Warning: HUGE spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5, episode 7, "Fully Dilated."Star Trek: The Next Generation cast, but Spiner's cameo in Star Trek's animated comedy solidifies his legendary status.
end of Star Trek: Picard season 1, Spiner made a bold Data prediction, but Star Trek: Lower Decks has proven the statement wrong for the second time.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 Is The Second Time Spiner Has Played Data Since Saying He'd Never Do It Again In 2020
Spiner last came back as Data in 2023's Star Trek: Picard season 3
Speaking with TV Guide in 2020, Spiner discussed his role in Star Trek: Picard season 1, wrestling with the idea of playing Data again after so long. One of his biggest concerns was his age, but then stated that he "did it in such brief sequences that it was fine." In the same interview, the actor also declared that he "wouldn't really entertain the idea of doing it again," with fears that it would be "unrealistic." Thankfully, he played Data again in Star Trek: Picard season 3, and has also done so again in Star Trek: Lower Decks' final season.
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Spiner hasn't been absent from Star Trek since his comments in 2020, as he returned to the cast of Star Trek: Picard for a second season. The difference was that he was playing Adam Soong, yet another member of the family tree of Data's creator. Plus, his return as Data in Star Trek: Picard also allowed him to reprise another long-standing role - Lore, Data's brother. So, Spiner's love for the franchise is evident, so it doesn't seem to take much to tempt him back each time. Hopefully, there is still more of Brent Spiner as Data in the saga's future.
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Star Trek: Picard season 3's reunion of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast would have been the same without Data's presence, and the writers allowed it to happen by directly addressing Spiner's concerns about his age compared to the characters' heyday.
Spiner voicing Data from the Purple Universe is a brilliant way of letting the actor reprise his most famous role.
Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 delved deep into the franchise's bag of famous sci-tropes to bring Spiner back as Data again in "Fully Dilated." Prime Universe Data is dead by the time of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5, as his sacrifice in 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis hadn't yet been reversed by Star Trek: Picard. So, Spiner voicing Data from the Purple Universe is a brilliant way of letting the actor reprise his most famous role. Plus, Purple Data is so similar to Prime Data that they may as well be the same character - color scheme notwithstanding.
Spiner's Cameo As Purple Data Proves Why Star Trek's Animated Content Is So Vital To The Franchise
Animated Star Trek shows can allow more legacy characters to appear throughout the franchise's timeline
Although Brent Spiner was able to shelve his worries about being too old to play Data again in live-action, the concern isn't completely invalid. Star Trek has been an active franchise for a very long time, and as such, many actors have aged out of reprising their roles during certain eras. Although de-aging technology has been used to fix this at times, animated Star Trek shows are a far more elegant solution that allows for a much greater level of flexibility.
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Using Purple Data as an example, it wouldn't have made sense for Spiner to play him in live-action, as Purple Data would have looked older than his Prime Universe counterpart. Another ing argument is Kate Mulgrew's comeback as the voice of iral Janeway in Star Trek: Prodigy. Although Mulgrew could still return as Janeway at her current age, it would only really make sense if she were to do so around the time of Star Trek: Picard. For these reasons and many more, Star Trek must continue to make more animated shows after Star Trek: Lower Decks ends.
Paramount+'s Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 Release Schedule |
|||
Episode |
Title |
Release Date (2024) |
|
1 |
"Dos Cerritos" |
October 22 |
|
2 |
"Shades of Green" |
October 22 |
|
3 |
"The Best Exotic Nanite Hotel" |
October 31 |
|
4 |
"A Farewell to Farms" |
November 7 |
|
5 |
"Star Base 80?" |
November 14 |
|
6 |
"Of Gods and Angels" |
November 21 |
|
7 |
"Fully Dilated" |
November 28 |
|
8 |
"Upper Decks" |
December 5 |
|
9 |
"Fissure Quest" |
December 12 |
|
10 |
"The New Next Generation" |
December 19 |
|
Source: TV Guide
Star Trek: Lower Decks
- Release Date
- 2020 - 2024-00-00
- Network
- Paramount
- Writers
- Gene Roddenberry
Cast
Gillian Vigman
WHERE TO WATCH
The animated comedy series Star Trek: Lower Decks follows the crew on one of Starfleet’s least significant ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Boimler (Jack Quaid), Rutherford (Eugene Cordero), and Tendi (Noël Wells) have to keep up with their duties and their social lives often. At the same time, the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.
- Franchise(s)
- Star Trek
- Streaming Service(s)
- Paramount Plus
- Where To Watch
- Paramount Plus
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