On the eve of the Bell Riots, fans of Star Trek: Lower Decks were able to get an inside scoop on the animated sci-fi series at a cast panel hosted by Brian Richardson. Guests Eugene Cordero, the voice of Sam Rutherford, and Tawny Newsome, the voice of Beckett Mariner, shared tales from inside and out of the recording booth in the Friday panel at 4PM in the Marriott Imperial Ballroom.

The guests stated that they enjoy the show’s progressive themes and genre-bending plots. Newsome, a lifelong Trekkie, was impressed by Star Trek: Lower Deck’s integration into the greater Star Trek universe while maintaining a comedic tone. Cordero and Newsome teased the upcoming 5th season (and last on Paramount+), hinting at more juicy A-plots and wacky B-plots to come. Fan-favorite character Badgey is rumored to re-appear—our guests were dutifully mum on the details.

Newsome shared the origins of Mariner’s Andorian girlfriend. Newsome improvised the line “Move, Jennifer!” for a scene where Mariner pushed past a background character. Showrunner Mike McMahan was charmed by Newsome’s ad-lib and spun up a backstory for the new character, Jennifer Sh’reyan. McMahan thought that Mariner and Jennifer looked like a cute couple and created a romance subplot for the two. Cordero remarked that Rutherford’s iconic “okey dokey” catchphrase emerged organically from a particularly energetic line read. McMahan was tickled by the delivery and began writing the catchphrase into future episode scripts. Both guests stressed that McMahan’s involvement was not only a professional commitment but a labor of love.

Season 5 of Star Trek: Lower Decks premieres October 24, 2024 on Paramount+.