Summary

• Star Trek: Lower Decks ending with season 5 is a major blow to fans who appreciate its humor and brilliance.
• Jack Quaid's portrayal of Lieutenant Boimler has become a crucial part of the Star Trek franchise.
• Finding creative ways to keep Jack Quaid in the Star Trek universe post-Lower Decks is essential for fans and for Star Trek.

Star Trek: Lower Decks may be coming to an end, but Star Trek has to keep Jack Quaid in the franchise. Disappointingly, Paramount+ has opted to conclude Star Trek: Lower Decks with season 5, which premieres in fall 2024 on the streamer. This is a terrible blow to fans of Star Trek: Lower Decks, who have ed the first Star Trek animated comedy and recognized its crucial place within the franchise. Star Trek: Lower Decks has continued the late-24th century era of Star Trek: The Next Generation and touched upon the breadth of Star Trek with humor and brilliance, while creating a cast of beloved characters aboard the USS Cerritos.

Jack Quaid plays Lieutenant Bradward Boimler on Star Trek: Lower Decks, and he is one of the series leads, alongside Tawny Newsome's Lt. Beckett Mariner. Boimler is the audience's surrogate as someone who is a die-hard fan of all things Starfleet. Gradually overcoming his confidence issues and neuroses, Bradward's sheer excellence and attention to detail as a Starfleet Officer have been rewarded with a promotion from Ensign to Lieutenant (junior grade) in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4. Boimler shows signs of becoming a great Captain one day, though it likely won't happen during Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5. But Boimler, and Jack Quaid, are of tremendous value to Star Trek.

Jack Quaid Is One Of Star Trek’s Biggest Stars

Quaid stars in hit TV series and movies, including the Academy Award-winning Oppenheimer.

When Jack Quaid debuted as Ensign Brad Boimler on Star Trek: Lower Decks season 1 in 2020, his star was just beginning to rise. Quaid had just broken through as Hughie Campbell in The Boys season 1 in 2019. Before The Boys, Jack's biggest role was as Marvel in The Hunger Games and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which were massive box office blockbusters in 2012 and 2013. But as Star Trek: Lower Decks continued alongside The Boys, Quaid's star quickly rose in magnitude. In 2022, Jack starred as the villainous Richie Kirsch in Scream (AKA Scream 5), and he cameoed again as Richie in Scream VI a year later. Given his mainstream stature, it was stunning that Star Trek had an actor as recognizable as Jack Quaid whose face was never seen and whose voice was only heard.

In 2023, the real-life Jack Quaid finally appeared in Star Trek. Quaid portrayed Ensign Brad Boimler in live-action, alongside Tawny Newsome's Ensign Beckett Mariner, in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' phenomenal comedic crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks. (The idea of a crossover was one Quaid helped hatch and make a reality). Also in 2023, Quaid appeared as Dr. Richard Feynman in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, as well as taking on a new voice role as the Man of Steel in My Adventures With Superman. Oppenheimer was the Academy Award-winner for Best Picture in 2023, which made Quaid a Star Trek series lead who is now part of an Oscar-winning film.

Michelle Yeoh, who starred in Star Trek: Discovery and headlines Star Trek: Section 31, won the 2022 Best Actress Academy Award for Everything Everywhere All At Once.

How Jack Quaid Can Stay In Star Trek After Lower Decks Ends

Boimler has options to reappear in Star Trek.

With his rising star in Hollywood and his mainstream popularity across film, TV, and animation, Star Trek needs to keep Jack Quaid in the franchise even after Star Trek: Lower Decks ends with season 5. Hearteningly, Jack loves Star Trek. Quaid became genuinely enamored with Star Trek, learned its history, and even cosplayed in uniform as Ensign Boimler at a Star Trek convention in Chicago. Jack Quaid is one of the finest ambassadors Star Trek currently has, and even as he takes on bigger roles in TV and films, Jack is proud to be associated with Star Trek. Indeed, Jack Quaid wished in a recent Instagram post that he could play Boimler for "17 more seasons".

Thankfully, Tawny Newsome will remain in the Star Trek franchise after Lower Decks ends as a writer on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

Even though Jack Quaid's voyages as Lt. Brad Boimler on the USS Cerritos are wrapping up, a possible Star Trek: Lower Decks movie on Paramount+ would allow him to reprise Bradward. But Star Trek must also get creative and find ways for Jack Quaid to play Boimler in live-action again. For instance, Jack could return as (now) Lt. Boimler in another crossover with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4. Quaid could also play Boimler as an archival holographic instructor in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. And if Star Trek: Picard's proposed spinoff, Star Trek: Legacy, happens, find a way for Captain Boimler to meet Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). Or create a new Star Trek show starring Jack Quaid as Boimler. Jack Quaid wants to continue in Star Trek, fans want him as well, and Star Trek should utilize every means possible to keep Jack in the franchise.

Star Trek: Lower Decks is available to stream on Paramount+