Upcoming animated show Star Trek: Lower Decks has divided the Star Trek fanbase. There are those who pointedly argue that an irreverent comedy poking fun at Starfleet would make Gene Roddenberry spin in his grave (well, if his ashes weren’t in space), and those who point to the vast amount of Trek currently on TV and in development and say there’s room to try new things.
I’m reserving judgment until I see Lower Decks, but right now I’m feeling pretty positive about it. The first episode will air on Thursday August 6th, and the marketing campaign is in full swing now. As such, CBS has just released 15 new images from the first four episodes and a new TV ad (which you can see here), giving us a taste of what’s coming our way next month.
At the very least, Lower Decks seems to have a strong grasp of Trek lore and some of the more obscure and amusing elements of the universe. I’m particularly pleased to see that in one shot we have male character Ensign Boimler in a Starfleet ‘skant.’ These are mini-skirts for men, introduced as The Next Generation wanted to present a sexism-free future in which male and female fashion was identical.
As such, the skant was born, described in official materials as: “A logical development, given the total equality of the sexes presumed to exist in the 24th century.” They were quietly phased out after the third season though as men wearing them looked extremely silly. And if we’re getting gags about this, then we can at least be reassured that the writers have a deep affection and knowledge for the show (there’s also a nice nod to the whales in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home).
Star Trek: Lower Decks will debut on August 6th on CBS All Access, with a new episode appearing every Thursday for 10 weeks.
