol by bauchle (Rutherford/Tendi, Boimler/Mariner)
- midnight revelations by AshDoesFandom (Boimler/Mariner)
Fanvids
- Hard Knock Life by Dale's hideout for dubious IP use
- One Week by softerlanding (on the Internet Archive)
- STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS // Odds Are by starlady38
Resources
- Star Trek: Lower Decks (Cartoon) on AO3
- Star Trek: Lower Decks on Fanfiction.net
- star trek lower decks on Tumblr
- StarTrek-LowerDecks, a DeviantArt group