Star Trek Ups the Ante with Picard Season 3’s Hilarious 'Asteroid' Joke

Article Overview

In the Season 4 finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks, Lieutenant Boimler impressively assumes the role of Acting Captain aboard the USS Cerritos. He demonstrates his skill by utilizing the ship's tractor beam to hurl a battleship at the Trynar Shield, resulting in a successful rescue mission for Mariner.

Boimler's battle strategy comes before Riker's asteroid throw in Lower Decks, which takes place two decades earlier than Picard. This showcases Boimler's growth as a character and his experiences serving under Riker on the USS Titan.

In the season 4 finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks titled "Old Friends, New Planets," the show outdoes Star Trek: Picard season 3's joke about a starship throwing an asteroid. The USS Cerritos goes against Starfleet's orders to rescue Lieutenant Beckett Mariner, who is attempting to prevent ex-Starfleet Cadet Nicholas Locarno from using a stolen Ferengi Genesis Device against the United Federation of Planets. Lt. D'Vana Tendi makes a significant personal sacrifice to save Mariner by seeking help from her sister in the Orion Syndicate.

How Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4's Finale Topped Picard’s “Throw An Asteroid” Joke

Captain Will Riker, portrayed by Jonathan Frakes, delivered a memorable moment in episode 4 of Star Trek: Picard season 3, titled "No Win Scenario." In this episode, Dr. Beverly Crusher, played by Gates McFadden, made a remarkable discovery - the Ryton Nebula was a living organism on the brink of giving birth. A daring plan was devised by the crew of the USS Titan-A to escape the Nebula. However, their path was obstructed by the Shrike, led by Captain Vadic, portrayed by Amanda Plummer. Captain Riker recalled how Captain Vadic had used her ship's tractor beam to launch Dr. Crusher's starship, the SS Eleos XII, towards the Titan. Taking inspiration from this, Riker utilized the Titan's tractor beam to disable the Shrike by propelling an asteroid towards it. This action allowed the Starfleet heroes to safely navigate out of the perilous region and back to Federation space.

Acting Captain Boimler took out the Trynar Shield.

As the Acting Captain of the USS Cerritos and leading the ensemble of Star Trek: Lower Decks, Lieutenant Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) effectively stepped up in the daring rescue mission of Mariner. Mariner found herself trapped in the impenetrable Trynar Shield within the Detrion System. With the help of Tendi, the resourceful crew of the Cerritos managed to acquire a colossal Orion battleship. However, Starfleet was deceived by D'Erika Tendi (Ariel Winter), D'Vana's sister, who presented them with a dilapidated and non-operational battleship. Demonstrating exceptional cunning, Boimler skillfully piloted the Cerritos and employed the starship's tractor beam to tow the Orion vessel into the Detrion System. Ultimately, the Cerrios launched the battleship towards the Trynar Shield, creating a powerful impact.

During an interview with our website, the showrunner of Star Trek: Lower Decks, Mike McMahan, playfully mentioned the concept of starships throwing objects akin to how they fire phasers and photon torpedoes.

The strategy of the Cerritos throwing a battleship at the Trynar Shield proved to be effective. The Orion ship's impact resulted in a breach in the shield, allowing Captain Carol Freeman (played by Dawnn Lewis) to navigate into the Detrion System and safely transport Mariner onto her Captain's Yacht. Locarno met his demise due to the detonation of the Genesis Device, which subsequently led to the creation of a new planet named Locarno by Starfleet. This audacious plan of using a battleship as a weapon against the Trynar Shield not only surpassed the boldness of Riker's asteroid attack on the Shrike, but both assaults achieved remarkable success.

Lower Decks Is BEFORE Picard Season 3 So Boimler Did It Before Riker

Riker was once Boimler's Captain on the USS Titan.

Boimler's act of throwing a battleship in Star Trek: Lower Decks appears to have been inspired by Riker's action of throwing an asteroid in Star Trek: Picard. However, in the Star Trek timeline, the Cerritos accomplished this feat long before the Titan did. Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 is set in 2381, which is 20 years prior to the events of Star Trek: Picard season 3 in 2401. Considering the instances where the Shrike and the Titan engaged in hurling objects in outer space, it is possible that starships using their tractor beams to throw items at other vessels had become a common occurrence by the early 25th century.

However, Lieutenant Boimler gleaned some valuable tips while acting as Captain from Riker. Boimler had the opportunity to serve on Captain Riker's USS Titan bridge crew during the beginning of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, where he actively participated in Riker's thrilling and serialized adventures before eventually returning to the Cerritos. Taking inspiration from Riker, Boimler even adopted Captain-like body language. However, when examining the Star Trek timeline, it becomes apparent that Acting Captain Boimler accomplished an impressive feat twenty years ahead of Captain Riker's asteroid toss.

Stream Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Picard on Paramount+.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z fan, I'm thrilled to see Star Trek: Lower Decks pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the franchise. The show's willingness to poke fun at itself and its predecessors is refreshing, and it's clear that the writers have a deep understanding of what makes Star Trek great.

The scene in the Season 4 finale where the Cerritos crew throws a battleship at the Trynar Shield is a perfect example of this. It's a hilarious and over-the-top moment that also manages to be a clever nod to the franchise's history. The fact that this scene outdoes the similar asteroid-throwing scene in Star Trek: Picard season 3 is a testament to the creative team behind Lower Decks.

Overall, I think Star Trek: Lower Decks is a great show that's bringing new energy to the franchise. I can't wait to see what the writers have in store for us in future seasons.