Mike McMahon explains who T’Lyn is based on in Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek: Lower Decks brought in T’Lyn, a character with a unique history.

Star Trek: Lower Decks has a history of creating unique characters made specifically for a more light-hearted affair. Lower Decks aims to be funny so all of their original characters are more caricatures that seemingly have some type of personality trait from another more well-established, live-action character.

Yet, while each character is its own creation, not every character can be said to have the traits of a live-action, more serious character. In fact, some of Lower Deck’s most beloved characters are based on characters that already exist in Lower Deck.

Speaking at the New York Comic Con, lower Decks creator Mike McMahon revealed that T’Lyn, the Vulcan that the series created, was based on someone from the Lower Decks series. Speaking to the fans at the NYCC, McMahonn (viaTrek Movie.com) said;

"… we wanted a Vulcan Mariner … that’s kind of how we were calling it like, what is a Vulcan who doesn’t fit in with other Vulcans like? What does a Vulcan seem like when she shoots from the hip? Adding her to Lower Decks is something I had wanted for a really long time. Gabrielle Ruiz plays T’Lyn so deadpan and so perfectly that it feels like something that just fits into Star Trek and a comedy at the same time. And she said genuine and fun to watch. Writing T’Lyn lines is the best because you write it and then you go back and you’re like, ‘How can I make this even drier? I got to dry this out until everything else is lugubrious and this is just sand.’ We love T’Lyn and we love that you love T’Lyn and there’s lots more fun stuff in this season and in season 5 that been writing. Thank god you love T’Lyn, because she’s sticking around."

T’Lyn is a fan favorite among Star Trek: Lower Decks fans.

If Lower Decks season five ends up happening, it may be a wise move to bring T’Lyn in more than just a handful of times per season. She’s a widely popular character and her dry sense of humor is a big hit among fans. It’s just different enough that the writers can bring her humor to the show without it feeling too much

She wouldn’t do well on her own, but as part of the Lower Decks core,  she would be a welcomed addition, and one that few fans of the franchise will likely have an issue with. That is if the show gets a fifth season, which seems up in the air at the moment.