'Star Trek: Lower Decks' walks a tightrope that many other past entries in the sci-fi franchise haven't had to worry about. While it is an animated comedy, it's also part of an interconnected franchise and must follow rules and guidelines to fit into the canon. For crossovers like the recent one with 'Strange New Worlds' to work, there must be a level of believability built in so that audiences buy that the characters on the Cerritos can rub shoulders with the crew of the Enterprise. Animator Barry Kelly explained how he and the LD creative team accomplished that feat when he spoke with CinemaBlend. And in the process, he opened up about what makes this show so unique compared to many other animated series.

We had a chance to speak to Barry Kelly before the premiere of 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' Season 4. During the chat, I was able to ask him about the difficulties that come with making an animated comedy that utilizes the medium but isn't too cartoon-like. He then explained one of the methods they use to strike that balance, and it certainly sets the series apart from its peers From a visual standpoint, the team still tries to produce the series in a manner that's similar to current (and likely upcoming) live-action "Trek" shows.