Creator – Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites)
Starring – Tawny Newsome (The Twilight Zone, Big Mouth), Jack Quaid (The Hunger Games, Rampage), and Noel Wells (Craig of the Creek, American Dad)
Release Date – 2020
Rating – 4/5
I grew up watching sci-fi and horror themed shows with my grandmother. She was obsessed with the original incarnation of the Sci-Fi Channel so most of my time with her was spent watching the channel. We watched shows like Doctor Who, Lexx, Roswell, Kolchak, The X-Files, Star Trek, and so on. I watched Star Trek a lot growing up but I was never obsessed with it like many others were. However, not too long ago I reviewed the first season of Picard and fell in love with the modern Star Trek universe.
When I received the press release for Lower Decks I was very curious about it. An animated Star Trek series from the creator of Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites could be one hell of a fun time. I reached out and they were kind enough to hook me up with the DVD release of season one for review.
**Spoiler Alert** The series follows the crew in the lower decks of the U.S.S. Cerritos. They all have different personalities and goals but they always find themselves neck deep in adventure which brings them closer together as friends. **Spoiler Alert**
I’m a huge fan of Rick and Morty so when I saw that Mike McMahan was attached I couldn’t wait to check the show out. I know it’s not going to appeal to the classic Star Trek fans but for younger generations and people new to the fandom I found it to be extremely entertaining. Its not as memorable as RandM but it is just as fun. In fact, I’ve watched season one twice now and will probably be revisiting it again soon. It’s a lot of fun and a show I would highly recommend.
The voice acting in this one is great. The characters are all likable and enjoyable. The voice actors do a fantastic job and bring about a wide range of emotions by just using their voices. It’s astounding what voice actors can achieve and this cast is phenomenal in the roles.
The stories for this one range from the stereotypical Star Trek themed episodes but we do get a lot of humor and horror aspects tossed in as well. I hate that I keep comparing it to Rick and Morty but the similarities are obvious. Some adult-humor, a lot of different creatures and aliens, and the normal Star Trek adventures all come together to create an extremely fun animated series. With that being said, I can see some of the older ST fans not enjoying this at all.
Finally, the animation is beautiful. It’s the same style as RandM and Solar Opposites but it captures that Star Trek look perfectly in their own way. We get some beautiful images mixed with some pretty grotesque images as well with all showcasing beautiful artwork. Overall, Star Trek: Lower Docks is a must see for fans of adult animation. It’s a lovely mix of Rick and Morty meets Brickleberry which I absolutely love. I can’t recommend this show enough. Please, do yourself a favor and check it out.
You write that the show isn’t going to appeal to classic Star Trek fans.
You couldn’t be more wrong. Speaking as a fan who watched as it aired for the first time (and who can name any episode in 3 seconds or less), the loving care with which the writers hit the perfect note on so many Trek tropes makes it an instant hit with even the most die hard Trek fans, especially those of TNG.
In fact, many of us consider Lower Decks the purest Trek you can hope to find and the best of current shows. The Orville is a distant second (may it return soon).