While a child prodigy's capacity for intellectual or artistic pursuits may seem to put him or her in position to enjoy early and lasting success throughout life, prodigies actually grow up at risk of burning out or suffering anxiety in their quest for achievement, and may one day regret not having a "normal" childhood. Not only do they come out of the gate operating at an advanced level within a certain skill set, but their growth within their talented domain seems exponential when compared to other children - and adults. Animation means they can easily erase the decades from Janeway without resorting to the creepy live-action simulacrums seen in Rogue One of Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia.Their talents are usually discovered when they're quite young for instance, a child who reads at age 2, performs complex math problems at age 5 or enrolls in college at age 10.
But in the Star Trek universe, it’s only been six years (though an exact date is never given on-screen in Prodigy). It’s been over 20 years since Voyager last graced the small screen, and Mulgrew has kept busy on shows like Warehouse 13 and Orange is the New Black. That freedom is probably best illustrated in the character of hologram Captain Janeway, voiced by Kate Mulgrew (of course). We’re long past the clunky microfiche displays and cosplaying dogs of the original series. It’s the kind of thing that works best in CG and, like Lower Decks before it, Prodigy seems more than willing to embrace the extra freedom offered by animation as a medium. The bad guy’s insect-like cyborg body reminds me of General Grievous - if the general could turn into a giant gun, that is. The final action sequence feels like pure Star Wars, as the USS Protostar makes its way off the planet and Dal is trapped on its hull, battling the villainous Drednok. You can hear his influence on Melumad’s score, which does a great job of blending a quirky style with the signature Trek leitmotifs. Giacchino is best known for his work on various Pixar and Star Trek films, and he also supplies the main theme for Prodigy. Abrams brought to the Star Trek franchise is still present in Prodigy, notably in its action sequences and score, the latter composed by frequent Michael Giacchino collaborator Nami Melumad. When I saw the pilot at New York Comic Con a few weeks ago, I compared it to shows like Clone Wars and Rebels. And, when Dal and Rocktok discover a lost Starfleet ship buried under the surface of the planet, the ship itself may fill them with awe, but it’s the translator that truly elicits the most enthusiastic reaction: Rocktok calls it “magic.” It’s a rather fitting introduction to a franchise with a goal to “seek out new life and new civilizations,” in how it puts the connection between these disparate aliens up front. It keeps the characters from even knowing each other’s names, which makes the discovery of the USS Protostar and its built-in translator the perfect opportunity for everyone to re-introduce themselves to each other and thus, to the audience. It’s the future! Different languages aren’t a problem!Įxcept here, they are. That system has been how, for over 55 years, Star Trek has managed to populate its cast with aliens who all speak English.
Prodigy parent series#
But right away the series makes its point about being far from Federation space and technology, as the inhabitants can’t even talk to each other due to a lack of universal translators. It’s the last place anyone would want to be, especially a Star Trek character, which is why the main drive is to just get off this bleak rock. Our cast of misfits, led by Dal (voiced by Brett Gray), lives on a mining colony populated by prisoners and orphans. There’s a ton left to explore - as well as plenty of room for Prodigy’s creators, Dan and Kevin Hageman, to populate their own corner of the universe.įirst, they have to introduce their main characters, and that’s what ‘Lost and Found’ is largely dedicated to doing. Though Voyager spent seven years in the Delta Quadrant, the ship’s mission to get back to Federation space meant it couldn’t stick around in any one place too long, or return to previous locales. And that’s where the deeper ties to Trek lore come in. That assumes, however, that Prodigy has something to offer those adult fans.