A Major Reason I Want A 25th-Century Star Trek Show Has Nothing To Do With Seven Of Nine's New Crew

With Star Trek: Picard season 3 concluding in the early 25th century, I'm desperate for the franchise to pick up where the Patrick Stewart-led show left off, but not just because I want to see where Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine timeline is headed. Of course, I'd love to see Captain Seven's adventures as the USS Enterprise-G's commanding officer in the unconfirmed and much-desired Star Trek: Legacy, but the possibility of a 25th-century Star Trek show makes me very excited for a completely different reason.

Star Trek: Picard supplied me with a powerful bout of nostalgia by reuniting the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast for the first time in decades, but it also acknowledged the franchise's promising future when Picard season 3's ending provided a brief glimpse into an untapped portion of the Star Trek timeline. While the 24th century will probably always be the saga's most beloved era, its proximity to the 25th century opens up so many brilliant possibilities that tie into pre-existing storylines, as proven by Star Trek: Picard's final episode. Hopefully, that potential doesn't go to waste.

I Want A Live-Action Star Trek: Lower Decks Show Set In The 25th Century

Boimler and company need to come back (but not animated this time)

Unless Star Trek: Prodigy season 3 gets the green light, the franchise doesn't have any active shows set in the 24th century. So, because Star Trek: Picard ended at the beginning of the 25th century, it would make sense if this era were set to become a main focus. If so, I would love to see the return of characters from Star Trek: Lower Decks in the context of a live-action show. Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome reprising their Lower Decks roles in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds proves a crossover between live-action and animated mediums works brilliantly well.

Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5's ending was marketed as the show's finale, but it didn't feel like it. It seemed to be implying the show could still return at any point and continue the voyages of the USS Cerritos under the command of Captain Jack Ransom (Jerry O'Connell). I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking it'd be unfair to the show's quality if that was the last time we ever saw those characters. They may not be able to return in their original format, but letting them venture into a live-action 25th-century Star Trek show would be equally exciting.

Live-Action Star Trek: Lower Decks Set In The 25th Century Makes Sense

The crew of the USS Cerritos would still be in active service (even if aboard other ships)

From a storytelling point of view, it would make perfect sense for members of the Cerritos crew to pop up in the 25th century. Sure, the various officers like Boimler and Mariner would probably have moved on to other postings so long after the end of Lower Decks, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't still be in active service. A sequel show with the same characters could easily bring the crew back together, given the right storyline. Plus, most of the original cast would be far more age-appropriate to reprise their roles in live-action in the 25th century.

Captain Seven of Nine and the crew of the USS Enterprise-G would likely have encounters with Lower Decks figures like Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) and Tendi (Noël Wells).

Even if a true successor to Star Trek: Lower Decks never materializes, Captain Ransom and others who served aboard the Cerritos could and should still be folded into other 25th-century stories. For instance, if Star Trek: Legacy ever happens, Captain Seven of Nine and the crew of the USS Enterprise-G would likely have encounters with Lower Decks figures like Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) and Tendi (Noël Wells). If they didn't, it would beg the question of where they all were.

Why Star Trek: Lower Decks Has To Continue

The animated comedy brought a lot of fun and promise to Star Trek canon

I was unsure whether Star Trek: Lower Decks would work when it was announced. A zany animated comedy sounded so far removed from what I'd come to expect from the franchise, but I loved it as soon as I saw it. I've come across very few Trekkies who didn't love the show, and its ending came far too soon for my liking. Although the only confirmed upcoming Star Trek show, Starfleet Academy, will follow in Discovery's footsteps and take place in the 32nd century, I find it hard to believe the franchise won't eventually return to the late 24th or early 25th century.

Star Trek: Lower Decks' Top 15 Episodes On IMDb
Season	Episode	Title	IMDb Score
5	9	"Fissure Quest"	9.0/10
5	10	"The New Next Generation"	9.0/10
2	9	"Wej Duj"	8.7/10
3	6	"Hear All, Trust Nothing"	8.6/10
4	10	"Old Friends, New Planets"	8.6/10

When it does, the characters and storylines from Star Trek: Lower Decks need to be heavily addressed. There was so much untapped potential, especially in the younger characters - who were still all relatively close to the start of their Starfleet journeys. It's perhaps understandable that Star Trek: Lower Decks had to end, given the fact promotions were surely on their way again, but I'm convinced (and hopeful) that the story will continue in some form in a post-Star Trek: Picard project.