Star Trek Prodigy is an excellent show even though it is being marketed for kids.

I've been incredibly surprised by Star Trek: Prodigy. This is an animated show that has been airing off and on for two months now, and it has surpassed my expectations. It's currently on its mid-season finale break until literally all the other Trek shows finish running their seasons. But the story (thus far in 10 episodes) has gelled the crew of kids together in a way that illustrates far more maturity than what we get with Lower Decks.

And to be clear, I still love Lower Decks. However, Prodigy takes its Trek a bit more seriously, and it knows when to go darker with its storylines. It also borrows one thing from Lower Decks, that being its criticism of the Federation. Starfleet does whatever it wants, and it doesn't really check on the consequences of its actions. This is an excellent point, and I can't say that it is wrong.

(Minor Spoilers Ahead) Star Trek: Prodigy is also kind of retconning the character of Chakotay from Voyager. He's actually become...shall I say it? Interesting? We've learned a lot about Chakotay's involvement in the creation of the Protostar (the ship the kids are flying around on), and with the series' main villain, who wants to use it as a weapon against Starfleet. I thought all of these developments were interesting. It's a fun mix of great new characters and storylines mixing it up with older series references and callbacks that are satisfyingly executed.

That being said, has anyone read the novel, Boogeymen, that is a Next Generation book with the main character being Wesley Crusher? It had within its pages the idea of a hybrid computer program/race that when transmitted (even through an innocuous communication) could infect and ultimately bring down the computer it was transmitted to. When I think about what they're doing with Prodigy, I can't help but think that this book may have provided some inspiration for this show. Building on works of the past is commendable, and I like that some of the old "written" material may have relevance in today's "nu Trek."

The final thing I can say about this show is that the characters are all showing amazing growth. Rok is clearly becoming a science officer. The miners finally got to talk to each other using the translator, and it made me realize how significant communication actually is with any kind of government. I suppose it should have been obvious, but it was a good reminder that any organization can intensify its strength through excellent communication. Now that the miners can communicate, it's clear that changes will be on the way.

Anyone else watching Prodigy? If so, what do you think so far?

Star Trek: Prodigy looks to explore even more of the Delta Quadrant in October with a hologram Janeway providing advice to a bunch of kids

There's a lot of new Trek happening on Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access). With Lower Decks solidly marching on with its second season, I'm also aware that Star Trek: Prodigy, the second animated series in the shared universe on Paramount+, is due to drop October 28th.

Star Trek: Prodigy's plot is going to have a pretty basic framework that can be built out as needed for some truly entertaining episodes. The crew (with the exception of the hologram Janeway providing advice) consists entirely of teenagers who find an abandoned starship and go flying around the galaxy in search of adventure. All of the characters are from the Delta Quadrant, and the show is set just a few years after the USS Voyager's return home.

The synopsis reads like this: five kids are incarcerated on an obscure planet in an uncharted part of the galaxy. They escape from their imprisonment and race across the planet to find a defunct starship buried in the planet's surface. They enter the ship, but are unable to make it work. With prison guards hot on their heels, they suddenly stumble upon an Emergency Training hologram in the form of Captain Janeway.

There's Gwyn, a 17-year old member of the Vau N' Akat, which is a new race to Star Trek. She was raised on her father's desolate mining planet and grew up dreaming of exploring the stars.

Next up is Jankom Pog, who is a Tellarite. Pog loves a good argument and regardless of his own opinion, he'll always play "devil's advocate" for the sake of hearing all sides.

There's also a purple alien who race has not been released yet. The name attached to this alien is Dal, who fancies himself a maverick and holds strong onto his unwavering hope even in the toughest of times.

Murf is an indestructible blob with really good timing.

There is an 8-year-old Brikar (race), which is a hulk-like alien. The name of this character is Rok-Tahk, and they love animals. 

And there is a Medusan named Zero. From the original series, these are a non-corporeal and genderless energy-based life form known to cause insanity to any humanoid who gazes upon their natural form. Zero wears a containment suit to protect those around them.

Below is the first trailer for the show. I'm kinda excited about this one....