It’s little wonder that Star Trek: Lower Decks charmed many with its first, rather humorous, take on the Star Trek universe, actually fleshing out an actual friendship between lead actors Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid. The two spent five years working hand in glove with one another to bring to life a character dynamic, at moments playful and heartfelt, in the voices of Lieutenants Beckett Mariner and Bradward Boimler.
As the fifth and final season of the series launches on October 24, fans will say goodbye to the USS Cerritos and its crew. At the same time, this Newsome-Quaid friendship will long outlast the animated series when it concludes on Paramount+.
Per Screen Rant, Newsome shared a few reflections on her bond with Quaid during an STLV panel that included the Lower Decks cast. She spoke warmly about how playing Mariner and Boimler brought her and Quaid into a real brother-sister relationship, much like their characters portrayed in the show.
The real feelings between them spilled onto the screen, and fans responded to that chemistry on and off the camera. And as Lower Decks heads into its final season, the close-knit relationship between its stars remains one of its most lasting legacies.
Newsome and Quaid On Their Future in Star Trek
While Star Trek: Lower Decks is ending, Newsome’s time with the Star Trek franchise is far from over. Alex Kurtzman, the executive producer of Star Trek, described Newsome as a “stone-cold assassin” in the writers’ room — high praise that has now seen her recruited for work on the upcoming series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
Beyond that, Newsome is also developing Star Trek’s first-ever live-action half-hour comedy, which she has termed her “dream of dreams.” Given how close the friends are, there’s a theory floating around that maybe Newsome will find some way to include Quaid in her new Star Trek ventures.
For Quaid, though, things aren’t so clear about his future in the world of Star Trek. The actor has been in high demand lately, having starred in Oppenheimer, The Boys, and the upcoming My Adventures of Superman. Nevertheless, Quaid is still an admirer of Star Trek and Boimler to his core. He would no doubt be willing to reappear if it were ever possible. Hopefully, fans hold out for this hope — that Mariner and Boimler’s journey gets picked up somewhere, maybe even within Newsome’s upcoming comedy series.
The fifth season closes things out for Star Trek: Lower Decks, both for the series and fans. Just as the characters are allowed to bid each other farewell, the friendship that Newsome and Quaid have built will serve as a reminder of the close-knit relationships cultivated off-screen. Whether they do it again in the future or not, their connection ensures that Mariner and Boimler will live on and off-screen.