*Spoilers*
When a Harry Kim finally gets his promotion, you’d think he’d bask in the glow of long-overdue recognition. Instead, the promotion sets off a chain of events threatening the very fabric of the multiverse. That’s the essence of Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, Episode 9, “Fissure Quest,” a chaotic love letter to Trek fandom that brims with nostalgia, cameos, and, well, Harry Kims. Lots of Harry Kims.
The episode picks up with William Boimler, the transporter clone long believed dead, now a Section 31 operative commanding a mission to close multiverse rifts wreaking havoc across realities.
His crew is a dream team of Trek alumni, featuring T’Pol (Jolene Blalock), a pre-Jadzia Curzon Dax, Garak (Andrew Robinson), his EMH partner Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig), and, of course, the newly minted Lieutenant Harry Kim (Garrett Wang). It’s a lineup that feels like a fan’s ultimate crossover wishlist, expertly blending legacy characters with Lower Decks’ signature irreverence.
“Fissure Quest” wastes no time diving into the multiverse madness, with portals leading to alternate realities and versions of beloved characters. The standout addition is Lily Sloane (Alfre Woodard), last seen in Star Trek: First Contact. In this reality, she’s the captain of a ship powered by quantum reality technology, a mind-blowing twist that reimagines her as a pioneer of interdimensional exploration.
The multiverse itself, as William Boimler cynically notes, is mostly “lazy, derivative remixes” of familiar faces and places. Yet the show manages to use this trope to its advantage, delivering fanservice moments with tongue-in-cheek humor and genuine affection for the franchise’s history. From the revelation of Curzon Dax’s past to Garak’s snarky jabs about being “more than a tailor,” the episode is packed with callbacks that will delight longtime fans.
But the heart of the episode is Harry Kim, or rather, multiple Harry Kims. Finally promoted to lieutenant in at least one reality, Kim’s thirst for validation becomes the catalyst for chaos. His plan to escape to a universe where Harry Kims are universally respected spirals out of control, threatening to destroy the multiverse. It’s a cheeky nod to the running joke about Kim’s stagnant rank in Voyager and a clever way to give Garrett Wang a moment to shine, even as his character’s ego nearly ends all existence.
The episode balances its high-stakes plot with the humor and heart that define Lower Decks. The camaraderie between William Boimler and his motley crew mirrors the bonds formed on the Cerritos, even as their mission takes them to darker, more desperate places. The tension builds to a climax as Boimler sacrifices his reality to save the multiverse, trusting his Cerritos counterpart to find a solution.
The final scene, with Prime Boimler screaming, “We’re all gonna die!” as he receives William’s warning, is classic Lower Decks: hilarious, chaotic. It sets the stage for an epic series finale.
With just one episode left, the question remains: Can Lower Decks stick the landing and deliver a satisfying conclusion to five seasons of intergalactic shenanigans? If “Fissure Quest” is any indication, the finale promises to be a wild, unpredictable ride.
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