Star Trek: Discovery Makes Lower Decks' Renaissance Faire Planet Live-Action Canon

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths".

Summary Star Trek: Discovery canonizes Lower Decks' Hysperia, a Renaissance Faire planet with unique charm & whimsical culture.

Lower Decks' Hysperians embrace a party lifestyle similar to Risa, maintaining a themed fantasy world of endless festivities.

Hysperia's inclusion in Discovery expands Star Trek lore, in a rare case of a live-action show referencing an animated series.

Star Trek: Discovery makes Hysperia, the Renaissance Faire planet from Star Trek: Lower Decks, live-action canon in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths", written by Lauren Wilkinson & Eric J. Robbins, and directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour. Debates over whether animated Star Trek "counts" have existed ever since Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry denounced the canonicity of Star Trek: The Animated Series, but Star Trek: Lower Decks has always been part of the Star Trek canon. Lower Decks' impressive references to other Star Trek shows cements its place in Star Trek's 2380s, after Star Trek: Nemesis but before Star Trek: Picard.

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Despite Star Trek: Lower Decks' myriad references to other Star Trek shows, it's rare for a dramatic live-action Star Trek series to return the favor. Only Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, with its ability to navigate shifting genres, pulled it off when Ensigns Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) appeared in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 7, "Those Old Scientists". Excluding the Strange New Worlds crossover, the mention of Hysperia in Star Trek: Discovery marks the first time that something that originated strictly in Star Trek: Lower Decks makes its way to a live-action Star Trek series.

Related Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 Needs Another Lower Decks Crossover Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 is confirmed and the best chance to see Star Trek: Lower Decks when the animated show ends with season 5.

Tig Notaro's Jett Reno Visited Star Trek: Lower Decks' Renaissance Faire Planet

Hysperia & Lt. Commander Billups Explained

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While brainstorming a solution for combating the Breen's shield tunneling technology in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths", Commander Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) offhandedly mentions working on comms relays near Hysperia, the Renaissance Faire planet introduced in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 7, "Where Pleasant Fountains Lie". Hysperia's society is notably based on the anachronistic muddle of references to historical Europe commonly found in fantasy fiction, not unlike modern Renaissance Faires. Instead of hiding Star Trek's advanced technology, Hysperia simply reframes technology as magical, using fantasy-themed names like "dragonsbreath engines" for warp drive.

In Star Trek: Lower Decks, Lt. Commander Andy Billups (Paul Scheer), the USS Cerritos' Chief Engineer who also happens to be the heir to Hysperia's throne, explains that the fantasy trappings of Hysperian culture came about because Hysperia's native fauna look like medieval dragons. The "Ren Faire types" who originally settled Hysperia just kind of ran with it. Billups abdicated his birthright in favor of a Starfleet career, so to bring Andy back home for good, Billups' mother, Queen Paolana (June Diane Raphael), invokes Hysperia's custom of nobles rising to power after losing their virginity, and tries to trick Billups into a sexual encounter with the royal guards. (It doesn't work.)

Lower Decks' Hysperia Is a Star Trek Party Planet

"Hysperians Really Know How To Party"

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Commander Reno mentions that the Hysperians "really know how to party," drawing parallels to Star Trek's more famous party planet, Risa. While Risa is like a planet-wide beach resort known for its natural beauty and generous people, Hysperians live in an endless Renaissance Faire, and they don't want to break character. Every part of Hysperian culture, from fashion to architecture, was created with the Renaissance theme in mind. Mead and ale flow freely from replicators, starships have stables for horses, and people keep dragons as pets. Hysperians encourage others to go along with the facade they've so proudly built, easily drawing visitors into Hysperia's sexually-charged theme park party atmosphere.

Hysperians embrace whimsy like Vulcans embrace logic.

Star Trek: Lower Decks frequently references the Star Trek shows that came before it, and Hysperia pays homage to the themed planets from Star Trek: The Original Series that exist because costumes and sets from other productions were used as cost-saving measures. Instead of being explained as a parallel development to Earth, however, the Hysperians embrace whimsy like Vulcans embrace logic, making Hysperia an attractive vacation destination. As someone in the area, Star Trek: Discovery's Commander Jett Reno likely had to see what Hysperia was all about for herself, making Star Trek: Lower Decks' Renaissance Faire planet canon by mentioning Hysperia in Star Trek: Discovery.

Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Lower Decks are streaming on Paramount+.