As each new episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks debuts on Paramount+, we get one step closer to the final mission of the Cerritos since the fifth season of the beloved animated series is also the final one. But before things wrap up on the first comedy in the long-running franchise’s history, there are still plenty of memories to be made with up-and-coming Starfleet officers Bradward Boimler, Beckett Mariner, D’vana Tendi, and Samanthan Rutherford. And That Hashtag Show went straight to the source to get the inside scoop on two of the closest friends to ever step foot on the California Class of ships.
During a special screening at this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival, Star Trek fans descended upon the historic Lido Theater to see the first two episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5. Series creator Mike McMahon and stars Jerry O’Connell, Noël Wells, and Eugene Cordero also joined the festivities for an entertaining and informative Q&A to top off the night.
Ahead of the memorable evening, we had the opportunity to speak to Cordero and Wells about their experiences on the show and the legacy of their characters Rutherford and Tendi.
Noël Wells and Eugene Cordero: Friendship on a Starship
No matter which Starfleet ship you’re following, whether it’s the Enterprise, the Titan, or the Alhambra, they all have the same thing at their core. And no, we’re not talking about the warp core. The foundation of every Star Trek adventure is the relationships between the inhabitants of the ship. Naturally, Lower Decks is no different. But of the four leads, no one on the Cerritos is closer than Lieutenants (junior grade) D’vana Tendi and Samanthan Rutherford.
While speaking to Noël Wells and Eugene Cordero at the screening, we discussed the special relationship between their characters. Throughout television history, friends as close as Tendi and Rutherford have often teased a “will-they-won’t-they” element to their narrative. In the fourth season, it even seemed like McMahon and company were capitalizing on the tried and true trope before they creatively and hilariously inverted it. But was romance on the table for the inseparable duo at any point? And how would the actors feel if it were to happen? The stars weighed in.
Noël Wells: I know that Eugene loves that we keep it firmly in the friend zone. It makes the friendship very sacred. It really honors what’s so special between them. But personally, [I think that] perhaps one day they will have a moment. Maybe not in this show, but I think it’s definitely something that’s very tender and sweet and beautiful. I never felt like they crossed the line, but I think that they kept it sweet and just enough.
Eugene Cordero: I was never really concerned because I felt friendship is what made the show and made the relationship between Tandy and Rutherford. I think it was so important that we finally saw, especially in a comedy, two people that just love what they do and share an experience together. It’s platonic and it can just be that. And maybe there’s moments where it feels like it’s on the rocks, but that’s just like any friendship. It might get tested out, but ultimately it’s the love they have for each other that gives it a different level that I appreciate and am happy to see that can happen.
The Prime Directive
One of the guiding principles of Starfleet is to seek out new civilizations across the galaxy. The goal is not only to establish diplomatic relations, but to learn more about other societies. And with inclusivity has always been a part of Star Trek, Rutherford and Tendi proudly represent their own cultures on Lower Decks. First, Wells discussed how great it is that the show was able to expand on the Orion culture, which was largely characterized by slaves and pirates. But for Tendi, there’s plenty of opportunity to see her heritage in the spotlight as she goes from her duties as a Starfleet officer to her cultural obligations as the Mistress of the Winter Constellations.
Noël Wells: I think you’ll see a lot of that in the upcoming season. Without spoiling anything, she’s having to go back to her pirating ways and is definitely trying to change the culture. But then there’s a beautiful twist about that. [But] somebody mentioned that she basically is the Orion now in Star Trek. She’s not just a one-off character. She’s THE one and I think that’s pretty beautiful.
For Cordero, playing Rutherford afforded him the opportunity to put his Filipino culture on a larger stage. Thanks to the season three episode “Reflections,” fans learned that the science-loving, cybernetic implant-wearing, happy-go-lucky engineer was once a gearhead racer and bad boy. The story also featured his former hot rod of a ship known as The Sampaguita, which is named after the national flower of the Philippines.The actor also known for his roles in The Good Place, Tacoma FD, and Loki gave some insight into how these details came to be a part of Lower Decks.
Eugene Cordero: That was a Mike McMahon thing. I think it was a world of people asking what the ethnicity was of Rutherford. And I always was hoping that since it’s us [playing the characters] that it would be us. And Mike said it was, then he made it canon. I couldn’t be prouder to bring another aspect [of my culture] into another amazing franchise. We’ve had some Asians in space, but specifically Filipinos? No. And a lead of a show? Not often. I’m happy that I’m going to be one of the many in the future, but one of the few right now.
Star Trek: Lower Decks – Shipping Out
Despite the show ending at the end of the season, Star Trek: Lower Decks will live on. This week, the first issue of the new ongoing IDW Publishing comic from writer Ryan North hits the shelves at local comic shops. In the book, we’ll get to see even more missions from the crew of the Cerritos that weren’t featured in the animated series. But when it comes to future missions, those details are a bit more scarce.
After the acclaimed crossover with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds that saw Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid bring their cartoon characters to life, many were left wondering if there’s a chance that we could see other Lower Deckers make the transition to live-action. Wells and Cordero commented on the possibility of guest spots on other Star Trek projects in the future.
Noël Wells: Oh… I don’t know! It feels like there are too many options. Eugene and I have both been talking about where are we going to land, like which ship, but yeah, I don’t know.
Eugene Cordero: Oh, man! As far as Stardates are concerned, it would have to be within the Next Generation era since that’s where we are. But I would just want to be anywhere! I mean, if you’re asking if I’d ever [play Rutherford in] live-action, I would do it in a heartbeat. I was jealous! I was jealous that I was continued to be a cartoon for that one.
New episodes of the fifth and final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks premiere on Paramount+ every Thursday, with the series finale dropping on December 19, 2024.
