As the second animated collection of the Alex Kurtzman period of Star Trek, Star Trek: Prodigy swooped in to seize the subsequent, subsequent gen of Trek followers. The computer-animated collection departed from typical Starfleet fashion construction and as an alternative centered on a gaggle of super-smart younger aliens who uncover and basically hotwire the deserted USS Protostar starship to take them into area. With the steerage of a hologram Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) of the USS Voyager, the gang ultimately made it to Earth by the top of Season 1 the place they related with the actual Admiral Janeway on the USS Voyager-A. Their new mission? To discover the whereabouts of the Protostar’s first crew!
With its youthful method to Trek lore, Prodigy honored the canon of Gene Roddenberry’s universe but in addition served as an accessible entry level for youthful audiences. Unfortunately, the collection turned a casualty of Paramount+’s tightening content material price range and it was canceled whereas the second season was deep into manufacturing. Now, nonetheless, all 20 episodes of Season 2 are on Netflix, which is a narrative in itself.
Showrunners Kevin and Dan Hageman inform IGN how their Emmy-winning collection bought saved, what’s taking place for the children in Season 2, how Kate Mulgrew (rightfully) nixed the concept of Admiral Janeway taking command of the USS Enterprise, and the realities of a possible Season 3.
How Star Trek: Prodigy Was Saved From the Streaming Dead Zone
If you thought audiences have been shocked that Star Trek: Prodigy was canceled and pulled from Paramount+ in June 2023, the Hagemans inform IGN they have been too. “When we bought the information, it was instructed to us like, ‘Here’s what’s taking place.’ And we’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, how might that occur?’” Dan remembers. “But then on the similar time, we have been instructed that now we have lots of people championing it from CBS, and Alex Kurtzman is looking for a method to get this season seen.”
And then the Trek followers — who know lots about the right way to rally their present’s iterations again into existence — bought loud and proactive.
“It was superior and big,” Kevin says of their efforts to assist the present. “It simply began this tidal wave of assist. I felt actually assured. We have been in the midst of doing Season 2. We have been in all probability 10 episodes completed. We did not know the place it could land after which the information got here that it was Netflix.”
Folding More Voyager-Era Trek Into Season 2
With the pickup to proceed manufacturing on Season 2 of Star Trek: Prodigy, the Hagemans say they have been in a position to proceed the again half of the seasonal arc as at all times supposed.
“We did not need to lose the DNA of what Season 1 was, which is a present to introduce new individuals to Star Trek,” Kevin explains. “And we wished to proceed to have the best hits, proper? Like, there is a factor referred to as Tribbles. There’s time journey episodes. There’s a factor referred to as a Mirror Universe. These are improbable, enjoyable parts to Star Trek to reintroduce to a complete new viewers.”
At the top of Season 1, adventurer Dal R’El (Brett Gray), level-headed Gwyn (Ella Purnell) and their “crew” make it to Starfleet Headquarters on Earth, the place they uncover Admiral Janeway desires to incorporate them in a mission to seek out out what occurred to the USS Protostar earlier than the children commandeered it in the beginning of the season.
Kevin says timeline-wise, they needed to tweak some historical past to make it work. “We realized the Voyager was a floating museum. So we’re like, let’s create a brand new one!” Hence, the USS Voyager-A turns into the first ship to start out off Season 2 with Dal, Jankom (Jason Mantzoukas), Rok (Rylee Alazraqui), Murf (Dee Bradley Baker) and Zero (Angus Imrie) coming aboard to proceed to be taught and supply experiential perception to Janeway for this mission.
“We knew the Season 2 relationship between the children and their mentor was going to vary from hologram Janeway to Admiral Janeway, who was just a little bit tougher on them,” Dan says of the Janeway shift. So, they introduced within the subsequent finest hologram within the universe, Voyager’s The Doctor, voiced once more by Robert Picardo.
“As the Admiral would not have time to be by their facet day-after-day and second, we simply thought how good it could be for The Doctor to become involved,” Dan says of drafting the beloved character into their story. “We’d liked this concept that we at all times imagined [where] in Season 1 hologram Janeway is a little bit of a Mary Poppins. In this one, The Doctor desires to be Mary Poppins however he is extra like a Mr. Belvedere,” he laughs. “He desires to be endeared by the children however the youngsters are like, ‘You’re no Janeway.’”
The season additionally formally brings in Voyager solid member Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran), who was teased within the Season 1 finale. Asked how a lot freedom they got to play within the character sandbox, Kevin says it was actually about getting the buy-in from the actors and their approval of their character arcs.
“I’ll simply say that we’re at all times listening to our actors as a result of these are legacy characters,” Kevin explains. “What do you suppose? Do you want this? And thank God, they have been loving what we have been doing, as a result of we’re rising them. Just like our youngsters, we’re rising them up. Where’s Janeway now? Where’s Chakotay now? What’s the subsequent section for these characters? It was so enjoyable and so they had a blast.”
Although Dan admits, Mulgrew did discourage one large Season 2 thought. “There was a second the place we have been taking part in with the concept that [the ship] might be the Enterprise as an alternative. We [asked] Kate, ‘What do you suppose when you’re the brand new captain of the Enterprise,’ and he or she was not thrilled,” he laughs. “She’s like, ‘I’d somewhat or not it’s the Voyager.’”
Figuring Out Season 2’s Time Travel and the Return of Asencia
With 20 new episodes meant to additional mature and bond the younger Starfleeters in coaching, and create main stakes alongside the best way, the Hagemans say they seemed to 2 particular story parts to create the season: Time journey and the return of the villainous character Asencia (Jameela Jamil).
Admitting their very own concern of crafting a posh time journey story, Kevin says they seemed to their theoretical physicist advisor, Dr. Erin Macdonald, for the thumbs up. “We found out some hen scratch drawings and he or she actually checked out it,” he says.
“We take a look at her like she’s our trainer,” Dan provides. “So I feel our proudest second is when she’s like, ‘Yeah, it really works.’”
As for the “Big Bad” flip for Asencia, the Hagemens credit score their former Season 1 writers, Julie & Shawna Benson. “It was on the finish of Season 1, and our intuition was to put off Asencia,” Dan admits. “She dies and so they’re like, ‘No! This is just too nice of a personality. We simply wanted to maintain her within the universe. She shoots off in a pod and is on the market.’”
The Future of Star Trek: Prodigy
Warning: Spoilers observe for the Season 2 finale.
In the two-part season finale, “Ouroboros,” written by the Hagemens and Aaron J. Waltke, the door is left open for a complete new chapter of adventures with Captain Gwyndala and her Number One, Dal R’El.
“Our first unhealthy intuition was we wished Dal and Gwyn to each be captain, as they each deserve it,” Kevin says with a wince. “But David Mack, our Star Trek advisor, was like, ‘That’s the worst thought ever.’” Much dialogue commenced amongst the writers till they agreed on the “lovely symmetry” to the pilot episode when Gwyn is tied to the captain’s chair as a prisoner. “[Her] sitting in it now, as a captain, it simply offers me the shivers,” Kevin says.
Now it’s as much as the Trek followers as soon as extra to find out the way forward for the present, with every thing contingent on the present’s viewing hours on Netflix. “We must turn out to be a monster hit, so I’m hoping,” Kevin says of the probabilities of a Prodigy Season 3.
“I feel it is arduous for any present to get previous two seasons, as a result of oftentimes it requires a very large hit to interrupt out to have an even bigger library of a present,” Dan continues. “You take a look at Lower Decks and so they went 5 seasons and so they’re at 50 episodes. Prodigy is at 40 episodes, so we’re not that far behind. Even if the numbers are sufficiently big to warrant a 90-minute film, let’s try this. Let’s begin an animated movie franchise.”
The Hagemans simply hope Trek followers and non-Trek followers alike give the collection a strive. “The Star Trek neighborhood has been embracing us,” Kevin says. “But we have to get the phrase out to youngsters who do not know something about Star Trek and do not even know our present.”
“We’re very happy with the work,” Dan concludes. “We’re pleased that Season 2 ended the place it did. It closes the door, however on the similar time leaves a window open for a improbable Season 3.”
Star Trek: Prodigy is streaming on Netflix now.
