Star Trekveteran Jonathan Frakes, famous for playing First Officer William Riker inThe Next Generation, is directing an upcoming crossover between the franchise’s animated seriesLower Decksand its current flagship showStrange New Worlds, and he’s got some hype to share on the highly-anticipated event. Based on what he’s got to say, this may be an episode long-remembered forStar Trekfans everywhere.
TheLower Deckscrossover will involveThe Boysstar Jack Quaidas his animated character ensign Brad Boimler andSpace Force’s Tawny Newsome as ensign Beckett Mariner as they are seen in live-action for the first time. This will allow them to meet characters fromStrange New Worldslike Spock (Ethan Peck), Una Chin-Riley/Number One (Rebecca Romijn), and Captain Pike (Anson Mount). While it’s true that crossovers have been commonplace over the years as part ofStar Trek, there’s something special about this one. These are two incredibly different shows with entirely different styles, so how will that clash be handled? Well, according to Frakes, it will be hilarious.
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Frakes recently appeared on theTrekMoviepodcastAll Access Star Trekto speak about the crossover, and he had some exciting info to share. “Mariner and Boimler just happen to cross over from their animated world into the ship with Anson (Pike), and Rebecca (Number One) and Ethan (Spock) onStrange New Worlds,” he said, casually describing an event that will likely leave several fans hyperventilating. “And it is a flat-out comic [episode]. It’s fabulous. It’s a fish out of water.” Sounds like a pretty standard procedure for crossovers. But unlike shows likeAhsokabringing in animated characters fromStar Wars Rebels, the cartoons and their actors remain connected in this case.
“Fortunately, both Quaid and Tawny look like their characters,” Frakes continued. “So it’s so absurd to see them in three dimensions and their interrelations… Boimler is obsessed with Spock, and terrified of Number One. There is so much good stuff. And Mariner comes to save the day. It’s very, very funny. I’m very proud of it. And I can’t wait for people to see it.“Star Trekhas seen many inconsistencies between showsin the past, but it looks like at least Mariner and Boimler will remain a satisfying constant in this case.
The contrast between the humor ofLower Decksand the more serious tone ofStrange New Worldscould not be more apparent even with the two of them apart. WhileLower Deckshas its moments of sincerity, its comedic premise focusing on the lesser-seen crew members of a typical Federation starship lends itself to much more light-hearted goofiness than its live-action counterpart. Meanwhile,Strange New Worldshas been a fan-favorite for its engaging depiction of the original USS Enterprise crew. That’s not even mentioning thetightrope-walking raunchiness ofStar Trek: Lower Decks.
So there’s a lot to look forward to here. Of course, Boimler is a Spock fanboy and Mariner gets stuff done. Any fan ofLower Deckswould expect that. But seeing that and other unexpected interactions on the screen will surely be a memorable experience for viewers. Now Spock’s reaction to the two of them? That will be a surprise worth waiting for.
TheStar Trekcrossover episode will air inStrange New Worldsseason 2 premiere on Paramount Plus on June 15th, 2023.
