Below Deck with Lower Decks: Q, Salt Vampires, and... Gorn Weddings?

This week’s saw the return of a beloved member of the Star Trek universe… and then some!

When our favorite ensigns are put “on trial” by an unknown alien species (who are not Klingons, Mariner reminds us), they’re forced to recount the events that led them to this moment. This leads to a hilarious wave of cameos, throwbacks, and classic Star Trek deep cuts, starting with an accidental attendance at a Gorn wedding.

(You know, your average every day Gorn wedding. A very normal occurrence. We wish we could tell you more and pull back the curtain on that one, but further information on Gorn nuptials has been classified by Starfleet Intelligence.)

When it’s Mariner’s turn, she can’t help but mention saving Ransom from trying to go home with the M-113 Creature, also known as The Salt Vampire. In its animated form, this salt craving being disguises itself as a human woman. Back when it first appeared in ’ “,” she was also played by a human stuntwoman, Sandra Gimpel, who also played a Talosian in the original pilot, “The Cage"!

Yet, perhaps the most exciting cameo in “Veritas” this week came from John de Lancie, reprising his role as the universe’s premiere trickster, Q. Of course, fans of The Next Generation know that Q and Starfleet crew trials go together like Dr. Crusher and Scottish ghosts.

If “Veritas” was your first introduction to Q, though, never fear. The omnipotent god-like being appears in just a handful of episodes in each of the 1990s Star Trek series. Power up your wireless, and stream these episodes from each series:

Want more? There are several novels and guides written about Q. One of our favorites comes from the pen of the man himself. I, Q is de Lancie’s very own Q and Picard adventure, while Q’s Guide to Continuum is a humorous look at the Star Trek universe through the trickster's eyes, written by one of Star Trek’s most prolific authors, Michael Jan Friedman.

Tune in next week to see what other fun Easter eggs and discoveries the U.S.S. Cerritos leaves for us in its wake, on a new episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks.