by Nick Ferro, Contributing Writer
Star Trek Prodigy returned to Paramount+ in November after a yearlong hiatus, and to my surprise it was presented as Season One, Part Two. After watching the finale this past week, I am happy to report that the conclusion to the season was definitely worth the wait! I, along with my daughters (ages eight and 10) really enjoyed the first part of the season and were excited to see the continuing adventures of the crew of the USS Protostar.
Something I’ve noticed with the Star Trek franchise since Discovery Season Two is that they really are starting to take the franchise seriously from a fan perspective. There was a brief period where the franchise was in disarray, and this caused the whole “NU Trek” argument to arise on the internet. I really believe those days are over. Between Strange New Worlds,Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Discovery seasons Two through Four, the metaphorical ship has been righted. Part Two of Prodigy has several moments where the audience is given answers to technical and in-universe questions that I myself had asked after seeing Part One. Why does Jankom Pog not know he’s a Tellarite? What species is Dal, and where does he come from? Where is Captain Chakotay, and more importantly, what exactly is the show’s direction and purpose? All of these questions and more are answered in the back half of the season.
Everything about Prodigy overall is polished up and presented in a way that makes Part One feel shakier, but not enough to reconsider the score it earned. I had already thought they found their footing in Part One, but Part Two really smooths out the rough edges. The writing for each episode is sharper, and feels more and more like a classic late-‘90s era episode of Star Trek, with a modern sensibility. They manage to stick to a relatively contained adventure-of-the-week format, while also including an overall, ongoing story that takes you from episode 11 to the two-part finale. There are a few episodes that give leave you with a cliffhanger ending, but they are few and far between. There are fan service moments, like guest appearances from past Star Trek characters and alien species, but they feel natural and work, with the story never winking at the camera or giving that feeling of cynicism. The stories of each episode are so fun and well-thought-out that I found myself ignoring minor flaws or inconsistencies, which to me is a mark of a good show.
I especially had fun watching with my kids. My oldest daughter was already into the show, but now a year later, my younger daughter, who wasn’t really that invested originally, suddenly seemed to like it more than her sister. Each week they would ask to watch the new episode, and each week, as the credits rolled, there would be a cacophony of angry children yelling, “IT’S OVER?!”
My favorite episode in Part Two is actually a tie between two: Episode 13, “All the World’s a Stage” and Episode 16, “Preludes.” I was having a hard time picking between these two because they both highlight completely different ideas that I love about Star Trek, old and new. “All the World’s a Stage” is a great example of classic Trek, where the crew has to go down to a planet on a mission and solve a problem. It is Star Trek at its finest, and it works seamlessly in this show for kids. In this episode, they land on a planet full of people who have tailored their lives around “historical documents” left behind by a member of Star Fleet who crash landed on the planet 80 years ago. This obvious play on the movie Galaxy Quest was particularly fun since I love when they are able to add a little meta humor into the show. But also, voice actor Eric Bauza guest stars and gets to do some fun impressions of the original Star Trek bridge crew. This is also the funniest episode of the season, showing that they know how to poke fun in a loving way, just like Lower Decks.
In the episode “Preludes,” we learn of the backstory of several of our core characters, both where they were before being kidnapped and imprisoned on Tars Lamora, and what their lives were like. What I loved about this episode was that it’s the perfect representation of what new Star Trek content can be. Its artistic, with each story being told in a different style (each story gives credit to a different team of writers), it fills in some gaps and answers questions, and it even gets to retcon a little to make sense of some inconsistencies from Part One of the season. When Star Trek gets to be creative and new, while still keeping that respect of the overall structure of past Trek shows, it’s a sign, to me, that the franchise is not only in excellent hands, but is also here to stay for a long time.
Season One, Part Two of Star Trek Prodigy is just as good as Part One, and is an excellent addition to the Star Trek canon. I look forward to the continuing adventures of this crew, and to the inclusion of them in the greater Star Trek universe moving forward. With the Strange New Worlds/Lower Decks crossover episode looming on the horizon, I am hopeful that Prodigy can cross over with these shows or its characters as well. This is truly an exciting time to be a Star Trek fan for both old and new fans alike, so if you aren’t one yet, I would urge you to check out all that Trek has to offer. And if you have kids, Star Trek Prodigy is a must.
Score: 8/10
Star Trek: Prodigy is currently streaming on Paramount+
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