After several weeks of Star Trek drought since the end of Strange New Worlds Season 1, the end is in sight as the third season of the hit animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks returns to Paramount+ tomorrow. Ahead of the Season 3 premiere, which is set to answer the shocking cliffhanger from the Season 2 finale, Collider is thrilled to share an exclusive clip from the new episode featuring everyone's favorite lower-deckers.
The finale of Season 2 saw the arrest of the USS Cerritos' beloved Captain Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) for a crime that the audience and the crew know she did not commit. The first episode of Season 3, titled "Grounded," sees Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Boimler (Jack Quaid), Tendi (Noël Wells), and Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) planetside plotting a rogue mission to get their captain back. In the brief clip, each of these characters manages to exemplify a cornerstone of their personalities that perfectly highlights why we love them. Boimler immediately falls into a fit of physical comedy when he hits his dish with some Ketracel White-Hot hot sauce and he can't handle the spice. Meanwhile, Tendi attempts to find an above-board solution, Rutherford offers key information from his cybernetic implant, and Mariner vows to break every Starfleet rule and regulation to get the captain (who happens to be her mom) back.
Last month, the Lower Decks portion of the Star Trek Universe panel at San Diego Comic-Con revealed a ton of exciting plans on the horizon for the crew of the Cerritos. Along with Episode 1's adventure to save Captain Freeman, the end of the Season 3 trailer revealed that the Cerritos will be making a stop at Deep Space 9, marking one of the first major references to the 90's series in the current Star Trek era. Newsome and Quaid also crashed the Strange New Worlds panel to join Anson Mount in sharing the news that Season 2 of the prequel series would include a crossover with Lower Decks featuring both live-action and animation.
In addition to Newsome, Quaid, Wells, Cordero, and Lewis, Lower Decks features the voice talents of Jerry O'Connell, Fred Tatasciore, Gillian Vigman, and Lauren Lapkus. The series was created by Mike McMahan, who's also known for his work on Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites, and executive produced by McMahan, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Katie Krentz, Aaron Baiers, and Heather Kadin.
Star Trek: Lower Decks returns for Season 3 with weekly episodes airing exclusively on Paramount+ on August 25. And with Star Trek Day right around the corner be sure to stay tuned at Collider for all things Star Trek. Check out the exclusive clip down below: