Finally, after months of teasing, Star Trek fans got the second, and reportedly last, season of Star Trek: Prodigy on Netflix. Was the wait worth it? Is a tribble born pregnant?
Prodigy is (was) Star Trek’s attempt to reach out to younger viewers. The show is co-produced with Nickelodeon and follows a rag-tag team of kids breaking out of their oppressive world with the help of derelict starship and a hologram Janeway (voiced by the brilliant Kate Mulgrew). The first season was extremely well-received. It won a lot of praise for its complex narratives, engaging characters, and rich world building, within the restrictive canon of Star Trek. Showrunners and brothers Dan and Kevin Hageman did the impossible, attracting a younger audience without repulsing Trekker old farts.
Season 2 is every bit as good as season 1 — with a few caveats.
The voices in Season 2 get a big upgrade. The existing cast was already close and comfortable in their roles. This season adds a number of Star Trek veterans such as Robert Picardo (the Doctor from Voyager), Wil Wheaton (Weasley Crusher from TNG), and Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher. However, the real treat was Ronny Cox reprising his role as Admiral Jellico. Cox is a legend. To hear him again was a joy. However, I just once wanted him to revert to Robocop’s Dick Jones and grab Janeway’s hair and say “you just fucked with the wrong guy!”
Alas, that never happened. Missed opportunity.
The true joy of Prodigy is how effectively it tells classic Trek stories with all the reverence and wide-eyed excitement of youth. Season 2 centers around a complex time-travel tale with a rogue Chakotay (Robert Beltran). This is classic Trek stuff, with plenty of pontificating about temporal mechanics and multiverses. However, Prodigy constantly reminds the viewer of what Trek is all about: a world where differences are embraced, and intelligence and truth are cherished. Trek is the utopia many of us dream about, and Prodigy never lets us forget that.
This is also where Prodigy gets a little sticky in Season 2. There are too many situations where the team wiggles out of a situation with copious application of technical gobbledygook and a surprised Janeway or Chakotay saying, “that just might work!” After the third or fourth time this happens, it begins to sound absurd. At one point I caught myself muttering, “of course the big rock kid has all the answers.”
However, this is a show intended for teenagers (or younger). This kind of “self-centric” storytelling is common in youth-oriented narratives. Just watch any of the shows made for teens in the last 30 years (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Hunger Games trilogy, and even Wednesday come to mind). You will notice that teens can solve absolutely anything with hope, determination, and teamwork, despite not knowing how to drive a car, balance a checkbook, or use a dishwasher. (Sheesh, I sound old.)
Therefore, if you are older (like my grousing GenX self) you may need to look past this storytelling quirk. If you can do that, you are rewarded with a truly fun show. The season is 18 episodes long, which allows for ample character development and plot twists. We get to visit some classic Trek locales, such as the Mirror Universe and Starfleet Academy. There are some goofball moments with a Klingon scientist and tribbles. We also do not have any groan-inducing deus ex machina at the end. These characters do not accept any no-win scenario. They are constantly seizing the initiative, breaking the rules, and boldly forging ahead.
Among all the character development, two characters get the most satisfying arc. First, there is Gwen, voiced by the great Ella Purnell of Fallout fame. Purnell’s unique voice sounds like it is stuck between adulthood and puberty. That perfectly fits Gwen, who is also stuck there. Gwen begins the season as an uncertain young woman who idealistically wants to help her home world adjust to life in a galaxy with other beings. However, her home world is filled with xenophobic idiots. Gwen gets her ass kicked in her first encounter with the fascists and struggles with self-doubt for most of the season. Eventually she snaps out of her funk, inspires everybody to stay the course, and seizes the moment. Her ascendence to command feels not only appropriate but hard-earned. This is contrasted with the overly boastful character of Dal (Brett Gray) learning humility.
Embedded in the middle of the season is a delightful side-quest where Zero (Angus Imrie), the non-corporeal being trapped inside a disco-ball, gets a real body. Not only is this a fun character-development story, it is a sly way to address the topic of identity without attracting screeches from the MAGA crowd. Identity is a lot more complex for kids today than it was for my generation. Prodigy’s message of endurance and understanding in the face of change and uncertainty are a good way to remind everybody that (unlike the big rock kid) you do not need to have all the answers, right now.
Prodigy’s animation is good, with some oddball moments. The space and ship scenes are rich with detail. The characters sometimes move a bit strangely, and mouths seem funny — especially John Noble’s Ilthuran, who has a bizarre, puffy faced, Cheshire Cat look. One aspect of Prodigy I appreciate is that none of the characters are sexualized in any way. I cannot stand watching an animated show where the women are in skin-tight outfits and the guys all have ripped abs. I find that kind of animation (especially a show intended for kids) revolting. Prodigy keeps everybody in normal outfits with no jiggling boobs or waddling mooseknuckles.
It is sad that Prodigy has been cancelled. It is one of the best Trek shows ever made. I hope the new owners of Paramount will revive it. Nevertheless, if this is the last time we see the Prodigy gang, it was an excellent send off.
Godspeed, Prodigy.
