Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 Takes a Subtle Dig at One of Roddenberry’s Golden Rules

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Key Takeaways

  • “Dos Cerritos” in Lower Decks pays homage to an alternate timeline trope seen in previous Star Trek episodes.
  • Captain Becky Freeman’s rule of no interpersonal conflict pokes fun at Roddenberry’s strict rule on TOS.
  • Trekverse evolution from Roddenberry’s no conflict rule to embracing interpersonal conflict for better storytelling.

As someone who’s spent countless hours immersed in the galaxy of Star Trek, I can’t help but marvel at its evolution over the decades. Having grown up with the original series, I was initially taken aback when the franchise began to stray from Roddenberry’s interpersonal conflict rule. But as a seasoned Trekkie who’s seen life’s squabbles play out on both the small screen and in real life, I can say that this departure has been a breath of fresh air.

In its four seasons so far, Star Trek: Lower Decks has masterfully incorporated intricate references and callbacks to earlier Star Trek productions. The start of the fifth and final season, titled “Dos Cerritos,” saw the writers skillfully employing this art once more, subtly embedding a witty remark that was, in fact, a playful jab at the franchise’s originator, Gene Roddenberry.

Warning: Contains spoilers for the first episode of “Lower Decks” season 5. In “Dos Cerritos”, we encounter a familiar Star Trek concept – crossing into an alternate timeline and meeting parallel versions of our main characters. Many Star Trek series have an episode based on this idea. When the USS Cerritos encounters their counterparts in the alternate universe, it’s revealed that an alternate Mariner, named Becky Freeman, holds the captain’s position on their vessel.

In this scenario, each character forms partnerships with their counterparts from another reality to tackle the space-time rift, but it turns out to be quite challenging for all (apart from the Boimlers who seem to hit it off splendidly). As the crews collaborate over time, underlying tensions escalate into full-blown confrontations. When Captain Becky Freeman and Mariner walk into a cargo bay filled with crew members arguing or physically fighting their counterparts, Captain Freeman shouts:

There’s no interpersonal conflict allowed on my ship!

It appears this casual remark aligns perfectly with Captain Becky Freeman’s character, known for her stern and authoritative leadership style on the ship. However, eagle-eyed fans might discern that this statement is a subtle nod to one of Roddenberry’s principles guiding the Star Trek universe.

Roddenberry’s Rules for ‘Star Trek’

From the get-go, the creator of Star Trek had a distinct vision for the appearance of its universe, and he made sure to share this vision with everyone involved in the production of the pilot and first season of Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS). In The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: The First 25 Years, several writers who worked on TOS detailed the stringent guidelines Roddenberry established regarding what was and wasn’t permissible in his Star Trek universe.

One rule Roddenberry strongly emphasized for the Enterprise was minimizing personal conflicts. He envisioned a future where humanity had advanced so philosophically that conflicts would be non-existent. Despite acknowledging that all good stories require conflict, Roddenberry insisted that the conflicts in each episode should stem from external sources, typically less evolved alien species, reflecting his optimistic view of human evolution.

It’s safe to say that Roddenberry was incredibly involved when it came to maintaining the integrity of the Star Trek universe. Many writers who worked on TOS confirmed that he had a strict rule approval process. If a script didn’t meet his standards, he would request immediate revisions or even assign another writer to make changes without informing the original author.

The No Conflict Rule Created Behind-the-Scenes Conflict

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the “no interpersonal conflict” rule sparked disputes in the writer’s room. Predictably, those whose scripts were revised without their approval grew furious. Roddenberry was frequently evasive or unrepentant when questioned about revisions. It is claimed that some of the original writers resigned due to Roddenberry’s handling of rewrites, which eventually led to him being criticized.

In response to Roddenberry’s requested revisions to Harlan Ellison’s original script for “The City on the Edge of Forever,” a highly esteemed science fiction author at the time, Ellison became enraged. He openly criticized the episode, asserting that the final product did not reflect his original work for the series. Later, he insisted on not being recognized as the sole writer for the episode.

The strict rule against interpersonal conflict among crew members in “Star Trek: Original Series” caused frustration among writers, as they felt creatively constrained by this rule and Roddenberry’s firm adherence to it. Despite repeated suggestions that the show would be more engaging and authentic if there were conflicts between the characters, Roddenberry remained unyielding. Consequently, the writers found it challenging to generate enough storylines to cover a full season of episodes because human dynamics often involve disagreements and strife, which are essential elements in storytelling.

How ‘Star Trek’ Has Evolved

For those who have followed the “Star Trek” series beyond the original series (TOS), it’s common knowledge that the franchise deviated from Roddenberry’s guideline about interpersonal conflicts. This shift occurred primarily after the commercial flop of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which led Paramount to take creative control away from Roddenberry for future “Star Trek” productions.

As conversations about Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) commenced, Roddenberry insisted on involvement, which Paramount granted. However, he resumed his restrictive influence over the writers, causing issues in the first two seasons of TNG. By the time the creative team was working on the third season, Roddenberry was in his 60s and chose to focus on health matters, leaving the project. With Roddenberry’s strict control no longer present, the storylines in TNG underwent significant transformation. Roddenberry was powerless to prevent these changes to his original concept, allowing the franchise to gradually move away from Roddenberry’s guidelines.

In essence, Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) upheld Gene Roddenberry’s concept of a future devoid of conflict, where humanity primarily utilizes intelligence, diplomacy, and noble principles to foster harmony among different civilizations. Yet, it was also realistic in portraying that even highly evolved humans are not immune to emotions and disputes with one another. The interpersonal conflicts within the bridge crew introduced a layer of complexity and empathy to the Star Trek universe that the original series (TOS) lacked.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine deviated significantly from Roddenberry’s concept of a peaceful, idealistic future. Instead, the series was set in a newly liberated Bajoran sector that had suffered under Cardassian occupation for years. The station’s second-in-command, a former freedom fighter, engaged in (debatable) acts of terrorism. Commander Benjamin Sisko, a strong black leader, wasn’t shy about using both verbal and physical means to defend his position. The bridge crew regularly debated on various aspects, from routine operations to critical decision-making.

Initially, a significant number of Star Trek fans dismissed DS9 upon its debut, arguing that it deviated from Roddenberry’s original concept for Star Trek. However, others took to the darker, more intricate version of the Star Trek universe presented in DS9. Today, DS9 is often praised as one of the strongest series within the franchise. Furthermore, since DS9, the Star Trek universe has begun to focus more on interpersonal conflicts among crew members, a shift that has generally improved the franchise overall.

While Roddenberry’s dream of humanity overcoming petty disputes in a resource-abundant future is appealing, it overlooked the fact that humans are inherently self-centered and prone to conflict. It’s unrealistic to think that a crew living and working together round the clock wouldn’t argue at least occasionally, if not more frequently. Abandoning Roddenberry’s principle of conflict-free existence and instead portraying interpersonal struggles allowed the writers to craft a science fiction universe that feels plausible for future human habitation. This realistic portrayal of conflict is just one factor contributing to Star Trek‘s enduring popularity, even after more than 50 years.

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2024-10-28 00:36