Fantastic news for all you Star Trek junkies! An epic crossover between the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks and the real-life Star Trek world is in the works. Two 2380s-based USS Cerritos ensigns, Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler, will be time-traveling to 2259. The greatest Star Trek crossover to date will take place in the highly anticipated second season of Strange New Worlds.
On May 24, a trailer for Season 2 of Strange New Worlds was released, giving viewers an exciting preview of what to expect. Fans of Paul Wesley’s portrayal of Captain Kirk will enjoy this, while those who prefer Spock and Chapel will appreciate the new developments. Fans of the newer Trek series, however, will be most excited to see Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid in their roles as Lower Decks regulars Mariner and Boimler for the first time in a live-action setting.
With his purple hair, Jack Quaid is a dead ringer for Boimler. Boimler’s endearing nervousness shines through when Spock wishes him the traditional “live long and prosper,” and he replies, “You also live, um…” The Lower Decks crew may be closer in time to Picard, but their high spirits complement the vivacious tone of Strange New Worlds. It’s worth mentioning that Mike McMahan, showrunner of Lower Decks, also worked on a couple screenplays for Strange New Worlds during its first season.
Mariner, Tawny Newsome’s character, is a “Kirk-like maverick” who, like Boimler, is well-versed in Starfleet lore and, in essence, a Trekkie through and through. Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) narrates the trailer, talking about how unusual it is that the Enterprise crew is all together. At the exact right moment, Mariner chimes in with the joke, “Surprise!”
The intriguing riddle of how Mariner and Boimler ended up on the SNW version of the USS Enterprise still stands. It’s shocking, even at this late date. Fans have speculated that it would take place on a future holodeck program, but with Jonathan Frakes at the helm, such scenario seems quite implausible. Frakes, who co-starred with Marina Sirtis in the 2005 Enterprise finale, said he was unhappy with the show’s decision to employ a holodeck.
Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect a new tactic in the next crossover between Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds. Time travel is the most plausible explanation, which would place Lower Decks in the canon of The Original Series. It’s amusing to speculate if other TOS characters know who Boimler is if Spock does.
Many Star Trek viewers are looking forward to the crossover event, which will bring together the two Star Trek media formats in an exciting way. This merger of two classic Star Trek series should be both exciting and sentimental for fans.