Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 recently premiered, and while the future is bright with upcoming Trek projects on the way, it's the final ride for the animated comedy. It's a bittersweet time for the fandom, which is caught between lamenting the end while still celebrating the good times. For example, remember when people freaked out about Jack Quaid's Boimler spreading his legs buck-naked in a holodeck simulation? The actor certainly does, and we had to talk about it one more time.
The day following Lower Decks' release of "I, Excretus," which is now available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription, was interesting. While it still remains the raunchiest moment in Star Trek history, fans have come to appreciate it and reference it to the point that it has become a part of the legacy of Jack Quaid's Bradward Boimler. I asked the actor his thoughts about that ahead of the premiere of Season 5, and he talked about the unique experience he has that not many other actors do:
I mean, that just took the internet by storm, didn't it? I mean, hey, I'm proud. It's great. It's great. I'm gonna admit this too. At conventions, people bring me a photo of that maneuver, and I sign it on the black rectangle. No, I mean, it's just a very important part of Star Trek. It's great.
The actor laughed while responding, perhaps thinking back to all the times he's had to address that moment he technically wasn't even a part of. That said, Jack Quaid famously recreated the pose in live-action at Star Trek: Mission Chicago, and I love the fact that the picture will live on the internet forever.
It's also worth noting that back when people in the Star Trek fandom were arguing over whether the "Boimler Maneuver," as it's been called, was too much for the franchise, Jack Quaid was relatively unconcerned. After all, he was hopping between voice work for Lower Decks and his role on The Boys at the time, so a censored nude pose felt tame in comparison to the orgy scenes from the Prime Video series.
We know that Jack Quaid and the cast of Star Trek: Lower Decks would like to see the series continue, but it's unclear how that will happen at the moment. We do know that Tawny Newsome is creating a live-action comedy and is up for seeing cameos from some of her voice-acting buddies appear as new characters on the show. There are also opportunities for the Lower Decks story to continue in comics and maybe even a movie, but we'll just have to wait and see what the future holds.
For now, continue to watch Star Trek: Lower Decks Thursdays on Paramount+. The final season is already off to a great start, and I'm ready to see where the rest of this season heads after the first couple of episodes.
