On Monday Paramount+ released a brief clip to promote how the second season of Star Trek: Lower Decks was debuting in one month. They followed that up on social media with the question “It’s only 15 seconds but there’s A LOT going on. What did you notice?” Challenge accepted. In no particular order, here are the clues and Easter eggs we have been able to identify.
Boimler and Mariner are back together
The scene released showed Becket Mariner and Bradward “Brad” Boimler in a car chase inside a space station. While their reunion is expected, it is the first we have seen of the pair together from season two. Season one ended with Boimler leaving the USS Cerritos for the USS Titan under the command of Captain William Riker. The teaser released in April showed Boimler still on the Titan, with Jonathan Frakes returning as Riker.
Boimler is an ensign… again
Along with his assignment to the Titan, Bradward was also promoted to the rank of Lieutenant J.G. However the clip released shows Mariner and Boimler in Starfleet dress uniforms, with both holding the rank of ensign. The core of the show focuses on the four “lower decks” ensigns (Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford) and it appears season two will reset that dynamic. Season one also saw Mariner promoted and then demoted again to ensign, so perhaps this will become an ongoing gag. What isn’t known is why Brad was demoted and (presumably) reassigned to the Cerritos.
Commander Data collectibles
Brad Boimler is known to be a bit of a fanboy for Starfleet elite. And it looks like he picked up some collectible statues featuring Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Commander Data, who was martyred during the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, or shortly before the setting of Lower Decks. Unfortunately for Brad, the figures are seen flying away from the vehicle he and Mariner are driving through the station while being chased.
The (Un)Lucky Ferengi
The chase scene takes place through a promenade with stores featuring alien signs, with the exception of one, which Boimler and Mariner crash their buggy vehicle through. That store is ironically called the “The Lucky Ferengi,” a nod to Star Trek’s best-known profit-obsessed merchants, the Ferengi. If you look closely you can see one of Data collectibles tumbling to the ground as Brad and Mariner speed away.
Fish people!… and more aliens
Like many crowd scenes in Lower Decks, there are bound to be some familiar alien species, and some obscure ones too. The crash outside the Lucky Ferengi featured some startled shoppers including a Gorn, first seen in the TOS episode “Arena,” but who have popped into various Trek shows in the decades since, including season one of Lower Decks.
An unnamed blue-skinned alien that first appeared in Lower Decks can also be seen being barely missed by chasing security vehicles. And at the moment right before the crash a couple of other original unnamed Lower Decks species from season one can be spotted from behind walking the promenade.
A deeper cut for aliens happens at the end of the clip as Brad and Mariner approach a tank with an octopus type of creature being tended to by some aquatic aliens. Brad exclaims, “watch out, fish people!” as they crash through the tank. The fish people in question are Antedians, from the TNG episode “Manhunt.”
Ships along the Watchtower
The establishing shot for the clip showed the USS Cerritos docked at a starbase. While not an exact match, it most closely resembled the design of Starbase Vanguard, a Watchtower-class station featured in the Star Trek: Vanguard books series which was built in a region outside Federation space. Other ships docked at the station match or at least closely resemble 22nd-century Andorian battlecruisers, a Maquis raider, two Parliament-class ships, and two Olympic-class (or Daedalus-class) ships.
Thanks to Jörg Hillebrand for his assistance with this article.
Season two will debut on Paramount+ on August 12th in the USA and CTV Sci-Fi in Canada. We are still trying to confirm when season two will premiere outside of North America. Season one debuted on Amazon Prime in January outside of the Americas, and will debut in September on Paramount+ in Latin America.
What did we miss?
Did you catch anything else? Let us know in the comments below.
Find more news and analysis on Star Trek: Lower Decks.
So…more Easter eggs passing for “humor.”
And really, more demotions? Don’t they realize that any of these characters would be given dishonorable discharges in real life?
Plenty of characters in Trek have done silly things like this. Kirk in particular in stealing the Enterprise.
Not so much “humor” as simply “stuff that helps put this in the Trek universe”, and which helps all those elements previous appearances whose previous appearances might otherwise be random one-shots be better tied to the greater Trek universe themselves.
And yeah, more demotions. It’s not like we haven’t seen plenty of demotions in the franchise before, even for hero characters like Tom Paris and no less a titan than James T. Kirk himself. These characters have proven their value to Starfleet, and we don’t yet have any clue about what happens with Boimler to get him back down to ensign (hell, for all we know he could actually have been promoted to commander, and just have borrowed some subordinate’s jacket – I mean, I don’t think that’s the case at all, but we really have no clue).
So yeah.
It worked — once — in the case of Kirk, because that was sui generis. A celebrity Starfleet captain who was a modern-day Odysseus, helming a storied ship, coming off of saving Planet Earth. And he enjoyed significant high-level political support from Sarek, at that.
Oliver North and Michael Flynn notwithstanding, a n’er-do-well private gets drummed out of the service for transgressions like that. (Hell, my Uber driver the other day bragged to me how he was a former Marine but got put in the stockade for six months for beating up someone who was taunting him in San Diego.)
Janeway had little choice with Paris; they were stranded in the Delta quadrant, and it’s not as if she could requisition a new helmsman from HQ.
Or, you know, since we have seen multiple Starfleet officers get promoted/demoted without being kicked out of the service, maybe Starfleet promotions/discipline works differently than 20th/21st century US military service?
Ro Laren, Tom Paris, Chakotay, Burnham, Mariner, Kirk all have been demoted or discharged (or imprisoned) and been taken back in various circumstances.
Also, Rutherford changed divisions 3 times in one day; Worf changed divisions at least twice; Mariner changed twice (to OPS and back to command after her demotion), LaForge changed at least once (not including alternative futures).
It seems like Starfleet is interested in finding the perfect fit for each officer in division, rank, and position, not just following an up or out deal.
Ro Laren was demoted and *put in the stockade*. She was let out for one mission, which was a setup by a Badmiral; Picard gave her a second chance only after she came clean. Her ultimate fate in “Preemptive Strike” suggests that Picard’s confidence was misguided.
The same was true of Tom Paris. He was (like his doppelganger, Nick Locarno) dishonorably discharged. He was reinstated — as an observer, as Janeway made crystal clear — for one mission. The remainder of the Voyager Maquis crew are not exceptions; they were all stuck with one another while stranded. The VOY writers’ room was ultimately unwilling to explore conflict between Starfleet and the Maquis in any serious way, which is one reason why so many folks think VOY never lived up to its premise (admittedly, the Maquis were really only interesting in the context of the Cardassian DMZ). And to this day, they’ve never shown us what happened to any of the Maquis when they arrived home.
The depiction of Michael Burnham has been ridiculous, particularly when she disobeyed ordered a *second* time in season 3, which showed she learned nothing from the Binary Stars incident. I rewatched season 3 a few weeks ago; it didn’t stand up as well on a second viewing, and the Burnham/Georgiou mega-mess is a big reason why.
This “officer gets demoted and makes good” is a Hollywood trope. I suppose that, if executed well and *sparingly*, it can make for good drama, even if unrealistic in a real-world military. “Executed well” and “sparingly” are not words I associate with recent Trek. The fact that TOS did just that shows Roddenberry’s military background; he had some experience in milieux other than Hollywood, and it showed. The trajectory of someone like Ro Laren before her onscreen debut, or even Ben Finney (who went to the “bottom of the promotion list” in “Court Martial”) is much more realistic and suggests that this trope has nothing to do with Starfleet organizational behavior, but rather lousy writing. Shocking, that.
It’s ultimately similar to the way people found Wesley Crusher unbelievable; no matter how you sliced it, his presence on the bridge was nepotism. (The fact he stayed for season 2 when his mother left the ship ameliorated the problem somewhat.) Mariner is nepotism on steroids.
Finally, cross-functional training (i.e., rotating through security, engineering, command, etc.) is not remotely the same thing as a demotion; it’s a common practice in the corporate world, and indeed, there have been some recent articles from business academia suggesting that it’s an ideal way to groom someone for the CEO position.
I like that idea.
Also, could it be possible that Brad (or Riker) find that Brad is not yet ready for or unhappy with the job on Riker’s ship, or following his experience on the USS Titan, Brad’s career goals change? I mean to say it need not necessarily be a disciplinary demotion meant as punishment, though that’s also a possibility.
Hm, I assume demotion would also hurt a person financially? Maybe in a future without money, that aspect isn’t to consider with losing rank, so maybe more flexibility?
Okay, but Mariner is pretty much just insubordinate, and she makes up for it by being otherwise extremely knowledgeable, competent, and capable. She’s helped save the whole ship and crew on multiple occasions. She could be drummed out of Starfleet, but aside from the apparent nepotism shield (not talking about her mom Captain Freeman, who had frequently seemed like she’d be perfectly happy to boot her daughter off the ship and out of the service if it were up to her, but rather about the as-yet-unnamed admiral father), the fact is Mariner is actually *good*, and Starfleet would be doing itself a huge disservice to get rid of her.
The fact that Mariner is (allegedly) “good” is a textbook case of being driven by the speed of plot.
Insubordinate people who refuse to engage in teamwork or planning, or who get where they are by nepotism, rarely achieve good outcomes. Or are you one of those people who who liked El Pato Donaldo’s leadership style because he was (allegedly) a bidnessman?
Let me put it this way. The US military has reportedly shown videos of Captain Picard in TNG to showcase examples of good leadership. I have also read that United Airlines showed videos of Captain Picard to showcase examples of good cockpit resource management.
Regardless of how well Mariner bumbled her way into Berlin on LOWER DECKS, do you really think the US military or commercial airlines will be showcasing her as an example of good leadership or teamwork to be emulated in real life?
Would you get on a United 747 if United did that?
Wow, that is quite a leap from someone saying Mariner is exceedingly “good” at her job (i.e., effective in the way the Boilmer Effect canonizes that concept) to asking if someone supports The Former Guy!
EWWW! Hell, no, and how dare you. I’m certain you support 45 more than I do, because I cannot possibly disapprove of him more than I do.
Whether Mariner’s positive outcomes are realistic or not is certainly up for debate, but that they are good in-universe really isn’t. She is repeatedly shown to be knowledgeable and effective. She saved the Cerritos and her crew in multiple episodes from multiple threats, along with saving the crew of the Rubidoux. She (with Boimler) uncovered and dealt with the dangerous actions of a legitimately terrible lower-decks officer (Fletcher) who’d up to that point disguised his technical incompetence with his social skills, she saved Boimler from various undesirable circumstances and fates on multiple occasions, and on and on. Yes, she’s wildly insubordinate and breaks protocol on a regular basis, but she’s also legitimately smart and capable and resourceful. It’s there in the text of the show (as is a reason why she’s permitted to stay in Starfleet at all rather than being just booted out right away). If you don’t like it, that’s absolutely fine – there’s much in Trek canon that I don’t really care for myself – but it’s in-universe fact.
So…more ignorant trolling passing for “commentary.”
Anyone found a region-free version?
The one posted on Twitter is geoblocked, even for Canada, but I don’t seem a global version posted on StarTrek.com.
I did see one out there, but now I can’t remember where. Somewhere on Facebook, I think.
Yes, what I believe is a non-geoblocked version is available from the official Star Trek twitter account, posted on 12 July.
The car chase thru the shopping mall is a nod to “The Blues Brothers”.
BOIMLER: We’re on a mission from God.
MARINER: Dude, what DID God need with a Starship?
Is anyone with a less-than-encyclopedic knowledge of Star Trek even going to understand this reference?
The way you bring in new fans is by *good writing*, not pointless, self-referential easter eggs. Dollars to donuts that BREAKING BAD is still adored in 20 years, when all this substandard Trek is forgotten. Here’s hoping it doesn’t take down TOS and TNG with it.
Wow, you’re really mad about it.
What does this have to do with an encyclopedic knowledge of Star Trek? Wouldn’t it just require a passing knowledge of pop culture to recognize “The Blues Brothers”?
You are really reaching just to put down LDS. Why bother commenting here if you aren’t going to provide anything beyond trolling?
Where and when was The Blues Brothers previously referenced in Star Trek?
Agreed on the writing; disagreed on whether or not this show does or doesn’t qualify. I get that you have a mad on about this show. FWIW, I understand, I truly do – there are lots of other productions in the franchise I don’t care for myself, particularly among the recent ones. But I do happen to like this one a great deal – probably more than any other Star Trek produced this millennium, in fact.
Brad getting demoted and returning to Cerritos? That’s among the two possibilities regarding car chase seen. The other possibility: another flashback.
I assume it’s not possible that he’s the new security chief, right?
This is fantastic! If that is the Vanguard, that is so awesome! First there’s a girl Brikar character in Prodigy. A nod to the New Frontier books.
Next, if that is the Vanguard station, that’s a nod to the Vanguard series.I have been waiting for this moment (where the tie in novels finally get their due and are accepted as canon) for a very long time. This is a second Golden Age for Star Trek, irregardless of what some people may say. I was around for the first one in the ’90s.
I was a teenager then. I turn 42 this month. I’ve been reading the tie in fiction since I was 12 back in 1991. This is my 30th year reading and enjoying the Star Trek books and comics.
I am a lifelong Trekkie! I’m still hoping to see Captain Calhoun and the USS Excalibur show up on one of these shows though😉. That’s the ultimate wish fulfillment right there for me! Live long and prosper 🖖.
Captain Calhoun, the Excalibur, & crew, YESS! I remember hoping back in the day it was gonna be the next series after VOY, but no. Peter David is brilliant, & could create brilliant stories for a ST series if given the chance. To this day, Mackenzie Calhoun is my usual gamer tag. 🖖
I love hearing other Trekkies mention how much they too love the New Frontier series! I hoped for it to be a TV show myself. Or I thought back then in the late-’90’s that the Excalibur might show up during the Dominion War on DS9. Just a brief cameo I was hoping for but back then the books were off limits, to be considered beta canon only.
I didn’t know that’s what the books were called back then because I was only 18 when New Frontier started. I love the first Excalibur alot! I thought being an Ambassador-class ship made it unique. I didn’t like when Peter David turned the Excalibur into the Enterprise-D.
I still read the series but it lost a part of it’s charm to me. But I kept reading because I loved the characters. Mackenzie Calhoun is my second favorite Captain. My first being Kirk, of course.
And I love Zak Kebron and Soleta. I loved how Peter David turned Morgan Le Fay from King Arthur into Robin Leffler’s mother and he made her look just like Majel Barrett-Roddenberry. That whole series was just fantastic! I wish Peter David would come back to it but it’s 20th anniversary came and went without a new book or anything.
So I think that series is all done especially since Coda is coming to wrap up everything in the Star Trek books. Live long and prosper, Kerry🖖
It’s a missed opportunity for sure. David’s writing is a little quirky, smart, genius, & fully entertaining. Calhoun was irreverent, part Kirk, part Riker, & his own individual. And he had a history with Picard. I just wholeheartedly luved that Majel could have portrayed Morgan, who had a deep history of her own… Still have my Playmates Calhoun – he deserved proper packaging BTW.
At the time, I lived in Calhoun, GA which was ironic. Peter David auctioned off a set of NF mass markets for a good cause. I made sure I bid the highest, & asked to purchase a second set, signed. And he did it. 🖖
You’re right that is ironic about living in Calhoun, GA. Great story about Peter David by the way. I love him. He’s an awesome writer! My favorite Star Trek story from him, besides New Frontier, is Imzadi.
That story is amazing! I read the comics Peter David writes too. I have a chunk of Star Trek comics but I really loved his Incredible Hulk run back in the ’90s. And he’s back writing for Marvel again now.
I like his Symbiote Spider-Man comic alot because it’s set in the ’80s and I’m an ’80s baby. I was born 6 months before Star Trek: The Motion Picture came out. Also, at the time, I liked the Calhoun figure from Playmates. But I didn’t get him.
I was going to buy him a year ago because you can find him cheap on the internet. But seeing him now he doesn’t really look like Captain Calhoun to me. I wish they did another figure with him or any of the Excalibur crew. Playmates has the license again for Star Trek so we’ll see.
Hopefully, their figures have gotten better in the past 21 years that they didn’t have the Star Trek license for figures for. I did buy some Playmates stuff. I have 8″ inch figures of Captain Kirk, Spock, and Edith Keeler from City On The Edge Of Forever. But I don’t care for a lot of the Playmate figures.
And that’s very cool that you’re New Frontier books are signed by Peter David. Those aren’t just books. That makes them keepsakes now. Live long and prosper, Kerry🖖.
It was only 30 seconds and I smiled through the whole thing. This show was a lot of fun first season so can’t wait to see what they do in season 2, but it all looks promising so far!
Speaking of fanboys, here’s something I hadn’t noticed before: One of Maverick’s trainees in the new Top Gun has the call name “Fanboy,” and it’s painted on his helmet in the TOS font.
(Yes, Top Gun is a Paramount production.)
Nice catch! And nifty detail (albeit still not quite enough to get me interested in the new Top Gun movie).