Star Trek Reveals the Comedic Risks of Promoting Harry Kim in the Multiverse

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5, episode 9, “Fissure Quest.”

The final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks welcomes back Garrett Wang, reprising his role as Ensign Harry Kim from Star Trek: Voyager. This return cleverly tackles one of the longstanding controversies surrounding Kim, who remains an ensign throughout all seven seasons of Voyager. Despite numerous opportunities for promotion, Harry Kim’s rank stagnation has sparked various theories and explanations among fans.

Adding to the poignancy of this narrative, other characters from Star Trek: Voyager experienced notable career advancements during the series. The franchise has rarely addressed this apparent oversight, making “Fissure Quest”a significant episode for Wang, as it provides a humorous yet meaningful resolution to Kim’s underwhelming trajectory. In an amusing twist, the series suggests that perhaps it is for the best that Harry Kim never received a promotion.

Star Trek: Lower Decks Playfully Portrays Harry Kim’s Promotion as a Multiversal Threat

Lt. Harry Kim as the Antagonist in “Fissure Quest”

Lt. Harry Kim aiming a phaser in Star Trek: Lower Decks

In the episode “Fissure Quest,”Wang lends his voice to multiple versions of Harry Kim, with the primary iteration showcasing him as a lieutenant. Initially, Lt. Kim embodies the loyal and rational officer familiar to fans. However, leading a team of alternate universe Harry Kims reveals a rather darker potential within the character—one that was perhaps always one challenging moment away from villainy.

The episode doesn’t imply that every alternate Harry Kim would turn into a reality-threatening figure following a promotion. Rather, it illustrates a specific version of Kim succumbing to frustration after years of neglect, ultimately prompting him to go rogue upon becoming a lieutenant. Given the vastness of the Star Trek multiverse, it’s entirely plausible that a villainous Harry exists, reflecting the boundless possibilities of the franchise.

Is Lt. Harry Kim from “Star Trek: Lower Decks”the Prime Timeline’s Voyager Version?

A Variant Harry Kim Serves as the Antagonist in “Fissure Quest”

The crew aboard the Anaximander primarily hails from realities outside the Prime Universe, with Jack Quaid’s Captain William Boimler being a notable exception. Therefore, while Lt. Kim’s appearance and insignia align with Wang’s classic portrayal, it’s improbable that the “Fissure Quest”antagonist is indeed the original Harry Kim from Voyager. Such a bold narrative choice to transform a beloved character into a canonical antagonist is something Star Trek: Lower Decks likely sidesteps.

Paramount+’s Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 Release Schedule
Episode	Title	Release Date (2024)
1	“Two Little Hills”	October 22
2	“Shades of Green”	October 22
3	“The Best Exotic Nanite Hotel”	October 31
4	“A Farewell to Farms”	November 7
5	“Star Base 80?”	November 14
6	“Of Gods and Angels”	November 21
7	“Fully Dilated”	November 28
8	“Upper Decks”	December 5
9	“Fissure Quest”	December 12
10	“The New Next Generation”	December 19