Meet Moopsy, The Cutest Murder Alien On Star Trek: Lower Decks
The second episode of the fourth season of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" is called "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee," which is a fun reference to Harlan Ellison's 1967 post-apocalyptic short story "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream." The plot sees Lieutenant Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Commander Ransom (Jarry O'Connell), and a traditional "Star Trek" Redshirt trekking to a distant alien zoo where a pair of humans have accidentally been put on display. Mariner notes that this sort of thing happens all the time and that rescuing humans from alien zoos is a regular occurrence in Starfleet.
The alien zoo in question is overseen by a sentient humanoid root vegetable named Narj. Narj, a mild-mannered figure, explains that imprisoning humans was a mere accident and that the animals in his menagerie are all happy in their respective artificial biomes. This is a peaceful place, and Narj even abides by a no-weapons policy in the zoo.
This policy proves to be a terrible idea when the Cerritos crew members are introduced to Moopsy, a cute, toyetic, marshmallow-like critter that isn't too many steps removed from a Pokémon. Because of its appearance, Mariner and co. assume Moopsy to be harmless and cuddly, which is, of course, incorrect. It seems Moopsy is a vicious predator that can "drink your bones." The animal can sprout massive fangs, puncture its prey, and biologically liquefy any bone matter therein before slurping it down. It literally drinks bones. Moopsy will drink many bones before the episode's end.
Also like a Pokémon, Moopsy can only say its own name.
Heck. I'm calling it now: Pokémon exist in "Star Trek."
Moopsy, Space Tyrant?
Moopsy may also be more than a mere creature of animal intelligence. When Moopsy escapes from its enclosure — perhaps an inevitable plot detail — it makes its way to the space-bound zoo's central control room, attempting to take control. It can only say "Moopsy," but Moopsy is clearly thinking deeply, hatching some kind of scheme.
Of course, the "animal that appears cute but is actually a vicious predator" is not a new gag. One might think of the killer rabbit from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," Nibbler from "Futurama," the blue-skinned aliens from "Galaxy Quest," Goose the flerkin from "Captain Marvel," Stitch from "Lilo & Stitch," the adipose creatures from "Doctor Who," Pooka from "Pooka," or the Nubbins in "Sanctuary" for precedents. Moopsy probably owes its biggest debt to Deborah Howe's and James Howe's 1979 children's novel "Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery," a book about a vampire rabbit that may be savaging the household vegetables.
"Star Trek" even had its own version of the "killer cutie" back in the 1960s in the form of the tribbles. Tribbles, one might recall, were harmless balls of fur whose cooing seemed to pacify and sedate most humanoids. The tribbles weren't vicious, but they were dangerous vermin; they bred quickly and could wipe out massive food supplies in a matter of days. On an episode of "Short Treks," it was also revealed that tribbles could multiply so quickly, that they could fill and explode an entire starship. It wouldn't be until "Star Trek: Picard" that audiences would be introduced to the vicious, fanged Attack Tribble.
Little else is revealed about Moopsy apart from its predatory streak and unusual intelligence, but knowing the way the "Lower Decks" writers' minds operate, audiences haven't seen the last of it.