Ngl I am adoring how fucking sincere this season of Lower Decks is. We are fully out of the "Marvel at its worst" territory we were dancing toward and have landed firmly in the same realm as like, the Dungeons and Dragons movie. Which is a comparison I do not make lightly. This season really feels like it loves Star Trek, but more than that, it feels like it loves itself and its characters and what they can bring to Star Trek. It isn't an easy balance to strike, but man this season is just nailing it. Like the funny jokes and references and genre awareness is all there, but it's taken a back seat to these characters and who they are and their relationships and growth and skills and the incredibly unique stories they have to tell, and it's just seeped with so much LOVE for what it is that you can feel it in every fucking frame.
We are past subversions that only exist to laugh at the audience for having the audacity to care and parody episodes that bring nothing new to the table and are so seeped in mean-spirited sarcasm that it's completely unbearable and giving up character development and plot resolutions for the sake of cramming more pointless "hey remember this?" moments in. Nah, this is reminding me that Star Trek is at its best when it's goofy and funny and not afraid to step outside the box or take itself seriously when the time comes and full of deep, sincere love for everything that makes it Star Trek. It's not mean, it's not shallow, it's here to have a good time, and it really wants you to come along for the ride.
This is peak Lower Decks. I have never been so happy to be a fan of this show <3
