‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Creator Wishes T’Pol And Wesley Could Appear; Also Watch Episode 3 Clip

On Thursday afternoon Star Trek: Lower Decks executive producer Mike McMahan participated in a virtual panel, and they brought along a clip from next week’s episode. You can see all of it below.

Lower Decks at the Metaverse

The creative team behind Star Trek: Lower Decks did a Q&A today with ReedPop’s Metaverse. Creator Mike McMahan was joined by supervising director Barry Kelly, writer M. Willis, and character designer Marisa Livingston.

The panel started off with the first look at the cold open for episode three, which will stream next Thursday. You can watch the full panel below. The clip starts at the 3:38 mark.

Keeping it TNG, wishing they could include T’Pol and Wesley

During the panel, Mike and his team discussed their backgrounds and how they got involved in Lower Decks, as well as their approach to making sure the show remains “diligent and respectful to the franchise.”

McMahan and his supervising producer talked about how they craft elements of the show as a standard Star Trek series, and then allow the humor to stand on its own…

  • Supervising director Barry Kelly said he designs shots to fit with the style of TNG, adding “It’s only going to make the comedy funnier the more serious I take the sci-fi. “
  • McMahan revealed the score is being recorded just like Star Trek: Discovery, with musicians individually recording at home.
  • On the approach to the score, McMahan stated “The music doesn’t get to think it’s a comedy. The music thinks this is a 40-minute dramatic episode of Star Trek. The characters end up doing funny things.”
  • Some plotlines have been rejected as being too dark or nihilistic, in order to keep the tone in line with Star Trek: The Next Generation.

McMahan also teased some elements for the rest of season one:

  • Re-confirmed familiar guest stars will appear in season one.
  • There will be a holodeck malfunction episode with “a sinister character.”
  • There will be a trial episode, calling it the Lower Decks version of TNG’s “Measure of a Man.”
  • Says there are more Lower Decks episodes with straight parallels to previous Star Trek episodes, saying they are “playing the greatest hits.”
  • Said his favorite parts of season one are in the second half, calling it “wild,” with the last three episodes being “insane” with “lots of action.”

There were also some discussions about how the team’s focus on keeping the show within canon has limited some of the things they wanted to do. In particular, McMahan revealed he wanted to include Star Trek: Enterprise character T’Pol, but felt even though Vulcans can live long lives, she would be too old or dead by 2380. He also indicated he wanted to bring in Wesley Crusher, saying “There’s a character that’s off with The Traveler that I really wish wasn’t, so we could utilize that character.”

As for the status of production, McMahan revealed he is currently writing the finale for season two.

Episode 3 trailer

Today CBS also released a trailer for the episode, which for now can only be seen on the official site.

All Access free month promo

CBS All Access is currently running a one-month free promotion. For a limited time, try 1 month FREE!


Keep up with all the news and reviews from the new Star Trek Universe on TV at TrekMovie.com.

68 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

I’m enjoying Star Trek: Lower Decks so far. Keep up the good work Mike!

It’s funny how T’Pol seems to the #1 character most fans still want to see show up again from Enterprise but sadly he’s probably right, she would be way too old to show up in the 24th century. I can see her appearing in SNW as she would be around Spock’s age when he showed up in TNG. But it’s STAR TREK!!!! Scotty showed up on the Enterprise D because he sat in a transporter pattern for 60 years, they can always find a way.

As for Wesley I’m a bit confused why he thinks that since we clearly saw him back at Riker and Troi’s wedding and in a Starfleet uniform! To go one farther in a deleted scene he was serving on the Titan with Riker!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACQqe5-B3TI

And this all took place literally just a year before Nemesis! So he can definitely appear. At least in the third season. ;)

It would be cool to see T’Pol again, but they would have to do something crazy like putting her in stasis or going back in time. Wesley they could probably bring back without too much difficulty, although some people would probably be confused if they blinked and missed his cameo in Nemesis.

I meant a year before Lower Decks.

Yeah, no way T’Pol shows up without time travel. If one buys the 100 year difference between TOS and Enterprise that would make T’Pol about 156 in SNW time. So I guess it’s possible…

But I see no reason they couldn’t have Wesley Crusher show up on Lower Decks. I’d like to see it only if they poke fun at the silliness of the entire concept of Wesley Crusher. And again, poking fun is not the same as MAKING fun.

“Scotty showed up on the Enterprise D because he sat in a transporter pattern for 60 years”

75 years

I always sucked at math!

Loved that episode, “Relics.”

Oh jeez

T’Pol in Strange New Worlds would be awesome!

+100 Andy! :)

Guys I think everyone is forgetting the fact that we literally have a device that can bring any character back: The Holodeck. Yes, it might not be a “real” version of the character, but as far as I can see it can be an easy way to bring them back.

“The Holodeck”. You take that back. If there’s one thing we don’t need anymore is fake versions of loved characters.

I was going to mention that she already appeared in the TNG era since Enterprise was revealed a holo-novel on the holodeck of the Enterprise-D. ;-)

Just that one episode.

Bring back Prof. Moriarty! ;-)

Tpol was born in 2088. LD is in 2380. A Vulcan lifespan is about 220 years in TOS. Tpol would be 292.
She could either be a unusually long lived Vulcan, at the end of her life. Like in those wheelchairs with the beeps.

Orrrr, the Vulcan lifespan might have increased scince TOS.

In retrospect: Wesley would be 32. Probably a lieutenant by now. It might be cool to see Wes on the Titan bridge or something after they do first contact

T’Pol could easily return.
If they were to portray the UFP as an advancing collection of over 150 alien species working together where technology and science evolve exponentially (they would either way, only with multiple species working together, your development jumps through the roof)… then she could easily make an appearance as a youthful person (stem-cell regeneration therapy for example, going on an extended vacation in the Briar Patch to rejuvenate herself in mere 10 years to a vibrant young woman she was back during NX-01 days)… suspended animation… take your pick.

The Federation should have easily solved ageing shortly after the Federation was founded… let alone by 23rd and 24th centuries where exponential advancements and returns would have propelled them so far ahead technologically and scientifically that the Federation should have realistically been FAR more advanced than what it was portrayed.

Wait… has he NOT seen Nemesis? Wes isn’t off with the Traveler anymore.

It’s murky.

There’s reason to believe Wesley was “just visiting” for the wedding.

There’s a reason why the deleted scene was deleted.

But if Wes is back being a traveler, it’s no impediment to his dropping in to save the day with the lower decks.

visiting… in a starfleet uniform? sitting at the head table. he resigned from the academy when he went off with the traveller. guessing he went back at some point.

The scene may have been cut but we still saw him sitting there. Although one could argue that Wheaton was just playing a different character since in the final cut he never spoke and no one referenced him. I opt for it truly was Wesley and he was there in uniform. Not traveling around with the Traveler.

Well, he came by for the wedding, had nothing nice to wear, wanted to blend in, urged his mom to replicate a gala uniform for him… Where is the big deal? Would Picard court martial him for fraud?

Why would he have nothing to wear?

Clothing is optional when exploring the universe with the Traveler

A different character? he was sitting at the main Table with the rest of the key members of the wedding party, and right next to his mom. That for sure Wesley, not will playing a different character.

Just dishing out possibilities. Even improbable one.

It’s the movies so I guess it’s an alternate reality lol. Maybe Picard is still in the Nexus?

He could have returned to Starfleet and still be Travelling. Both can be true.

Let’s call it an untold tale. That sounds fun.

It’s only a discrepancy if we make it one.

I know they aren’t canon, but the novels suggested Wesley was only visiting the wedding and was given a uniform because he didn’t have any clothes…

Which always struck me as one of the dumbest “explanations” ever seen in the novels….

How about Harry Mudd?

I really want to know what happened on his planet of androids before Picard goes too much further down that road?

Harry Mudd is too old. TOS and TNG are 100 years apart or so.

Another Muddroid could always show up.

There are dozens of android versions of him who may never grow old. Mudd’s a safe bet!

It would be cool if we at least saw him creating it on SNW! Since we already saw him building them in The Escape Artist. Wow I just realized it was McMahan who wrote that Short Trek, still my favorite out of all of them!

Was he? That really makes no sense. It was established that they found him. He had nothing to do with creating them. Further, it makes more sense that he would be involved in some other scam in the Pike days. When Kirk found him he was involved in that Venus drug con.

Best to not use this character on SNW.

OK, you’re probably right. I haven’t seen any of those MUDD episodes in ages, like over 10 years (always hated them). But Star Trek is known for retconing things. ;)

But I really want to see Mudd again. He was one of the best things about Discovery to me. Ironic given how much the idea when I heard he was going to be on the show. But maybe canon will stop them since I don’t think Spock heard of him before.

Mudd was involved in two different story lines involving separate groups of androids. In the Short Treks, he used Mudd Droids to turn in for the bounty on his own head. It isn’t entirely clear if he created the androids himself, or if he found them somewhere. In I, Mudd, he tried to take advantage of a group of androids that he discovered, but they decided that he was a poor example of humanity.

OK… I honestly do not recall much from the Short Trek except that it wasn’t very good at all.

In I, Mudd he didn’t discover the androids. They found him floating in a damaged space ship and brought him to the planet. Based on his example they decided humanity needed them to save them from themselves.

8 simple words:

“Please state the nature of the medical emergency”
or
“perhaps today is a good day to die”

Or for that matter how silly if Rafi were to cameo during or shortly before going full alcoholic.

“Please state the nature of the medical emergency” The Doctor will be a perfect fit for this show. =)

It’s a bit strange there is not an EMH on that ship or at least not activated (when officers turn into zombies you kind of figure that would definitely be classified as an emergency ;)). And we obviously know they are still around since Rios has one 20 years later.

Hopefully we will get THE Doctor to make a house call soon!

And yes, WORF!!!! C’mon Star Trek, give us back our favorite Klingon!!!!

I suppose we should expect that the Cerritos’ EMH is offline either because:
– they have an older version that isn’t functioning, and/or
– the CMO wants to have a monopoly on expertise and snark.

Yes! I am eagerly waiting for the upcoming episodes! Find out who are the guest stars. Same thing happened to me. As soon as you see a Klingon, you see Worf. A Ferengi, Quark.

I can feel that Worf will make another grand entrance, like in the old (STNG) days! They will keep us waiting, until Picard Season 2. Hope he shows up on the Enterprise! =)

i don’t like worf if the do bring him back in picard hope they kill him in the most disshonorable death a klingon can get and it is in the first 3 minutes of the episode maybe getting taken out by alien without so much of a fight so he can not get into stovakor
the chances of him coming back are slim as dorn does not want to appear in a show since they would not give him his own show so they can recast him like they did with maddox and icheb

Dorn said he just doesn’t want to show up for a five minute cameo which I don’t blame him considering all that make up just to say a few lines and leave. But if they gave him a role on Picard like they gave Frakes and Sirtis I think he would happily come back.

I think we will see Dorn, at least on one of these shows. Eventually I’m guessing everyone from TNG will show up at some point either LDS or PIC. Could be wrong, but doubtful.

i hope if we see the enterprise in season 2 it is the 1701-f and it does not have to be a odyssey class either maybe a curiousity class or a inquiry class like the zheng he or one of the inquiry class variant classes that were aprroved but were not able to be made for rikers fleet a equity class or a seeker class

Yeah I sooooo want to see Worf on the Enterprise in Picard! That would be my dream too!

Lower Decks doesn’t quite make sense timewise but I’m really disappointed T’Pol has never showed up as an old admiral on Discovery.

Watched the first two episodes and I block out all teaser or spoiler content, but I’m really wondering when the show is going to get going. So far it feels like how Enterprise started: meandering toward nowhere for the first season. Maybe this will reach the amazing Enterprise seasons 3&4 quality before its audience gives up.

“meandering toward nowhere for the first season”

It’s called EPISODIC EXPLORATION, son. It’s what Classic Trek fans like yours truly have been waiting for 20 years! Remember the time when we used to be explorers? :)

Or which they get on the Orville. ;.-) That show already had 2 or 3 reruns in german tv and everytime it’s a nice sensation being able to simply watch one episode without needing to know the previous (or the next) one.

It’s not meandering at all.

This show is very bland and not funny or memorable. It’s a bit better than the Discovery and Picard nonsense, at least it has some resemblance to Star Trek, but I was expecting it to be more than a simple cartoon for children.

It’s not funny but refreshing. It feels like a Star Trek show.

It’s hilarious and it’s certainly NOT a “simple cartoon for children.” That comment makes it clear you’ve not actually watched it and are pretending to have done so.

“Some plotlines have been rejected as being too dark or nihilistic”

Yay! If only the same could have happened for Discovery and Picard… ;)

Lower Decks is the most optimistic trek show we have.

Indeed, very true, Soul.

Its only been 2 episodes but i can’t seem to get into Lower Decks. I do however wish the show and its creator all the success. Lots of bad stuff going on here in the States and I know we could sure all use some humor to help pass the time. Since my customary farewell would appear oddly self-serving, I shall simply sayGood luck.

Would appear?

Lower Decks is not funny but it’s more comfortable than Discovery and Picard. Hopefully it stays successful.

“ Supervising director Barry Kelly said he designs shots to fit with the style of TNG, adding “It’s only going to make the comedy funnier the more serious I take the sci-fi. “

All of that tells me they get it and I live for it.

T’Pol is certainly not possible without time travel but Wesley? Just because he’s a traveler now? That makes it even easier to drop in! I don’t see the point why he wouldn’t fit.

I mean, since Discovery and Picard, timelines and what’s possible have been totally destroyed, so now they can do whatever they think of :)
I’m rewatching Voyager for the 4th or 5th time, it’s more enjoyable than those new broken series…

No matter how good we all think this show is in our Trekkie-bubble, how will we know if people are actually watching it? CBS isn’t exactly forthcoming with its numbers. The ST Universe seems to be in fine shape. You just hope there won’t be a weak link.