WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 1, Episode 4, "Moist Vessel," now streaming on CBS All Access.
Since its series premiere, Star Trek: Lower Decks has made it clear it is a celebration of the entire Star Trek franchise. In just three episodes, the animated series has offered nods to multiple Star Trek series, from The Original Series to Voyager. However, Star Trek: The Next Generation is the series Lower Decks has homaged the most since its first episode, referencing multiple characters from the live-action series, as well as specific storylines and aliens that first appeared on the fan-favorite show.
And these nods keep coming in Lower Decks' latest episode. In "Moist Vessel," the animated series not only tips its hat to TNG's classic poker games, but it also mentions a forgotten villain in Professor James Moriarty. Yes, that Moriarty.
In "Moist Vessel," Captain Freeman assigns her daughter the grossest and most menial jobs on the U.S.S. Cerritos in an effort to have her request a transfer off the ship. However, Mariner manages to find fun in these tasks, and instead, Captain Freeman attempts to discourage her in another manner: by promoting her to the rank of Lieutenant.
Ensign Boimler is the first to be left completely in shock at Mariner's promotion. After all, he does everything right while she does everything wrong, and yet somehow, she got the promotion he so desperately wants. Therefore, in an attempt to move up in ranks himself, Boimler attempts to copy Mariner's attitude.
He tries this when he receives an order via his Combadge. Since he finally has a chance to enact his plan, Boimler deviously answers back, even letting out an evil laugh. However, he quickly snaps out of it when the person on the other end asks him what's happening. He then brushes it off, saying it wasn't him but Moriarty.
The mention of Moriarty is a throwback to Star Trek: The Next Generation. While most Star Trek villains are aliens like the Ferengi, the Romulans and the Borg, Moriarty was a different breed. The character debuted in the Season 2 episode "Elementary, Dear Data" as part of a Holodeck program created by Geordi LaForge that brought Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories to life.
Professor Moriarty was, of course, included as Holmes' nemesis. But even though he was a computer program, he eventually gained sentience to maliciously attack the crew of the Enterprise. His only wish was to exist outside of the Holodeck's programming and while he didn't accomplish his goal the first time around, he made a second attempt when he returned in the Season 6 episode "Ship in a Bottle."
Boimler dropping a mention of Moriarty is yet another deep cut in the iconic lore of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and continues to show Lower Decks can homage any episode of the series without missing a beat.
Star Trek: Lower Decks stars Tawny Newsome as Ensign Beckett Mariner, Eugene Cordero as Ensign Rutherford, Jack Quaid as Ensign Brad Boimler, Noël Wells as Ensign Tendi, Dawnn Lewis as Captain Carol Freeman, Jerry O'Connell as Commander Jack Ransom, Gillian Vigman as Doctor T'Ana and Fred Tatasciore as Lieutenant Shaxs. The show premiered on CBS All Access on Aug. 6.