Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, Episode 5, “Starbase 80?!”
The question of what happens to old Starfleet uniforms was finally answered in Star Trek: Lower Decks. Star TrekThe uniform change started early; Star Trek: The Original Series‘colour-coded uniforms were replaced by understated jumpsuits in Star Trek: the movie and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khanis long-lived “brown monster”. As a prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise introduced a blue jumpsuit based on modern flight suits. Star Trek: Discovery surpassed the Star Trek uniform gap in the timeline with two elegant blue pieces that quickly evolved into Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ to assume Terms of Service classic uniforms.
In Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, Episode 5, “Starbase 80?!” The USS Cerritos is forced to make a stop at the infamously terrible starbase to obtain a replacement navigation part. Commander El-Aurian Kassia Nox (Nicole Byer) explains that Starbase 80 operates with a mix of outdated technology from around 2260 because the station is not a high priority for Starfleet. The result is that Star Trek: Lower Decks‘ Easter egg basket for “Starbase 80?!” is cured of Star Trek: The Original Series—or even Star Trek: Enterprisea hundred years before that.
Star Trek: Lower Decks reveals what happens to old Starfleet uniforms
“These are the uniforms of men long dead.”
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, Episode 5, “Starbase 80?!” reveals what happens to old Starfleet uniforms when Lieutenant D’Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) stops to admire a clothing store filled with Starfleet outfits. Star Trek history. There are some non-Starfleet gems, like a Klingon uniform from the 2260s and an Edo jumpsuit from Star Trek: The Next Generationbut most of the store’s offerings represent the ever-changing uniforms of Starfleet’s past. The store clerk categorically informs Tendi that “These are the uniforms of long dead men“. The phaser burns and a pile of Terms of Service-the red shirts of the time practically confirm this statement.
In the 24th century, old Starfleet uniforms would normally be recycled by the replicator, but Starbase 80 does not have replicators. At best, Starbase 80 may have a 23rd century matter synthesizer that produces uniforms, as seen in Star Trek: Discoverybut the general state of disrepair of the station means they probably don’t work that well, if at all. It’s much easier for the residents of Starbase 80 to be content with what they’ve managed to repair or clean. It is not what It’s terrible to take uniforms from dead police officers and reuse them for new employees, isn’t it?
Starbase 80 is a brilliant throwback to Star Trek: Enterprise & TOS
Star Trek’s “retro-cool” technology still works below decks
With Starbase 80, Star Trek: Lower Decks creates a brilliant throwback to Star Trek: Enterprise and Star Trek: The Original Series without the dangers of time travel in Star Trek. The crew of the USS Cerritos has to use EnterpriseIt’s a theoretically sexy but ultimately iffy decongestant gel before boarding. (Jerry O’Connell’s Commander Jack Ransom is a big fan.) Terms of ServiceEra wall communications replace communication badges, and turbolifts have rotating handles. It’s a great way to give the Star Trek: Lower Decks treatment for a time that has been difficult to honor in addition to Scott Bakula’s Captain Jonathan Archer or the Denobulan tourists.
Star Trek: Lower Decks is great for celebrating the beauty of strange and obscure things that Star Trek accomplished throughout its history. The often maligned Starbase 80, being a functional time capsule of ancient technology, makes it the equivalent starbase to Star Trek: Enterprise. Commander Nox and Chief Engineer Gene Jakobowski (Stephen Root) can choose from several styles of Starfleet uniforms worn by dead officers, but they deliberately choose to wear the Starfleet uniforms of 2150. Wearing Enterprise-was uniforms while happily defending Starbase 80 is like Star Trek: Lower Decks saying Star Trek: Enterprise It’s not so”long dead“as it seems.