We may have gotten the Federation spiel during last week's episode, but what about the foundation of Star Trek?
Exploring Strange New Worlds? Well this episode has got us covered!
Welcome to Trek Central! I’m your host, Captain Jack, and let’s get into it!
Before we do begin, yes, you are not seeing me on camera this week for our typical Star Trek Reviews.
However, that is because, we're currently prepping for destination Star Trek.
If you're in the UK and heading down this week. Do say hello to us if you see myself and some of the team members walking around.
In some fancy new Trek Central hoodies ( TROY DO YOUR JOB )
We hope to see some of you there at the event.
But if you're not coming down. Stay safe.
And we will hopefully catch up with you next year. At Destination Star Trek Chicago. (Or Mission Chicago W/E)
Either way. Live Long And Prosper. Have a good weekend.
Episode 4 of Star Trek Prodigy, titled “Dreamcatcher” was written by Lisa Schultz Boyd and Directed by Steve In Chang Ahn Sung Shin.
The director of this episode, Steve Ahn, is a reasonably well known storyboard artist for animated shows like The Legend of Korra.
So seeing him able to direct an episode of Prodigy is fantastic!
The crew has their first away mission on an undiscovered planet that manifests their deepest desires.
Only to realize the planet has desires of its own.
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As with all our reviews, spoilers are ahead, so beam off this video right now if you don’t want to be spoiled!
This episode really is Star Trek through and through. Not only do we get a classic Captain's Log to start the episode, but a chance to explore a strange new world,
and interact with an interesting kind of organism that lives on the planet and uses spores in order to manipulate people to stay on the planet in order to feast on them.
YIKES
The Captain’s Log from Dal is smart writing, with Dal not knowing what stardate it is or why he is doing a Captains Log,
so it is very much in the style of this show. Giving us that Trek goodness, but from a fresh new perspective which is really welcoming.
This Captain's Log is used to great effect in this episode not only to introduce the episode, but also to add some training to the crew on operations of the ship,
in which we get a training montage of Janeway teaching them all.
So the main bulk of this episode is about exploring an unknown M-Class planet in the Hirogen System.
And yes you heard correctly, we are in the Hirogen system, but do not be alarmed.
As we know from Voyager the Hirogen were extreme hunters of any prey they could find, and were a nomadic species in order to find their next hunt.
With hints like this, and hints from the first episode such as the astronomical entity the “Window of Dreams” which was mentioned in Voyager
as well as Gwyn saying “This side of the Delta” I believe that the ship is on the Border between the Delta Quadrant and the Alpha Quadrant.
If this is so, it is basically between the Hirogen Communications Network, which extends from the middle of the Delta Quadrant to the Middle of the Beta Quadrant.
So this location actually makes sense for the Hirogen System.
The planet itself is also a very powerful predator, luring its prey in with its desires in order to eat them.
Originally I could envision that this planet may have been used by Hirogen as a testing ground,
to test their hunters against this one and if a Hirogen Hunter survives and does not give in to temptation, they earn the right to be Hirogen.
Though with the Protostar being able to nonchalantly walk into this system, the Hirogen are long gone, with their Nomadic ways keeping them away from the Planet.
I feel like the desires that the pitcher planet wove to get our crew to stay on the planet could have been different,
as for a lot of them it didn't add much to what we know about our characters. We know that Rohk-tahk likes animals, this episode only reinforces that, instead of adding to more of the desire of Rokh-Tahk.
Jankom’s woven desire was good, only by it being tangentially related to his backstory.
Which is that Jankom seems to have come from a Tellar sleeper ship which could have set off from Tellar any number of years ago,
maybe even before the founding of the Federation, which is why Jankom has no idea about the Federation.
This does help to explain why one of our crew is an alpha/beta quadrant species, but we still have the Brikarian Rokh-Tahk and the Medusan Zero to explain why they are in the Delta Quadrant.
We got some new tricorders and phasers. I really like the design of the Tricorders, having a pop-up screen and more interaction than standard tricorders we have seen,
looking more like PADDS mixed with Tricorders.
The phaser is of an interesting design,
looking like an upgraded TNG model phaser, and harkening back to the Gene Roddenberry idea that the weapons of Starfleet shouldn’t look like guns
to help get across that Starfleet is not a military force but a exploration organisation.
These tricorders and phasers look very different from those we have seen of this time however in Lower Decks and Picard’s flashback scenes in 2385
so perhaps these are prototype equipment to go along with the Protostars prototype status?
It’s possible this equipment is made specifically for the Delta Quadrant,
further building into my theory that the Protostar is a part of something like the Project Full Circle Fleet Expedition… a man can dream okay?
( THIS IS MY SCRIPT DOM )
The introduction of the Runaway, the buggy-like vehicle which is used in this episode is glorious.
Obviously we got introduced to the vehicle replicator last episode, and it is put to effect in creating this buggy.
( JACK GUSHES ABOUT BUGGIES )
Let’s Talk about Gwyn. Recently the Startrek.com database was updated for Prodigy, so we got some more information about this Progeny of Solum which can be seen in this episode.
The Vau N’Akat, and by extension Gwyn, have this ability called “Neuroflux '' where their skin glows and they are able to control certain objects telekinetically.
Gwyn shows her aptitude this episode, not only being able to escape the brig, but take charge of the ship and even to alter Janeway to accept her commands.
We get told that this is what the Diviner has been training her for,
which gives us more to theorise for what the Diviners plan is.
Kate Mulgrew gets the chance this episode to not only play Janeway, which obviously she finds well, but gets to play as the voice for the Planet and its evil trappings.
Kate Mulgrew is a notable voice actor, having done numerous roles,
but the best strangely enough are the villains, such as her role as Flemeth in the Dragon Age game series
so getting Kate Mulgrew to be the voice of this evil planet is actually great.
And having it as a version of Janeway the kids see makes it so cool, but also scary as Janeway should not be making such evil faces.
The episode ending with a cliffhanger of the crew of the Protostar being stranded on this planet that is trying to eat them is a fascinating way.
and really makes me excited for the next episode of Prodigy, especially with the Diviner knowing their location now.
Seeing the Protostar being ripped out of the air is actually pretty powerful,
but we all know that our crew is going to find the ship again and through working together
get it off the planet and escape from the Diviner, who is on his way.
The planetary shots in this episode are so beautiful. Very much reminding me of the Matte paintings of legacy trek in many shots.
The art department really put in their all when creating these strange new worlds for Prodigy.
This is a strange new world, with its arcing stone structures, to this interesting species which very much fills the tapestry of Trek themes that have come before.
The Episode was funny as well, I actually laughed at the scene where Jankom accidentally shoots himself with a phaser.
because he didn’t know which end it was.
You have to imagine that someone in the history of Starfleet has likely done that at some point in time.
I mean common, some phasers do look a little weird here and there.
Compared to previous episodes, this one didn’t get too much into the emotion, with the only thing being Dal seeing his parents,
but having fear about this, given that it was evidently a fake illusion meant to trick him and make him and the Protostar crew stay on the planet.
Will say though, on the topic of emotion.
Gwyn's reaction to seeing her farther in the flesh and blood
and seeing him out of his tank did provoke a small emotional feeling for her (The Character).
But whether us the views can connect with it, I.. dont really think so...
Either way still pretty cool to see that.
Okay before we do end of this Review, do have to talk about the news for Star Trek Prodigy, with the show having been officially renewed for its Second Season,
which is great news as it is really shaping up to be a great show. However this is also coupled with the fact that Season 1 has been extended,
with season 1 now consisting of 20 episodes in total. I know a lot of people were asking for a 20 episode series back for Trek, but I don’t think they expected Prodigy to be the one to do it.
However that is not the only news, with the release schedule for Prodigy also being messed with.
We are going to get a midseason break after the next episode, which I am glad it isn’t this episode
Prodigy will then return with episodes 6 to 10 starting on January 6th. Then episodes 11 to 20 will be coming late next year in 2022.
So narratively this could be three acts of the season, as with the crew abandoned as well as with Gwyn
they must band together to survive and escape, and this may start to form Gwyn’s doubts about her father and make her a part of our team as communications officer.
However it might just be other constraints, such as episodes 11-20 were an original season 2
but they decided to combine it together. Who knows, but it means more Prodigy and I am happy about that!
So we got some great news about that, however still no news about international distribution of the show, but be assured we will let you know as soon as there is any news on that front!
Speaking of which by the way, If you are heading to Destination Star Trek this weekend.
In London, here in the UK, we are offering a Prodigy screener here in the UK.
So if youve not watched it yet or not found a way to watch it.
You will be able to watch it at the event.
Regarding that im not sure of any other place you can watch it in the UK other then DST this weekend.
Prodigy is continuing to be a great show, and we look forward to everything it has in store for us!
Don’t forget you can watch brand new episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy each week on Thursdays via Paramount+ in the USA, or via Crave and CTV Sci-Fi in Canada.
That’s a wrap on our Star Trek: Prodigy review for today! Be sure to check out our other videos here on the channel and of course let us know what you think in the video comment section below.
Because like always, if you’re talking about Star Trek, then we want to hear about it!
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For now, I’ve been Captain Jack, thanks for watching and we’ll see you next time! Live Long and prosper my friends!