One Star Trek Series Has Been Renewed While Another Will End After Next Season

As the great Billy Joel once said, "Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes; I'm afraid it's time for goodbye." (As a Long Islander, I've been long overdue to work a reference to our local hero into one of these articles.) That quote takes on an extra layer of meaning with today's double-pronged news regarding the future of "Star Trek." On the big screen, we recently found out that all systems are go for the new movie described to be a prequel to the Kelvin Universe films. But for those who've been enjoying the franchise renaissance on television (or, more accurately, streaming on Paramount+), well, there's some good news and bad news to report.

We'll start with the good news. Variety has the scoop on a season 4 renewal for "Strange New Worlds," the spin-off from "Star Trek: Discovery" that also serves as a prequel to "The Original Series." The popular and high-quality show is currently in production on its third season, as last teased by director and franchise icon Jonathan Frakes. With the first two completed seasons spanning 10 episodes each, fans can look forward to plenty more episodic, genre-jumping adventures to come centered on Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Mr. Spock (Ethan Peck), and the rest of the crew of the USS Enterprise. Executive producers Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers, and Alex Kurtzman had this to say about the news in an official statement:

"On behalf of the cast and crew of 'Strange New Worlds,' we are thrilled and grateful to continue our voyages together. We can't wait for you to join us and the crew of the Enterprise on another season of exploration and adventure."

This, however, comes at the expense of another popular and well-liked "Trek" series: "Lower Decks."

Rest in peace, "Lower Decks." You and your irreverent humor, controversially horny vibes, and self-referential love for the franchise flew too close to the sun. The Variety report sadly indicated that the upcoming fifth season of the animated series, which first premiered in 2020, will also be its last. There's a certain sense of logic to this, since the entire premise of the show relies on junior officers stuck at the lowest end of the food chain on the USS Cerritos, and our main heroes Beckett Mariner (voiced by Tawny Newsome), Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), D'Vana Tendi (Noël Wells), and Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) all recently received promotions for their actions. But while "Lower Decks" as we know it may be concluding, Kurtzman and showrunner Mike McMahon left some room in their joint statement for future appearances down the line in other projects:

"We remain hopeful that even beyond season 5, Mariner, Boimler, Tendi, Rutherford, and the whole Cerritos crew will live on with new adventures. While five seasons of any series these days seems like a miracle, it's no exaggeration to say that every second we've spent making this show has been a dream come true."

For now, at least fans have time to prepare themselves for one last ride. The last season of "Lower Decks" is scheduled to leave space dock later this year, arriving on Paramount+ streaming in the fall on a date to be determined. As for "Strange New Worlds," season 3 is currently scheduled to premiere in 2025.