The first episode of Star Trek Lower Decks premiered last week on CBS All Access, but the network has made it free for everyone to watch on its official YouTube channel starting from earlier today.

Developed by Emmy Award-winner Mike McMahan (best known for Rick And Morty and Solar Opposites), Star Trek Lower Decks focuses on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the Starship Cerritos, in 2380.

Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford and Tendi have to keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.

The Starfleet crew residing in the “lower decks” of the U.S.S. Cerritos, includes:

• Ensign Beckett Mariner – Tawny Newsome.
• Ensign Brad Boimler – Jack Quaid.
• Ensign Tendi – Noël Wells.
• Ensign Rutherford – Eugene Cordero.
• Captain Carol Freeman – Dawnn Lewis.
• Commander Jack Ransom – Jerry O’Connell.
• Lieutenant Shaxs – Fred Tatasciore.
• Doctor T’Ana – Gillian Vigman.

I’ve already watched both the first and second episode of Star Trek Lower Decks (though only the first episode is available for free so far). As an ardent Trekkie, the animated series has given me mixed feelings so far, with humour closer to that of Rick And Morty than conventional Star Trek, but I still appreciate all the references and easter eggs.

If you like outrageous jokes and sci-fi animation like Rick And Morty, you should definitely try watching Star Trek Lower Decks, even if you’ve never watched a traditional episode of Star Trek in your life.

Watch the entire first episode of Star Trek Lower Decks below:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HzRGqvRK8U&w=560&h=315]

(Image Credits: CBS)