It is a wrap. Or ought to that be a warp?
The ultimate episode of Star Trek: Decrease Decks has aired and with it, the USS Cerritos’s five-year mission to discover unusual corners of canon, to hunt out new gags and comedic conditions, to boldly go the place no “Star Trek” has gone earlier than has come to an finish.
So, in honor of the voyages of Starfleet’s second contact specialists, we have picked out 25 of the perfect ‘Trek’ callbacks from the present’s five-season run — every little thing from whales in Starfleet to the notorious Riker maneuver.
The opening credit
From the riff on Alexander Braveness’s well-known “Trek” fanfare to the “Subsequent Technology”-faithful fonts and the “Voyager”-style fly-by, the “Decrease Decks” opening titles are one lengthy callback. The very best bit is the Cerritos’s courageous retreat from a battlefield that, by the ultimate season, incorporates a rogues’ gallery of Borg, Romulans, Klingons, the Crystalline Entity, the whale-seeking probe from “Star Trek IV” and Apollo’s large inexperienced house hand from Unique Collection episode “Who Mourns for Adonais?”.
Cetacean Ops
A passing reference to the Cetacean Ops division within the traditional “The Subsequent Technology” episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise” turns into a pair of uniformed beluga whale navigation officers — Kimolu and Matt — in “Decrease Decks”. The USS Voyager-A additionally has its personal resident humpback whale, Gracie, in “Star Trek: Prodigy“.
Officers on deck
When the Cerritos crew are became rabid zombies within the opening episode “Second Contact” (season 1), Ensigns Rutherford and Barnes proceed their date on the ship’s hull. Their starlight wander echoes Picard and Worf’s spacewalk in “First Contact”, albeit with fewer Borg and much more appreciation of the “classical” music of The Monkees.
Rock man
A creature hewn from rock was initially alleged to assault James T Kirk within the remaining act of “Star Trek V: The Remaining Frontier”. It was determined that the costume wasn’t as much as scratch and the scene was subsequently deleted, however the species bought an surprising reprieve three a long time later in “Envoys” (season 1), courtesy of a short cameo in a bar brawl.
Signing off
It was by no means formally confirmed on the time — and Kirk, Scotty and Chekov later turned up in “TNG” handover film “Generations” — however “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Nation” at all times felt like a swansong for the unique Enterprise crew. The veteran forged actually signed off with their autographs forward of the closing credit, and the Decrease Deckers do precisely the identical on the finish of “Disaster Level” (season 1).
Exocomps
In “TNG” episode “The High quality of Life”, Information efficiently proved that the Exocomps — small, useful robots designed to carry out menial duties on Tyrus 7A — are sentient. A number of years later in “No Small Components” (season 1), an Exocomp named Peanut Hamper joins the Cerritos crew — although it later seems that she’s developed mutinous emotions in the direction of Starfleet.
The Animated Collection
“Star Trek: The Animated Collection” continued the five-year mission of the USS Enterprise, with many of the authentic forged. It has been a frequent supply of inspiration for “Decrease Decks”, with the irascible Dr T’Ana belonging to the identical Caitian species as “TAS”‘s M’Ress, and a short cameo from a shape-shifting Vendorian in “Envoys” (season 1). However the nicest contact is arguably a “photograph” of the “TAS” incarnations of Kirk and Spock in “No Small Components”.
These Outdated Scientists
In the actual world, the “TOS period” refers to “The Unique Collection” time interval of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. The time period can be utilized in “Decrease Decks”, although — as Commander Ransom explains in “No Small Components”— the in-universe definition is “These Outdated Scientists”. “These Outdated Scientists” can be the title of the “Unusual New Worlds”/”Decrease Decks” crossover episode.
Lt Kayshon
Lt Kayshon, the Cerritos’s new head of safety in “Kayshon, His Eyes Open” (season 2), is the primary Tamarian to serve in Starfleet however we had encountered his species earlier than. Within the traditional “The Subsequent Technology” episode “Darmok”, Jean-Luc Picard was trapped on a planet with a Tamarian captain who communicated solely in metaphor and allegory. Kayshon converses in the same approach.
Boimler x2
Considered one of Starfleet’s alarmingly common transporter accidents resulted within the creation of a reproduction Will Riker (often known as Thomas) in “The Subsequent Technology”. Precisely the identical destiny befalls Bradward Boimler whereas serving beneath Riker on the USS Titan in “Kayshon, His Eyes Open”. One of many doppelgangers even chooses the title William as a Riker tribute.
A prank name to Armus
Armus was the malevolent oil slick who killed Tasha Yar for no motive in “The Subsequent Technology”‘s first season. In “The Spy Humongous” (season 2), the Decrease Deckers use a submanifold casting stone to prank name Vagra II’s self-proclaimed pores and skin of evil. He nonetheless has unresolved anger points.
The Bare Time/Now
In “I, Excretus” (season 2) a coaching train pits Mariner in opposition to a virus that’ll be acquainted to anybody who’s seen “TOS” episode “The Bare Time” and “TNG”‘s “The Bare Now”. It is the identical inhibition-blocking an infection that turned Sulu right into a sword-wielding maniac and prompted Yar to seduce Information — which means that Mariner sees issues no one ought to should see — however as Starfleet assessments go, it is no Kobayashi Maru.
Go climb a rock
“Star Trek V” — aka the one the place Kirk meets “God” — has at all times been thought of one of many weaker Star Trek motion pictures within the canon. Brad Boimler clearly did not get the memo, nevertheless, and in “wej Duj” (season 2) he pays tribute to the movie throughout some holodeck-based R&R, sporting each Spock’s rocket boots and Kirk’s “Go climb a rock” high.
Captain Freeman Day
It is not only a craft day for toddlers… In “First First Contact” (season 2) Brad Boimler makes a “Completely satisfied Freeman Day” banner that appears a lot just like the ornament the children on the Enterprise made for Captain Picard in “The Subsequent Technology” episode “The Pegasus” — a memento so essential that it was on nonetheless on show on the Starfleet Archives in “Picard”, set twenty years later.
The swagger stick
USS Excelsior commander Captain Types solely bought a couple of minutes of screentime in “Star Trek III: The Seek for Spock” — and hardly lined himself in glory — however his weird affectation of carrying a swagger stick (basically a navy driving crop) ensured he’ll by no means be forgotten.
When Captain Freeman is up for promotion in “First First Contact” (season 2), her daughter Beckett Mariner is apprehensive about potential replacements, suggesting that “We might find yourself with some weirdo with a driving crop”. Dr T’Ana goes one step additional in “The Stars at Evening” (season 3), wielding a driving crop of her personal.
Ketracel White-Sizzling Sauce
In “Deep House 9”, Dominion lackeys the Jem’Hadar had been genetically engineered to require a drug often known as Ketracel White to remain alive. In “Grounded” (season 3) we study that Sisko’s Creole Kitchen (run by Captain Sisko’s dad, Joseph) has Ketracel White-Sizzling Sauce on the menu — a concoction so spicy that it is positively set to stun.
The Riker manoeuver
Will Riker had a famously unorthodox method to sitting in chairs on the Enterprise, and his first officer counterpart on the Cerritos, Jack Ransom, can be an advocate of the Riker maneuver. “It is advisable to sit, cross your leg over the again of it, and slam down,” he tells a gathering of junior officers in “The Stars at Evening” (season 3). “Command that chair!”
T’Illups
A mission to move the decommissioned USS Voyager in “Twovix” (season 4) offers an opportunity to revisit one in all Captain Janeway’s most notorious command choices. Simply as one other transporter malfunction fused Neelix and Tuvok into Tuvix, Dr T’Ana and Chief Engineer Billups are mixed as T’Illups — who then goes on to create a hybrid “Tuvix Military”. The episode additionally asks loads of moral questions on Janeway’s determination to separate Tuvix into his elements elements, basically murdering a brand new species within the course of.
Mariner’s Starfleet Academy days
Not each callback in “Decrease Decks” exists for comedic functions. In “The Internal Battle” (season 4) we study that Beckett Mariner was at Starfleet Academy with Wesley Crusher, Sito Jaxa, and the opposite cadets whose unauthorized coaching flight maneuver resulted within the dying of a fellow scholar in “The Subsequent Technology” episode “The First Responsibility”. Following Ensign Sito’s dying in “TNG”‘s “Decrease Decks”, Mariner’s ongoing mission to keep away from promotion was a tribute to her late good friend
Not a puppet
Whereas trying to find the fugitive Nicholas Locarno (one other member of Wesley Crusher’s ill-fated crew of cadets) in “The Internal Battle”, Captain Freeman wrongly assumes that an data dealer is a puppet.
It is arguably a simple mistake to make, seeing as he is the spitting picture of the puppet the child-like Balok used within the Unique Collection episode “The Corbomite Maneuver”. The haunting authentic model was a memorable fixture of the “TOS” closing credit.
The Genesis gadget
From “Star Trek: Nemesis” to “Star Trek Into Darkness” and past, the franchise has regularly tried to recapture the magic of its most interesting hour, “The Wrath of Khan”. Few homages have been as blatant as “Outdated Mates, New Planets” (season 4), nevertheless, by which Mariner has a nebula-based face-off in opposition to former classmate Nicholas Locarno — a detailed encounter that culminates within the detonation of a Genesis gadget.
Decontamination gel
When the Cerritos visits the eponymous house station in “Starbase 80?” (season 5), it is such a blast from the previous that you just nonetheless should cowl your self in decontamination gel earlier than stepping aboard. This was customary apply two centuries earlier within the “Star Trek: Enterprise” period, although we do not recall Archer, T’Pol, and Tucker having fun with the appliance of the goo fairly as a lot as Ransom.
An Olympian crew member
Kirk, McCoy, and Scotty met Apollo, an alien masquerading as an Olympian god, within the Unique Collection episode “Who Mourns for Adonais?”. Shut relative Ensign Olly takes up a put up on the Cerritos in “Of Gods and Angles” (season 5), and divulges that these godly golden laurel leaves are literally a part of her cranium. Sadly, her lightning bolt-throwing expertise nonetheless require some work.
The music recitals
Carrying on the custom of Will Riker along with his trombone, Information along with his violin, and Harry Kim along with his clarinet, there is no scarcity of Cerritos officers ready to carry out concert events for his or her shipmates — culminating in advanced/de-evolved Barnes exhibiting off her sousaphone expertise in “Higher Decks” (season 5).
William Boimler’s Anaximander crew
“Fissure Quest” (season 5) reveals that the not-really-dead William Boimler is working for Part 31 to repair rifts in house and time, however the greater headline is the make-up of his crew. “Enterprise”‘s T’Pol, “Deep House 9″‘s Curzon Dax, and tons of (nonetheless unpromoted) Harry Kims (“Voyager”) are a welcome presence on the Anaximander bridge. The writers additionally play out many a fan fiction fantasy by that includes “DS9″‘s Elim Garak and Julian Bashir (the latter’s a hologram) as a married couple.
Each episode of “Star Trek: Decrease Decks” is obtainable on Paramount+.
