Why Jonathan Frakes Was The Only Choice To Direct The Strange New Worlds And Lower Decks Crossover
The upcoming crossover episode between "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" and "Star Trek: Lower Decks" might be the most ambitious project of its type since "Trials and Tribble-ations" (November 4, 1996). In that "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode, the showrunners used state-of-the-art special effects to insert DS9 characters into the 1967 "Star Trek" episode "The Trouble with Tribbles." There was a brief scene wherein Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks) had a conversation with a young Captain Kirk (William Shatner). The episode lacked portent and was presented entirely as a goof, made specifically for fans.
As of this writing, the two best "Star Trek" shows — "Strange New Worlds" and "Lower Decks" — are the ones with the strongest sense of humor and whimsy. "Strange New Worlds" is a light, friendly show, full of genial and approachable characters. "Lower Decks," meanwhile, is an animated comedy that prides itself on its ability to cram in as many obscure "Star Trek" references as possible. Luckily, it's also an incredibly well-written show with strong and funny characters. "Lower Decks" voice actors Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid will be trekking into live-action for "Strange New Worlds." How the 24th-century characters will interact with the 23rd-century ones remains to be seen.
The crossover episode is directed by Jonathan Frakes, the actor who once played William Riker on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and who has had a thriving TV directing career ever since that show's end. If one counts "The Orville" (which we kinda have to) Frakes has directed 29 "Star Trek" episodes to date. The crossover will be his 30th. He also directed two of the "Star Trek" feature films. He was the correct choice. At a recent roundtable, /Film's Vanessa Armstrong discovered that actors Anson Mount and Rebecca Romijn agreed.
The powers of Newsome and Quaid
Before getting to Frakes, however, Romijn and Mount were quick to note that Newsome and Quaid were impressive performers and skilled comedians. It seems there isn't a lot in the way of improv on the set of "Strange New Worlds," so hearing their guest stars make up lines and jokes on the spot was a welcome change of pace. "They both have such great backgrounds in improv and they never did the same thing twice," Romijn said. "They did something different, they took it off the page and played with it in every single take." Monu commented that he had never seen guest stars "come with such ownership of the material before."
Romijn then commented that Frakes, a longtime "Star Trek" veteran, was keen to blend the lighthearted adventure tone of "Strange New Worlds" with the brash comedy of "Lower Decks." It's notable that Frakes directed one Trek film that was action-oriented and another that was youthful and silly. The director seems keen to keep "Star Trek" as chipper and bright as possible. Romijn noticed Frakes' intentions, saying:
"It was so fun, and having Jonathan Frakes there was very important to massage the two worlds so that it was cohesive, so that they come from this animated show and now they're on the Enterprise, which is a very, very different tone. It was really important that he was there to meld those tones."
Mount added:
"I don't think anybody else could've directed the episode."
It certainly took someone with experience. As Trek actors go, LeVar Burton might also have been good; he's directed 28 "Star Trek" episodes. Roxann Dawson from "Voyager" would have also been a fine choice, as she's directed 12 Trek episodes and dozens of other TV shows.