Also notable: The second season of “Lower Decks” featured an episode called “wej Duj,” which examined the “lower decks” of other alien ships. A segment on board a Klingon vessel depicted what life was like for lower-ranking officers in that alien culture. Ditto for a Vulcan vessel. It seems that being at the tail end of the chain of command isn’t very romantic no matter what species you belong to. The fourth season of “Lower Decks” has been following a season-long plot thread wherein a mysterious unidentified vessel has been attacking various ships throughout the galaxy, and audiences have visited various starships to see what their “lower decks” life is like before they are blasted out of the heavens.
Kelly wanted to note that “Lower Decks” is not about the central heroes of the “Star Trek” universe but about the ones who work the crap jobs. Most of the other Trek shows to date have been about heroes and celebrities. It was vital to make sure that the four lead characters on “Lower Decks” weren’t the ones in charge. Kelly said:
“[W]e’re doing something different than other episodes. You would still understand, I think, that the show is called ‘Lower Decks’ and that we’re looking at the lower decks of another spaceship, even if it’s not the Cerritos. You will get that there is a fun viewpoint and looking at that perspective on any ship. There’s a TV show going on with the captains and all the heroes (quote, unquote), but there’s also a TV show for the people below. The ‘Downton Abbey’ of sci-fi shows, that’s what we’re going for. Don’t tell Mike I said that.”
“Mike” being Mike McMahan, the show’s creator. Who, it seems, has an aversion to “Downton Abbey.”