Star Trek: Prodigy

[Zookster]

If you go into this with the expectation that it's a kids show and not the latest and greatest Star Trek U spinoff, I found it's actually quite entertaining, at least based on the first two-part episode. In some ways, I think it's less juvenile than Lower Decks, which frequently resorted to way-too-over-the-top stupid-silly situations that defied even cartoon sci-fi physics/logic.

The jury is still out on Prodigy after one episode, but the animation looked as good as anything else on TV and the setup is intriguing. It's like a mashup between the Star Wars Clone Wars animated series and the Playstation Ratchet and Clank video game series. My only complaint is the cutsey mascot-type alien pals, but it is a kids show after all.

 

[Foxbat]

It felt more Star Wars than Star Trek, until the ship appeared. I’ll watch to see where they end up going with this.

”Lower Decks” took a sudden turn away from juvenile with the 2nd season finale. In some ways it struck me as what “The Orville” started out as, a comedy that has turned more serious and less frivolous. Part of me thinks that “Lower Decks” wouldn’t exist without “The Orville”, and “ST: Prodigy” wouldn’t without the Disney+ Star Wars animated series like Clone Wars or Rebels.

 

[Zookster]

It felt more Star Wars than Star Trek, until the ship appeared. I’ll watch to see where they end up going with this.

”Lower Decks” took a sudden turn away from juvenile with the 2nd season finale. In some ways it struck me as what “The Orville” started out as, a comedy that has turned more serious and less frivolous. Part of me thinks that “Lower Decks” wouldn’t exist without “The Orville”, and “ST: Prodigy” wouldn’t without the Disney+ Star Wars animated series like Clone Wars or Rebels.

I enjoyed the second season of Lower Decks much more than the first. Only a couple really ridiculous moments stood out in the second season, like when the Cerrito's engineer turned into that giant omnipotent head idol and when that ambassador filled the entire ship by duplicating himself whenever he got nervous or upset. It's times like that I feel like I'm watching a Saturday morning kids cartoon when literally any random thing can happen at any time. And then after it happens, it's treated like any other bizarre encounter. It might be okay if I found it to be genuinely funny, like some of the crazy stuff that happens in South Park. But Lower Decks often seems like it can't decide if it wants to be totally over-the-top parody or more story and character-driven, like traditional Trek. The second season was definitely headed in the right direction.

I could never get past the trailer of the Orville to even watch the first episode, but I've since heard a lot of good things about it. Maybe I'll give it a chance if I see it on one of my streaming services.

 

[Jimbo]

I enjoyed the second season of Lower Decks much more than the first. Only a couple really ridiculous moments stood out in the second season, like when the Cerrito's engineer turned into that giant omnipotent head idol and when that ambassador filled the entire ship by duplicating himself whenever he got nervous or upset. It's times like that I feel like I'm watching a Saturday morning kids cartoon when literally any random thing can happen at any time. And then after it happens, it's treated like any other bizarre encounter. It might be okay if I found it to be genuinely funny, like some of the crazy stuff that happens in South Park. But Lower Decks often seems like it can't decide if it wants to be totally over-the-top parody or more story and character-driven, like traditional Trek. The second season was definitely headed in the right direction.

I could never get past the trailer of the Orville to even watch the first episode, but I've since heard a lot of good things about it. Maybe I'll give it a chance if I see it on one of my streaming services.

The Orville should be available on Hulu, and Disney now.

 

[Foxbat]

FYI, “Star Trek: Prodigy” is back after the holiday break.

 

[Foxbat]

The Orville should be available on Hulu.

Season three is debuting June 2nd now. Take a look over in the Orville thread for the four minute video from Hulu.

I’ve been enjoying “Star Trek: Prodigy”, it’s now brought in Time Travel (it wouldn’t be Star Trek without bending the Timeline, now would it?)

 

[Zookster]

Decent finale. In spite of some of the annoying "cadets" and immature antics, this series had some decent ST universe storytelling and great animation. My biggest issue was the appearance of a Ferengi in one of the episodes, who apparently had been in the Delta Quadrant for a while. I Googled it and there is one Voyager episode that involved two Ferengi who had arrived and returned (at the end of the episode) through an unstable wormhole, that immediately closed. Of course the cadets wouldn't know anything about that, but the Janeway hologram seemed totally non-plussed about the appearance of an Alpha quadrant species.

 

[Jimbo]

Decent finale. In spite of some of the annoying "cadets" and immature antics, this series had some decent ST universe storytelling and great animation. My biggest issue was the appearance of a Ferengi in one of the episodes, who apparently had been in the Delta Quadrant for a while. I Googled it and there is one Voyager episode that involved two Ferengi who had arrived and returned (at the end of the episode) through an unstable wormhole, that immediately closed. Of course the cadets wouldn't know anything about that, but the Janeway hologram seemed totally non-plussed about the appearance of an Alpha quadrant species.

I remember bit and pieces of that episode with the Ferengi and Voyager, I think Kim was about to buy something from them at a post and Paris stopped him at the last moment, telling him that what he was buying was Fake. Typical Ferengi.

 

[Bruce]

I remember bit and pieces of that episode with the Ferengi and Voyager, I think Kim was about to buy something from them at a post and Paris stopped him at the last moment, telling him that what he was buying was Fake. Typical Ferengi.

That happened in the first episode with Quark when Voyager was at DS9, the episode with the Ferengi was ST:Voy Season 3 EP 5-

False Profits (episode)

Voyager discovers a pair of Ferengi who control the economy of a primitive world; nearby is an unstable wormhole that leads back home. The crew of USS Voyager find evidence of a wormhole having recently appeared and disappeared in a nearby solar system, and reason that, since it has been there...

memory-alpha.fandom.com

 

[TheKrell]

I read that the 2nd half of the 1st season is restarting tomorrow. In the same article, I also read that ST Lower Decks will have its season finale tomorrow as well.

 

[Bruce]

I read that the 2nd half of the 1st season is restarting tomorrow. In the same article, I also read that ST Lower Decks will have its season finale tomorrow as well.

Do not like 2 Cartoon Series in a row, read that Picard is totally done, special effects included, should of put that on, then Prodigy, then either Discovery or SNW, which ever is done first.

With the new Seven Series and the rumors of a Worf series, hopefully the drought of New Live Action Star Trek Series will end, Paramount+ needs a new Star Trek episode a week, whatever series it may be.

 

[TheKrell]

Do not like 2 Cartoon Series in a row

Who cares if it's "in a row"? I don't think much of animated series either as compared to live action, and that goes for the original Animated Series too which BTW was also a half hour show for no apparent reason. I watched a few early episodes of Lower Decks season 1 and I thought it was way too juvenile for me and I quit watching. But season 3 is much better IMHO. I almost bailed on season 1 of Prodigy as well given how unlikely the characters were in my estimation. But it too got better.

 

[Bruce]

Who cares if it's "in a row"? I don't think much of animated series either as compared to live action, and that goes for the original Animated Series too which BTW was also a half hour show for no apparent reason. I watched a few early episodes of Lower Decks season 1 and I thought it was way too juvenile for me and I quit watching. But season 3 is much better IMHO. I almost bailed on season 1 of Prodigy as well given how unlikely the characters were in my estimation. But it too got better.

I like Lower Decks, big fan of Rick and Morty and it is made by some of the same people.

 

[TheKrell]

I am enjoying Prodigy more and more.

Spoiler: Big event from last night's episode.

Last night they encountered a Borg cube with the drones all regenerating. Big save by Zero.

 

[Foxbat]

I am enjoying Prodigy more and more.

I know that it’s “supposed” to be a kid’s show, but the stories are really engaging Star Trek.

 

[TheKrell]

Prodigy lead author Aaron Waltke is writing a log on Instagram after a show airs, pretending to be Janeway. According to the log, Dr. Noum believes the Diviner’s “physiology may possess energy-based psychokinesis, not unlike some Zalkonians. Who are the Zalkonians, you ask? Here's a snippet from the STNG episode, Transfigurations:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j_aGdMinIM&t=244s

 

[TheKrell]

Well, there were a few unbelievable aspects to Crossroads, though I still enjoyed it. Not being able to return hails without having the weapon aboard the Protostar infect and destroy the Federation is unreasonable IMHO, since the adolescents flying around regularly beam down and talk to each other via communicator all the time with no ill effects. But I see why the writers did that.

Spoiler: Unbelievable plot twists

1. Abandon and hide Protostar to keep it from destroying the Federation
2. Find themselves on the same planet with the real Janeway, but run away rather than tell her what's going on with the Protostar.
3. Jump back in the Protostar and make a run for it.

 

[Foxbat]

Kids…

 

[TheKrell]

Kids…

What does that mean?

Are you explaining why there are unbelievable plotlines? Why you don't watch Prodigy?

 

[Foxbat]

Why you don't watch Prodigy?

I believe I explained above that I do, and I saw the plot complications you hid in the Spoilers above. I attributed their poor judgement to being "kids" and panicking. I wanted a on my "Kids…" comment but Scott was tinkering with SatGuys Warp Core and powered down all the Neat Toys.

I thought the obvious solution would have been to send a morse code signal through some light source that could not pass the virus along, but that would require Hologram Janeway to explain the signaling code and how to send it and the next thing you know, Murf is Weapons Officer.