Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Star Trek: Lower Decks: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 2, 2024

Paramount has released the fourth season of the increasingly enjoyable and well made 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' (see also on Blu-ray seasons seasons one, two, and three). The animated series arrives in its fourth season with 10 episodes and the two-disc Blu-ray set offers quality 1080p video, 5.1 lossless audio, five commentary tracks, and two engaging video-based extras.

Early in the season, Boimler, Mariner, and Tendi receive promotions to Lt. Junior Grade (except for Sam, who follows an episode or so later). The promotions mean a move to new quarters and maybe an opportunity to throw out some orders here and there, but these crewmembers is no less “lower decks” than they were with one less pip on their collars. Mariner is certainly not happy with her promotion, which is one of the running storylines through much of the season, and it does come into play at a few key moments, including the season two-part finale. The other recurring thread is the mystery alien vessel attacking non-Federation ships, which is also resolved, and in a very interesting way and with an unexpected twist, in those final episodes.

Yet as with the change in rank not really meaning much in terms of tonal shifts, so too does season four blend right in with the previous three seasons. Lower Decks remains committed to its place as the only committed explorer of the strange new world of the sophomoric side of Star Trek while still trying to build, and often succeeding in building, real Star Trek stories but with a humorous twist. It’s really at its best when it’s calling back to classic Star Trek moments and motifs and usually pushing them to extreme levels to play up the comedic side of the ledger, which the season does with its brilliant debut episode that is a send-up of a classic Voyager storyline. A few of the episodes are downright clunkers, which is true of any Trek but a little more pronounced here with only 10 to watch, but on the whole Lower Decks has certainly found its footing as a solidly Star Trek show, even with a dramatically different tone.

The following episodes comprise season four:

Disc One:

• Twovix": The Cerritos has been dispatched to a secretive mission (which is mercifully not along the Neutral Zone). Instead, the ship has been sent to help preserve a piece of Starfleet history: The USS Voyager. But a problem arises: Chief Engineer Andy Billups and Dr. T'Ana are merged together in a transporter mishap becoming a single entity, “T'illups.” Can the crew of the Cerritos find a way to fix the problem in a more ethical way than Janeway solved the “Tuvix” dilemma, or will things continue to go haywire as they tend to do on the Cerritos? Also: Mariner, Boimler, and Tendi are promoted.
• I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee: An unknown vessel is destroying ships around the galaxy: first a Klingon Bird of Prey, and now a Romulan vessel. Meanwhile, Sam, who was not promoted, is angling to be promoted to keep the group together but finds himself running into resistance from a new ensign who is outshining him at every turn. Boimler finds himself moved into new, and very undesirable, quarters after his promotion. Mariner and Ransom are assigned the task of freeing human captives from a peculiar menagerie, an opportunity for Mariner to force a demotion upon herself.
• In the Cradle of Vexilon: The crew is visiting a friendly world, Corazonia, which is run by an outdated computer called “Vexilon.” Freeman works to make repairs, but may only make things worse, while Boimler leads an away mission for the first time. Meanwhile, Tendi, Mariner, and Sam find themselves with the unenviable task of testing thousands of isolinear chips for defects.
• Something Borrowed, Something Green: Tendi has been granted leave – not of her own request – to return to Orion and attend her sister’s wedding. She’s not keen on the idea, but with an Orion vessel destroyed by a mysterious craft that has been hitting and running around the galaxy, the Federation decides it needs to show goodwill to the people of Orion. When she, Mariner, and T'Lyn arrive, they discover that her sister, the bride-to-be, has been kidnapped, part of an Orion tradition, but there may be more to it than that.
• Empathological Fallacies: The party gets even heartier on board the Cerritos when a trio of sex- and booze-addicted Betazoids arrive on board. But they may not be as they appear. Meanwhile, Boimler desires to dabble in the world of starship security.

Disc Two:

• Parth Ferengi's Heart Place: The Cerritos is (for some reason) spearheading the process of bringing Ferenginar into the Federation. To facilitate the process, Tendi and Rutherford pose as a married couple for a key away mission.
• A Few Badgeys More: The villainous Badgey is back and is stirring up more problems for the Cerritos. When he attacks the ship, it's up to his creator, Rutherford, to set things straight and, just maybe, find a new friend in the process.
• Caves: Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, and Rutherford beam down to a cave for an away mission. Mariner isn’t happy – “it feels like a third of all our missions are in caves” – and sure enough the away team finds itself trapped by a cave-in, in the dark, and unable to communicate with the Cerritos. To pass the time and perhaps think of something to help them find a way out, the foursome recalls their previous experiences in getting trapped in caves, which if course seems to be a staple of Federation away missions.
• The Inner Fight: The Cerritos is ordered to track down, and protect, former Starfleet cadet Nick Locarno, who is being targeted by the mysterious ship attacking non-Federation vessels. However, Boimler, Tendi, Mariner, and T’Lyn are tasked with performing a menial task that ultimately leads them to make a startling discovery and put Mariner in an untenable position. Part one of a two-part season finale.
• Old Friends, New Planets: Mariner learns first-hand the truth about the person behind, and the purpose for, the attacks on various non-Federation ships. As the Cerritos finds itself in the middle of a crisis, it will only be fast thinking and bold maneuvers that can avert a wider crisis. Part two of a two-part season finale.

Star Trek: Lower Decks: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The 1080p transfer is on par with previous seasons. Generally speaking, it's clear, clean, and efficient, featuring excellent clarity and definition to the animated lines with only mild, and even then only at times, jagged edges preventing the image from complete animated smoothness. Clarity is very good, with the image capturing, it seems, all of the natural content and offering it with stable clarity and fine definition to character models and background elements, with special attention to be paid to the clarity and distinctive features on the backgrounds in various starships, both the Cerritos and the various Klingon, Romulan, Ferengi, and so on ships seen throughout the season. Color output is very good, too, with the core TNG-style uniform tones leaping off the screen, especially the red and blue, supported by a myriad of colors around (and outside of) the Cerritos. Bold red nacelle colors, for example, stand as some of the finest the season has to offer. Black levels are very deep, especially in space exteriors. There is very little banding at play. Overall, this is a fine presentation from Paramount.

Star Trek: Lower Decks: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is very good. Listeners will find a track of fine balance and definition through the full spectrum of audio elements, from hushed background supports on the Cerritos or on a planet surface to full-on sonic chaos when the mystery vessel fires on non-Federation vessels in a handful of episodes or when the glass storm hits in episode nine and fills the stage with zipping and deep content that will leave the listener all but running and ducking for cover with Mariner and the Klingon. Action effects offer fine directionality, depth, and stage fill as well, and the track also finds expert balance to its action content. Music is rich and well defined, not to mention well-spaced, with the theme music the obvious standout but with additional sore swelling to good impact. Even some club music in episode four enjoys some solid spacing and immersion. Dialogue is clear, centered, and perfectly prioritized for the duration.

Star Trek: Lower Decks: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two disc Blu-ray release of Star Trek: Lower Decks: Season 4 contains extras on both discs. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does ship with a slipcover.

Disc One:

• Audio Commentaries: For "Twovix:" Jack Quaid, Mike McMahan, and Brad Winters. For "Something Borrowed, Something Green:" Tawny Newsome, Noel Wells, and Gabrielle Ruiz.

Disc Two:

• Audio Commentaries: For "Parth Ferengi's Heart Place:" Noel Wells, Eugene Cordero, Chase Masterson, and Mike McMahan. For "The Inner Fight:" Dawnn Lewis, Tawny Newsome, and Mike McMahan. For "Old Friends, New Planets:" Robert Duncan McNeill and Mike McMahan.
• Lower Dektionary: Setting Up Season 4 (1080p, 8:33): Looking at starting the season with a Voyager episode and promotions for the crew being moved up to the start of the season rather than the end.
• Old Friends (1080p, 28:45): Looking at the "cold opens" and the recurring background narrative of the mystery alien vessel, the ninth episode of the season and its pacing, exploring character backgrounds in the season, legacy Star Trek characters and the actors who played them returning to the universe (including a lengthy sit-down with Robert Duncan McNeill, Will Wheaton, and Shannon Fill).

Star Trek: Lower Decks: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Lower Decks' fourth season doesn't push the series forward with any real significant depth or meaning, but it's definitely found its lane and it is comfortable staying in its lane that blends classic Trek motifs with tongue-in-cheek humor that is usually at its best not when it's forging its own paths but rather going down well-trod roads with a wink-and-a-nod. The fourth season's two-disc Blu-ray presentation delivers very good video and audio and a solid package of extras that include commentaries on half the episodes and two very enjoyable featurettes. Recommended.