Another Star Trek: The Next Generation Character Returns and They're a Captain Now

A Star Trek: The Next Generation character returns in Star Trek: Lower Decks' second season finale episode, "First First Contact." Last year's finale saw Captain William Riker and Deanna Troi of the USS Titan showed up to save the day. In this season finale, it's another Star Trek: The Next Generation character that's been promoted to captain, but one less well know than the Enterprise's former first officer and counselor. It's Sonia Gomez, who appeared in two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, returning to the universe. Gomez, who is best known for spilling hot chocolate on Captain Picard's uniform, is now a captain and again played by Lycia Naff.

In the season two finale "First First Contact," the U.S.S. Cerritos is tasked to aid an Excelsior-class starship on a first contact mission. Series creator Mike McMahan wrote the story. Jason Zurek directed the episode. Here's a preview video:

Though the synopsis calls the ship an Excelsior-class vessel, that's actually incorrect. McMahan clarified on Twitter that it's an Obena-class vessel, inspired by the Excelsior but bigger, called the USS Archimedes.

Paramount+ also released a batch of preview images from "First First Contact." You can see them below.

Star Trek: Lower Decks follows the support crew serving on one of Starfleet's least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford, and Tendi have to keep up with their duties and social lives, often while many sci-fi anomalies are rocking the ship. 

Are you excited about Star Trek: Lower Decks putting its spin on the Mirror Universe? Let us know in the comments. New episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks debut Thursdays on Paramount+.