Go Below With STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS

 Article first published as TV Review: STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS on Seat42F.

A new kind of STAR TREK has arrived, with STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS premiering today on CBS Access. It follows the ensigns who work on the lower decks of the starship U.S.S. Cerritos and do the grunt work of the vessel, not getting the credit and glory the senior staff enjoy. Oh, and it’s a cartoon.

Believe it or not, this is not the first animated Star Trek series. There was a show in the early 1970s called Star Trek: The Animated Series that starred the same cast as the original show, voicing their characters on continuing missions. That series took the liberties of a few big aliens and worlds that the live action budget could never have achieved, but was basically the same type of story the original had already told, albeit shorter. And also, speaking as someone who has seen all twenty-two episodes because I’m that kind of Star Trek fan, it was pretty bad.

STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS doesn’t need to go bigger on aliens, as Star Trek now has the budget and technology to do some pretty incredible stuff. It does, though, because why not? If you can do show races or shots you want, go for it.

My only complaint of this aspect is that it feels just a bit too cartoon-y. I’m not saying it should be as grounded as the its processor because, why even bother to make it animated then? But it’s just a tad too zany for the Star Trek universe, in my opinion. A cross between The Orville and Rick and Morty, I wish it been more of a cross between The Orville and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

TNG is the series that STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS owes the most to. It is set shortly after Star Trek: Nemesis, before disaster rocked the Federation and shook Starfleet to its core, as shown in Star Trek: Picard. This is from those post-Dominion War lighter times, with uniforms and starship design to match. The references are many and varied, and pull plenty of original series in, too, with Spock and Kirk getting shout-outs in the pilot. The visuals are full of Easter eggs, especially in the theme song, so it does feel set in the Trek universe, even if a few things get a little too wild.

The idea of focusing on the non-bridge crew has been around for awhile on Star Trek. It was the plot of a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, also called “Lower Decks,” and is the subject of much fan speculation. So it makes sense in a time where we’re getting so much Trek, we’d eventually get around to that idea.

A great cast has been assembled. Tawny Newsome (Space Force) steals the show as Ensign Mariner, a very capable young woman who has problems with authority and a huge chip on her shoulder. She has the most interesting story, to be sure, but even if she didn’t, Newsome would shine. Her sidekick is Ens. Boimler (Jack Quaid, The Boys), who is much more predictable, but hopefully will grow over time. Secondary to the pair are Ens. Tendi (Noel Wells, Saturday Night Live) and Ens. Rutherford (Eugene Cordero, The Good Place), who are obsessed with their work in the most delightful way, and are surely destined to be a romantic couple.

But unfortunately, STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS doesn’t commit to this conceit of just portraying the junior staff. Instead, we see Captain Freeman (Dawnn Lewis, A Different World), Commander Random (Jerry O’Connell, Billions), Dr. T’Ana (Gillian Vigman, Suburgatory), and other senior staff pretty regularly. And of course these characters are great. But they aren’t needed, and I think the show would be far more interesting if we saw them only fleetingly if at all, like the president in the early seasons of Veep. I could excuse the captain, given her role in relation to one of the core group, and even the doctor popping up makes sense when Tendi is on duty. But the others are in the show too much.

In short, I like the show. Quite a lot, actually. But I think it misses the mark in a few areas that would elevate it to something really special. It’s good, but it could be great, and the squandered potential is a bit sad. Even if I still want it to run for years while I obsessively watch every episode. After all, it is easily the best animated Star Trek series ever made.

STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS streams new episodes every Thursday on CBS All Access, beginning today.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Rocks the Halls Once More

Article first published as SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Rocks the Halls Once More on TheTVKing.

Coming back to host another Christmas outing, the Jimmy Fallon-led installment of Saturday Night Live this past weekend is the best of the fall run. In fact, the whole show is on a bit of an upswing, at the good end of the cycle for a series that ebbs and flows over the years. Buoyed by a plethora of wonderful cameos, and joined by musical guest Justin Timberlake, who appeared in plenty of bits, as well, Fallon shows us what SNL should be.

It begins right off the bat with an opening that brings back Timberlake in a rapping (this time, wrapping) costume, with Jimmy and Aidy Bryant joining him. This isn't the only recurring sketch in the episode (Barry Gibbs himself shows up for Jimmy and Justin's "Barry Gibbs Talk Show"), and it's definitely a crowd pleaser.

There is some debate as to whether Saturday Night Live should rest on its laurels, reusing the same roles over and over again. However, the most memorable characters in the series have been ones who have returned many times. It's hard to come up with an hour and a half of new material every week, and as long as the performers and writers can do something new with the material, as they do for both of those follow ups this week, why not let them continue? They usually just build upon the past as a starting block, anyway.

A well-used surprise guest spot is always effective. Besides Gibbs, Paul McCartney pops in for the monologue, and Mayor Bloomberg and Madonna appear. I'm disappointed Chris Rock, seen in the closing, stays off stage, but overall, these are some big names that are not wasted, and that's appreciated.

Fallon is a veteran of SNL, which means he already knows what he's doing coming in (yes, losing it on stage counts as knowing what he's doing, as he did it back in the day, too). Hosts are not created equal, and sometimes it's hard to predict how a new one will act during the show. Going with Fallon, there's a known quantity that works, especially in the impressions department, and the episode plays to his strengths.

Timberlake has been a very frequent guest, and has hosted with success in his own right before. Combined with the already-wonderful chemistry he has with Fallon, he's a strong addition. From playing a Gibbs brother, to his spot-on mocking of Jimmy himself in the all-around funny Celebrity Family Feud bit, which has several hilarious moments, Timberlake adds much to the proceedings.

One of the most memorable sketches of the night, though, barely involves Jimmy or any other person who is not a regular cast member. The girls in the cast, including Bryant, Cecily Strong, Kate McKinnon, Vanessa Bayer, Nasim Pedrad, and Noel Wells, make a music video about having sex in their childhood bedroom. The tune is catchy, the lyrics are smart, and these women can carry a tune. It reminds me both of the highly successful Digital Shorts SNL used to have and the strong female ensemble during the time of Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Tina Fey. Might we poised for a second coming?

There actually was not a single dud in the whole installment. A couple of scenes were weaker than others, but still would have been great on any other week, when the bar wasn't set quite so high. After a couple of years of much mediocrity, it's great to see SNL get things together again, whether it lasts through the winter and spring or not.

Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET, returning in mid-January to NBC.