Lower Decks: Dos Cerritos

Star Trek: Lower Decks is back for its (inexplicably) final season. And even though many fans are still enjoying the 20 episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy that were dropped by Netflix all at once, we get a double dose of Lower Decks to kick things off. First up is "Dos Cerritos."

The Cerritos passes through a spatial anomaly into an alternate universe, where crewmembers interact with versions of themselves whose different choices make them question their own. Mariner faces a version of herself who captains the ship. Boimler sees a version of himself whose achievements seem to be keeping up with his ambitions. Rutherford meets a version of himself who has more deeply embraced mechnical implants. And T'Lyn meets an alternate who says "remarkable" instead of "fascinating!" Meanwhile, Tendi tries to honor her pledge to Orion piracy without compromising her core Starfleet ideals.

It is remarkable/fascinating to me how well Lower Decks continues to concoct its episodes. They almost always manage to tell a "Star Trek" story (complete with moral) and keep jokes flowing at a fire hose pace. This time, the characters have to reckon with "the road not taken," using the tried-and-true Star Trek gimmick of an alternate universe. (And thank goodness, not the Mirror Universe again.)

While everything is presented in a light and humorous framework, there are legitimate crises of identity being expressed here. Rutherford is going through emotional pain and gets to learn whether taking it away really would be better. Boimler deals with a near-universal question about wondering whether he has achieved enough with his time in this universe. Mariner is at a crossroads where she fears slipping back into bad habits, wanting to make different choices this time. And Captain "Becky Freeman" has decided the grass is greener on the other side of the rift. (Even in the "B plot," Tendi is trying to stay true to herself in unusual circumstances.) That all of this fits comfortably in 24 minutes is impressive. That it's funny at the same time is miraculous.

While some alternate (prime?) universe doppelgangers have big, clear differences from our heroes, I enjoy the fun in the more subtle changes -- Ransom's mullet, Boimler's beard (but not a goatee; that would mean he's evil), the slightly darker uniforms, and so on. And speaking of differences, that battle sequence in the opening credits keeps getting freighted with more and and more action; this season, perhaps knowing it was to be the last, they dumped out the toy box and added V'Ger, Tholians, and Apollo.

The Tendi subplot was an equally skillful balance of character and comedy. I appreciate that her sister D'Erika is not simply an unreasonable baddie poised to hold Tendi hostage (and separated from the other main characters) for half the season. D'Erika and D'Vana are sisters, and Lower Decks really is committed to showing that this can be a complicated relationship. Also, it's committed to the deepest of deep cut jokes, bringing back the blue-skinned "Or-ee-ONS" of the original Star Trek: Animated Series to exist alongside the more familiar (to everyone except, apparently, the makers of the original Animated Series) green-skinned Orions.

Lower Decks shows absolutely no signs of running out of steam. And as an animated show, it could run for years and years, longer than any other Star Trek series. It is frustrating to know that behind-the-scenes issues about streaming services, corporate buyouts, and tax loopholes are likely the real reason why the show is ending this season. Still, I'll enjoy what's left while I have it. I give "Dos Cerritos" an A-.