Star Trek: Prodigy (s2)
Jul. 5th, 2024 08:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakIn which the fun show rudely dumped by Paramount + and rescued by Netflix ceates a very enjoyable second season. And manages to do a fixit or two for Star Trek: Picard.
I had liked the first season a lot when I watched it last year, and I think I like the second one even better, though they're hard to compare - s1 being an origin and getting-the-team-together story, which you can do only once. But also because if s1 had a bit of a Farscape vibe, s2 went for a bit of a Doctor Who vibe instead - while both were entirely ST shows, I hasten to add. I was curious which excuse the show would find to ensure our young heroes would again end up on a Starship (this being the premise) without basically pressing a reset button to how s1 ended, and the solution was entirely in-universe. Our reccurring characters were all their endearing themselves, and our new young character, Maj' El (spelling?), was a (female) Vulcan proving that so many decades in the running, ST shows can do Vulcans without needing to fear they'll be compared with Spock instead of being accepted intheir own right. And her tentatively building relationship with Zero was lovely. As for the new characters who were really old characters: see, this show aimed at kids managed to pull something off which ST: Picard abandoned doing in its third season. It managed to include characters from older ST shows without shoving the new ones aside and taking the overall story from them. (I mean, this was already true with Janeway last season, obviously, (all lincarnations of her), so I knew they could do it, but still. (BTW, speaking of Janeway: was v.v.v. amused that they found - for one episode - yet another version for Kate Mulgrew to voice this season in addition to Admiral Janeway and Holo!Janeway, I mean, i.e. Mirrorverse Janeway.) As someone who wasn't a fan of Chakotay on Voyager, I was pleasantly surprised that Star Trek: Prodigy managed to make me care. The Doctor (Voyager edition) early on was, I felt, used solely for comic relief, which of course was one of his main functions on VOY, too, but there he'd also been the outsider character looking at humanity/the crew which every ST show needs at last one of, and had gotten loads of character development, so I was glad that in the later half of the season he got some serious moments as well. But really, the absolute highlight was Wesley Crusher. Now he did have a short appearance at the end of s2 of Picard (showing up to recruit Kore as the Traveler had recruited him), but the second season of ST: Prodigy took that cameo and build an actual story around it. Given Wesley was the (much bashed at the time) orginal Prodigy, it makes perfect sense for him to show up in any form on this show, but they got creative and instead of giving him just a cameo made him actually important to the plot. And gave Wil Wheaton some acting to do. Now adult!Wesley after some years as a Traveler being essentially the Doctor (DW edition) or at least very Time Lordy in manner and demeanour wasn't something I expected, but you know, it totally worked. And I note that the show did on the one hand manage to plausibly show he's intelligent (and a little bit ruthless) by letting him trick Ascensia and let the grand plan not work in quite the way he expected so that our heroes still did what they did out of their own volition and heroism, and they did what both TNG and ST: Picard notoriously avoided doing, include some actual scenes featuring him and Beverly that were about them being son and mother. And I do hope someone now will write Traveler!Wes in fanfiction.
(I mean, I'm still not reconciled to the existence of Jack (II.), and still think Jack is a stupid plot device, but I respect Prodigy for making lemonade out of the lemon ST: PIC had handled them with the Beverly situation.)
Something else: I was all set to grumble that it's unfair the Diviner gets another chance by Gwyn meeting his younger self while Ascensia is solely portrayed as evil, and then the show also let Ascensia's younger self show up and thus showed that both the Diviner and Ascensia started out as good people before they made their choices leading them down the road of supervillaindom. Also, note that both younger versions came to the conclusion about the right thing to do not because Gwyn gave them spoilers but because they used their brain, compassion and attachment. BTW, this isn't redemption - because the younger selves haven't done anything wrong (yet) and to me a redemption storyline, a good one, of course, is only possible if the person redeeming themselves a) has done something to redeem themselves for out of their own volition and b) does so without the story demanding instant forgiveness from the people they've wronged - , but it is something appealingly ST- humane (in lack of a better term, I'm aware they are not humans), i.e. the idea that people don't just have the potential to be their worst selves but also to be better. And I thought the show played it right in terms of Gwyn's characterisation, too, i.e. show she behaved around this younger version of her father - it meant something to her that he was supportive of her, but she was still careful (and given the past, how could she not be).
Lastly: when I realised the season was consciously set in the immediate backstory time of ST: Picard (s1), i.e. the evacuation of the Romulans which was to come to an abrupt end once the Synth disaster happened, I thought, well, that's not a bad way to explain why Janeway hadn't been involved and what she was doing instead, and the fact Starfleet resources were stretched thin because of the Romulan evacuation and thus could not aid Janeway and our heroes on their mission was a good in-story way to ensure our heroes had to defeat the time paradox universe eating menace on their lonesome. But then in the last episode the show went and suprised me by actually letting Janeway be back in time to hear the depressing news and be indignant - and then go with our heroes to adventure some more. If this the end of the show, it's in the fine tradition of the original TNG ending, i.e. while providing a satisfying wrap up to the seasons before also letting room for more stories to come and leaving all main characters in emotional good places. In conclusion, I'm really grateful we got this second season.
I had liked the first season a lot when I watched it last year, and I think I like the second one even better, though they're hard to compare - s1 being an origin and getting-the-team-together story, which you can do only once. But also because if s1 had a bit of a Farscape vibe, s2 went for a bit of a Doctor Who vibe instead - while both were entirely ST shows, I hasten to add. I was curious which excuse the show would find to ensure our young heroes would again end up on a Starship (this being the premise) without basically pressing a reset button to how s1 ended, and the solution was entirely in-universe. Our reccurring characters were all their endearing themselves, and our new young character, Maj' El (spelling?), was a (female) Vulcan proving that so many decades in the running, ST shows can do Vulcans without needing to fear they'll be compared with Spock instead of being accepted intheir own right. And her tentatively building relationship with Zero was lovely. As for the new characters who were really old characters: see, this show aimed at kids managed to pull something off which ST: Picard abandoned doing in its third season. It managed to include characters from older ST shows without shoving the new ones aside and taking the overall story from them. (I mean, this was already true with Janeway last season, obviously, (all lincarnations of her), so I knew they could do it, but still. (BTW, speaking of Janeway: was v.v.v. amused that they found - for one episode - yet another version for Kate Mulgrew to voice this season in addition to Admiral Janeway and Holo!Janeway, I mean, i.e. Mirrorverse Janeway.) As someone who wasn't a fan of Chakotay on Voyager, I was pleasantly surprised that Star Trek: Prodigy managed to make me care. The Doctor (Voyager edition) early on was, I felt, used solely for comic relief, which of course was one of his main functions on VOY, too, but there he'd also been the outsider character looking at humanity/the crew which every ST show needs at last one of, and had gotten loads of character development, so I was glad that in the later half of the season he got some serious moments as well. But really, the absolute highlight was Wesley Crusher. Now he did have a short appearance at the end of s2 of Picard (showing up to recruit Kore as the Traveler had recruited him), but the second season of ST: Prodigy took that cameo and build an actual story around it. Given Wesley was the (much bashed at the time) orginal Prodigy, it makes perfect sense for him to show up in any form on this show, but they got creative and instead of giving him just a cameo made him actually important to the plot. And gave Wil Wheaton some acting to do. Now adult!Wesley after some years as a Traveler being essentially the Doctor (DW edition) or at least very Time Lordy in manner and demeanour wasn't something I expected, but you know, it totally worked. And I note that the show did on the one hand manage to plausibly show he's intelligent (and a little bit ruthless) by letting him trick Ascensia and let the grand plan not work in quite the way he expected so that our heroes still did what they did out of their own volition and heroism, and they did what both TNG and ST: Picard notoriously avoided doing, include some actual scenes featuring him and Beverly that were about them being son and mother. And I do hope someone now will write Traveler!Wes in fanfiction.
(I mean, I'm still not reconciled to the existence of Jack (II.), and still think Jack is a stupid plot device, but I respect Prodigy for making lemonade out of the lemon ST: PIC had handled them with the Beverly situation.)
Something else: I was all set to grumble that it's unfair the Diviner gets another chance by Gwyn meeting his younger self while Ascensia is solely portrayed as evil, and then the show also let Ascensia's younger self show up and thus showed that both the Diviner and Ascensia started out as good people before they made their choices leading them down the road of supervillaindom. Also, note that both younger versions came to the conclusion about the right thing to do not because Gwyn gave them spoilers but because they used their brain, compassion and attachment. BTW, this isn't redemption - because the younger selves haven't done anything wrong (yet) and to me a redemption storyline, a good one, of course, is only possible if the person redeeming themselves a) has done something to redeem themselves for out of their own volition and b) does so without the story demanding instant forgiveness from the people they've wronged - , but it is something appealingly ST- humane (in lack of a better term, I'm aware they are not humans), i.e. the idea that people don't just have the potential to be their worst selves but also to be better. And I thought the show played it right in terms of Gwyn's characterisation, too, i.e. show she behaved around this younger version of her father - it meant something to her that he was supportive of her, but she was still careful (and given the past, how could she not be).
Lastly: when I realised the season was consciously set in the immediate backstory time of ST: Picard (s1), i.e. the evacuation of the Romulans which was to come to an abrupt end once the Synth disaster happened, I thought, well, that's not a bad way to explain why Janeway hadn't been involved and what she was doing instead, and the fact Starfleet resources were stretched thin because of the Romulan evacuation and thus could not aid Janeway and our heroes on their mission was a good in-story way to ensure our heroes had to defeat the time paradox universe eating menace on their lonesome. But then in the last episode the show went and suprised me by actually letting Janeway be back in time to hear the depressing news and be indignant - and then go with our heroes to adventure some more. If this the end of the show, it's in the fine tradition of the original TNG ending, i.e. while providing a satisfying wrap up to the seasons before also letting room for more stories to come and leaving all main characters in emotional good places. In conclusion, I'm really grateful we got this second season.
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Date: 2024-07-05 07:22 pm (UTC)//drowns Jack in a bucket //is still bitter
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Date: 2024-07-06 09:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 08:27 pm (UTC)Looking forward to reading this when I'm caught up.
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Date: 2024-07-06 08:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-08 10:13 pm (UTC)Now reading this review. I can see the Doctor Who influence. The Loom are the reapers from "Father's Day" on steroids and Wesley had an air of the TARDIS-in-Idris about him. I was a little annoyed he got them to the Protostar immediately but the rest of the show did show him as more fallible and imperfect. (though tbf he did also miss Maj'el's being important initially)
They did lean more into assuming you knew all the other series this time. Bev's cameos were good but if you'd just seen Prodigy you'd be lost. (Continuity wise, Ds9 gets the shaft again. We get a mirror Voyager and no explanation what happened with the rebellion. I don't think Smiley O'Brien wanted the Empire back?)
I don't think Maj'el was strictly necessary and she seemed to worst take on Vulcans at first but she quickly grew on me. She's full vulcan but not a cultural rebel but still nice. She and Zero are sweet so that's good.
The Doctor's scene with Holo-Janeway was also a standout late on. It helped differentiate her from the Admiral that she was fan of his books, which I can't imagine Admiral Janeway is.
Sorry rambling now! But yes it was fun. I wonder what the chances of a third season are.
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Date: 2024-07-05 08:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-06 08:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-06 05:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-05 09:48 pm (UTC)Yes! I thought the balance was really really well done: the older characters have important roles to play and weight of their own, they aren't just there for cameos - but as you say, they never take the story away from the new guys, and the plot resolution is a truly collaborative effort. And yes, Wesley! I absolutely loved what they did with him - his characterization in general and, again, a great balance between being powerful and effective on one hand, but not omniscient and always right on the other, leaving plenty of room for other people to influence and drive the plot.
And while the Picard tie-in with the destruction of Utopia Planitia came a bit out of the left field in the finale, I really liked the ending as well, because it was a great full circle to the pilot and an open future for the crew at the same time. If this does turn out to be the series finale (which I hope it won't be), then it works as such much better than the ending of season one.
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Date: 2024-07-06 08:54 am (UTC)Same here. I'm a bit reminded of how Big Finish dealt with various unpopular (back in the day) DW Companions and Doctors (hello, Six!) - providing them with good writing and interesting stuff, not without a connection to their earlier characterisation but in a way that build on that. In Wesley's case: what does it mean for someone to have these abilities which TNG established the Travelers have when that someone is a still relatively young man who started out as human, has a good ethical compass but also isn't perfect and can make mistakes?
Also: I remember back in the day the complaints that Wesley was constantly saving the ship and that this made him annoying. (Saving the ship, btw, was something he didn't do nearly as often as Data did.) So I both grinned and nodded when Prodigy had him first show up saving our heroes - BUT it was also made clear that this was just temporarily, and for a genuine escape they all needed to work together - the opposite of being a deus ex machina.
And while the Picard tie-in with the destruction of Utopia Planitia came a bit out of the left field in the finale,
Well, they did establish right at the start of the season that Starfleet was busy evacuating Romulans, so I did expect that to come up, but I thought it would come up via Janeway learning about it at some point mid season at the other end of the galaxy, so to speak, and thus unable to do anything about it. So I was both surprised and pleased we did see her take action.
BTW, it occured to me that both Picard and Discovery had Starfleet going through a disaster which meant that afterwards, Starfleet wasn't present and helping in considerable parts of the galaxy anymore, but with a big difference: in the case of Discovery, the Burn wasn't anyone's sinister plan or fault, and we did see that even in its much diminished form (i.e. when Michael & friends first show up in s3), Starfleet is doing all it can to help people with the means it has left. (Literally the first episode introducing us to Vance & Co. at Starfleet Headquarters shows them busy with a medical assistance mission.) Whereas Picard had the response being "and then because we were overstretched we stopped trying at all", more or less, and while I actually get the writing choice because I do see the first and second season (not the third one, obvs.) as a response to our present day treatment of refugees, and I think it is important that ST doesn't shy away from addressing rl topics, it has the unfortunate effect of presenting Starfleet as an ineffectual organization with no explanation as to why our heroes want to belong to it anyway. Which is yet another reason why I'm glad that Prodigy tackles that era and presents a picture which doesn't ignore what's previously established but shows there are still people continuing with the exploring and helping.
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Date: 2024-07-06 05:12 pm (UTC)This, so much! I haven't watched Picard, but I really loved that. It matters so much!
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Date: 2024-07-06 06:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-06 08:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-08 10:04 pm (UTC)If Netflix does anything I'd hope for a third series of Prodigy. Though I sadly think it's unlikely realistically.
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Date: 2024-07-07 03:46 am (UTC)