WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2, Episode 5, "An Embarrassment of Dooplers," streaming now on Paramount+.
Plenty of surprise characters from Star Trek history have been resurfaced throughout the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Season 2 has continued to delve in some of the more obscure elements of Star Trek lore. And with Starfleet's most celebrated officers and starships gathering for an exclusive party while the U.S.S. Cerritos is occupied on a tedious diplomatic mission, one particularly outrageous character from Star Trek: The Next Generation makes his unexpected return to work as the DJ at the high-profile officers' party: Okona.
All of the Constitution-class starships have been invited to an annual party for each ship's respective bridge crew at Star Base 25. While Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler are junior officers on a smaller, less prestigious starship in the armada not invited to the party, Boimler realizes he can use his mirror duplicate's invite as the U.S.S. Titan is currently occupied elsewhere in the galaxy. The ruse works, though only Boimler is allowed into the party, with Mariner unable to accompany him as his plus one. Boimler enjoys mixing it up with the bridge crews of Starfleet's most important vessels, and amidst all the dancing and small talk, Okona presides over the party to provide the interstellar bops, seen at a DJ booth above the bar and dance floor in the space station.
Captain Thadiun Okona was introduced in the TNG Season 2 episode "The Outrageous Okona" as an eponymous space scoundrel encountered by the U.S.S. Enterprise. Cruising the galaxy solo at the helm of a damaged cruiser, Picard took on Okona as a guest on the Enterprise until Okona's own vessel was repaired. It quickly became clear that Okona was not in any great rush to leave the Enterprise's hospitality, taking the opportunity to romance the female crew members before being drawn into defusing an interplanetary conflict.
Clearly Okona has retained his vitality and vigor, appearing no visibly older than his TNG appearance, even with Lower Decks set years after the events of TNG. And despite Okona's propensity for mischief and guile, he is apparently in good standing with Starfleet, allowed to not only enter the officers' biggest, most anticipated and exclusive party of the year but given free rein to organize the musical entertainment for the night, drawing from his endlessly laidback cool vibe to make this Starfleet shindig a night for all to remember.
Instead of finding himself embroiled in lovers' quarrels of interplanetary proportions, Captain Thadiun Okona is now spinning records and popping bottles of Saurian brandy. It's hard to say if Okona has become a more respectable, responsible figure but he certainly knows how to help everyone have a good time. Though for as good a show Okona puts on for the party guests, Boimler still finds himself wanting among the hobnobbers at the party, missing his best friend. Okona can keep the music playing and let the good times roll but even Star Trek's resident scruffy-looking scoundrel can't keep Boimler at the festivities.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2 is now streaming on Paramount+, with new episodes premiering every Thursday.
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