The CBS Home Entertainment May 18, 2021 separate DVD, Blu-ray, and steelbook releases of "Star Trek Lower Decks" S1 provides Trekkies, Trekkers, and "virgins" who do not subscribe to streaming service Paramount+ a chance to watch arguably the best "fun for all ages" animated series of 2020. This fun continues when S2 hits Paramount+ on August 12, 2021.
This release coincides with the wonderful CBSHE DVD releases of "Beverly Hills 90210" and "BH90210" Complete Collection and "CSI:NY" Complete Series." Reviews of both sets sadly have been destroyed along with the 1,000s of other posts on Unreal TV 2.0 (aka Matt Nelson Reviews) thanks to the resistance is futile business model of Weebly.
The following CBSHE "captain's log" as to "Lower Decks" expertly describes the concept of this brilliant and stunningly crisp series that is highly BD worthy. "Join rule-breaker Beckett Mariner, aspiring captain Brad Boimler, rookie D'Vana Tendi and part-Cyborg Sam Rutherford as they attempt to navigate the most mysterious corners of our universe with very little experience... and even less authority."
"Lower Decks" creator/writer Mike McMahan puts his time on the wonderfully subversive "Back to the Future" animated homage "Rick and Morty" to good use. Boimler (phenomenally voiced by Jack Quaid) and fellow grunt Mariner provide hilariously contrasting views and 'tudes as they go about their menial duties on Federation ship "Cerritos" that lacks the glory of the fleet flagship "Enterprise."
A prime example of the second-tier status of the "Cerritos" is a follow-up second second-contact mission that lacks the prestige of making first contact with a "new civilization." The hilarious opening credits that are full of pilot error further reflect this vibe.
The wonderful blend of "Trek" lore and slackercom "Workaholics" is particularly strong in an episode that is centered around the "buffer time" that dates back to "Trek" OS. The concept is that the grunts exaggerate the amount of time that a task will take so that the bridge crew is impressed when it is completed ahead of schedule. A typical slip-of-the-tongue by Boimler results in Captain Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) comically tightening up deadlines.
Freeman gets one of the best lines of the series in a scene in which she states that putting Mariner in the brig does not do any good because Mariner likes the brig. A reference to "TOS" in a later episode runs a close second.
The true genius of "Lower Decks" is how Team McMahan PERFECTLY serves up a tongue-in-cheek depiction of the otherwise exemplary performance of the Federation officers around whom the other "Trek" series are based. These include Boimler experiencing a comical effect of transporter mishap (poor Porthos) and an episode involving a life-threatening holodeck malfunction. We further get regular references to the heroic legends of "Trek" lore. Speaking of which, Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis awesomely reprise their TNG roles in the "Lower Decks" season finale.
The below-the-surface fun of "Lower Decks" relates to comprehending the aforementioned references. These truly run the gamut from the sublime to the ridiculous. One can only hope that this series lives long and prospers as it boldly goes where no animated series has gone before.
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