"Those Old Scientists" is the seventh episode of the second season of the television series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and was released on Paramount+ on July 22, 2023. In this crossover episode, characters from the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks are sent back in time to the 23rd century setting of Strange New Worlds. Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the have to work with Ensigns Mariner and Boimler to return them to their proper time.
"Those Old Scientists" was written by a combination of Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds writers, and directed by longtime Star Trek actor and director Jonathan Frakes. Lower Decks voice cast members Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid play their characters in live action for the first time; the cast and crew paid special attention to translating their animated portrayals to a more realistic medium. The episode was positively received by critics, who praised the humor, acting, and celebration of Star Trek as a franchise.
Plot
In the 24th century, an away team from the Federation starship USS Cerritos arrives at the planet Krulmuth to perform routine scans on a portal found there. While Ensign Brad Boimler excitedly says that it was discovered by the crew of the USS Enterprise, led by Captain Christopher Pike, D'vana Tendi insists it was found by an Orion vessel that her ancestor was stationed on. When Boimler has his picture taken at the portal, it unexpectedly activates and he is sucked through to the 23rd century, meeting the Enterprise crew.
While the crew tries to figure out how to send Boimler back to his time, Boimler tries (and fails) to avoid divulging knowledge of future events, nervous around the historical figures he considers heroes. An Orion ship arrives in orbit; Boimler convinces Captain Pike not to fire on the ship, but it steals the portal from the surface and warps away. Boimler helps the crew track the Orions, and they trade the grain supplies destined for a colony they were carrying in exchange for the portal. The Enterprise crew transports the portal back to Krulmuth. Before Boimler can step through, Ensign Beckett Mariner emerges from the other side, exhausting the portal's power supply and trapping them in the past.
Boimler and Spock fail to synthesize more of the portal's power source, the rare material horonium, while Mariner talks with Nyota Uhura, her idol, and convinces her to take a break from always working to have some fun. Enterprise engineer Pelia informs Boimler of the irreplaceable nature of the grain they traded to the Orions, and a remorseful Boimler tries to contact the Orions and steal a shuttle to get it back. After Boimler and Mariner are detained and talk with Pike, Boimler realizes there is another source of horonium on Enterprise—a piece of the previous ship to carry the name built into the current vessel. On the surface of Krulmuth, the Starfleet officers encounter the Orions, who received Boimler's signal. Pike explains the situation and Boimler mentions that in the future, Orions are no longer seen as dishonorable pirates and that one of their friends is an Orion. Pike explains they want to send Boimler and Mariner home, and in exchange suggests that history remember Orion scientists discovered the portal; the Orion captain happily agrees. Boimler and Mariner successfully return to the future.
Production
Crossover episodes between Star Trek shows have happened infrequently in the franchise's history, generally limited to guest character appearances on other shows. The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds team approached Lower Decks creator Mike McMahan with the idea of a crossover; McMahon was enthusiastic, as the animated Lower Decks characters were designed to resemble their voice actors. Initially, the plan in early drafts of "Those Old Scientists" was that the episode would be mostly focused on Boimler, but through rewrites Mariner's character took on a larger role.