By Chris Snellgrove | Published 10 seconds ago
Star Trek fans have always enjoyed the franchise’s techno-powered socialist utopia, so it’s only fitting that the cancellation of Lower Decks has revealed the biggest lie of capitalism: if you build it, they will come. That is, we spend our lives being told that being successful is just a matter of demonstrating your talent and doing an awesome job. For this Star Trek fan, Lower Decks was a nearly perfect show, but its cancellation reveals two bitter truths: being great doesn’t translate to being profitable, and modern Trekkers simply have no idea what they want.
Do Fans Want Star Trek: Lower Decks?
Paramount has been understandably loathe to discuss the numbers that motivated them to prematurely cancel Star Trek shows Discovery and Lower Decks, both of whom unexpectedly had to make their fifth seasons into final seasons. The chief assumption about Lower Decks is that, even though it is far cheaper to produce than shows like Strange New Worlds, it wasn’t getting enough views or driving enough new subscribers to Paramount+. And while Paramount’s poor handling of the NuTrek area is partially to blame, I can’t help but think my fellow fans just don’t know what they really want for this franchise.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Star Trek characters like Michael Burnham are fond of children’s tales like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, so I think it’s only fitting to view Lower Decks in terms of another kiddie fable: Goldilocks and the Three Bears. While Discovery ended strong, it initially put new fans off by focusing so much on old lore that it disrupted existing canon regarding everything from the Klingons to Spock’s tangled family tree. Put simply, early Discovery stumbled because it tried to focus too much on familiar characters and events rather than trying something new.
So Much Potential
The next major Star Trek series was Lower Decks, and it managed to find the Goldilocks balance fans craved. Every season was filled with hilarious callbacks to beloved characters from Q to Harry Kim, and the show always had great Easter eggs for older fans to appreciate (I almost spit my drink out when I saw the giant-sized skeleton of Spock Two, an obscure Animated Series character). At the same time, the show introduced amazing new characters like Boimler and Mariner, proving that Lower Decks, like Goldilocks’ preferred bed, was “just right” in its ability to focus on something old and something new at the same time.
Conclusion
As a Star Trek fan who fell in love with the franchise during the original run of TNG, “potential” is the word I most associate with Lower Decks. The show lived up to all of its potential and then some, combining side-splitting comedy with exciting stories that stretched the boundaries of this franchise. Honestly, if Star Trek is all about Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, Lower Decks deserves a permanent place in Stovokor for being the only NuTrek show (sorry, Strange New Worlds) to fully embrace this Vulcan ideal.
FAQs
Q: Why was Star Trek: Lower Decks cancelled?
A: The exact reasons for the cancellation are unknown, but it is believed that the show did not generate enough views or new subscribers to justify its production costs.
Q: What was wrong with Star Trek: Discovery?
A: The show initially struggled to balance its focus on old lore and new stories, which disrupted the existing canon and alienated some fans.
Q: What was right about Star Trek: Lower Decks?
A: The show found the perfect balance between callbacks to beloved characters and new stories, making it a fan favorite.
Q: What is the future of Star Trek: NuTrek?
A: The franchise is in a state of uncertainty, with fans and executives struggling to define what they want from the series.