Set the phasers on spoilersas this article discusses major plot details from the series finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks.

The time has finally come for one of the best new additions to the Star Trek franchise (and one of the biggest pleasant surprises) to sail off into the sunset, and the Lower Decks series finale certainly did right by all of its loved ones. characters. The fifth and final season as a whole feels like it couldn't have been planned any better, as it went out of its way to bring things full circle with season 1, some title-grabbing cameos incorporatedand even shined a light on its (actually) most underrated characters. But it just wouldn't be Lower Decks if the show's writers didn't throw in at least one last bit of canon-changing information on the way out the door.

To its credit, the animated series did this through the most "Lower Decks" approach possible. Remember when episode four, titled "Farewell to the Farms," ​​brought back troublesome Klingon brothers Malor (Sam Witwer) and Maa (John Curry), the latter of whom was first introduced during season two? That format-breaking, Klingo-centric episode set the stage for their return in the grand finale, as the pair play an unexpectedly significant role in saving the multiverse from complete and utter destruction alongside the crew members of the USS Cerritos. But during the climax, just as all hope seems lost, our heroes manage to pull themselves together one last time and crawl out of harm's way by the skin of their teeth.

Amidst the chaos, we also get a shocking insight into the (confidentially) touchy subject of Klingon evolution - or should we say devolution?

Trekkies are famous for their, aren't they, extreme passion when it comes to the craziest details of the franchise. Do you are a total starship design moron or he just can't get enough of the syntax and lettering of entire fictional languagesStar Trek has something for every type of nerd. One such topic has always revolved around the appearance of the Klingo alien race, who have since become known for their prominent forehead ridges, dark complexions and long hair. However, it may surprise casual people to learn that this was not always the case. The Star Trek franchise stepped right onto this land mine with Discovery and its controversial Klingon design bearing several of those hallmarks, which were later to be changed to Strange New Worlds. Later shows kept adding their own complications over the decades, to both the delight and chagrin of fans everywhere.

Now we can add "Lower Decks" to the list of shows that have their own special spin on fan-favorite aliens.

The Cerritos' most dangerous mission puts them in harm's way of any multiverse shenanigans during the finale, as waves of tachyon radiation threaten to transform anyone (and everything) caught in its wake into endless alternate parallel dimensions. This means that Cerritos itself can suddenly become older or more futuristic starship models... which can mean life or death when traveling through such dangerous regions of space. However, this also applies to the humanoids, as the marauding Klingons find out at their peril. Stripped of their shields thanks to some last-minute ingenuity, the Renegades are exposed to the full brunt of the multiverse and are suddenly transformed into their most basic, primitive selves: proto-Klingons.

Although a constant source of speculation among fans, these ancient versions that Malor calls proto-Klingons have never before been seen in the Trek canon. Full of rage (okay, more so than they usually are) and far more animalistic in their brutality, the de-evolved creatures turn in on themselves and poetically spell their doom. Given all the discrepancies in appearance between their startling human-like design in The Original Series, their more familiar appearance in The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, and that debacle seen in Discovery, Klingo evolution has always been a source of heated debate in fandom circles. At the last possible moment, Lower Decks may have provided the "missing link" we've been looking for all along.

The idea of ​​the proto-Klingons has been alluded to in previous installments of Trek (especially in Deep Space 9), largely shedding light on mythological figures such as Keles or the behavior of the primitive Klingons who stunted their development by warring with one another. another. in order to build their first empire. In Lower Decks, we actually get to see what these individuals looked like on their homeworld of Qo'noS all those millennia ago. Sporting lizard-like eyes, facial appendages that surely give off the same vibes as Yautya from the Predator franchise, and deadly spikes protruding from their bodies along with razor-sharp teeth, this reinterpretation of the Klingon form could very well be the most radical yet the franchise. In one fell swoop, the animated series added what is sure to be an entire section of the Tech wiki — and an official part of the Klingon faith forever.

You can watch every episode of Star Trek: The Lower Decks on Paramount+.