Lower Decks Season 5 Breaks Format To Deliver A Long-Awaited Story

This article contains spoilers for “Star Trek: Lower Decks” season 5.

One of the many wonderful things about the “Star Trek” franchise is that there are plenty of different little sub-fandoms to dig into. There are Trekkies who can tell you everything there is to know about all of the most important Starfleet ships and the difference between their warp cores and nacelles. Elsewhere, there are fans who not only have a deep love of the Federation and its many captains, but who can also argue about how Kirk really “beat” the Kobayashi Maru all day. And then there are fans like me, who really freaking love the Alpha Quadrant’s most violent and drunken alien species: the Klingons. 

The Klingons have undergone some serious changes in the “Star Trek” universe over the years, both in appearance and characterization, but have consistently been a civilization bound by a number of antiquated rules and codes that they believe help them to be the best warriors possible. There is a lot of lore to dig into if you’re a fan of all things Klingon, but until now, there hasn’t really been a good look into what Klingon life is like outside of wartime. Our best glimpse into the Klingon world so far has been through Worf (Michael Dorn), a Klingon raised by humans who serves in Starfleet, so there haven’t really been many opportunities to just see Klingons in their own element. 

In the fourth episode of its fifth and final season, “Star Trek: Lower Decks” gives Klingon fans something they’ve been clamoring for: a good look at Klingon culture, with some fun tidbits to chew on about its complex society. There are also plenty of great little references and Easter eggs, too, making the episode truly a Klingon fan’s delight.

Though season 5 of “Lower Decks” has followed a pretty continuous plotline, it takes a little detour in episode 4, “A Farewell to Farms,” in order to catch up with the Klingon character Ma’ah (Jon Curry), who has appeared a few times throughout “Lower Decks” as a former (Klingon vessel) lower decker who underwent an incredibly strange journey that showed him the corruption within the Klingon fleet, especially under his commander. Now, he just wants to farm, taking care of his targs and making bloodwine for various fine Klingon establishments. It’s at one of those establishments where he runs into Starfleet officer Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), who convinces him that he needs to try and earn back the captain position he lost. She volunteers to help alongside fellow officer Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), who is ecstatic about all of the Klingon sights and experiences. Boimler himself is a perfect stand-in for the many “Star Trek” fans who just love Klingon stories, as he gets excited to undergo Klingon challenges, even if they’re rather painful. I mean, I would take a hit from a pain stick, just to say they did? It’s as relatable as it is funny. 

“Star Trek” fans have long since clamored for a series with more Klingons, maybe even a show entirely based on Klingon culture, and while Dorn has tried to get a Worf-centric project started, it just hasn’t happened. And while “A Farewell to Farms” isn’t quite as great as a new series, it is at least a blast to get some more Klingon lore delivered “Lower Decks” style.

As much fun as it is to watch Boimler, Mariner, Ma’ah, and his brother Malor (Sam Witwer) try to survive the challenges needed in order to earn Ma’ah back his captain rank, “A Farewell to Farms” also just feels like a warm goodbye to the Klingons of “Lower Decks.” Ma’ah has had a pretty impressive arc for a minor character who’s only had a few guest appearances, and we also get to see General Korin (Jess Harnell), Mariner’s old gray-ops battle-buddy, with whom she is blood-bonded. While Mariner catches up, Boimler geeks out and shares his impressive knowledge of Klingon bureaucracy, and it’s a perfect way to give these characters their proper due before saying goodbye for good.

Of course, there are also some amazing Easter eggs and quick references. Two Klingons getting into a traffic accident and yelling “Experience Bij!” at one another, referencing the curse yelled at players in the Klingon-based “Star Trek” VHS/board game, is high art, and there are even references to all of the great Klingons of yore, from Gowron and Martok all the way back to Kah’less, plus enough quips thrown around in Klingon to make a linguist blush. In addition to all of that, we get to see animated baby targs. Who doesn’t love baby targs?

New episodes of “Star Trek: Lower Decks” drop Thursdays on Paramount+.