jack quaid star trek crossover

‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Star Jack Quaid Talks ‘Strange New Worlds’ Crossover and Taking the Cast of ‘The Boys’ Spinoff ‘Gen V’ to Brunch

By Adam B. Vary

Adam B. Vary

Senior Entertainment Writer

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SPOILER ALERT: The final question in this interview includes a spoiler for the Season 3 finale of “ The Boys .”

“I love Boimler,” says “ Star Trek: Lower Decks ” star Jack Quaid of his adorably hapless character Brad Boimler. “I love him so much.”

What do you do to get in the Boimler headspace when you record the show?

I think I just listen to Mike McMahon talk about “Star Trek.” His enthusiasm for this franchise is just so contagious that it for sure rubs off on you. Boimler is constantly geeking out about all things Starfleet in the way that Mike is geeking out about all things “Star Trek.” So you step into that environment inherently. Other than that… I make my voice a little bit higher pitched, and he kind of just comes out of me. I’ve always wanted to play a goofball like him in a show like this. I’ve been a cartoon nerd for forever. I genuinely love voicing him. He just holds a very, very special place in my heart. And it was cool to actually get to be the live-action version of him in the “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” crossover.

So you’re playing a live-action version of Boimler, not voicing him?

So what was it like for you to suddenly embody Boimler, and as a follow up, is your hair purple?

Oh it’s purple. Definitely purple. We made sure of that. Yeah, it was really, really cool. That was such an interesting challenge as an actor to take something that I usually just do with my voice but then inhabit every bit of him. I studied the way the animators and artists rendered Boimler and his movements and certain little gestures he would do. I tried to bring as much of that into the episode as possible, but trying to do things [that] were a little too big, a little too animated in a live-action setting, but still keep it within the Boimler range of movement. That was such a cool challenge. But I think the real blessing shooting that was having [“Star Trek: The Next Generation” star] Jonathan Frakes as the director. He’s just a legend, and he just absolutely nailed it. He directs so much “Star Trek,” and just to have Riker telling you what to do — if Riker is saying that you’re on the right path, you probably are. So that was just a dream come true.

So it was a dream for you and it was probably also a dream for Boimler. A win/win.

Oh, it was a big dream for Boimler. Very meta, actually, considering Boimler is such a fan of Riker and comes to work with him on the Titan, and Jonathan and I got to work together and I consider him a really good friend now. That was just the best.

I gather that episode came together because of a conversation you had on the set of “The Boys”?

Yeah, there’s this writer David Reed who worked on “The Boys” and on “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.” And he just came up to me and was like, “I love ‘Lower Decks.’ How can we get you on a live-action ‘Star Trek’ show?” I’m like, “I would do it in a heartbeat. There’s no resistance for me.” I thought this could always work. It wasn’t necessarily the show that I thought would be the crossover point, because they don’t really take place in the same timeline. But I really liked it. I really liked them merging this older era of “Trek” with us from the future quite a lot. So I like merging those two timelines. You’ll see how that all works out on the “Strange New World” episode. But it’s cool because from Boimler and Mariner’s perspective, they know about Captain Pike and Spock and Uhura. They think that they’re all awesome. So it was a fun way for them to meet their heroes, in a way. I’m just excited I get to actually talk about it because I had to keep it secret for so long. That crew over there on “Strange New Worlds” is awesome. Ethan Peck and I had an epic bromance — I just want to say that right now.

Boimler has been such a proud beta male on “Lower Decks,” but it looks like he starts to assert himself more in Season 3?

Most people first saw you in “The Hunger Games” as Marvel, one of the formidable and threatening tributes from District One — quite the opposite of Boimler and Hughie from “The Boys.” What has that progression been like for you?

I never thought that my first role in movie would be a vicious child murderer in a dystopian future. I never thought that would be where my career went. I feel like Hughie and Boimler are way closer to who I am as a person than Marvel is. But I just like playing different types of characters. You know, I had the opportunity to play a very different type of a character in “Scream” recently. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to experience a lot of different types of characters.

You’re about to start shooting Season 4 of “The Boys.” Are you are you going to be involved at all in “Gen V”?

Not at this point. I haven’t really talked about that with anyone, but I’d love to be. I actually can talk about this now, because it was happening when I was shooting “Strange New Worlds” in Toronto, and that was just as the cast of “Gen V” was starting production. So I took them all out to brunch one day. I got to know a bunch of them. They’re awesome. They’re so talented. They’re so cool. I can’t wait for that show to come out. I wish them all the best. They’re gonna knock it out of the park.

[SPOILER ALERT] In the finale of Season 3 of “The Boys,” we learn that Butcher has essentially a year to live. How do you think Hughie is going to react to the idea of a world without Butcher in it?

Man, I mean, we’re gonna have to find out, but it’s not gonna be good. Butcher is like his best friend and an older brother. So that’s pretty devastating news, when Hughie finds out but we’re just going to have to wait and see how that plays out. I haven’t read all the scripts for Season 4 yet. I don’t really know, actually. This is my time to be a fan and just kind of let things come to me and react to them genuinely as I’m reading them. But I was really happy with the way the writers teed everything up for this next season.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ drops its ‘Lower Decks’ crossover early

‘those old scientists’ is available to watch right now..

Ever since Strange New Worlds’ second season was announced, the big draw has been the crossover episode with animated sitcom Lower Decks . It would see Tawny Newsome (Mariner) and Jack Quaid (Boimler) taking their until-now animated characters into live action. Following an early screening at Comic-Con, the episode is now available to watch on Paramount Plus.

The following article contains spoilers for “Those Old Scientists.”

There’s an SNL sketch where William Shatner, as himself, exhorts a room full of Star Trek fans to “ Get a Life! ” It’s clearly intended in jest, given Shatner’s barely-suppressed smile and a twist where Phil Hartman’s manager forces him to instantly recant his rant. Depending on who you ask, the sketch was either taken in the spirit it was intended, or with outrage amongst fans who felt mischaracterized, and misunderstood. But it’s this dichotomy, between the legend and the truth that’s mined for laughs in “Those Old Scientists,” the crossover episode between Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks . Well, that and an affectionate elbow in the ribs suggesting that we could all do with being a bit less obsessive.

The (animated) beta shift is making a routine survey of a long-dormant time-travel portal, while Boimler and Tendi argue about who discovered it. Boimler brags it was found by Starfleet, but Tendi says it was Orion scientists, once again trying to dispel myths that all Orions are pirates. While messing around Boimler is standing on the portal when Rutherford accidentally sets it running, throwing him back in time. When he arrives on the other side, he’s now in the live action world of Strange New Worlds , and is greeted by Spock, Una and La’an. And with that, we’re into an animated version of the title sequence, complete with nacelle-sucking alien.

On the Enterprise, Boimler can’t help but express his shock, surprise and generally fanboy out in front of his heroes. He gets lectured by La’an about not polluting the timeline and, thanks to her adventure in “Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow,” not getting attached. But, since this is the Boimler we know and love, he can’t help but throw spoilers out left, right and center. Not to mention his insistence on pointing out the difference between the history as he knows it, and the storylines as they’re presently unfolding on Strange New Worlds . For instance, he’s mightily disturbed by the fact that Spock – happy in a relationship with Chapel – is laughing, smiling and generally acting like he’s in love. After all, the Spock he knows – his Spock – isn’t this outwardly emotional, because that’s what the legend tells us. It’s almost as if he’s a stand-in for the sort of obsessive fan who tries to police the borders of what Star Trek is, instead of enjoying the journey.

At the same time, the Enterprise has to deal with an Orion vessel with undetermined intentions which then steals the time portal. Boimler urges Pike to be diplomatic, but winds up forcing him to trade a supply of much-needed triticale grain to get it back. Pike sees this – and the forced relocation of a planet-full of starving colonists – as preferable to having this guy on his ship any longer. When the portal is active and back in position, the Enterprise crew ready to get rid of this purple-haired irritation, Mariner leaps through, bravely declaring that she’s coming to the rescue. Except, the hardware had power enough for just one trip, and there’s not a fuel source available anywhere else in the quadrant. Leaving an eye-rolling Pike with the unwelcome possibility that they’re stuck with the Cerritos’ pair for good.

Boimler and Mariner wind up spending some time with their heroes, until they eventually realize that the Enterprise itself has a supply of fuel. Thanks to the naval tradition of using a component from the previous vessel in the construction of the next one, they can refine a chunk of NX-01 into fuel which can be used to send the pair home. (But not before the Strange New Worlds crew can reveal that they, too, are secretly as nerdy as a bunch of fans of their predecessors from Enterprise as Boimler is for this era.) They meet with the Orions again, and Pike pledges to claim that the Orions discovered the portal, giving their burgeoning science ship a small chunk of credit. And when Boimler and Mariner leap back to the future, the Enterprise crew drink an Orion cocktail that, in the closer, renders them all as animated characters.

“Those Old Scientists” is as pure a dose of fan service as Star Trek has ever produced, and I mean that as both a compliment and a criticism. Plenty of the elements, including the animated title sequence, reached straight into the lizard part of my brain and left me grinning like a loon. The screenplay, credited to Lower Decks ’ executive story editor Kathryn Lyn and Bill Wolkloff, is crammed full of great gags. It helps, too, that Strange New Worlds has enough comic talent in its ranks to play an episode like this, and Carol Kane steals the show with the best gag in the episode.

But, and there is a but, the episode is a bit like cotton candy in that once the initial hit of sugar leaves your tongue, there’s little else here. We get a lot of scenes of Boimler and then Mariner telling the Enterprise crew how great they are, or are seen as such, by their successors. Most of these scenes take place sitting around desks, bars or lounges – telling rather than showing. I know that this is Strange New Worlds , and so the narrative will always belong with this crew rather than its guest stars. But the lower deckers are rendered passive observers in a narrative that could, or should, really have enabled them to demonstrate the dynamism they have in their own show. In the moment where Boimler and Mariner try to solve things on their own, they’re instantly shut down by La’an and Uhura and told to sit back on the bench. The worst served by this is Tawny Newsome, who is absent a major chunk of the episode and has little to do when Mariner does finally arrive in the past.

That cotton candy metaphor is probably the best way to sum up “Those Old Scientists,” a goofy snack between meatier meals , or episodes, either side. The fact it exists at all is a joy, even if it’s not as wonderful as it could have been, and I’d love nothing more than to see more forays into the real world by the Lower Decks crew. At the very least, with Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks in production at the same time, it’s a great time to be a Star Trek fan.

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‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’: How ‘Lower Decks’ Crossed Over (RECAP)

Spoiler Alert

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 7, “Those Old Scientists.”]

Surprise! After a screening at San Diego Comic-Con , Paramount+ dropped the  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds crossover with  Lower Decks early, and that’s especially good news because it means you have more time to watch (and rewatch). Not only does it live up to the hype (the character interactions! the Spoimler bromance ! the fun! the animation!), but it also features a few moments that members of the Enterprise definitely need.

So how do Mariner ( Tawny Newsome ) and Boimler ( Jack Quaid ) end up traveling back in time, going from animated to live action, and boarding the Enterprise ? A time portal (after both rave about Pike, Spock, Uhura, and Una), which history, after Pike ( Anson Mount ) makes a deal with an Orion Captain, says Orion scientists discovered. However, that only comes after a few mishaps, an explosion, a failure on Boimler’s part not to share knowledge of the future, and much more. But that deal ultimately allows Boimler and Mariner (who arrives later to save the other ensign) to return home.

While they’re in the time of  Strange New Worlds , however, they do help out its crew. “You guys look very realistic,” Boimler remarks before passing out upon arriving through the portal and seeing Spock ( Ethan Peck ), Una ( Rebecca Romijn ), and La’an ( Christina Chong ). Once he realizes he really did travel back in time, he’s excited about everything — and Una especially takes notice of his odd behavior. (Later, Mariner remarks that he has a poster of her pinned up in his bunk; it’s not until they’re about to leave that Una learns it’s a recruitment poster, and she’s a major part of why Boimler joined Starfleet. She’s very touched.) La’an, after her own experience with time travel , not only goes over the usual protocols with Boimler (“Worf’s honor,” he swears) but adds her own as well: Don’t make any attachments.

Boimler, as a huge fan of Spock, is concerned when the half-Vulcan laughs and smiles, and at first, he worries he did something to change the timeline. But upon talking to Chapel ( Jess Bush ), he realizes she’s the reason . And as Spock notes later, he must stay true to the path he’s chosen because if Boimler sways him, his future will have been altered. (One of the best parts? Mariner admits she was not prepared for how hot young Spock is: “The body, the face, the ears, what?”)

Meanwhile, Uhura ( Celia Rose Gooding ) has been very work-focused lately, but it turns out Mariner, who has always admired her and lets her know it, is just the one to change that, forcing her to take a break (even citing Starfleet labor codes) and ultimately helping her find the answers she needed.

'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Stars Talk That Long-Awaited Meeting

When Boimler reveals that Pike’s birthday is coming up, the crew plans a party. Pike is, at first, glad when Boimler recognizes him (and his “really great hair”) — though he has to take a moment when he learns the ensign dressed up as him for Halloween — because it feels like his future might not be so bad. However, he’s not happy about word getting out about his birthday. He reveals to Boimler and Mariner that he knows his future; he’ll be turning one year older than his dad was when he died, and while they didn’t get along, he’d give up years for one more fight. In fact, his plan for his birthday is to go fishing and talk to his dad since they never resolved things. But Boimler points out that when he’s not around, there will be people on the Enterprise  who wish they’d had another day to talk to him.

Soon after that, they’re able to send Boimler and Mariner back to the future — using a piece of Archer’s  Enterprise ! — and Spock sees them off with a Vulcan salute and “live long and prosper.” (Boimler fumbles his response.) Then, after seeing the  Lower Decks crew once again back and animated (and declaring Ransom calls the past the TOS era for “Those Old Scientists”), the episode ends with Pike’s birthday party. However, the  Strange New Worlds crew is animated, feeling two-dimensional (with huge eyes) … and wondering what exactly is in the Orion hurricanes they’re drinking.

And with that, one of the most entertaining crossovers ever ends on a high note. Our only request: Can Boimler and Mariner come back through that (or any) portal for another adventure soon?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Thursdays, Paramount+

Star Trek: Lower Decks where to stream

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds where to stream

Star trek: lower decks, star trek: strange new worlds, anson mount, celia rose gooding, rebecca romijn, tawny newsome.

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Jack Quaid formed a 'Spoimler' bromance with Ethan Peck on Star Trek crossover event

The actor tees up the upcoming Lower Decks crossover episode in Strange New Worlds season 2.

Nick is an entertainment journalist based in New York, NY. If you like pugs and the occasional blurry photo of an action figure, follow him on Twitter @NickARomano.

We don't yet know about how Ensign Boimler feels about Spock, but actor Jack Quaid is over the moon about Ethan Peck.

Quaid teases what's in store in the upcoming crossover event between the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks and the live-action Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in an interview with EW. And it sounds like he had a good time with Peck.

"It was great. That cast was awesome," Quaid, who voices Boimler on Lower Decks , says. "Ethan Peck and I have a bromance for the ages. We call it Spoimler: Spock and Boimler. It's amazing, but that whole cast is so friendly and welcoming and cool. We just had a ball, and we got to be directed by Jonathan Frakes . So what could be better?"

Season 2 of Strange New Worlds , which already filmed, will feature an episode that involves Quaid's Boimler and Tawny Newsome 's Ensign Mariner (also from Lower Decks ) appearing in live-action form. Quaid confirms he got to wear his Starfleet uniform, too.

"[Boimler] holds such a special place in my heart. He's one of my favorite characters I've ever played, but to be able to fully inhabit him, put on the uniform, make my hair purple, all that stuff, that was such a good time," the actor says.

The uniform, however, was sweatier than expected.

"I figured it would be sweaty 'cause I tend to sweat a lot, but my God, that thing is not breathable," Quaid admits. "It looked really good, but there were those first few fittings where I had the purple hair, I had the uniform on, it just blew my mind. The coolest part was I was able to study the show and look at how the artist animated Boimler and how he moved, and I was able to put a little bit of that in there."

Quaid also dishes on season 3 of Lower Decks , premiering Aug. 25 on Paramount+. Not only will the crew be traveling to Deep Space Nine in an episode, but the actor feels the show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine looms larger in the grander scheme of things on Lower Decks .

"We actually get to see the station, we get to walk the promenade, and you get to see some familiar faces," Quaid says. The season 3 trailer showed a shot of Sisko's Creole Kitchen, but Quaid points out there's a Bajoran security chief this season, as well. "I'm just so excited that fans get to see that," he continues, "'cause we started the tease in one of the early seasons where a ship was docked at Deep Space Nine. It was in a flashback and fans freaked out about that, but I think it's gonna make a lot of Deep Space Nine fans very, very happy."

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Published Jul 23, 2022

SDCC 2022: Major Crossover with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks Announced

The epic crossover episode will take place in Season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds!

StarTrek.com

Paramount+ today announced Star Trek worlds will collide with a major crossover event planned for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds featuring stars from Paramount+’s original animated comedy series, Star Trek: Lower Decks , appearing in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ upcoming second season.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds star Anson Mount revealed the news when Star Trek: Lower Decks stars Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid crashed his portion of the Star Trek universe panel today at San Diego Comic-Con.

In this special crossover episode, featuring both live-action and animation, fans can expect to see Ensign Beckett Mariner, voiced by Tawny Newsome, and Ensign Brad Boimler, voiced by Jack Quaid, from Star Trek: Lower Decks , joining the U.S.S. Enterprise in Season 2 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . The episode will be directed by Star Trek: The Next Generation actor and director Jonathan Frakes.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise . The series features fan favorites from Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery : Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. The series follows Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise , as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds also stars Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Cadet Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serve as co-showrunners. Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet serve as executive producers in addition to Alonso Myers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth and Aaron Baiers.

Star Trek: Lower Decks is produced by CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ animation arm; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Secret Hideout’s Alex Kurtzman, Roddenberry Entertainment’s Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth, Katie Krentz (219 Productions) and Heather Kadin serve as executive producers alongside creator and showrunner Mike McMahan. Aaron Baiers (Secret Hideout), who brought McMahan to the project, also serves as an executive producer. Titmouse ( Big Mouth ), the Emmy Award-winning independent animation production company, serves as the animation studio for the series.

Season 1 of  Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , which debuted to critical acclaim earlier this year, is currently available to stream!

Season 3 of  Star Trek: Lower Decks   returns on Thursday, August 25!

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, South Korea, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In addition, the series airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Star Trek: Lower Decks streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel. The series will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in the UK, Canada, Latin America, Australia, Italy, France, the Caribbean, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland and South Korea.

New 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' crossover featurette reveals its 'Lower Decks' animation to live-action shift (video)

Here's how cartoon characters were brought to life in the show's historic crossover episode

When episode 7 of " Star Trek: Strange New Worlds " season 2 dropped onto Paramount Plus a few days early for San Diego Comic-Con last month, it treated fans with that highly-anticipated live-action crossover with the animated series "Star Trek: Lower Decks." 

The trippy storyline of the " Those Old Scientists " episode, directed by "Star Trek" royalty Jonathan Frakes from a fun script by Kathryn Lyn & Bill Wolkoff, includes a time portal incident that sends "Lower Decks" Ensigns Beckett Mariner and Bradward Boimler tumbling back in time 120 years, where Captain Pike and his 23rd century Enterprise crew need to return them to their existence before they change the timeline.

Related: Jonathan Frakes talks "Strange New Worlds/Lower Decks" crossover

Watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Paramount Plus: <a href="https://paramountplus.qflm.net/c/221109/175360/3065?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paramountplus.com%2F" data-link-merchant="paramountplus.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Get a one month free trial 

Get all the Star Trek content you can possibly handle with this free trial of Paramount Plus. Watch new shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and all the classic Trek movies and TV shows too. Plans start from $4.99/month after the trial ends.

Voice actors Tawny Newsome (Mariner) and Jack Quaid (Boimler) portray their same animated characters in the live-action world with particular gusto, manic enthusiasm, and rapid-fire comedic timing that, as Ethan Peck's Spock admits in the episode, "Indeed, it is exhausting."

Paramount Plus has just released this new six-minute featurette that details the execution of the pioneering crossover using interviews with the cast and creators of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" and "Star Trek: Lower Decks" to explain just how they pulled off this historic episode. 

—  'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' costume designer dishes on her dazzling outfits (exclusive)

 — 'Strange New Worlds' cinematographer brings 23rd-century style to 'Star Trek' (exclusive)

 —  Director Valerie Weiss on her engrossing 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' courtroom drama (exclusive)

Join Anson Mount, Jack Quaid, Tawny Newsome, Ethan Peck, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, and the rest of the cast along with Jonathan Frakes and " Star Trek: Lower Decks " showrunner Mike McMahan as they delve into the filmmaking magic.

"It sort of came about organically," says McMahan in the new making-of video. "Everybody at 'Strange New Worlds' is a huge fan of 'Lower Decks.' They came to me and they said would this be something you're into?  And I was like, 'Of course.' Because everybody that we cast on 'Lower Decks' happens to kind of look like their characters, and it's something that the internet is constantly telling us.

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"There were so many conversations leading to the details of this episode. What shade could Jack's purple hair be from Boimler? We really wanted them to feel like they're animated characters. When you have both of them onscreen at the same time it just makes you smile. I was like, 'Never let this end.' I love how funny they are but how Starfleet they are at the same time."

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 2 streams exclusively on Paramount Plus with fresh episodes airing each Thursday.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

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Star Trek's Biggest Crossover Ever Was Just Revealed — And It Looks Perfect

In Strange New Worlds Season 2, the gang’s all here: including Captain Kirk, and...Mariner, and Boimler from Lower Decks !

It’s happening! After three years of fan speculation, the animated world of Star Trek: Lower Decks will collide with the live-action Trek canon. Although USS Cerritos ensigns Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler reside in the 2380s, they’ll be heading back to 2259 very soon. At long last, the biggest Star Trek crossover is at hand: Strange New Worlds Season 2 will have its classic Trek party crashed by Lower Decks .

Released on May 24, a new trailer for Strange New Worlds Season 2 reveals a big look at the upcoming season, including more of Paul Wesley’s Captain Kirk — and some very good updates for Spock and Chapel shippers. But for fans of the newer shows, the biggest reveal here is easily our first look at Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid in live-action as their normally animated Lower Decks characters, Mariner and Boimler.

Rocking his signature purple hair, Jack Quaid (Boimler) looks perfect. When Spock wishes him “live long and prosper,” Boimler responds with the correct amount of goofy nervousness, saying, “You also live, um...” Although the lower deckers are chronologically closer to the Picard timeline, their vibe is clearly suited for the jaunty feeling of Strange New Worlds . (Not to mention, Lower Decks showrunner Mike McMahan punched up a few Strange New Worlds scripts in Season 1.)

Tawny Newsome also looks perfect as Mariner, the self-described “Kirk-like maverick” who (like Boimler) knows a lot about Starfleet history and is essentially a big in-universe fan of the entire canon. In the trailer, Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) narrates about the low probability of everyone on the Enterprise crew being together until Mariner drops in with the perfect punchline – “Surprise!”

It’s really happening.

We still don’t know how Mariner and Boimler will end up on the SNW version of the USS Enterprise . It literally is a surprise at this point. Some fans have guessed the whole thing will take place in a holodeck program in the future, but considering Jonathan Frakes is directing the episode that seems very unlikely. Frakes infamously appeared alongside Marina Sirtis in the finale of Enterprise in 2005, which put an episode of that series on a 24th-century holodeck. Later, Frakes deeply regretted that episode.

So surely the Lower Decks / Strange New Worlds crossover won’t use the same conceit. Which, probably means time travel. And if that’s the case, Lower Decks is about to be part of the backstory of The Original Series . Because if Spock remembers Boimler, does that mean... everyone else in TOS does, too?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds hits Paramount+ on June 15, 2023.

This article was originally published on May 24, 2023

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Jack Quaid And Tawny Newsome Talk Crossover, Tease ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Season 4 & ‘Starfleet Academy’

| July 23, 2023 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 19 comments so far

Following Saturday’s surprise release of the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds crossover episode with Lower Decks Paramount released a special weekend edition of The Ready Room [shot prior to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes]. It features a behind-the-scenes look at the episode as well as an extended interview with director Jonathan Frakes, and Lower Decks stars (now Strange New Worlds guest stars) Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid.

Newsome and Quaid talk Lower Decks S4 and Starfleet Academy

We got our first look at season 4 of Lower Decks yesterday with a trailer from Comic-Con and the announcement of a September 7 release date. On The Ready Room Jack Quaid (Boimler) offered a little hint, saying:

Season Four is going to be very very fun. Our first episode is like a big love letter to fans. I can’t exactly explain why… but it’s really exciting.

After joking with Quaid about how they could say more spoilers but they would get bleeped by Paramount, she went on to try (only to get bleeped)…

I don’t remember enough about it, but yeah, there’s a lot of [BLEEP] in there, it’s great.

Newsome did have a lot to say about being hired to join the writing staff of the previously announced Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series and how it all started with the SNW/LDS crossover:

Well, first of all, all credit and thanks goes to my friend and boss Alex Kurtzman. Because of this crossover, he called me on the phone after he saw a rough cut and he said, “I can tell you’re a writer, send me everything you’ve written.” Because he watched all of our ad-libs and stuff and he was like, “Just send me everything you’ve written.” He really like invited me in a way that said ‘I see you because I saw you do this complex thing which was a mixture of writing and on camera and stuff.’ And he went “…and I bet there’s more in there.” And I was so grateful because half the time in this business, you’re just trying to get people to see you. So he really invited me in a way that very few executives have in my life. So I’m so eternally grateful.

Go inside the crossover episode on The Ready Room

Most of The Ready Room focused on “Those Old Scientists” including a behind-the-scenes package with interviews with cast and crew along with Wil Wheaton’s interview with Frakes, Quaid, and Newsome. This includes talking about how some moments of the episode were improvised like Quaid’s “Riker!” moment with Pike’s saddle. There is also a clip from the next episode of Strange New Worlds .

New episodes from season 2 of  Strange New Worlds  drop weekly on Thursdays on  Paramount+  in the U.S, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Season 2 is also available on SkyShowtime elsewhere in Europe. The second season will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with premiere dates to be announced later.

Keep up with news about the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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Getting some real talent like tawny in the writers room might make 31st Star Trek palatable.

I really hope that it does. Two seasons of Discovery have explored it very unevenly.

As much as I feel protective of and enjoy Discovery, I have to admit that the 31st century feels very thinly sketched.

That’s cool for Miss Newsome.

Tawny Newsome is such an attractive, smart, funny woman. Love her to bits!

Agreed, and kudos to Alex Kurtzman for recognizing her writing talent and getting her involved more in the franchise beyond the cartoon thing.

In light of the writers’ strike, how is she able to appear on THE READY ROOM and discuss her role as a writer for the Academy show?

They shoot that show weeks, sometimes months in advance. Whedon confirmed it on Reddit. Sometime they shoot half the seasons of shows in a single day and it’s usually before the season itself starts.

I enjoyed her work in SPACE FORCE.

But is there any evidence — beyond her portrayal of a blathering idiot on LOWER DECKS — that she can write Star Trek? I get that portraying a character isn’t the same as writing, of course. But what else has she written?

She needs her own Live Action ST show.

That photo is funny. I’ve noticed serval interview photos with them in the past that Tawny frequently has this look on her face when she’s across from Jack that’s like, what in the hell is this guy talking about? lol

It’ll be interesting to see what Tawny brings to the writing table for Starfleet Academy.

I’d still be very surprised if the academy show really gets made. I know it was green lit, but the streaming world is changing and Star Trek is expensive.

I think the academy show will get made. A few months ago it seemed unlikely Section 31 would ever see the light of day.

streaming world is changing

The streaming world is pretty much the same as it was a year ago. There’s lots of ups and down but streaming isn’t going away. Expect more streaming in the future as broadcast channels switch completely to the internet.

Star Trek is expensive

Yeah I’m pretty sure they factored in that making a TV show is expensive.

The new Flag Show Starfleet Academy, The S31 movie, SNW S3, and Lower Decks S5 is a go after the strike.

This was a great Ready Room episode and I always ALWAYS love hearing Frakes talk about Trek and directing. I always learn something new from that guy. And he did another phenomenal job here too.

You can tell how proud everyone was of this episode and the great job they did. Even though I was very excited about it the day they announced it, I was also very nervous this could turn into a train wreck. But it really shows the people making these shows today are out and out fans and you really see it on LDS and SNW. And I didn’t realize the same writer, Katherine Lyn, who also wrote Wej Duj and SNW’s Charades also helped write this episode too. She only has three writing credits so far but they are some of the best Trek episodes around. She is becoming a rising star on this franchise so please, please, please keep her on these shows.

It was also very nice to see the genuine love that Frakes and Wheaton have for each other. They work on a show together like 35 years ago, and you can tell they have such a nice relationship to this day. You can tell that the newer cast members look to them and see what they could also have for years to come. Quite nice.

Did they kiss?

All true and the TNG cast have become famously known for how close the cast has always been. That was very evident in season 3 of Picard. And newer casts like Newsome and Quaid have become the next generation of Star Trek actors themselves carrying the legacy on and have people like Frakes and Wheadon to help guide them.

How Star Trek: Lower Decks Star Prepared for Live-Action Strange New Worlds Crossover

Jack Quaid discusses bringing his animated Lower Decks character to life in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Jack Quaid, star of Star Trek: Lower Decks , has shared his excitement and preparation for the upcoming live-action crossover with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Quaid, who portrays Brad Boimler in the animated series, discussed the challenges and joys of bringing his animated character to life on the Enterprise in an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment . "That was crazy! There were rumblings that it could happen, and then it became real very, very fast," Quaid exclaimed when asked about donning the Starfleet uniform for real.

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He added, “It's funny, because I've obviously played Boimler before, but I had never really inhabited him in my body. While I was shooting that Strange New Worlds episode, I realized that my mannerisms are not his mannerisms. So I actually watched Lower Decks so that I could copy the mannerisms that the animators gave his character and bring them to my performance. It was a fun challenge to be a live action cartoon.”

Jack Quaid Adapts His Animated Star Trek Character to Live-Action

Directed by Jonathan Frakes, the episode aimed to capture the tone of Strange New Worlds while incorporating the Lower Decks characters. Quaid emphasized that it is a pure comedy set on the Enterprise, devoid of thriller elements. He teased his scenes with Ethan Peck, who portrays Spock, hinting at the amusing interactions between their characters, playfully dubbed "Spoimler."

RELATED: Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 Trailer Takes the Cerritos to Deep Space 9

Quaid earlier revealed that the cast of Strange New Worlds was “so welcoming." He developed a strong friendship with Ethan Peck, expressing their firm bromance. Quaid also talked about the joy of working alongside Tawny Newsome, the voice of Beckett Mariner in Lower Decks. Newsome's excitement at being on a physical Starfleet ship added to the experience. Quaid mentioned the animated elements in the crossover episode, clarifying that it would not follow the style of mixing cartoons and real people, but rather a unique blend of live-action and animation.

Previously reflecting on his journey, Quaid expressed his gratitude for being part of the Star Trek series and shared his interest in participating in a live-action Star Wars project . "I would kill to be a droid or a Jedi or a Han Solo type, whatever," Quaid said enthusiastically. He acknowledged that being on a Star Trek show was a dream come true, leaving the possibility open for future opportunities.

Star Trek: Lower Decks , currently in its third season on Paramount+ , has already been renewed for a fourth season. Meanwhile, fans can enjoy the first season of Strange New Worlds on Paramount+, with the second season scheduled for release in 2023.

Source: Yahoo! Entertainment

Den of Geek

Star Trek: Lower Decks Star Jack Quaid Confirms Live Action Costumes for Strange New Worlds Crossover

The star of The Boys and Star Trek: Lower Decks Jack Quaid explains how he brought his character into the real world for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

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As a highly referential series, Star Trek: Lower Decks has beamed many live-action characters into the world of animation. Seasons one and two saw Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis as cartoon versions of Will Riker and Deanna Troi, now aboard the USS Titan. Lycia Naff, who played Ensign Gomez on a handful of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes returned in animated form as Captain Gomez of the USS Archimedes. Even Star Trek: Voyager ‘s Robert Duncan McNeill showed up as a Tom Paris commemorative plate.

But for season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Lower Decks stars Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid will be boldly going where no character has gone before: from animation to live action. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter , Quaid confirmed that he and Newsome will be in costume as Ensigns Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler, respectively. While Quaid is aware of speculation on the internet about the episodes, here he clarified, “we already shot it, and it’s Tawny Newsome and I as the live-action versions of our animated characters.” The actor could not “get into plot details or anything,” but did admit, “yes, I’m going to have purple hair, we had uniforms made.” Even better, he and Newsome got to leave the recording booth and “step on board the Enterprise, which was really interesting.”

Some may assume that the biggest challenge for the episode would be melding the tones of the two shows. After all, while Lower Decks does take place within Star Trek continuity, set in 2380 (a year after Star Trek: Nemesis ), it remains very aware of our modern world, as indicated by the aforementioned Tom Paris plate and an appearance by the infamous Spock helmet. However, even with only one season under its belt, Strange New Worlds has shown that it can be very playful. That’s most obvious in the fairy tale episode “ The Elysian Kingdom ,” but also in its unexpected fan service, referencing a character from a little-loved movie.

For Quaid, the biggest difficulty was figuring out how to be true to his character in a different medium. “What do you do? What’s too much? What’s too little? How do you stay in the voice?” he found himself asking. “How do you bring some physicality to it? How does the character move on the animated show, and how can you make that work in live action?”

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Fortunately, Quaid found himself aided by an easy friendship with Strange New World ‘s Mr. Spock, Ethan Peck. “Ethan Peck and I have a firm bromance now,” Quaid revealed. “He’s amazing.” It will be interesting to see how that bromance plays out on screen. While Spock will likely appreciate Boimler’s commitment to protocol, especially compared to Mariner, the ensign’s earnestness may be too much for the stoic half-Vulcun. One can’t help but recall the relationship between Tuvok and Neelix on Voyager .

However it plays out, Quaid did drop one more compelling hint. “And there are going to be animated elements to it, but not like a  Roger Rabbit  with cartoons and real people mixed together,” he told THR . “You’ll see how it all works out. It’s pretty cool.” While we won’t get to see how it plays out until Strange New Worlds releases its second season, we can see animated Boimler on Lower Decks season three, now streaming on Paramount+.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

Screen Rant

Strange new worlds crossover's riker homage was improv, confirms star trek.

Star Trek: Lower Decks' Brad Boimler paid tribute to the legendary Riker maneuver in a hilarious and strangely touching improv by actor Jack Quaid.

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 7, "Those Old Scientists."

• Hilarious homage to Captain Riker by Ensign Boimler in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode was improvised by actor Jack Quaid.
• The crossover episode with Star Trek: Lower Decks was full of "oddly specific" references to Star Trek canon.
• Jack Quaid's improvised nod to the Riker maneuver in the episode was a touching and hilarious tribute to Jonathan Frakes and his iconic character.

A hilarious homage to Captain William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) by Ensign Brad Boimler in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' crossover episode was improvised by actor Jack Quaid. The much-anticipated crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks dropped on Paramount+ early to coincide with San Diego Comic-Con. Revolving around Starfleet history nerds Boimler and Ensign Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) being sent back in time to the 23rd century, it was predictably full of " oddly specific " references to the entirety of Star Trek canon.

Not every one of these references was scripted, however. For example, Tawny Newsome implied on Twitter that Mariner's " beep-beep chair " mime in the quarters of Captain Pike (Anson Mount) was improvised. Interviewed by Wil Wheaton for The Ready Room , Jack Quaid and the director of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' crossover episode , Jonathan Frakes discussed how Boimler's attempt at the iconic Riker maneuver was an ad-libbed tribute to his director. See the clip from The Ready Room below:

Boimler Isn't The Only Star Trek Character To Attempt The Riker Maneuver

Wil Wheaton revealed that, like Boimler in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , he too was inspired by both Jonathan Frakes and Will Riker. Referring to the way that Wesley Crusher would also adopt the unique way of sitting on a chair, Wheaton told Frakes that he wanted to be like him, so Wesley wanted to be like Riker. While the Riker maneuver has become a meme in recent years, it's touching to think of both Wesley Crusher and Brad Boimler being inspired by Frakes' iconic character.

Boimler and his doppelganger served with Captain Riker on the USS Titan, which was something of a dream come true for the young Ensign. While Boimler couldn't quite hack the pace of the action and adventure of Riker's adventures on the USS Titan, he definitely took the unique seating maneuver with him. Jonathan Frakes hilariously recounted his wife's delighted reaction to Jack Quaid's simple nod to the Riker maneuver by saying she " screamed " when she saw it.

Frakes also noted the subtlety of Jack Quaid's improvisation, something which was also true of Wil Wheaton's multiple homages. Boimler simply says " Riker ", he doesn't wink to the camera and say he's attempting the " Riker maneuver " which would have been far too obvious. The subtlety of the homage is what makes Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' Riker maneuver callback such a touching and hilarious tribute to one of Star Trek 's most enduring characters, and directors.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Source: Star Trek on Paramount Plus on Twitter.

Jack Quaid on Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Crossover With Strange New Worlds

By Blair Marnell

Between The Boys and  Star Trek: Lower Decks , Jack Quaid already has two successful franchises under his belt. However, Quaid’s success as an actor has also given him the rare opportunity to portray his animated character, Brad Boimler, in live-action. As part of the upcoming season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Quaid and his Lower Decks co-star, Tawny Newsome, will reprise their respective roles as Boimler and Beckett Mariner for a special episode. And in a new interview with Variety , Quaid shed some light on Lower Decks ‘ crossover with the live-action side of Star Trek .

“We’re coming aboard the Enterprise,” said Quaid. “I won’t get into the plot details of how exactly that happens. But we got to be on the physical set [and] we got to actually be in the bridge and the transporter bay and the hallways. We got to go all over the ship and interact with that amazing cast. There are some animated elements to the episode, but it’s not like a Roger Rabbit where, like, there’s an animated Boimler following Pike down a hallway. It’s not like that.”

“That was such an interesting challenge as an actor to take something that I usually just do with my voice but then inhabit every bit of him,” continued Quaid. “I studied the way the animators and artists rendered Boimler and his movements and certain little gestures he would do. I tried to bring as much of that into the episode as possible, but trying to do things [that] were a little too big, a little too animated in a live-action setting, but still keep it within the Boimler range of movement.

RELATED:  Star Trek Lower Decks Season 3 Review: The Outcasts Get Popular

Quaid reiterated that Boimler will retain his signature purple hair in live-action. He also indicated that both Mariner and Boimler admire the original crew of the Enterprise.

“I really liked them merging this older era of Trek with us from the future quite a lot,” related Quaid. “You’ll see how that all works out on the Strange New World episode. But it’s cool because from Boimler and Mariner’s perspective, they know about Captain Pike and Spock and Uhura. They think that they’re all awesome. So it was a fun way for them to meet their heroes, in a way. I’m just excited I get to actually talk about it because I had to keep it secret for so long. That crew over there on Strange New Worlds is awesome. Ethan Peck and I had an epic bromance — I just want to say that right now.

Additionally, Quaid confirmed that Star Trek: The Next Generation ‘s Jonathan Frakes directed the crossover episode.

“[Frakes is] just a legend, and he just absolutely nailed it,” said Quaid. “He directs so much Star Trek , and just to have Riker telling you what to do — if Riker is saying that you’re on the right path, you probably are. So that was just a dream come true.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 will premiere in 2023 on Paramount+. Meanwhile, Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2 is now streaming.

Are you looking forward to Lower Decks ‘ crossover with Strange New Worlds ? Let us know in the comment section below!

Recommended Reading:  Star Trek: The Next Generation: Through The Mirror

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Filming Star Trek's 'Strange New Worlds' x 'Lower Decks' Crossover Was a "Dream Come True" for Tawny Newsome

Newsome shared a sweet story about co-star Jack Quaid, her hopes for Mariner in Season 5, and spoke about working on 'Starfleet Academy.'

The Big Picture

• Tawny Newsome discusses the excitement of tying Mariner to important moments in Star Trek history and how it makes her feel part of the world.
• Newsome shares her experience playing a younger, more idealistic version of Mariner and how it showcases her character's geeky side.
• Newsome talks about filming the Strange New Worlds crossover with Jack Quaid and working in the writers room for Starfleet Academy .

Star Trek: Lower Decks recently wrapped its fourth season on Paramount+, bringing fans an epic installment filled with surprise guests and emotional character arcs for our favorite lower deckers . Season 4 saw Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, Rutherford, and T'Lyn take a trip on the USS Voyager, go head-to-head with a Betazoid spy force, and so much more following their promotions to junior-grade Lieutenants.

Following the resolution of the SAG-AFTRA strike , I was able to catch up with the incomparable Tawny Newsome to chat about Season 4 and all of the amazing things we watched Mariner get up to this summer. During our conversation, Newsome spoke about playing a younger, more idealistic version of Mariner in the season finale and shared that Season 5 — which the cast is already recording — will see her take a more mature approach to Starfleet while still maintaining her chaotic nature . She also spoke about filming the beloved crossover episode which saw Newsome and her Lower Decks co-star Jack Quaid play live-action versions of their characters on Strange New Worlds .

Newsome also shared high praise for her fellow writers on the upcoming Star Trek spin-off series Starfleet Academy . The Lower Decks actress spoke about the honor of having her character integrated into so many beloved storylines from the franchise , the relationship between Mariner and the Cerritos' newest addition T'Lyn , and revealed the headcanon she has about Mariner that she'd like to see make it into the series. You can read the full transcript of our conversation below.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Behind every great captain, is a crew keeping the ship from falling to pieces. These are the hilarious stories of the U.S.S. Cerritos.

'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Season 4 Ties 'Next Generation' Characters to Mariner's Backstory

COLLIDER: I know you're a big Trekkie yourself, so when Mike revealed that Sito was going to be a huge part of Mariner's backstory, how did you react, and what did you want to bring to that storyline?

TAWNY NEWSOME: I felt so excited because any time Mike or the writers tie Mariner to important, big canonical moments, it absolutely makes my heart swell. Anytime he mentions that Mariner served on Deep Space Nine, first of all, or served in the Dominion War, all of that stuff just makes me like the world is real and like Tawny was actually in those things, which is not true, nor even logical because I'd be a terrible officer of that type. But I love when he ties her into those big moments. It just makes me feel like I'm part of this world, I'm part of the important moments in this world. So yeah, seeing her back at the Academy with Locarno and them, that was a huge moment for me. Having her be present the first time we meet Josh canonically, that's the first time we meet the dude that died in the "First Duty" episode, that's huge. I love it.

That's amazing. You are such a huge part of this universe now, and I hope you know that.

NEWSOME: Thank you.

What was it like playing, in that flashback, such an idealistic version of Mariner? Because we've seen her in flashbacks before, but not this young, if I recall correctly.

NEWSOME: No, we have not seen her that young. We've not seen her that excited. She has a little bit of a Boimler energy, you know? She's very geeked and excited. We haven't seen her this fresh-faced and excited, and excited about things like Xeno history, but I love seeing that because I think if you've been watching Mariner for four seasons, you know that all that stuff is still in there. She still is really excited about Xeno history and science and the warp core, even. She just has a little bit of a jaded veneer over it, or she doesn't want to show people because that's just not how she rolls anymore. But I love reminders of, like, no, she's still a big old geek. She's just as much of a geek as Tendi is, as Boimler is. I love that stuff.

I love that! Is there another one-off character in the same vein as Sito and Nick that you would like to see in a future episode?

NEWSOME: I'm dying to see Curzon Dax. We've never actually seen Curzon. We saw René Auberjonois play a version of Curzon, but we've never actually seen him. Well, we saw a dead body on a table, before the whole internet is like, “No, actually, point of order!” Maybe he breathed or something, but I don't think we heard his voice. So yeah, I wanna see that character come in.

Jack Quaid Was Tawny Newsome's Biggest Cheerleader on Set for the Strange New Worlds Crossover Episode

That would be awesome. I have to ask about filming the crossover. That was an amazing episode, instantly an all-time favorite . What was it like to bring physicality to Mariner and to finally act face-to-face with Jack?

NEWSOME: I loved it. Jack is such a dear, dear friend. He really feels like family at this point. Not only was he having an incredible experience for himself as a fan and as someone who loves these characters, and him getting to bring Boimler to life was huge for him, but he was really taking the time to recognize that for me, as a lifelong fan, this was a true dream come true. So he was taking candid pictures of me so that I could have pictures of me on the set. He would keep his phone in his boot because there are no pockets in that fucking uniform, so he would keep his phone in his boot, which I think made him walk funny because you can't really bend your foot well when there's an iPhone in it so that he could pull it out surreptitiously and take pictures of me while he's on set. Very bad behavior, but he did it out of love for me. And he would check in with me in between setups. He'd be like, “How is this for you? I can tell you're feeling emotional. This seems really cool for you. I'm so proud of you. I'm so happy for you.” And it just felt like I had an incredible partner, an incredible cheerleader, and it just made my heart swell.

The other thing that was fun was Jonathan Frakes told costumes not to make the point of my shirt too pointy; otherwise, it would flip up all the time, and I'd be doing the Picard maneuver all the time. So that was a fun little tip from the guy who knows.

[Laughs] That's so cute. So, I know you're a writer for the new Starfleet Academy series. I know it's still early, but can you tell us anything about that story and what we can expect to see?

NEWSOME: I can only tell you the things that were released in that press release before because, as a writer, it's one thing if I say some shit I'm not supposed to do as an actor, as a writer, you get in way bigger trouble. So, my lips are sealed. What I can tell you, as you just saw earlier, our group chat pops off. We text a lot . There are a lot of memes flying around. There's a lot of both Trek-related chatter and just general life chit-chat that I personally love. I love an active group chat. These people are all so sweet. Our showrunners, Noga Landau and Alex Kurtzman , assembled just the loveliest group of people, and it's so nice to go to work with kind, sweet, cool people who love Star Trek . So, I think just all of that is what I can tell you, and I think that's gonna translate to the wonderful time that the audience will have watching the show.

Fair enough! I think that Alex said earlier that it's gonna be funny, so I'm very excited to see that.

NEWSOME: Look, if I get my way at all , trust that all I'm ever doing is pitching jokes. [Laughs] So yeah, I'm definitely pushing for that.

Tawny Newsome Says Mariner Is Trying to Make Starfleet Better in 'Lower Decks' Season 5

Bringing it back to Lower Decks , with Mariner and Jennifer being broken up, a lot of people got into the idea of seeing a little something between Mariner and T’Lyn. Can you tease anything about their relationship or what you'd like to see from them in the future?

NEWSOME: My favorite thing about Mariner and T’Lyn is that I love that the writers didn't fall into that obvious trope of, like, “Well, here's a new tough girl on the ship, so her and Mariner must not get along.” There was just none of that, and I love that. They instantly were just like, “Here's how we figure out how to navigate each other, and support each other.” And that doesn't mean they always have to agree. I think you saw in, like, Episode 9 T’Lyn gives Mariner a little bit of sass where she's like, “Yeah, I bet she would have tried to kick that guy's ass.” They definitely have banter and stuff, but there's no baked-in animosity simply because T’Lyn is a new woman on the ship, so I love that. I love that they're able to just be colleagues, and yeah, they have such different strengths. So I think we're gonna continue in Season 5 to see how those things play and work together.

What Mike told me when I talked to him after the finale is that we're gonna see a bit more joyful side of Mariner in Season 5. Can you tease anything about that?

NEWSOME: It's so interesting to hear what Mike has said because I'm like, “I believe you, but I don't remember.” I'm sure there's joy. Yeah, I feel like there's joy. I'm trying to remember anything specific. The thing I notice a lot about the Season 5 scripts, which we just got back into the room and started recording those, is that she has to navigate being, you know, she can't just be reckless for recklessness's sake anymore. She can't do the self-destructive thing anymore. She really has to pick her battles, and she has to find the moments where she's accepting the responsibility of her promotion but also still pushing and trying to make Starfleet better. So yeah, there's a much more mature approach to things, but she's still Mariner. She's still an element of chaos in all things.

Excellent. Do you have any Mariner headcanons that you would like to see make it into the series?

NEWSOME: I would love them to have given her some kind of, I don't know, I think we need to give her some time travel abilities or something because she knows too much. [Laughs] I think we need to learn that outside of "Those Old Scientists," she just time-traveled around like she was there in the arena with the Gorn… She just knows too much about the world, so she's got a little secret time travel deal on the side.

I love that. Just to end on a fun one, would you want a pet Moopsy?

NEWSOME: No! I don’t want my bones drunk! I want a Moopsy plushy.

I also want a Moopsy plushy!

NEWSOME: They're just so cute. They made them too cute.

Season 4 of Star Trek: Lower Decks is now available to stream on Paramount+. Stay tuned at Collider for more updates on all things Star Trek .

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' Lower Decks Crossover Is More Than a Gag

"those old scientists" deftly marries two star trek shows together with some fascinating ideas—and the mandatory crossover fun..

Crossovers are hard. The balance of time, fandom-winking wishlists, and the need to have things still actually matter to your characters can make smashing together heroes from across a franchise a challenge—a challenge Star Trek hasn’t been afraid to rise up to in the past. It’s good news then, that Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks ’ collaboration is a successful balancing act that represents Trek at its best.

“Those Old Scientists”—released almost a whole week early to audiences last night as a San Diego Comic-Con celebration—already had a lot of tricky hoops to jump through even before the logistical tightrope of marrying the worlds of a live-action series with an animated one. Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds are in some ways close siblings, sharing similar episodic structures and loves of Star Trek ’s history and form. While their tones can vary week to week—and the way they diverge when it comes to exploring that love and how that tone impacts their characters can be very different—the ways that they are distant make trying to combine those worlds a bit of a headache. And a headache is certainly what the crew of the Enterprise gets. After an opening animated interlude sees Ensigns Boimler (Jack Quaid), Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Rutherford (Eugene Cordero), and Tendi (Noël Wells) investigate an ancient, seemingly defunct portal, only to find it anything but, Boimler is thrust a few centuries into the past and directly in the paths of Captain Pike and his bridge crew.

When the episode transitions into live action, and even with just Quaid running around the Enterprise like an out of control anomaly at first, “Those Old Scientists” is at its most obviously cross-over-y, and it takes time for things to stick. For the audience and Quaid alike, it seems, it takes a little bit to get flesh-and-blood Bradward to feel right, and the awkwardness is only partially due to the intentional fanboy persona of Boimler. It’s all geeking out, knowing references to travel tropes, you name it, Brad clumsily plants himself face-first into it. It’s cute and annoying and once it becomes awkward in the intended way, things click a little more—but it’s then that the episode actually starts getting to another level.

Because yes, the whole point of TOS -era fanboy Brad Boimler coming to the TOS era is that you want him to freak out about meeting the likes of Captain Pike and Mr. Spock and Number One, people who have become icons of a golden age by the time he’s growing up and applying to join Starfleet Academy. It lets you do the crossover fandom thing of having characters you love meet each other and get excited out about the ways they also love each other (although the feeling is less mutual on the Enterprise for Boimler as he is, being Boimler, full of borderline-infuriating awkward puppydog energy). But the other point, and one that starts sinking in the longer Brad keeps sticking his foot in his mouth—and it seems like it gets increasingly impossible for him to either get back to his home time or maintain the timeline as he knows it—is to contrast his, and in turn our, idealized imaginings of these people in his head. Never meet your heroes is one thing, but it shakes Boimler and the crew of the Enterprise alike that those expectations and reality don’t match up.

This is played as much for laughs—Boimler finding ways to fearfully get out of Una’s orbit literally any time he sees her, leaving her both amused and deeply concerned about her legacy in the wake of her trial—as it is a genuine emotion that really makes “Those Old Scientists” shine brighter than it could have. With Boimler, it’s mostly through how he sees Mr. Spock, who in the wake of his burgeoning relationship with Nurse Chapel has begun experimenting with navigating his human emotions more openly—and how that is absolutely not Boimler’s fanboy image of Spock as the perfect, clipped Vulcan logician. When Mariner inadvertantly finds herself stuck back in time alongside Boimler during the Enterprise ’s first attempt to get him home, it comes through in her relationship with her idol Uhura—the latter of whom finds herself struggling to reconcile Mariner’s hero-worship of a badass, outspoken Starfleet legend with her reality as a shy, bookish workaholic.

It’s in these moments of emotional conflict that the crossover really shines, because it plays on the metatext of Strange New Worlds ’ very existence. Boimler and Mariner are us when we first learned that a Captain Pike spinoff was happening: we had the future of these heroes enshrined in our past, we had the idealized versions of them locked into our heads from generations of fandom. We knew the Spock and Uhura our Lower Deckers geeked out over, but now, a season and a half into Strange New Worlds , we’ve also very much been hit with the reality that the versions of the characters we’re seeing on screen right now aren’t those images. They have to get there, they need to experiment and doubt and overcome and grow as people, and the real joy of Strange New Worlds is seeing that journey happen, as much as the gleeful fannish emulations of Star Trek ’s retro future-past. This emotional subplot gives additional nuance to Boimler and Mariner in turn, as they realize that their heroes are just as flawed and human as they themselves are—and at the end of the day, they’re all just Starfleet officers who want to do the best they can and the right thing.

It makes this crossover—which could’ve been a harmless, isolated adventure full of knowing gags that’s promptly never touched on again—offer itself as a wonderful pairing with the other episode of Strange New Worlds we got this week, this past Thursday’s “ Lost In Translation ,” tapping into those themes of these characters exploring themselves and needing to grow and change as people. And while yes, “Those Old Scientists” mostly is a harmless, isolated adventure, and is definitely full of knowing gags (shoutout to Mariner lecturing Boimler about the possibility of ending up in the worst time travel place imaginable: 2024 San Francisco ), adding this shock to the system that Boimler and Mariner both have to deal with, and in turn have the crew of the Enterprise acknowledge when they’re made aware of those dissonances, gives it a spark of life that elevates it beyond harmless fluff.

Like I said at the start of this recap, Star Trek has a good history with crossover episodes—often loving, nostalgic celebrations that play up the idealized view of its past legacies. “Those Old Scientists” does that too, but it also crucially and smartly uses the opportunity of beaming back into the past to interrogate the paths our heroes are all placed on by fate and destiny—giving us an episode that is indeed very fun and cute, but one that will hopefully sit in our minds for a while longer after the charm of that crossover fun has worn off.

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Jonathan Frakes Says Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Is "Best Episode Of TV" He's Ever Directed

• Frakes directs his best hour of TV in new Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode, calling it a "Hollywood murder mystery."
• Frakes, known for directing Star Trek episodes, has directed 28 episodes and 2 feature films in the franchise.
• Season 3, expected to debut in 2025, features an episode directed by Frakes that he hails as his best work in television.

Jonathan Frakes is directing an episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 that he calls the best hour of television he has ever directed. Frakes, arguably Star Trek' s most beloved and prolific director , helmed the popular Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 7 "Those Old Scientists", the series' crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks featuring live-action versions of the usually animated Ensigns Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) and Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid). All together, Frakes has directed 28 episodes of Star Trek and 2 feature films.

In a new Variety cover story about the Star Trek franchise , Jonathan Frakes talks about directing his episode in season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and he has high praise for his hour, which is a "Hollywood murder mystery." Read his quote below:

For Season 3, debuting in 2025, Frakes directed an episode framed as a Hollywood murder mystery that he calls “the best episode of television I’ve ever done.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 - Everything We Know

Strange new worlds season 3 continues to explore genre, frakes' "hollywood murder mystery" is highly anticipated..

Teasing a "Hollywood murder mystery" on a Star Trek show may have raised a few eyebrows in the past, but after Star Trek: Strange New Worlds changed genre so successfully within its sci-fi framework, it's an exciting premise. Unlike the new crop of Star Trek shows that rely on heavy serialization, like Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard, Strange New Worlds embraces the episodic format to highlight the potential of Star Trek storytelling from just about every angle imaginable, from creature-feature horror films to the hijinks of romantic comedies, and even the modern musical.

Frakes has demonstrated that he understands the beating heart of Star Trek is in its characters.

With a bevy of Star Trek directorial credits under his belt, Jonathan Frakes is a noted expert at making Star Trek feel familiar, even when the franchise experiments with risks instead of sticking to a tried-and-true formula. Frakes has demonstrated that he understands the beating heart of Star Trek is in its characters, whether in their relationships to one another or the moral dilemmas that reveal who characters are. Frakes' earlier SNW outing is a fan-favorite already, so it's almost assured that Frakes ' Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 murder mystery will repeat that success, especially if Frakes himself notes it's a career highlight.

Source: Variety

Cast Bruce Horak, Celia Rose Gooding, Jess Bush, Melissa Navia, Ethan Peck, Babs Olusanmokun, Rebecca Romijn, Paul Wesley, Christina Chong, Anson Mount

Streaming Service(s)

Franchise(s)

Writers Bill Wolkoff, Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers

Directors Amanda Row, Valerie Weiss, Jonathan Frakes, Chris Fisher

Where To Watch Paramount+