Surprise! Paramount+ dropped the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks early after its Comic Con premiere.

When Paramount+ first sent their press screeners for season 2, it was somewhat disappointing that the crossover was not among them. But hey, we can patiently wait for good things, right? Let me tell you right now that the wait was absolutely worth it. It’s only natural, of course, that franchise veteran Jonathan Frakes directs the episode especially with Ensign Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) being such a big fan of Frakes’ Riker.

It’s a really fun episode and one that fans of both series should enjoy. If you’ve yet to start watching Lower Decks, I highly recommend it.

What follows are spoilers for “Those Old Scientists” so do not read if you have yet to watch.

Your eyes are not deceiving you. This episode starts out in animation before jumping over to live-action. I was curious about how much of a hybrid episode it would be. There’s some fun at the end of the episode, too.

While investigating a time portal, an accident sends Ensign Brad Boimler to an earlier timeline in the Star Trek franchise. An era that is commonly referred to in the Star Trek universe as “Those Old Scientists.” In any event, it’s up to Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and the crew to get Boimler back to his timeline. Otherwise, there is a chance that he might mess up theirs. Lower Decks is an animated comedy series so I wouldn’t put it beneath the writers to pull an outrageous stunt. Right when you think Boimler would have no problem getting back to his own timeline, Ensign Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newome) comes through the portal.

Not surprisingly, both Boimler and Mariner have their fanboy and fangirl moments on the USS Enterprise. Could you blame them though? I mean, how would you react if you found yourself meeting Captain Pike, Number One (Rebecca Romijn), Spock (Ethan Peck), or Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding)? If I were them, I’d be freaking out. Of course, I would have so many questions. How do you ask those questions without ruining the timeline. Anyway, Boimler and Mariner both know about the history of the Enterprise and how Archer’s NX-01 is a part of the ship. It plays a pivotal role in this episode and getting back to their timeline.

It is something of a bummer that neither D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) and Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) appear in the live-action portion of the episodes. Without getting confirmation, my guess is that it is probably due to the the amount of time they would spend with hair and makeup. Nevertheless, there are a pair of Orion scientists appearing in the episode. Their presence ties back to comments that Tendi made before Boimler and Mariner were sent back in time.

The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Star Trek: Lower Decks crossover is everything that audiences could have asked for and more.

CREATORS: Akiva Goldsman & Alex Kurtzman & Jenny Lumet
SHOWRUNNERS: Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers
DIRECTOR: Jonathan Frakes
EPISODE WRITERS: Kathryn Lyn & Bill Wolkoff
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth
CAST: Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, and Rebecca Romijn
SPECIAL GUEST STARS: Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells, Eugene Cordero, Jerry O’Connell
GUEST STARS: Greg Bryk and Carol Kane

New episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiere weekly on Paramount+. Episode 7 – Grade: 5/5

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