Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 Volume 1 Blu-ray review
“Star Trek: Prodigy” boldly takes the franchise in a new direction.
The Nickelodeon animated series “Star Trek: Prodigy” begins in the Tars Lamora prison mining colony where we meet our imprisoned cast of characters- Dal (an alien who doesn’t know his species), Rok-Tahk (a towering female Brikar), Zero (a Medusan who wears a containment suit), Jankom Pog (a Tellarite) and an alien blob named Murf. The colony is led by The Diviner who has a daughter (Gwyn) and a deadly robot right hand man (Drednok). Dal is looking for a way off the colony and he sees his ticket out when he discovers a hidden Federation starship named the USS Protostar. Dal and his new allies hijack the ship and take Gwyn hostage. As they navigate the stars, Dal (who is appointed Captain) and his crew adjust to life on board the starship which features a hologram of Captain Janeway (voiced by Kate Mulgrew). The crew quickly discovers this is no ordinary starship as it holds secrets. The Diviner and Drednok give chase as they want to rescue Gwyn and reclaim the starship (for reasons later revealed). Gwyn initially tries to escape and take over the ship but matters become complicated to say the least. Elsewhere in the first 10 episodes are adventures involving a dying star, a planet with dangerous illusions, the Kobayashi Maru program, a Ferengi smuggler who has a past with Dal, and a tachyon storm anomaly.
Created by Kevin and Dan Hageman, this “Star Trek: Prodigy” Blu-ray set contains the first 10 episodes of the debut season with the remaining 10 episodes presumably to come in a volume 2 release at a later date. Some might scoff at the prospect of a Trek series aimed at a younger surprise, but the refreshingly unique ‘Prodigy’ surprises in every way. This series is the perfect gateway to the daunting Star Trek universe. It appeals to a younger audience with a younger cast of characters (who have their own hijinx) and it can also appeal to adult fans as well with an intricate story filled with mystery not to mention plenty of homages and references to Trek series of the past. In fact, ‘Prodigy’ often plays like a sequel series to “Star Trek: Voyager” in some respects and not just because of a holographic Janeway (no spoilers here).
“Star Trek: Prodigy” really feels reminiscent of what Dave Filoni did with his Star Wars animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels” in that ‘Prodigy’ is designed in a way to appeal to all ages. Like those series (which became more and more adult), ‘Prodigy’ also has a definite edge to it. It’s a very bold move to begin a children’s animated series in a prison colony. Yes, this is billed as a series in which young characters are on board a starship, but it’s much more than that. It’s a series about dreams, identity, and all of the core Trek values. At the same time, the series has an engaging overarching story about the USS Protostar which develops and becomes more and more intriguing with each passing episode. The characters themselves also continually develop with more information about their past and who they are coming to light.
Simply put, “Star Trek: Prodigy” is an exciting addition to the Star Trek canon and it deserves to keep finding more of an audience. It’s a great time to be a Trek fan.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.37:1 1080p. How does it look? The animation’s rich colors look stunning in hi-def.
Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The 5.1 track perfectly handles the voice acting, music, and sound effects.
Extras:
* 4 character cards
* “The Kobayashi Maru”- Dan and Kevin Hageman discuss the infamous test and the episode.
* “Trek Tradition”- A featurette on making an accessible Trek show and the Trek universe itself.
* “The Prime Directive”- A rundown of the rules
* “The Protostar Pack”- Character rundowns of Dal, Gwyn, Jankom Pog, Rok, Murf, Zero and Hologram Janeway complete with interviews and character design material. A “Creating Character” bonus feature is also included
* “The Protostar”- An 8 part examination of the ship, bridge, transporter room, cargo bay/hangar, crew quarters, engineering, holodeck/warp core and ancells.
* “Gadgets And Gear”- Another 8 part extra that explores the gadgets and gear, the Runaway, Gwyn’s Heirloom, tricorders and phasers, hologram, vehicle replicator, food replicator and cloaking device.
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