This is the meaning of the title “Lower Decks,” and it’s the central joke of the series. Supervising director Barry J. Kelly shared this is the key guideline when writing stories.
Kelly told ScreenRant that “Lower Decks” is not about the central heroes of the “Star Trek” universe, but about the ones who work the uncelebrated jobs on the ship.
The supervising director added, “The ‘Downton Abbey’ of sci-fi shows, that’s what we’re going for.” This idea of the “lower deck” is present even in alien ships and their crews.
The Season 2 episode, “Wej Duj,” shows segments of life for lower-ranking officers on Klingon and Vulcan vessels, depicting their roles as being no less unglamorous.