Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation will never watch two episodes of the classic show the same way again. In a way that is both profound and tender, the animated comedy series Lower Decks has insinuated itself into the backstory of two TNG classics, “The First Duty,” and the beloved 1994 episode “Lower Decks,” to which the series owes its name. But, Lower Decks didn’t create this retcon for laughs. Instead, the emotional arc of Lower Decks Season 4 pays off TNG-era Star Trek character drama, several decades in the making. For showrunner and series creator Mike McMahan, this wasn’t an easy decision.
