Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, Episode 9 - "Fission Quest"Star Trek: Lower Decks just delivered the biggest Star Trek crossover episode of all time, bringing back a jaw-dropping six legacy characters from various Star Trek series, along with the original actors voicing five of the characters. Star Trek: Lower Decks' final season on Paramount+ has centered on the USS Cerritos closing fissures in space that lead to alternate Star Trek timelines. However, another starship is assigned to repairing the multiverse, and it's crewed by a host of alternate reality Star Trek legends.
Led by Captain William Boimler (Jack Quaid), the transporter clone of Lt. Bradward Boimler who faked his death and joined Section 31, the Defiant Class starship Anaximander has chased a vessel called the Beagle across countless quantum realities. Captain Boimler's starship picks up several of the best Star Trek characters from alternate realities to protect the multiverse. In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5, episode 9, "Fission Quest," this includes an alternate reality version of Lt. Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), who is a Starfleet engineer.
Here are the iconic Star Trek characters who have returned in Star Trek: Lower Decks' penultimate episode.
T'Pol
Voiced By Jolene From Star Trek: Enterprise
T'Pol might be the biggest jaw-dropper among the Star Trek legends who have made a comeback in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5, episode 9, "Fissure Quest." Jolene Blalock played Subcommander T'Pol for all four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise. In the interim years, however, Jolene got married, started a family, and left acting. Although she appeared in Star Trek Day 2021, it was widely believed Jolene left Star Trek behind. Incredibly, Star Trek: Lower Decks has brought Jolene (credited with no surname) back to play T'Pol.
Star Trek: Lower Decks' alternate reality version of T'Pol has many similarities to the Prime Universe's Vulcan from Star Trek: Enterprise.The alt T'Pol was married to Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer) for decades because her Trip didn't die as he did in Star Trek: Enterprise's series finale. Being married to Trip gave T'Pol particular insight into humans, and Trills, as the Vulcan is friends with the surly Curzon Dax (Fred Tatasciore). T'Pol also recalls her version of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) was a "big Starfleet nerd," which goes to show some things are consistent in any reality,
Harry Kim
Voiced By Garrett Wang From Star Trek: Voyager
Garrett Wang returns as Star Trek: Voyager's eternal ensign, Harry Kim, but with a Star Trek: Lower Decks twist: Most of the Anaximander's crew is comprised of alt universe Harry Kims picked up from multiple quantum realities. And, except for one Lieutenant Harry Kim, all of the other Harrys are still ensigns. Of course, Garrett Wang played Ensign Harry Kim for all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager.
A plan for Garrett Wang to appear as Captain Harry Kim in Star Trek: Picard season 3 didn't happen due to budgetary issues.
Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5, episode 9 delivers another twist as Lieutenant Harry Kim turns out to be the episode's villain. Seething over how the gaggle of Ensign Kims are "disrespected," Lieutenant Kim goes rogue and puts the entire multiverse in jeopardy. Star Trek: Lower Decks tells a great gag about how it seems to be Harry Kim's cosmic destiny to remain the lowest-ranked Starfleet Officer in nearly every reality, and the one Harry Kim who rose in rank ends up being a threat to the multiverse.
Dr. Julian Bashir
Voiced By Alexander Siddig From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
One of the most requested Star Trek: Deep Space Nine characters to make a comeback, Alexander Siddig finally reprises Dr. Julian Bashir, but with a multiverse twist: Star Trek: Lower Decks' version of Bashir is an Emergency Medical Hologram. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 5, episode 16, "Doctor Bashir, I Presume?", Julian was meant to be the basis for a new version of the EMH until it was discovered that the good doctor underwent illegal genetic modifications as a child.
Star Trek: Lower Decks' holographic Dr. Bashir may or may not have been based on an augment in his universe, but Julian is in a relationship with Elim Garak (Andrew Robinson) from a different reality. Lower Decks' Bashir and Garak love match pays off an unfulfilled story that was only hinted at in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It's also savvy that Star Trek: Lower Decks places Dr. Bashir on a Section 31 starship when Deep Space Nine's Bashir was sought after and briefly became an unwilling operative of Section 31.
Elim Garak
Voiced By Andrew Robinson From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
There's no mistaking the smooth tone of Andrew Robinson as the voice of Elim Garak in Star Trek: Lower Decks. Garak is one of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's most ingenious creations: a former Cardassian spy for the Obsidian Order who was exiled and set himself up as an innocent tailor on the DS9 space station. Eventually, even Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) came to rely on Garak's skills and subterfuge. But Garak's most important Starfleet connection is his friendship with Dr. Julian Bashir.
On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Tora Ziyal (Melanie Smith), the daughter of Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo), was infatuated with Garak before her death.
Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5, episode 9 delivers the Bashir and Garak love story that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine only hinted at. Lower Decks' alt reality Garak and Bashir are in love, although they bicker over whose universe they will ultimately live in. Lower Decks' Garak is also a doctor, but he retains his lethal skillset as a Cardassian spy. But Garak's greatest talent is infuriating Julian, which is his way of having a little fun while the multiverse is in jeopardy.
Lily Sloane
Voiced By Alfre Woodard From Star Trek: First Contact
Perhaps the most unexpected Star Trek legacy actor to return in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5, episode 9 is Alfre Woodard, who reprises Lily Sloane from Star Trek: First Contact. Lily worked alongside Dr. Zephram Cochrane (James Cromwell) to develop warp drive, which was installed on their starship dubbed the Phoenix. However, while Cochrane achieved Mankind's first warp flight with crew members from the USS Enterprise-E, Lily was trapped on the starship fighting the Borg alongside Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart).
Lily is an explorer who is fascinated with the human condition.
Star Trek: Lower Decks' alt reality Lily Sloane has never heard of warp drive. This Lily Sloane is the Captain of the Beagle, a starship that, instead of warp drive, uses technology Lily and Cochrane created that can cross into different quantum realities. Lily is an explorer who is fascinated with the human condition. Sloane's voyages throughout the multiverse aren't about exploring new worlds but learning about human potential by studying Mankind in every reality.
Curzon Dax
Voiced By Fred Tatasciore From Star Trek: Lower Decks
Curzon Dax is the only Star Trek legacy character in Lower Decks' penultimate episode who isn't voiced by the original actor. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Curzon was played by Frank Owen Smith, who had no dialogue, and by the late Rene Auberjonois. Fred Tatasciore, who voices Lt. Shax, among other Star Trek: Lower Decks characters, steps in to play the legendary Curzon Dax, who was the seventh Trill to host the Dax symbiont before Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) and Lt. Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer), Curzon was also Captain Sisko's mentor.
Like the Prime Universe Curzon Dax, Star Trek: Lower Decks' alt reality Curzon must also have previously been Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire, judging from the bat'leth he hefts around. Curzon also has a healthy dislike for Vulcans in general, and T'Pol, in particular, and Dax is stunned that T'Pol has always considered him a friend. Star Trek: Lower Decks cleverly brings Curzon Dax back to life so that audiences can see him in action like never before.
