So evidently there is to be a Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks crossover ep. Jack Quaid and the gal that voices Mariner appeared on stage at the SNW panel and Anson Mount talked about it. Mariner and Boimler will be played by their voice actors (in live action, obvs) in the episode.
That'll be cool. Obviously there will be some time travel involved here.
Two things kind of bug me about that.
1. It makes Lower Decks canon, which with how absurd the show is, it cheapens the series. It's more fun and better served as a wacky satire that's on it's own non-canon island.
2. If they do an SNW episode like Lower Decks, I worry it may cheapen that series as well.
Oh well, whatever happens, it's still just fantasy.
Discovery is getting a 5th season and I hope that SNW's success and style carries over to Discovery. Less "fate of the entire galaxy" season long arcs, blue and orange everything, and weird shaky cam/dutch angles. More natural colors, stable cam, and episodes that can exist on their own without cliffhangers every week and the stakes being absolutely massive.