Star Trek: Prodigy streams new episodes Thursday’s in the North America via Paramount+.
Synopsis
Even with the guidance of their hologram advisor Janeway, the crew of the U.S.S. Protostar is tested when their ship is on a dangerous cosmic collision course.
Review
Having taken flight in its series premiere, Star Trek: Prodigy wastes no time in getting down to business in episode three. “Starstruck” picks up directly after the ending of “Lost and Found” with Hologram Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) addressing her brand new crew.
If you ever wanted a quick fire way of explaining the entire of Star Trek to your children then just sit them down to watch this episode. In mere moments Janeway explains the mission statement of the Federation and Starfleet with some inspired visuals which are littered with great Easter eggs. As for our motley crew, Janeway simply accepts then as new Starfleet cadets.
From there the episode shifts focus to exploring the U.S.S. Protostar. We visit the brig, where Dal (Brett Gray) is currently holding Gwyn (Ella Purnell). Jankom (Jason Mantzoukas) visits the mess hall and discovers the joy of the replicator, “they’re free” says Janeway. Prodigy also adds to its burgeoning mystery with the discovery that the ship holds not one, not two, but three warp cores. It’s clear that there are mysteries in Prodigy which go beyond Dal’s heritage and The Diviner’s (John Noble) reasons for being so obsessed with the ship.
With “Starstruck” the series also shows that it isn’t shying away from emotional development. Whilst locked away in the brig, Gwyn begins to show remorse for her actions on Tars Lamora. The development is a welcome breath of fresh air in a show aimed at a younger audience and further testament to the notion of Trek’s versatility towards its audience.
As with “Lost and Found,” “Starstruck” features some stunning visuals. The animation team has put a lot of work in to making the U.S.S. Protostar feel like a Starfleet ship from any incarnation of Trek’s past. The universe around them is also beautifully rendered. Even deep space with all its inky blackness looks immersive. As an older member of the audience I often find CGI cartoons to look too artificial and cheap but that is simply not the case with Prodigy.
Verdict
“Starstruck” doubles down on the world-building of the series premiere to add some much needed context and direction to the story. Janeway is back and we’re here for it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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