Bashir & Garak return in ‘Lower Decks’

It finally happened! Alexander Siddig and Andrew Robinson return to the Trekverse in the penultimate episode of Lower Decks, streaming on Paramount+. The episode, “Fissure Quest”, leads into the series finale which begins streaming next week. An alternate version of Boimler (Jack Quaid) investigates the cause of the fissures in time and space as part of an ongoing storyline about a dimensional rift. His crew includes several characters from across the Trekverse: T’Pol from Enterprise, Harry Kim from Voyager, Lily Sloane from First Contact, and Bashir and Garak from Deep Space Nine.

Not only is this the first time Sid and Andy have reprised their roles in an official Star Trek production (our fanfic Zoom plays don’t count), in this alternate universe, Bashir and Garak are a couple. That’s right, Garashir is now canon, at least in the multiverse. In an interview with Variety, Lower Decks showrunner Mike McMahan said the show’s writers “have enjoyed the romantic chemistry that Andrew and Sid brought to Garak and Bashir on DS9, and for the thirty years since. If there’s anything the multiverse is good for, it’s spending time with these two newlyweds as they explore the universe and their relationship together.”

I asked Sid why he and Andy accepted the invitation to return to Trek in this capacity. He said, “We loved Elmie [“Little Achievements”] and Matt’s [“Alone Together”] take on the characters so much that an opportunity to do that kind of thing for a wide audience was too good to pass up.”

The series finale of Lower Decks begins streaming on Paramount+ on Thursday, December 19.

Updated to add Sid’s comment.