Fone Bone
Matt Zimmer
Star Trek: Prodigy: "Lost & Found, Parts 1 & 2"
I'm going to do some compliments, I'm gonna do some criticisms. What it ultimately boils down to is that I'm not sold yet. And that's okay. It would be weird if I was.
Because what I just saw was the most singularly unique Star Trek project in television (and movie) history. There is literally nothing else in the canon like it. It's totally a Star Wars cartoon rather than a Star Trek one, which is where the bulk of my resistance lies. When the series settles down and gets into a more Star Trek groove (as the Janeway Hologram suggests it will) I'm sure I'll grow to like it. Right now I'm iffy on the Pilot.
The choices of aliens for the crew members are interesting. Of them I have only heard of Tellarites and Medusans. Tellarites are a definitely Alpha Quadrant species, so what one is doing in the Delta Quadrant will make an interesting origin story. We've only seen the Medusans once on The Original Series. Let me amend that: We've only seen them once on a wholly crappy episode of The Original Series. Their origins as I recall were not deeply delved into. It's believable that either they originated in the Delta Quadrant or have migrated there when this series takes place.
When the series takes place is an intriguing open question that will probably be answered next week. But there are really no clue WHEN in the canon this show exists. Probably not in the Discovery era due to the Burn being present there. But this could easily take place in the 28th or 29th Century and not break canon. For some reason I'm hoping it's the same time period as Lower Decks, or even Picard. Wouldn't the kids meeting Janeway in real life make a good series finale? I digress.
I personally have a hard time imagining a successful Star Trek project on a TV-Y7 rating. And this episode did a good job alleviating my fears a little there. And I will say this: While I don't think TV-Y7 is a good rating for Star Trek, it's a much more recognizably Star Trek rating than TV-MA is. I'm sure any dialogue or concepts the shows softens will hits my ear less wrong than the F-Bombs and gore from Star Trek: Picard. I have concerns about a Y7 Star Trek. But Y7 is closer to what Star Trek should be than TV-MA. Arguably many of the episodes of The Original Series (and some of Next Gen) could get G-ratings if the ratings system wasn't inherently corrupt. I recognize the tone as far more Star Trek than Romulans dropping the f-bomb. And that's not's even a question.
A lot of people are comfortable giving a snap judgment of a Pilot. I'm not doing that for this show. Because I get a sneaking suspicion that this show's Pilot is going to be the episode most unlike the other episodes. And while I think that, I'm totally reserving judgment instead of declaring the Trekkie sky falling. ***.
Star Trek: Prodigy "Starstruck"
Dal is a pretty obnoxious character. It's fun watching Janeway knock him down a few pegs.
Rok-Tahk is cute though. That specific voice coming out of that specific design is great. I also found it sort of bittersweet that she orders the prison gruel on the replicators because she's never tasted any other food. That saddens me very much.
The vehicle replicators are a bit too far for me. I think the replicators in general are a bad idea, and make too much of the science of Star Trek seem like outright magic. But with 3-D printers having been created since then, I see why the writers would want to sort of base the way a new kind of replicator works on them.
Still not sold. Mostly due to Dal. Hopefully, he'll stop being such a turd (or he won't be the main focus every single week). ***1/2.
Star Trek: Prodigy "Dreamcatcher"
I'm a little miffed we went to the Hirogen system and didn't see any Hirogen! Maybe next week.
The stuff with the phaser stun settings could have been a valuable lesson about gun safety. Since it was played for laughs instead, it wasn't.
Frankly, I am not a fan of Star Trek where the mission gets interrupted to be continued the next week. I get that's normal for the Kurtzman era, but it never feels like real Star Trek to me.
But the episode was pretty good otherwise. ***1/2.
Star Trek: Prodigy "Terror Firma"
It was good.
I think the idea of a proto star warp drive can go interesting places.
One quibble: I not only think it's a stretch to believe the Klingons ever made it to the Delta Quandrant. But there is no way the characters should know who they are.
Other than that nitpick it was solid. ****.
Star Trek: Prodigy "Kobayashi"
I don't think I realized until very recently (probably Star Trek: Picard) how much I need and love Star Trek and can't get enough of it. It is interesting to me (and a little bit shameful) that this shaky kids show is far more respectful to the canon than Star Trek: Discovery is. I would argue it's more respectful than Star Trek: Picard. It's weird it seems like only the animated shows are really allowed to use the classic designs and characters. Seeing Odo, Spock, Uhura, and Scotty was great, even if they had to use archival footage to make their dialogue work. It sort of worked because it sort of had the robotic monotone I think an unreal holodeck program should have.
In one of the show's best kept secrets they appear to have actually cast Gates McFadden and Robert Beltran as Dr. Crusher and Chakotay. Beltran is not actually a surprise, but it's amazing McFadden's association with the show wasn't leaked, especially because she hasn't appeared on Star Trek: Picard yet. This is her first real Trek role since Star Trek Nemesis.
I'm wondering if anyone ever got a lower score for the Kobayashi Maru test than Dal did on his first try. I somehow doubt it. I can't ever picture a Starfleet cadet advising retreat in that moment. They wouldn't be in the organization if that was their first response. What's interesting is how badly the holo-bridge crew reacts to that. I honestly think that's because in that specific test, it's the only way the captain's ship survives. And we can't have that. It defeats the purpose of the test. So formerly perfect Starfleet officers start talking about mutiny upon a reasonable seeming suggestion. It's not just that the test isn't playing fair. It's rigging the game and stacking the deck. I sort of understand now why Kirk hated it and decided to cheat it.
For the record, and just to clear up confusion, while it was great to see him, Odo was NEVER a Starfleet officer. Not even close. As a matter of fact Starfleet Command hated and distrusted Odo, not just because he refused to follow protocols. But because he was a Founder, the same species as the leaders of the Dominion, and they didn't trust him. On this last score their concerns were somewhat justified. Either way, the reason he was in charge of security on Deep Space Nine was solely because Captain Sisko liked, believed in, and fought for him. Starfleet themselves thought him an utter nuisance.
The one false move in this episode's simulation was the fact that Dal almost got out of it until his foot hit the wrong button. That's not how the test should ever work. The doom is built into it, not based on anything the captain does. I don't think the show should have shown Dal being as successful as they did.
That game with the hoops and discs worries me, and it should worry any Next Gen fan. Perhaps it's just an Easter Egg. More likely it's an upcoming complication in the making.
I think the show is a little TOO kid, but it's to this show's immense credit it finds a plausible situation to put a bunch of dumb kids in the middle of a Star Trek series. Star Trek is not built for dumb kids (to put it mildly) but that's all kiddie cartoons are built for. It took some work and it's still kind of far-fetched, but I think the show has believably put dummies like Dal and Pog on a Federation Starship. And regardless of the fact that I don't like dumb kid shows as a rule, it's actually interesting the amount of work they put into the concept to make it both Star Trek and a dumb kid show to begin with. People will sneer at it's dumb kid-showness without ever appreciating how hard it was to make a dumb kid show believable in the Star Trek Universe. And yeah, I feel this show is more authentic Star Trek at this point than either Discovery or Picard (both of which are show I love by the way, and I love them both far more than this). But it makes an extra effort with Star Trek authenticity that does not go unnoticed by me. Some people hate dumb kid shows reflectively. But this show proves it's possible to make an interesting and smartly premised one if you put in the work. There apparently ARE seem impossible seeming scenarios out there you can actually win. ****.
Star Trek: Prodigy "First Con-tact"
That did not hold together perfectly. The continuity was a little sloppy. For instance, if Dal was raised on a Ferengi ship, he'd already know what a transporter is.
Is there ever a moment these kids AREN'T disappointing Hologram Janeway? And is there ever a moment she's not RIGHT to be let down?
Were any of those Rules of Acquisition ones we hadn't heard before? If so, they should have consulted Ira Steven-Behr.
I don't have much else to offer except a wild theory. It's a wild theory because it's probably wrong. But Nandi's appearance is making me think. Since Rom because Grand Nagus at the end of Deep Space Nine, female Ferengi can now wear clothes and be Daimons of their own ships. But one being so far out in the Delta Quadrant, and apparently having been out here for years suggests my crazy theory could be true. Is it possible this show is set a few centuries after Star Trek: Voyager? Before Discovery and The Burn, but long after everyone we know from that era's time? Nandi's confidence in her shady business dealings suggest her position is one she's held for awhile (and if she's raised Dal it must be years) and suggests Ferengi society had greatly evolved past the point Rom created a more equitable environment for females. Are we perhaps in the far future?
The reason I doubt the theory is true is because there would be no real good resolution of the mystery of what happened to Captain Chakotay and the first Protostar crew. They could make time-travel part of the solution, but it strikes me that would be a needlessly complicated addition. But even if I'm wrong that this isn't the far future, I would not be shocked if it IS set like 30 or 40 years later. Star Trek: Picard after all is set 25 years later. We'll see. But the thing about this show being set in the Delta Quadrant with no other Federation contact means things are so up in the air.
The title card calls the episode "First Contact" while the Paramount Plus screen titles it "First Con-tact". I've taken the liberty of using the streaming screen title for my review as it seems likely the show made a mistake when they flashed "First Contact" on the theme song's screen. Not only is "First Contact" already a name for a previous Next Gen episode, it's the name of a previous movie too. And the "Con-tact" ties it into Nandi's grift which is the main reason I think it's the right title.
Interesting episode, but I felt some of the canon was shaky. ***1/2.
Star Trek: Prodigy "Time Amok"
It's a kids show but I still love that we got a Star Trek science episode. That is quintessential Star Trek, and I love that the kids are allowed to experience it. General movie audiences are not and there really isn't a Star Trek movie for science geeks. I'm delighted it's part of the kids show.
The thing I've always loved about the chicken, fox, and grain riddle is that it's eminently solvable once you know the trick to it. It's fun to think about.
Rok is SO cute. If they made a plushie of her, I'd buy it in an instant. I also want one of Murf.
Dal continues to be pretty useless, but he's not ENTIRELY useless, so that's something.
I'm glad this show isn't actually for dummies. The movies totally are, and I like that this show is still gonna teach us science stuff. ****.
Star Trek: Prodigy "A Moral Star, Part 1"
That felt very much unfinished, and I was dying to know what came next. In other words, a successful first part.
The Diviner is turning out to be one of those rare Star Trek villains like Gul Dukat who actually has no redeeming qualities. Those specific baddies are unusual, and I confess I like being allowed to hate them.
I'm curious what his beef with Starfleet is. Must have something to do with Captain Chakotay's last mission. It would be weird if it didn't.
Can't wait for next week. ****1/2.
Star Trek: Prodigy "A Moral Star, Part 2"
Wow, pretty great. The last scene was a great set-up for season two. It also let us know that the show probably takes place in the same timeframe as Star Trek: Picard. Maybe a few years earlier, but same ballpark. And we still don't know what happened to Chakotay. But it looks like we're probably gonna find out.
Seeing the Medusa power for the first time certainly lived up to the hype. It's frustrating Gwyn lost her memories from it though. It would have been nice if she had context to her warning that they could never go back. My hope is that the Diviner's plan wouldn't have worked. And to be honest, that strikes me as more likely than it isn't. To destroy the Federation to prevent his planet's First Contact makes about as much sense as chopping off your arm to get rid of a hangnail. Even if his goals WERE righteous, he's going about it in the dumbest way possible. His plan turning out to be flawed and not work would be on-brand.
Apparently the Mirror Universe is going to be a part of this show. They've really leaned into that in Discovery, and I think Kurtzman is really invested in making it as big a deal on the new shows as it wound up being on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Bigger, if the Section 31 show is any indication.
The best episode of the series so far. Great finale. ****1/2.
I'm going to do some compliments, I'm gonna do some criticisms. What it ultimately boils down to is that I'm not sold yet. And that's okay. It would be weird if I was.
Because what I just saw was the most singularly unique Star Trek project in television (and movie) history. There is literally nothing else in the canon like it. It's totally a Star Wars cartoon rather than a Star Trek one, which is where the bulk of my resistance lies. When the series settles down and gets into a more Star Trek groove (as the Janeway Hologram suggests it will) I'm sure I'll grow to like it. Right now I'm iffy on the Pilot.
The choices of aliens for the crew members are interesting. Of them I have only heard of Tellarites and Medusans. Tellarites are a definitely Alpha Quadrant species, so what one is doing in the Delta Quadrant will make an interesting origin story. We've only seen the Medusans once on The Original Series. Let me amend that: We've only seen them once on a wholly crappy episode of The Original Series. Their origins as I recall were not deeply delved into. It's believable that either they originated in the Delta Quadrant or have migrated there when this series takes place.
When the series takes place is an intriguing open question that will probably be answered next week. But there are really no clue WHEN in the canon this show exists. Probably not in the Discovery era due to the Burn being present there. But this could easily take place in the 28th or 29th Century and not break canon. For some reason I'm hoping it's the same time period as Lower Decks, or even Picard. Wouldn't the kids meeting Janeway in real life make a good series finale? I digress.
I personally have a hard time imagining a successful Star Trek project on a TV-Y7 rating. And this episode did a good job alleviating my fears a little there. And I will say this: While I don't think TV-Y7 is a good rating for Star Trek, it's a much more recognizably Star Trek rating than TV-MA is. I'm sure any dialogue or concepts the shows softens will hits my ear less wrong than the F-Bombs and gore from Star Trek: Picard. I have concerns about a Y7 Star Trek. But Y7 is closer to what Star Trek should be than TV-MA. Arguably many of the episodes of The Original Series (and some of Next Gen) could get G-ratings if the ratings system wasn't inherently corrupt. I recognize the tone as far more Star Trek than Romulans dropping the f-bomb. And that's not's even a question.
A lot of people are comfortable giving a snap judgment of a Pilot. I'm not doing that for this show. Because I get a sneaking suspicion that this show's Pilot is going to be the episode most unlike the other episodes. And while I think that, I'm totally reserving judgment instead of declaring the Trekkie sky falling. ***.
Star Trek: Prodigy "Starstruck"
Dal is a pretty obnoxious character. It's fun watching Janeway knock him down a few pegs.
Rok-Tahk is cute though. That specific voice coming out of that specific design is great. I also found it sort of bittersweet that she orders the prison gruel on the replicators because she's never tasted any other food. That saddens me very much.
The vehicle replicators are a bit too far for me. I think the replicators in general are a bad idea, and make too much of the science of Star Trek seem like outright magic. But with 3-D printers having been created since then, I see why the writers would want to sort of base the way a new kind of replicator works on them.
Still not sold. Mostly due to Dal. Hopefully, he'll stop being such a turd (or he won't be the main focus every single week). ***1/2.
Star Trek: Prodigy "Dreamcatcher"
I'm a little miffed we went to the Hirogen system and didn't see any Hirogen! Maybe next week.
The stuff with the phaser stun settings could have been a valuable lesson about gun safety. Since it was played for laughs instead, it wasn't.
Frankly, I am not a fan of Star Trek where the mission gets interrupted to be continued the next week. I get that's normal for the Kurtzman era, but it never feels like real Star Trek to me.
But the episode was pretty good otherwise. ***1/2.
Star Trek: Prodigy "Terror Firma"
It was good.
I think the idea of a proto star warp drive can go interesting places.
One quibble: I not only think it's a stretch to believe the Klingons ever made it to the Delta Quandrant. But there is no way the characters should know who they are.
Other than that nitpick it was solid. ****.
Star Trek: Prodigy "Kobayashi"
I don't think I realized until very recently (probably Star Trek: Picard) how much I need and love Star Trek and can't get enough of it. It is interesting to me (and a little bit shameful) that this shaky kids show is far more respectful to the canon than Star Trek: Discovery is. I would argue it's more respectful than Star Trek: Picard. It's weird it seems like only the animated shows are really allowed to use the classic designs and characters. Seeing Odo, Spock, Uhura, and Scotty was great, even if they had to use archival footage to make their dialogue work. It sort of worked because it sort of had the robotic monotone I think an unreal holodeck program should have.
In one of the show's best kept secrets they appear to have actually cast Gates McFadden and Robert Beltran as Dr. Crusher and Chakotay. Beltran is not actually a surprise, but it's amazing McFadden's association with the show wasn't leaked, especially because she hasn't appeared on Star Trek: Picard yet. This is her first real Trek role since Star Trek Nemesis.
I'm wondering if anyone ever got a lower score for the Kobayashi Maru test than Dal did on his first try. I somehow doubt it. I can't ever picture a Starfleet cadet advising retreat in that moment. They wouldn't be in the organization if that was their first response. What's interesting is how badly the holo-bridge crew reacts to that. I honestly think that's because in that specific test, it's the only way the captain's ship survives. And we can't have that. It defeats the purpose of the test. So formerly perfect Starfleet officers start talking about mutiny upon a reasonable seeming suggestion. It's not just that the test isn't playing fair. It's rigging the game and stacking the deck. I sort of understand now why Kirk hated it and decided to cheat it.
For the record, and just to clear up confusion, while it was great to see him, Odo was NEVER a Starfleet officer. Not even close. As a matter of fact Starfleet Command hated and distrusted Odo, not just because he refused to follow protocols. But because he was a Founder, the same species as the leaders of the Dominion, and they didn't trust him. On this last score their concerns were somewhat justified. Either way, the reason he was in charge of security on Deep Space Nine was solely because Captain Sisko liked, believed in, and fought for him. Starfleet themselves thought him an utter nuisance.
The one false move in this episode's simulation was the fact that Dal almost got out of it until his foot hit the wrong button. That's not how the test should ever work. The doom is built into it, not based on anything the captain does. I don't think the show should have shown Dal being as successful as they did.
That game with the hoops and discs worries me, and it should worry any Next Gen fan. Perhaps it's just an Easter Egg. More likely it's an upcoming complication in the making.
I think the show is a little TOO kid, but it's to this show's immense credit it finds a plausible situation to put a bunch of dumb kids in the middle of a Star Trek series. Star Trek is not built for dumb kids (to put it mildly) but that's all kiddie cartoons are built for. It took some work and it's still kind of far-fetched, but I think the show has believably put dummies like Dal and Pog on a Federation Starship. And regardless of the fact that I don't like dumb kid shows as a rule, it's actually interesting the amount of work they put into the concept to make it both Star Trek and a dumb kid show to begin with. People will sneer at it's dumb kid-showness without ever appreciating how hard it was to make a dumb kid show believable in the Star Trek Universe. And yeah, I feel this show is more authentic Star Trek at this point than either Discovery or Picard (both of which are show I love by the way, and I love them both far more than this). But it makes an extra effort with Star Trek authenticity that does not go unnoticed by me. Some people hate dumb kid shows reflectively. But this show proves it's possible to make an interesting and smartly premised one if you put in the work. There apparently ARE seem impossible seeming scenarios out there you can actually win. ****.
Star Trek: Prodigy "First Con-tact"
That did not hold together perfectly. The continuity was a little sloppy. For instance, if Dal was raised on a Ferengi ship, he'd already know what a transporter is.
Is there ever a moment these kids AREN'T disappointing Hologram Janeway? And is there ever a moment she's not RIGHT to be let down?
Were any of those Rules of Acquisition ones we hadn't heard before? If so, they should have consulted Ira Steven-Behr.
I don't have much else to offer except a wild theory. It's a wild theory because it's probably wrong. But Nandi's appearance is making me think. Since Rom because Grand Nagus at the end of Deep Space Nine, female Ferengi can now wear clothes and be Daimons of their own ships. But one being so far out in the Delta Quadrant, and apparently having been out here for years suggests my crazy theory could be true. Is it possible this show is set a few centuries after Star Trek: Voyager? Before Discovery and The Burn, but long after everyone we know from that era's time? Nandi's confidence in her shady business dealings suggest her position is one she's held for awhile (and if she's raised Dal it must be years) and suggests Ferengi society had greatly evolved past the point Rom created a more equitable environment for females. Are we perhaps in the far future?
The reason I doubt the theory is true is because there would be no real good resolution of the mystery of what happened to Captain Chakotay and the first Protostar crew. They could make time-travel part of the solution, but it strikes me that would be a needlessly complicated addition. But even if I'm wrong that this isn't the far future, I would not be shocked if it IS set like 30 or 40 years later. Star Trek: Picard after all is set 25 years later. We'll see. But the thing about this show being set in the Delta Quadrant with no other Federation contact means things are so up in the air.
The title card calls the episode "First Contact" while the Paramount Plus screen titles it "First Con-tact". I've taken the liberty of using the streaming screen title for my review as it seems likely the show made a mistake when they flashed "First Contact" on the theme song's screen. Not only is "First Contact" already a name for a previous Next Gen episode, it's the name of a previous movie too. And the "Con-tact" ties it into Nandi's grift which is the main reason I think it's the right title.
Interesting episode, but I felt some of the canon was shaky. ***1/2.
Star Trek: Prodigy "Time Amok"
It's a kids show but I still love that we got a Star Trek science episode. That is quintessential Star Trek, and I love that the kids are allowed to experience it. General movie audiences are not and there really isn't a Star Trek movie for science geeks. I'm delighted it's part of the kids show.
The thing I've always loved about the chicken, fox, and grain riddle is that it's eminently solvable once you know the trick to it. It's fun to think about.
Rok is SO cute. If they made a plushie of her, I'd buy it in an instant. I also want one of Murf.
Dal continues to be pretty useless, but he's not ENTIRELY useless, so that's something.
I'm glad this show isn't actually for dummies. The movies totally are, and I like that this show is still gonna teach us science stuff. ****.
Star Trek: Prodigy "A Moral Star, Part 1"
That felt very much unfinished, and I was dying to know what came next. In other words, a successful first part.
The Diviner is turning out to be one of those rare Star Trek villains like Gul Dukat who actually has no redeeming qualities. Those specific baddies are unusual, and I confess I like being allowed to hate them.
I'm curious what his beef with Starfleet is. Must have something to do with Captain Chakotay's last mission. It would be weird if it didn't.
Can't wait for next week. ****1/2.
Star Trek: Prodigy "A Moral Star, Part 2"
Wow, pretty great. The last scene was a great set-up for season two. It also let us know that the show probably takes place in the same timeframe as Star Trek: Picard. Maybe a few years earlier, but same ballpark. And we still don't know what happened to Chakotay. But it looks like we're probably gonna find out.
Seeing the Medusa power for the first time certainly lived up to the hype. It's frustrating Gwyn lost her memories from it though. It would have been nice if she had context to her warning that they could never go back. My hope is that the Diviner's plan wouldn't have worked. And to be honest, that strikes me as more likely than it isn't. To destroy the Federation to prevent his planet's First Contact makes about as much sense as chopping off your arm to get rid of a hangnail. Even if his goals WERE righteous, he's going about it in the dumbest way possible. His plan turning out to be flawed and not work would be on-brand.
Apparently the Mirror Universe is going to be a part of this show. They've really leaned into that in Discovery, and I think Kurtzman is really invested in making it as big a deal on the new shows as it wound up being on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Bigger, if the Section 31 show is any indication.
The best episode of the series so far. Great finale. ****1/2.