Did Star Trek: Discovery‘s Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) see the weird koala from Star Trek: Lower Decks after dying in Discovery season 1? The cosmic koala in Lower Decks holds the fate of certain characters in its furry hands, as established when Lt. Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) died in Lower Decks season 4, episode 3 “In the Cradle of Vexilon”, and encountered the koala before being resurrected. Discovery‘s Dr. Culber died at the hands of Lt. Ash Tyler / Voq (Shazad Latif) in Discovery season 1, episode 10, “Despite Yourself”, and was also resurrected later, in Discovery season 2, episode 5, “Saints of Imperfection”.
Star Trek: Lower Decks debuted in 2020, after Dr. Culber’s 2018 death and 2019 resurrection episodes of Star Trek: Discovery. The concept of the cosmic koala hadn’t yet entered the Star Trek mythos when Discovery season 2 was being written, so Culber couldn’t have mentioned Lower Decks‘ koala upon returning from the dead. However, Lower Decks and Discovery are linked through Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) originating on Discovery and meeting Lower Decks’ Boimler and Ensign Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 7 “Those Old Scientists”, so the koala must exist in Discovery‘s continuity.
What’s With The Weird Koala In Star Trek: Lower Decks?
The koala on Star Trek: Lower Decks is the newest weird Star Trek entity, and Lt. Brad Boimler has one thing in common with everyone who’s met it.
Star Trek: Discovery’s Original Dr. Hugh Culber On Discovery Is Dead
Culber’s mycelial network resurrection is different from Boimler’s on Lower Decks.
Despite the shared continuity between Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Discovery, Dr. Hugh Culber wouldn’t have encountered the cosmic koala, because the original Dr. Culber is dead, and remains so. When Lt. Brad Boimler died on Lower Decks, Brad’s consciousness ascended to the higher plane where the koala resided, and the koala told Boimler it wasn’t his time yet, before allowing Brad to return to life. By contrast, Hugh Culber remained dead throughout the second half of Discovery season 1, and was only resurrected thanks to significant effort from Lt. Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) and Ensign Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman).
The resurrected Hugh Culber is a total reconstruction of the Culber who died in Star Trek: Discovery season 1, built from the memories of Hugh that Lt. Paul Stamets brought into the mycelial network, with a brand-new body created by placing samples of Culber’s DNA inside the jahSepp cocoon that was designed to transport organic beings in and out of the mycelial network. Despite sharing the same memories, the new Dr. Culber is more like a clone of the original, instead of the same man brought back to life. Even if Hugh’s consciousness remained constant between death and resurrection, Culber spent that time lost in the network — not with the koala.
Star Trek: Discovery Deconstructs Resurrection While Lower Decks Lampoons It
Culber didn’t encounter the koala, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real.
Both Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Lower Decks reinterpret tropes from earlier versions of Star Trek through lenses that magnify realism and fantasy, respectively. As Culber questions his identity, career, and relationship with Stamets, Discovery closely examines the psychological ramifications of being reborn after death. Culber is decidedly not okay in Discovery season 2, but that trauma is a realistic springboard for Culber’s emotional growth in Discovery season 3 and beyond. Lower Decks, meanwhile, hangs a lampshade on the concept of death’s revolving door by categorizing Boimler’s experiences with the koala between death and revival as deeply weird, but easily brushed off.
Both approaches to death and resurrection are valid, and both have their place within the distinct storytelling styles of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Stamets and Tilly recreating Culber from a dimension of space mushrooms and Boimler’s actual death with its smiling koala encounter are both weird stories on paper, but in practice, Discovery‘s deconstructionist approach centers characters’ genuine emotions, and Lower Decks’ self-awareness creates another part of Star Trek lore. Ultimately, both exist in the same universe, which means the koala could indeed appear on Star Trek: Discovery, even if it didn’t to Dr. Culber.
Star Trek: Discovery
- Release Date
- September 24, 2017
- Cast
- Sonequa Martin-Green , Rekha Sharma , Rainn Wilson , Maulik Pancholy , Doug Jones , James Frain , Anthony Rapp , Michelle Yeoh , Chris Obi , Jason Isaacs , Shazad Latif
- Genres
- Sci-Fi , Adventure , Drama
- Seasons
- 5
- Story By
- Bryan Fuller, Alex Kurtzman
- Writers
- Alex Kurtzman , Bryan Fuller
- Streaming Service(s)
- Paramount+
- Franchise(s)
- Star Trek
- Directors
- Olatunde Osunsanmi , Jonathan Frakes
- Showrunner
- Alex Kurtzman
