The Big Picture

Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Eugene Cordero, and Noël Wells tease growth for their characters in final
Lower Decks
episodes.
Quaid teases an upcoming episode that will blow our minds, as something he can’t believe they got away with.
Newsome gives an update on her live-action Star Trek sitcom.

Alternate Universes, Orion Pirates, and bearded Boimler — there’s just so much to enjoy about the fifth (and tragically final) season of Star Trek: Lower Decks, and somehow we are already halfway through the last episodes of the hilarious and groundbreaking animated series. We’ve rejoined the crew of the USS Cerritos for one last ride through the Alpha Quadrant with our favorite Lower Deckers ready to take the next steps in their Starfleet careers, but what might those futures look like? I recently sat down with stars Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Eugene Cordero, and Noël Wells to get all the scoop on the good, the bad, and the Badgey, and to finally talk about that thing we’re all dreading: the series finale of one of the most innovative installements in the Star Trek franchise to date.

During our conversation we discussed what surprised each of the quatro the most about their characters in the final season, what zany storylines and episodes they can’t believe they managed to get away with this year, and what to expect from the season finale. I also asked Newsome about the live-action Star Trek sitcom she’s working on with Justin Simien which, with a Galaxy Quest-style flair, is said to be set at a resort planet where the inhabitants are being filmed and broadcast to the rest of the galaxy like reality TV. You can read the transcript for our conversation below or watch the interview in the player above.

COLLIDER: In the season opener, we get to see some alternate versions of you guys — most of you literally, and Tendi is off in her Mistress of the Winter Constellations fantasy.

EUGENE CORDERO: [Laughs] Oh, yes!

NOËL WELLS: An alternative in her own way.

We see some new sides of you guys. What’s something that surprised you the most about your character this season?

CORDERO: I would say the third arm in the middle of my chest was surprising to see. I think for Rutherford, I think everybody growing and taking on new responsibilities was great to see in this season. And just the Tendi/Rutherford relationship, that it’s always something new. It’s so hard to not spoil things, but at the same time, it’s always fun to explore and see an awesome friendship like that. So, I think more of the same is exciting that happens in Season 5, but also, them growing up is also very cool.

TAWNY NEWSOME: Seeing Mariner have to be in charge of other people. I think that’s very funny. It’s like, “Oh, you rapscallion! You were the thorn in everybody’s side and now people are thorns in your side.” So, that’s fun.

WELLS: I like seeing Tendi and what she would want to be as a leader, putting it to the test, but then seeing how it’s not always gonna work out the way that she thinks it’s going to. So, she’s literally in real-time trying out her optimistic view of things and then seeing how that doesn’t work when there are all these different variables, but then her course-correcting.

JACK QUAID: I love seeing a version of Boimler with a beard. That was just incredible, and I was like, “Wow, it’s purple!” That’s great. That means something! Just a purple beard. No, without getting into spoilers, Boimler is trying to emulate somebody this season, and the whole time you’re like, “Ah, man! No, just believe in yourself.” He is gaining confidence. He’s doing it in a slightly misguided way, but that’s why we love him and he learns a lot about himself this season. So, I just love how every character grows throughout every season and how they just continue to grow, even into the fifth season.

The ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Cast Can’t Believe They Got Away With Having More Than One Harry Kim
“How in the hell did this happen?”
Image via Paramount+

I love that. I love the “Starbase 80?!” episode and how Starbase 80 is like the Cerritos of Starbases. It just really made me feel like you guys can get away with so much on this show and you can do so much that you can’t really do in live-action. What’s your “I can’t believe we got away with that” moment? You can tell me if it’s in the first five, and if it’s not, you can just tell me which episode it’s in, and we’ll look forward to it.

NEWSOME: Well, we saw from the trailer that we have some Garrett Wang reprising Harry Kim. So, without saying exactly why or how, I can’t believe we got away with having more than one Harry Kim.

CORDERO: And that’s so funny! I love that about this season. There were a lot of moments like that through the five seasons that were like, “Oh, we get to be Mark Twain’s!”

QUAID: One of the true great joys of my life was recording that Mark Twain.

CORDERO: Truly. And it’s just so fun. It feels like every record, you’re like, “Is this gonna happen?” And it does. So, I guess just being constantly surprised in great ways.

QUAID: It’s not in the first five but I’ll just say — I forget exactly which one, it’s either [Episode] 8 or 9 — there’s a whole episode where I was like, “How in the hell did this happen?” I’m so excited about it.

Amazing. So I know we have a super-sized finale coming up, which I don’t even want to acknowledge as the finale because I don’t want this show to end. Can you, in three words or less, tease what to expect from your character in the end?

WELLS: Oh, I have a three words or less: Home sweet home.

NEWSOME: Friendly competition. Because of the…

CORDERO: Oh, yeah, because of the…

NEWSOME: So, maybe I stole that from you because that’s the…

QUAID: We’re all doomed [laughs], because of the…

NEWSOME: Yeah! What you got, Eug? Words that don’t give anything away but definitely prove you remember what happens in the finale.

CORDERO: To be continued…?

Excellent!

CORDERO: And the survey says…

That sounds wonderful. Lastly, Tawny, I would be remiss if I did not ask you about the sitcom that you’re working on with Justin Simien. Can you share any updates or can we look forward to any Lower Decks Easter eggs over there?

NEWSOME: Oh my god, I would love to put Lower Decks Easter eggs in it. All I can share with you is that we keep writing it, and we keep turning things in, and they keep saying, “Please keep writing.” So, as long as they allow us to do that and they don’t say, “Stop. Close your computers and go home,” we’ll continue making it. And yeah, as long as they don’t tell me, “Please shut your laptop and throw it in the sea, I will keep working on it.” It’s been such a joy. I love Justin Simien with all my heart. I can’t wait to hopefully keep doing it.

New episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 arrive on Paramount+ every Thursday.

Star Trek Lower Decks Release Date August 6, 2020 Story By gene roddenbury Writers Gene Roddenberry Network Paramount Streaming Service(s) Paramount+ Expand

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