Mike McMahan has his concerns about the future of Star Trek: Lower Decks but they may not be as sincere as once thought.
Star Trek has had a rough 2023. Paramount+ canceled Discovery, Picard, and Prodigy, Section 31 was turned into a Paramount+ exclusive film due to budget issues, and all this is going on while the theatrical film division continues to be reshuffled more and more. The uncertainty is real. It didn’t help things when Prodigy was canceled while it was in the process of making its second season, either.
That was sort of the covenant. Once filming began, things were supposed to be safe. Prodigy wasn’t given that kindness, nor were other projects, like Batgirl over at the WB. So just because something was greenlit and production was about to start, doesn’t mean the show is safe anymore.
So even though Star Trek: Lower Decks was given a fifth season order, the concerns over its future remained. And series creator Mike McMahan added flames to that fire by admitting the show is seemingly on the chopping block.
But how accurate is that?
Mike McMahan talks about concerns for Star Trek: Lower Decks
McMahan spoke to Cinemablend and made it clear that nothing is safe anymore, saying;
"Yeah, I mean, listen, we’re in weird times. Everything is changing. I think everything’s gonna continue to change. I would say nothing is safe. I don’t have any bad news for anybody, but also, I think you shouldn’t assume that this stuff is gonna stick around unless you vocally and watch it early on. I do not know if we’re going to have another season after the season we’re working on right now [Season 5]. Lower Decks could very well be a five-season show."
But then followed up with comments with TrekMove.com that seemed to walk back his quote, where he said;
"There was an article that I thought took—it didn’t have the tone. Like they asked me, ‘Are you worried?’ and I was like, ‘I’m always worried, everyone watch the show.’ That’s every show.”"
And that may have been due to network pressure or concern that Paramount would cancel his show out of spite. After all, streaming giants have ended shows for much less. McMahan does go on, further saying to fans to not worry about such things;
"…And my thing is, don’t worry that Lower Decks is going away. Celebrate it, because you’re watching it now. You know what you’re never going to be able to do again? Watch it when it airs and be surprised by it. It only happens once. Then the more people that watch it, the easier it is for me, and has always been.…This stuff is never a guarantee.…I have no control over this stuff. But it’s not that it’s like that now, it’s just always been like that. So if you love a thing, watch it."
McMahan does a nice job of telling fans to just not worry about what happens next, but with streaming being far less than advertised, fans should worry. At any moment a show can end for any reason and then be stripped from the service it was on for no reason.
The death of Prodigy on Paramount+ will forever be a moment in time that can’t be undone. Fans know that a show can be canceled during production, or just before air. That can’t be unfixed. The expectations are forever changed.