In this review of Star Trek: Lower Decks #18, a final twist sends the Laap saga full circle with surprise guest stars making for an action-packed finale.
Star Trek: Lower Decks #18
Written by: Tim Sheridan
Art and Main Cover by: Vernon Smith
Variant Cover: Chris Fenoglio
Page Count: 28 pages
Release Date: April 8, 2026
This review contains spoilers
Star Trek: Lower Decks #18 begins with the “borrowed” U.S.S. Illinois, (currently captained by Carol Freeman) targeting the mysterious (and heavily armed) alien vessel in the Laap System. The alien ship comes through without a scratch, leaving Freeman’s team scrambling for another solution. As if in reply, the U.S.S. Enterprise E decloaks and joins the fray.
Freeman hails the Enterprise and is greeted by Captain Worf, who had already rescued Boimler, Tendi and T’Lyn from their exploding shuttle. Before Worf can give Freeman vital information, the ship disappears due to its unstable cloaking device. Freeman asks for an update on her daughter Beckett Mariner who had been taken aboard the alien vessel (which has surprisingly not fought back against the Federation ships).
A Ferengi vessel arrives, piloted by Daimon Quog (the former janitor) who picked up Tendi’s distress call from the Enterprise E, (and to complicate matters, Quog’s vessel is also called Enterprise). Both ships attack the alien vessel and are soon joined by the repaired U.S.S. Cerritos, commanded by Doctor Pulaski.
Boimler suggests a plan called the “Freeman Maneuver” which goes inevitably awry (not for the first time), as Mariner’s rerouting of the alien vessel’s transporter system results in accidentally beaming aboard most of the crew from all three Starfleet vessels.
The leader of the masked aliens is revealed to be a member of the Laapiivians, who felt ignored by the Laapeerians and Laapoonians, and this was their clumsy attempt at a first contact. After a quick group session with Doctor Migleemo, hurt feelings are mended and all is forgiven.
Star Trek: Lower Decks #18 ends with Freeman’s captain’s log, as the first contact by the Laapiivians is now considered a success, the Cerritos crew return to their ship, and a remarkable page of easter egg teases that will never happen are revealed.
Analysis
Star Trek: Lower Decks #18 finally wraps up the longest Lower Decks story arc (so far) with enough callbacks to fill a cargo hold. Regular readers of this series should pick up on writer Tim Sheridan’s references to his two-part Carol Freeman Lower Decks flashback adventure, Tendi’s student loan crisis and Doctor Pulaski’s unorthodox methods.
The story has finally wrapped, and the inscrutable motivations of the unknown vessel turned out to be nothing more than extreme sibling rivalry (or as Doctor Migleemo calls it “Middle Sister Planet Syndrome”). The Laapiivians felt ignored so they overreacted in trying to get their siblings to notice them (by abducting them off of their planets).
Sheridan’s gamble with a plot this extensive could have fumbled at the goal line, but he stuck the landing, although Star Trek: Lower Decks #18 was quite exposition heavy in filling in all of the blanks.
Artist Vernon Smith cranks out more impressive artwork with standouts including the shots of the Laapiivian vessel, the U.S.S. Enterprise-E decloaking and the thrilling space battle scenes. The easter eggs in Star Trek: Lower Decks #18 are too numerous to fully list, but the pop culture references in the extended video chat sequence are clever and seamlessly integrated into the absurdity without a hitch.
Smith goes all out with the dozens of characters accidentally beamed aboard the Laapiivian vessel are each distinct in body language, uniform type, alien markings and facial expressions, providing readers with the opportunity to scan each of them to see if any are familiar faces (“Where’s Waldo” anyone?)
Colorist Charlie Kirchoff also enhances the artwork with the cool contrast of the Laapiivian ship’s dark hull and bright red phaser beams, the faded colors for the flashbacks, the star fields in space and the background colors of the interior of the Laapiivian vessel.
Final Thoughts
Star Trek: Lower Decks #18 wraps up the expansive, mystery-filled adventure with some clever twists, loads of on-brand humor and fun artwork.
