#and the same with Dal and Gwyn in Prodigy

[aceofwands]

1000% and it's especially egregious in the modern shows imo because like, in Sisko's case it was a symptom of their overall "oh no this is our first concurrent spin-off we HAVE to differentiate it from TNG!!" panic - which also led to them doing stupid shit like forcing Avery to grow his hair out even though he was far more comfortable with his later look because heaven forbid they have two bald leads!!! hence them quickly and unceremoniously promoting him at the end of the third season when Ira was like ffs why exactly is he a Commander?? cause he also thought it was dumb as fuck (and wasn't in charge until season 3 lol)

but what is the excuse for the new stuff??? Disco especially pissed me the fuck off when they not only killed off Captain Georgiou and robbed us of the incredible opportunity to have our first Trek show where the Captain and First Officer duo are both women - but then to pour salt into the wound there was season after season of white dude Captains!!

I'm not saying I dislike the "having to wait for and earn the captaincy" storyline. There's obviously a lot of really interesting stories there and great character beats that have resulted in some of my favorite Trek characters. But there is an extremely noticeable pattern in which show leads need character development to move up the ranks

And who is presented as inherently qualified from the beginning

And before anyone mentions her, yes, I know we have Captain Freeman, but she's not the lead of her show

[letsplaythermalnuclearwar]

I am obsessed with the way Prodigy animates eyes. it's life changing. it's magical. Dal and Gwyn specifically. their eyes contain galaxies. seeing a close up of eyes in Prodigy is a life changing experience. I am not the same person I was before, nor do I regret that change.

[quarkmonger]

I struggled to get into Prodigy for a handful of reasons mainly animation, why are humans designed that way when everyone else looks sooo cool?? but I started watching once I found out Will Wheaton was going to be in it. I went in thinking I would Endure It for new Wesley content because I have been desperately hoping for more of his story since he showed up in Picard.

BUT PRODIGY SO GOOD!!

I have gotten so completely caught up in the story and main characters I forgot about this cameo, the show is fantastic. It's 20 episodes a season, so there's filler and development. It's episodic, classic Trek adventures with that over arching Big Bad Problem at the same time like DS9 or Voy. It's totally unique to the star trek universe, but also has enough connections to what came before for it to feel comfortable, familiar. It gives that distinctive feeling of acceptance and found family, that I think is part of why we all love Star Trek so much.

I am fascinated by Zero, utterly enthralled with Dal's struggles with wanting to captain but not being ready, Gwyn + Rok finding themselves. Percussive maintenance is a new favorite catch phrase, feelings of Voyager Nostalgia and my beloved EMH. I also wish I could understand Murf. I was so distracted by the fact that there's still opportunities for real original Sci fi species and tech that I screamed when Wesley showed up. In genuine delighted surprise. I was thinking it was Daniel's from ENT helping them

Outside of the current Situation™ they're trying to fix (I'm not done with s2 yet) Wesley seems happy. Challenged, making a difference while carving his own path, like he always wanted. Still pushing back against authority when it's the right thing to do. Like he's found himself and his place. He needs to call his mother more though.

I am curious though how much input Wil had on how he was presented, because this adult Wesley feels like he's been developed by someone who loved him.

[aaronwaltke]

In case you haven’t heard the news, Star Trek: Prodigy has been picked up by Netflix!

Star Trek fans across the galaxy — and young cadets in the making — have been granted the chance to see our series, many for the very first time. With a truly global audience, it is an extraordinary opportunity to grow our already formidable fanbase.

It is in no small part thanks to you, the fandom — who demonstrated through your extraordinary efforts that the stories of Starfleet, and the outsiders who aspire to it, will endure. We are so deeply humbled and grateful beyond words.

Many on the Prodigy team, including myself and the Hagemans, have created some exceptional television with Netflix — and we very much look forward to doing so again.

The possibilities are endless now that the world can see all 40 episodes of Prodigy’s first and second seasons in one place — which our passionate cast and crew have worked so tirelessly on — with the potential for more as we boldly go and seek out this new horizon.

If you wish to see more Dal and Gwyn and Rok-Tahk and Zero and Jankom and Murf, viewing the show on Netflix as soon as it drops — and telling others the good news, to do the same — is unequivocally the way.

There’s not much more to say. Other than…

Go fast. Spread the word. Together…

… We Saved Star Trek: Prodigy.

Set a course for home.

[teitpp]

Prodigy Recap

I love it I love it I love it I could watch it forever

I'm truly irrevokably in love. I'm done for. I'm probably going to rewatch this all month before I am satisfied I've fully taken it all in. I NEED to rewatch Mindwalk and Supernova again ASAP because knowing what I know now about the memories HJ had just recovered. I know it is going to wreck me to watch her in those episodes with S2 in mind.

My ship HELD HANDS GUYSSS. HE TOLD HER SHES HIS HOME. HE DIDNT FEEL LIKE HE BELONGED ANYWHERE UNTIL THEY MET. SHE BROKE TIME FOR HIM AGAIN AND AGAIN. HER EYES GOT SO BIG! THAT HUG LOOKED SO GOOD. (I'm getting off topic a lot but i need to get the "my ship is canon - in a way i don't hate!!!" fangirling out of my system.) breathe. breathe. okay gonna keep going.

Its gonna take me a few more watch throughs to fully wrap my head around the paradox. And around how you fit a humpback whale in the original ISS Voyager (seriously. has that been there the whole time? does OG Voyager have a whale? was she retrofitted in the AQ? did Mirror J steal a whale from 1996?) And if that timeline where KJ was lost on the infinity means shes also trapped on future solum with Chakotay or just dead. and and and... so many things. so many fic ideas. so many plot bunnies

(wait no -- shoves the plot bunnies away -- go away. not ready for more wips yet)

There. was. so. much. that I loved. it was such an ambitious story to tell in 2 seasons and oh my god, i really feel they mostly pulled it off. They brought back Voyagers legacy characters and put them to work in a plot that fit them, and it was such a joy to see them again. They stay true to who they were on Voyager - thoroughly wonderfully 100x better than on Voyager in Chakotays case. and i really believe theyre the same characters with a few more years of life since ive last met them.

And the new characters too. I love Dal and Gwyn and Rok and Murf and Zero and Jankom and Maj'el to pieces. (Majel!!! is such a perfect tribute!) I want to see so much more of Noum and Tysses. I am in tears over Adreek. God how much i want Season 3 just to see how their stories continue.

But I think... what strikes me most and what I appreciated the most was how much this show wholeheartedly respects its fans!!!

It never dumbs things down or babies it's younger audience. its very mature for a kids show. it is a great introduction to star trek and the universe without over explaining. there are storylines in these 40 episodes that would be right at home in TNG or Voyager. it's really more of a fun for the whole family show than a kids show in that way. (it says something that it's the first "cartoon" my parents have ever cared for and they are watching it wholely for themselves.) It really manages to tell the story in a framing thats aimed at kids without taking anything away from the story its telling for all ages.

And it's adult audience...

I worried about how it would feel to have enjoyed such a rich fanon universe in the 3 decades since the show ended. There were advantages to having a ship with very little canon. the fan universe thrived on how much room there was to work within. After that - having headcanoned and written and imagined so many futures for the characters - I feared having some new canon come in and make a new story for them that would invalidate so much if that imagination, or create something so unsatisfying or rigid or antithical to their last canon encounter that nothing new would be inspired by it. (P/C in Picard was like that for me)

Prodigy didnt do that. Prodigy made no grand sweeping canon for the years in between Voyagers homecoming and the new show. Prodigy didnt shoe horn any character into a rigid relationship status. Prodigy picked them up, set them on a new adventure, sprinkled in tantalyzing new details, and left a wealth of room around the events of the season and the relationships between the characters for so much fan imagination to thrive. The possibilities before and during and after the seasons for the characters are bountiful and perfect for imagining their other adventures. I couldnt have imagined my ship becoming canon (or maybe affirmed by the canon is a clearer way to put it) in a better way.

And then they went and added Tank Top Action Janeway in there as a treat.

Truly a masterpiece. i'm so grateful for this show. i hope it gets the 3rd season it so dearly deserves.

[itsmyfandomandilikeit]

Making Up Prodigy Episode Concepts Until We Get a Season 2 Release Date

Transporter clone episode except Dal gets separated into 26 teenaged boys of various species. All of them are uniquely annoying. Several crew members on the Voyager-A request a transfer.

One of the kids accidentally says "Computer, shut down Janeway" to the real Janeway's face. They all spend the next month cleaning conduits.

While in the Delta quadrant, the Voyager-A takes a brief detour to check in on the salamander babies, who are now about the same age as Rok-Tahk. She's excited about meeting them and everyone else, for various reasons, just feels bad.

Gwyn realizes her actions could prevent her own birth and spends about 23 minutes agonizing over the moral responsibility she has to prevent catastrophe even at the cost of her own existence before someone finally tells her that time travel in Star Trek doesn't work that way.

The Rev-12 catches up with the Cerritos. Despite attempts to keep the Catian kitten away from Dr. T'ana, many new expletives are learned.

A remake of the Okona captain's log rant except it's Tysess whining into his personal log about how Janeway spends all her time giving Dal advice now and doesn't pay attention to him anymore.

[startrekprodigyfan]

Warp Reactor is a new Star Trek fan. He’s been slowly getting into the franchise mostly through Lower Decks and TOS reactions. But recently he’s started up Prodigy and he’s been amazing to watch.

And while I encourage all of you to watch his content regardless, the most recent reaction he did to “Terror Firma” actually gave me perspective about something I had not considered before.

SPOILERS FOR BOTH SEASONS BELOW

Through all of his reactions he has really liked Gwyn. And even when Gwyn has been doing bad things he recognizes her strength as a leader. Dal frustrates him because Dal doesn’t have that same level of leading quality (yet), but he does recognize why Dal is the way he is.

And in season 1 episode 5, Warp Reactor has already correctly guessed that this will turn into a Captain/First Officer relationship. And for me, now having the benefit of season 2’s ending in mind, it’s fascinating that the seeds of that were planned THAT far back in the show. He’s picked up on something in the first 5 episodes that won’t get paid off for another 35!

Which not only is an indication of how much he appreciates writing, but also how GOOD the writing of Prodigy actually is that these little hints and foreshadowing are being laid down this early too!

THIS is why I want more react channels to react to Prodigy. They can often bring different perspectives I hadn’t considered into focus and gives me a greater appreciation for the work.

[miminmimikyu]

Episode 7-8: so, one day after drinking that coffee + espresso abomination Dal thinks diving into a Borg transwarp conduit to save travel time is a good idea. And later starts admitting that he has a tendency to forget about everything else when there’s an important mission to focus on. Who does that remind me of?

So the death racing episode that disabled Zero is simultaneously a breather episode lmao

Of course the Kazon Maje wasn’t the big bad in this episode, that would ask for some unprecedented competence from them :’D love how so far they’ve been relegated to “child abductors for a despotic slaver” and now “doing kidnapping for a rogue ai that’s channeling world’s worst tutor”. Not even that really, this Maje pretty much is forced into an “NPC who makes you do a racing sidequest on pain of death” role.

Ohh I really love the personality swaps in the holograms! The voice acting is so good! Brett Gray’s version of Zero was so spot I had to go back a bit just to listen if it wasn’t actually Angus Imrie imitating Brett Gray’s voice @_@ Same for Angus Imrie’s Dal!! Rylee Alazraqui’s Jankom shouting at the Doc and Jason Mantzoukas’ Rok Takh being so sweet and innocent are so funny! Also, taking the Gwyn hologram out is such a convenient way to prevent Murf’s personality from talking

only just realising the Maj’el - Majel Barett name connection!!

Ovidia IV is so pretty and the designs of the corporeal non-corporeal aliens are so cool but it’s a trap it’s a trap it’s a trap, it’s giving me Star Trek TOS vibes of “Faustian bargain aliens” or “planet with a death ritual masquerading as a incredible party”.

After watching the whole episode, setting aside the scenes on Voyager-A, episode 8 really really felt so much like a TOS episode with a modern twist to me! It had the uncanny idyllic planet, the race of telepaths enthralled by their senses, the weird euphoric call to death, culty death festival, the inability to leave once you’ve made The Choice.. but then it has the emotional arc you see in NuTrek and also includes a beautiful, thrilling scene flying on top of the Nazamon (very Discovery). And obviously without the gruesome deaths and madness that would have accompanied a TOS episode. (Ok maybe TOS deaths aren’t that gruesome compared to Disco/Pic//SNw but when I was 9-10 and watching TOS repeats with my dad on Sunday afternoons against my will it was terrifying so that’s what in my brain now). And despite the weird vibes they weren’t actually bad people, just dangerously secretive.

Zero’s arc is also so interesting. Their desire to obtain corporeal body is such a contrast from S1 Zero, who waxed lyrical about life with other Medusans, how they miss it and how it’s like nothing the others can imagine. It figures that now they’re liberated from being a living torture device and have had time to spend so much time enjoying freedom with their corporeal friends, they are able to put into words something might be missing. The joy on their face and in their voice after the transfiguration was so sweet! Also I like these shots through Zero’s cracked visor

I think it’s also an interesting juxtaposition that the previous episode, which ended in Zero performing a self-sacrificial, disabling manoeuvre, started with the gang diving into a Borg transwarp conduit and Zero voicing discomfort (fear) at that. Zero did stop talking less about their Medusan physiology post-Borg encounter (also after injuring Gwyn?) iirc. There was that fear of hurting others just by being Medusan. But this episode talks about fear being an essential aspect of life (ok. corporeal life i guess). Also interesting that Prodigy is framing the corporeal/non-corporeal thing as a binary. I hope it's going to delve a little deeper into that and go a little more complex. I can't wait to see if Zero’s new body lasts and what its possible deterioration will mean for Zero and their feelings about living as a Medusan among humanoids.

Another thing that I like about this episode is that the gang only cares that Zero was properly informed about what choice they were making and that they were safe during the process. They are sure that Zero knows what’s best for Zero.

Poor Gwyn can't catch a break, even her hologram is traumatised now.

Can’t believe how strong this first half of the season is already. If season 1 is anything to go by it’s going to be a hell of a two parter for the midseason finale!!!!!

(I’m still in doubt about the Entity being a time-displaced Chakotay, because in the second message it called Janeway “Janeway” and not “Kathryn” or “Captain” or “Admiral”. Even if he was trying to hide his identity for timey wimey reasons I can’t imagine he’d call her just Janeway and not “vice admiral Kathryn Janeway” or some other more businesslike title.)

Oh no these posts are getting so long OTL

[aromantictendi]

Prodigy Season 2 thoughts:

This took me forever to get up, but overall really loved this season. So glad I managed to get a hold of it in a way that supported the show, hopefully it helps them get another season.

A few specifics:

Likes

I thought Maj'el was a great addition to the main cast. I appreciate with so many major female Vulcan characters in Trek now, they all still have such different personalities.

I loved sailing the protostar ship. One of my favourite Trek tropes is linking space travel with ocean sailing.

On a similar note, the whale navigation scene through the wormhole. Also the whales in general, I love how prodigy has handled cetacean ops in an actual serious way.

Glimpses of the Voyager mirror universe 👀

Great return for Wesley in general. I really like the slight of hand with the rubber tree people. We know Chakotay's connection to them, but Wesley joined the travelers through a connection on Dorvan V which is the same planet Chakotay is most likely from. While Journey's End and the Voyager Rubber Tree people episodes were a bit problematic, I kind of like linking the linking of the Rubber Tree people and the Travelers in Trek lore. (On a similar note thank you for finally giving Chakotay a real life tribe to connect him to.)

I'm slightly obsessed with the Tuvix universe.

Dislikes

Zero's corporeal body arc. I didn't hate it, and it could have been worse, but I always bristle at the idea that being human and experiencing things the way humans do is the objective best way. Even when we're introduced to the Medusans in TOS and Kollos melded with Spock, they loved the various sensations but hated the isolation and loneliness.

Still not finding out Dal's origin story (who made you?). Honestly other than Gwyn, there's still a lot we don't know about most of the character's backgrounds. Please give us more seasons!

[scifijoan]

Disappointment with Prodigy

I thought I was over this until a recent conversation triggered the same emotions so I thought I’d write down my thoughts. I’m a devoted Janeway/Chakotay shipper and I loved that Prodigy brought these two characters back.  There were some wonderful moments between them over the two seasons of the show. The meaningful looks and touches (which are more difficult to accomplish with animation), the hugs, the nods to special items, even the acknowledgement of other characters that they understood how special Janeway and Chakotay were to each other. The tantalizing look at their mirror version selves where they were an actual couple. The greatly anticipated emotional reunion between them once Chakotay was rescued from the remote planet.

 Yet overall, I am not satisfied. In fact, I’m still annoyed.

If Janeway/Chakotay is canon, why not openly acknowledge it? Why be cagey? Why play games?

You could argue that Star Trek is mostly an adventure show, not a romance.  That would be true.  But we’ve seen multiple couples dating and many of them getting married such as: Miles and Keiko (Next Generation), Dax and Worf (DS9), and Tom and B’Elanna (Voyager).

You could suggest that Star Trek doesn’t want to get into more intimate issues when it comes to relationships.  That they are averse to showing sexual scenes. Yet every Trek show has implied sexual encounters: Kirk and random alien woman of the week, Riker and random alien woman of the week. Even Harry had sex with an alien woman (and got into big trouble!). Don’t even get me started on Trip/T’Pol of Enterprise where there is absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind that sex occurred.

You might say, Prodigy is a cartoon aimed for a younger audience.  This is true but with kids breaking out of prison and multiple dangerous situations, would showing a loving couple kissing once really be that traumatic? That emotionally scaring?

And there was an actual kiss in Prodigy – between Dal and Gwyn.  So that argument doesn’t hold water.

Star Trek has conclusively shown us tons of established couples over the years, so the writers apparently know how to do this. In the latest versions of Trek, Seven and Raffi shared a kiss. Beverley and Picard obviously had to have sex at least once to produce Jack. 

How hard would it be to show Janeway and Chakotay as an established couple?

Then we have the final scene in Prodigy season 2.  Chakotay shows up at Janeway’s farmhouse where she acts like she hasn’t got a clue why he’s there. That she has no idea what he’s been up to. Not the behavior of two people in a relationship.

Let me ask, why would Janeway retire and Chakotay be the one to hurry back to Starfleet? She’s the one who always puts duty first.  Her life is Starfleet. It’s in her blood. While Chakotay already knows Starfleet is flawed, he left the organization to join the Maquis.  And now he’s been held prisoner, possibly tortured and marooned on a distant world. He’s lost ten years of his life! How old is he at this point? Hasn’t the man endured enough trauma? Wouldn’t it make more sense for him to retire?

And what was Chakotay thinking about those ten years? Honestly, if he loved Janeway, wouldn’t their reunion be the best time to profess it? To grab the chance that he thought he’d lost forever to be with the love of his life?

But no, apparently the draw of Starfleet is far more important. Far more alluring.

If Janeway felt that way for him, wouldn’t it be the same issue? She put everything on the line to find him, even risking her professional reputation, searching for him for over two years. And now, it’s just, “Hey, glad you’re back. See you later”?

Does this make any sense?

Most people either commit to a relationship or they don’t.  They don’t pine after someone yet put off getting together (or actually kissing) for years on end.  This is a foolish and overly romantic notion.  Human beings don’t work that way.

But now, after ten years, he’s more than happy to see her once every few months?

How old are they at this point anyway? Chakotay’s gained ten additional years on her. Why would they continue to put off a relationship? Do any of us meet the love of our life at age 40 yet wait until we’re 65 years old to act on it? What’s the point?

Guess we’d have to have some life-changing event to force the issue.  But, oh wait…didn’t they just do that?

Let’s face it, the reason Janeway/Chakotay was in Prodigy was to get Janeway/Chakotay fans to watch.  To appeal to a built-in fanbase. Period.

If we were part of the target audience, why not give us fans what actually we want?

Closure.

Did any of you watch Prodigy only wanting their deep friendship?

I don’t think so.

As it is, all we have is plausible deniability. Non Janway/Chakotay fans say, they’re just close friends.  And there’s absolutely nothing definitive to refute that point of view. Even Kate Mulgrew stoked that fire when she is quoted as saying, “The result was Janeway revealing that her love for Chakotay goes deeper than romance, and that made for a real tear-jerker even if some were disappointed they didn't officially become a couple”

Read that again.

“Even if some were disappointed they didn't officially become a couple.”

Does this sound like canon to you?

Now, let me make myself crystal clear, my annoyance is with the Star Trek production team and writers, not Janeway/Chakotay fans.  If you’re a loyal Janeway/Chakotay fan and feel you got what you wanted or needed from Prodigy, that it feels like they’re a couple, that it’s enough for you, I’m happy for you. And if you interpret the events of Prodigy differently, I respect that.

Personally, I’m tired of manipulative Hollywood crap.

Thank God for the wonderful Janeway/Chakotay fans who really keep this fandom alive with wonderful stories, photo manipulations and videos. We do a much better job!

[joju-but-trek]

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2, Episode 2: Into the Breach, Part 2

People tend to think of Star Trek as a linear order of events, but in reality, it's a timey-wimey ball that you'd understand if you read the damn manual.

This episode is fun. I like the direction the series is going in, and I think I made the right call by spacing it out and doing an episode at a time. That being said, the premiere is a two-parter, and I probably should have treated it as one. The status quo changes a lot in part 2, and it lead to me making a significant number of statements I probably wouldn't have if I had known about that. But I did it to myself, and part of the experiment here is me intentionally watching the show as if it was a staggered release.

I think I like the premise more as it's presented here, but I would have gladly watched the show I thought I was watching during part 1. But as a whole intro to the series it definitely gets a 10/10.

I made the mistake of doing a bit more searching last night, so I know a few things are going to be much more significant than they'd seem from this episode. I'm trying hard not to spoil myself, though. That being said, Maj'el is cool. She's a good add to the cast, and I look forward to all the things that she will eventually do. In this episode, she was a fun counterpoint to the team, and I like that she's stuck with them now. The one spoiler I'll steal ahead of time is people calling Maj'el a Vulcan Sixth Ranger. I'm here for that title.

At the same time, I'm loving what they're doing with Rok and giving her space from the others. It's a great arc for her that she wants to go through the channels to join Starfleet to the point where she's at odds with the rest of the team. It's interesting that now her problem is too much conformity after spending last season proving that she didn't have to be typecast as the Big Guy. I'm excited for whatever she's going to do.

Gwyn's also back now, and doing some very cool things on Solum. I like that she tries to do first contact, but Ascencia already got there. Ascencia is a fun villain, and I'm glad she's back in a meaningful capacity. I also like that Gwyn still goes to the younger version of her father after everything. There are a few ways this storyline can go and all of them are extremely compelling.

And we have Dal, Zero, Jankum, and Maj'el going to the future together. This is a fun use of time travel, a fun storyline, and a great way of getting them into it. I like that it's an accident and that they weren't trying to do it. It'll be fun to watch them try to resolve that even after they get back. The timeline here is also incredibly twisty in a way that I like. It does make me think I should revisit season 1 to remind myself how it worked there, and I'll probably do that, but I'm on board.

I'm realizing how much I'm probably missing because I haven't seen season 1 since Paramount tried to memory hole it, so I'm going to go watch some of it and then maybe share some more opinions.

[mysticshadows13]

Gwyndala, Progeny to The Diviner, Vau N’akat, crew member of The Protostar, smart badass, was not a touchy feely person or a hugger.

She knows what a hug is, of course. When another being encircles their arms around you and squeezes. The others claim it is comforting. She does not believe that. Being squeezed does not sound comforting. It sounds painful.

When they were on that thorny planet, Larry the Murder Planet, the fake had offered her a hug. It's how she knew he was fake, because her Father doesn't hug. If she did well enough, pleased him enough, she'd get a pat on the shoulder. (She doesn't remember it happening.)

The first time Zero places a hand on her shoulder, Gwyn fights the instinct to freeze (she hadn't done anything good for a pat, and while she had betrayed and almost stranded them, she doesn't think this'll lead to a lecture or punishment: the others don't seem to touch while lecturing.)

Zeros’ hand is strangely warm for a robot hand, and the pressure feels nice and Gwyn ignores what Zero is saying as she tries not to lean into the hand. She's not entirely sure Zero knows they're doing it, since they have so much trouble with their hands already.

Jankom is the next to lay a hand on her, and Gwyn is surprised as he pats her twice (she didn't do anything special, not to warrant the praise.) Except he speaks comfort, not praise, and she is confused.

His hand is a hard weight, heavy, and yet still comforting as well. The pressure is almost too much, and she leans into it as much as she can without being obvious about it.

She pets Murf, who's slime somehow gets everywhere on her and she swears.

The first time Rok hugs her, Gwyn stills her hands. She wants to attack, but it is Rok, who can't hurt a Bazarian Flea, who can't bear the thought of her friends being hurt. (Gwyn…thinks they're friends, but she doesn't have many referendums…. references. She doesn't consider Rok a Dreadnok, so probably they're friends?)

She thought a hug would be painful, crushing. Rok traps her arms, squeezes, but it is not crushing, it is warm and comfortable and Gwyn leans in as much as she can.

Gwyndala, Progeny to The Diviner, Vau N’akat, crew member of The Protostar, smart badass, is not used to offering touch, yet she knows to receipt…reciprocate the touches she has been given.

She lays a hand on Dals’ shoulder after Nandi betrays him, hoping it offers the same comfort Jankom gave her. She's unsure if it was correct, but Dal didn't push her away, so she thinks it helped.

After the temporal mess, where she was alone and she didn't make it, all Gwyn could think about was Rok and how she was all alone when she really shouldn't be alone because she's a people person and Gwyn makes a promise to herself that she'll hug Rok hard as she can.

Rok is right there. And Gwyn runs up to her and hugs her, (she really needs one) and Rok wraps her arms around Gwyn and squeezes, and Gwyn realizes exactly how comforting the hug is. And she makes a vow to keep doing it.

She pets Murf again. A horrible idea still.

Hugging Jankom feels wrong but she still wants to acknowledge the friendship with him. After helping him fix the engine once, she ruffles his hair on her way out.

She says goodbye the same way on Tars Lamora.

After they save everyone on Tars Lamora, and everything else that happens, Gwyn promises that she's going to keep hugging every one of her friends because they need it.

After meeting the Borg, and almost losing Zero, Gwyn hugs them. It's a soft hug. They can escape if they want but one she knows they need.

Gwyn starts taking every opportunity to hug her friends.

Gwyndala, Progeny to The Diviner, Vau N’akat, crew member of The Protostar, smart badass, has become a hugger.

[sirellas]

prodigy s2 thoughts after watching the whole thing. got kinda long :/

good: i love solum and the vau nakat. they were the shining light of this season. i wish there had been more. i was prepared to be meh on their storyline which was also gwyn's, just because last season was kind of meh - a recycle of that aos movie plot with the sole survivor who comes back to genocide the federation, etc etc. but this season added so much needed depth and interesting visuals! that planet is so cool!

GWYNDALA! her story and her arc this season!!! very good. child of a destroyed world who goes back in time to save them, only to find her time nemesis already there poisoning their minds against her because she's an outsider to her own people! girl what!!! and she meets her pre-evil dad who has a man bun!! and she goes through a sacred ritual to prove she belongs there and be able to save them but she can't even speak the language!!! she is probably one of my top favorite new trek characters, no joke. her being captain at the end felt earned and GOOD (i mean yeah silly too. these are criminal children who have never read a starfleet manual lol why are they getting their own starfleet ship)

on the flip side, i hate dal <3 truly the purple jack crusher.

not good: solum was at the beginning for an episode or two, and at the end for a bit. the in between episodes lacked a lot of direction from beginning to get to the end. very walkabout way when they're supposed to be solving the universe's time existence or something. i really think they found starfleet too soon in this show. they needed more time to develop as characters before the introduction of real federation people and places that are already well known to the viewer. i just found it boring when almost every "new" thing they encountered was actually just a callback to another show. prodigy has some really interesting new ideas in the context of trek but they're so few that they get overshadowed by the nostalgia bait.

not good, but to be expected [SIGH]: it's nostalgia bait but it's also new trek canon compliance bait. episode 20 of this season was basically just a prologue for picard.

okay another good thing because i told myself not to be too negative: such a pretty show omg. the landscapes of alien worlds and the space shots and the cool new aliens and monsters!!! literally this is the highlight of this show. it's so creative with alien worlds in a way other trek that's not animated can't be, but with more care for details and beauty than tas or lwd.

bad: the humanoid character animation is very bad. when people say prodigy's animation is bad, this is what they mean. which is a shame because it's such a beautifully animated show for everything besides normal people lol. another reason i think they should have spent more time away from the federation in s1 is because their human models are so bad!!! this show relies on a lot of character speech, closeup dramatic moments. and it's bad. i'm so sorry to invoke st*r w*rs in this write up but they were making 3d cartoons in 2014 with better character animation than this.

wonderful: maj'el the azula-coded vulcan hotshot pilot who makes out vulcan sloppy style with the they/them non-corporeal being

very bad: jack crusher.

bummer: wesley, beverly, jack crusher reuinion in meh animation. it's disheartening!!! those people deserve better (not jack) than this.

bummer, continued: sooo many good character moments in this show. but the character animation is bad. i love the vau nakat because they move within the limitations of this animation style because they didn't exist before, so it feels like a natural part of them. same with the other new elements designed for this show. THOSE are the characters and story elements that should be focused on, not these random starfleet people that die left and right. seriously i think all of chakotay's crew and most of janeway's just die. or get erased from time.

i've complained enough about chakotay already but one last time: why do we keep trying to make chakotay work. why do we keep trying to make robert beltran work. one is founded on racist stereotypes and the other is just a fascist. chakotay doesn't have to be here!

saw someone else say they should have dropped 5 episodes at a time and yeah. dropping 20 at once sets it up for failure tbh. i mean this whole season was obviously set up for failure, but i think its only shot is longevity among fans. which i don't see happening really. and telling people to watch it in rude guilt-y ways like i see dominating the prodigy tag on here isn't going to cut it tbh.

i think ultimately my issues with prodigy are the same with as most new trek. they present some hit-or-miss fucked up ideas they don't seem to fully understand, and then sandwich them between super heartfelt toxic positivity "we can achieve anything if we try hard enough and also love our friends enough" messages. star trek needs strong character-driven plots and intense acting to make their weird stories work and that's still prodigy's weak point.

the tragedy is i think this show WANTS to focus on the aliens and the new things it introduces instead of the nostalgia bait, but it has to sell out and put janeway in a tanktop to get adult fans interested, the same fans who yell at everyone to watch this show or else. this season would have been better with more time spent on solum, more time developing the individual characters new to this show, and less federation.

overall rating of prodigy s2: still better than any season of picard. and very pretty.

[allstartrekgames]

Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova

Original Release: 2022

Developer: Tessera Studios

Publisher: Outright Games

Platform: Xbox One/Series, PS4/5, Switch, PC

Set during episodes 10 and 11 of the TV show (not based on the season 1 finale of the same name), this game follows an adventure of the Prototstar crew as they try follow Starfleet’s principles of helping others. The story has them investigate a Dyson Sphere, where the star is being drained and on the verge of becoming supernova.

You play the game as Gwyn and Dal, either with another person in local co-op or swapping between them when you want when playing singleplayer. The game is aimed at kids and is heavily inspired by the LEGO games, although there’s no platforming in Supernova, but instead a bigger focus on puzzles.

The puzzles are the game’s highlight, and while a lot are simple, some of them, particularly later on, require a bit of thinking. The game introduces more elements as it goes on, then combines it with the previous stuff. Some puzzles also have a hidden extra puzzle on top of them, required for hunting down collectibles.

Combat is against Watchers, the machines from the show. There are different kinds of watchers, such as ones that shoot and ones that charge. They can also have other properties, such as being explosive upon defeat or having a healing circle. You can use melee attacks or shoot – with Gwyn being better up close and Dal from a distance – and you’ll need to dash a lot to avoid enemy attacks. Combat gets surprisingly frantic, considering the game is aimed at kids, but the variety in watchers unfortunately doesn’t stop it from becoming repetitive quite quickly. One of the missions also crashed a few times, requiring me to re-do some long stretches of it again.

The dialogue for the most part is pretty good. It captures the show well and hints at things that the show deals with in the second half of season 1, with some good interactions between the crew and Holo Janeway. The references, however, I did notice to be oddly specific to a degree I never noticed in the show, referencing planets and locations (such as “Romulus Death Valley”) as though they were second nature, even though they hadn’t heard of Romulus until at most a few weeks earlier.

Supernova feels like an ideal game for a parent and a child to play. It does drag on a bit as it’s repetitive, but it’s got a charming story and some interesting puzzles – including some where the two characters get split in time and the player in the past has to set things up for the player in the present.

[itsmyfandomandilikeit]

The differences between Star Trek shows is largely about the difference in the captains. You never get the same kind of captain twice, they are all a different, like, concept. After Kirk, a powerful improviser, Picard was supposed to be a much more refined, experienced sort who know exactly what procedure called for in every situation, but the show also started to push him to the limits of that concept, tried to break him down as a person. Janeway and Voyager was this idea of like, what if a captain is put into this very long term situation where it seems almost like the rules shouldn't matter, and what is she going to do to keep herself and her crew 'human' while also keeping them alive. Enterprise was like, what if you start with somebody completely green with no knowledge of leadership or the galaxy or what should be done in basically any situation. How would that person learn and grow? What would history learn from that person? And on top of that, most of the shows try to expand Star Trek's representation of different groups, as Sisko was the first black series lead, Janeway was the first female series lead, etc.

Anyway Prodigy is like, what if you had a guy who chose charisma as his dump stat. Like what kind of captain can somebody even be if they are difficult to work with, habitually pretty unlikeable due to learned habits from an abusive parent, overconfident, odd-looking in-universe and not believed in most conflicts with authority. Do they need to learn to fit in? Do they need to conform? Is it enough to just believe in yourself and prove yourself to your crew through your actions or do you actually need to change?

To be clear, I love Dal to bits. That being said, in the story, he's seen largely as a shifty character by everyone and isn't valued by anyone other than Gwyn at the start of the story. It takes a long time and a lot of goodwill from the rest of his crew for them to really become a team, and people only really start to see his good qualities through his actions or through his persistence. I think this is really interesting. It's a pretty uncommon character type to have someone who isn't fundamentally 'bad' but is fundamentally irritating as your series lead. I'm a huge fan.

[aniketsanimationblog]

Okay, Star Trek: Prodigy Fans, I know, or Rather As We All Know, we cannot wait for the Official Confirmation News, regarding the New Home of ST: Prodigy, as well as the Second Season of it!! While we are still Raising Our Voices as loud as we can, until our demands be fulfilled, Do a Favor!!

There is "Battle of the Ships" 2023 happening and going on TellTaleTV's Website, that same platform, where ST: Prodigy won this year's TellTaleTV Awards in 2023. And by my recommendation, I have given, they nominated the Catboots Duo, aka Dal & Gwyn's Ship, nicknamed "Gwynal" by Yours Truly, in the "Ship of the year in Comedy & Animated Series" category!! If you want, then go vote for them!! The rules are the same, just like The TellTaleTV Awards 2023!!

I know, it's not a Right Time to say, because of the Massacres happening right now around "Star Trek Prodigy" and the Animation Industry as a Whole!! But, still, vote for this Cute & Greatly Executable Ship for the event in the meanwhile!! We're still raising our voices to Save ST: Prodigy!! So, keep raising up the Voices to Save Star Trek: Prodigy!!

To vote for the ship, click below!! It's in Category #3