We just finished watching the first season* of Star Trek Prodigy, and it exceeded my expectations by light years. My first impression was that Star Trek and Star Wars sneaked off on vacation and had a baby together, and that sort of holds up. The series is over-the-top and cartoony. And yet, as with Lower Decks, this is pure ‘Essence of Trek.’
Here’s the setup; a prison is mining for precious minerals, but the director is secretly looking for a starship he knows is stashed somewhere in the asteroid. He is part of a plot to use the ship to destroy Starfleet – but a group of enslaved miners finds it first and steals it. He is, to put it lightly, not happy.
The miners are young, brought to the asteroid by a Kazon slaver. I suspect none live long enough to become old.
The ship they steal is a prototype, equipped with an experimental star drive and a hologram of Katherine Janeway. The series is as well-developed and tightly-told as any story in Trek. As the season comes to its climactic conclusion, Starfleet faces destruction as surely as from the Borg or the Dominion. While it has some frightening moments, it is kid-friendly (I should hope so, since it’s produced by Nickelodean).
Most of the species on the ship are familiar to Trekkies; there’s a Medusan, a Tellarite, a Vau N’Akat, a [redacted for spoilers], a Brikkar, and a Mellanoid Slime Worm. They’re smart, and tough, but they’ve all been through a lot of trauma.
One particular treat is the musical score, which is fully orchestral and brilliant, and this level of musical care is lavished on the whole series. Listen to this piece from the opening sequence:
- *Only one season was made before the show was dumped by Paramount Plus. But… Netflix to the rescue! It looks like we will get a second season. And I hope, more.
- StarTrek.com: “Star Trek Prodigy, a first look“
georgewiman 