Star Trek: Prodigy: Season 2 Review

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#startrek #videoessay #startrek #startrekprodigy #startrekuniverse

[@MichaelHaneline]

Man, Netflix’s marketing department really dropped the ball on this one, I didn’t even realize this was out yet

[@ChurchHatesTucker]

Must be handled by their anime department.

[@Jehayland]

Netflix marketing is historically hit or miss. Some stuff they promote like crazy and other stuff they totally drop the ball with. No idea what’s going on over there.

[@jy3n2]

That's been something of a recurring theme with Prodigy. The conspiracy theorist in me still thinks Paramount set season 1 up to fail because they were planning from the start to burn it down. (Seriously, I was shocked to find out that there wasn't much merch for it, seeing as each of the main cast has at least two variants and the toys almost design themselves.)

[@bexfieldimmersiveconcepts4812]

I think they don't need to invest that much marketing for star trek prodigy, the quality and word of mouth will be enough...

[@anthonygordon9483]

Netflix isn't about getting views within a small period of time. This isn't like the olden times where ratings matters within the first episodes. Netflix algorithm is based on preference and trends. Eventually it will market to viewers who are more interested in sci fi shows during a period of time. It will eventually get to everyones recommendation over time. After the writers strike, it seems producers now have more contractual control over seasons regardless of how well marketed it is or not. We already know that Netflix has gave them 2 seasons. So the success of the show will be based on 2 seasons instead of 1.

[@sael91]

Chakotay in Prodigy is what we get when good writers put love, effort, and talent into a character that was historically underserved. I think it's a good lesson on how even projects that don't land for us can inspire people to make great art down the line that draw on those projects that we end up loving.

[@sabkobds]

2 reasons to watch the show: 1. It's Star Trek at its best; 2. Let's boost the numbers so they get the chance to be renewed (if possible watch it more times).

[@paulwalker3758]

I loaded in to watch a few episodes of season 2 last night in the UK. Ended up watching the whole season before going to work today. Totally worth it!!!

[@DarthLocutus0]

I like what they did with the Spoiler Legacy Character, building off of what we last saw him doing and making it work well. And you're right, he was DEFINITELY not revealed in the lead-up. And that last scene they showed with him? That brought a smile to my face.

[@tsharabrown3719]

His personality flaws made sense given his history and original characterization too.

[@icon_uk624]

A smile to my face and, not going to lie, a tear to my jaded, cynical eye.

[@Trekfanwanda]

A wonderful distraction from the political carnage in America. I binged the entire season 2 in 24 hours 🖖🏽

[@paulusbexkens4392]

Chacotay was more interesting in these couple of episodes than 7 years in Voyager

[@deejumsduzall8804]

I’m shocked how much I enjoyed season 2. Season 3 is a must.

[@neto135791]

it was really refreshing not having a mystery box in my face for an entire season for one. i would put prodigy as one of the best since DS9. i love voyager, i agree with all your points and enterprise just really came to its own in the 3th season.

[@alanfischer1948]

I have already written Netflix to tell them how happy I am that Prodigy is on Netflix and that I hope they will contract for a series 3. What a GREAT show, and it ain't just for kids!

[@russellhowson9565]

Chakotay's come back is 5 star. Imagine if Picard had gotten this kind of writing!!

[@warpspeedracer]

Just binged the whole season. Love that they linked into Star Trek Picard. It's good. It's damn good. The writers were adept to using those legacy characters building on an established universe. They even use one of the captains from TNG (now admiral) that everybody hates. You can really feel Janeway's disdain for him. It really hits the mark on all the traditional Star Trek beats.

[@Qicksilver0075]

And yes when that Legacy character who wasn't in the credits showed up I screamed so loud I popped my husband's ear drums

[@WiseSalamander]

It was fantastic, I can't believe they handled legacy spoiler character so well, 100 out of 10.

[@BarbaraOhpenhope]

I did not set out to watch this in one binge session at all but when THE Legacy character whose name all of us are currently keeping out of our mouths showed up, who was able to stop watching? Because I sure as hell couldn't stop

[@michaelpapp5518]

Right?

[@laikapupkino1767]

PRODIGY is what children's television should be but seldom is. It starts with writers who respect their young viewers and who while keeping keeping their target audience's age in mind, write a show (I'm assuming) that THEY THEMSELVES WOULD WANT TO WATCH, and who have the talent, the sci-fi literacy + the taste to make it a show that someone like Steve Shives would enjoy too... Instead of being the hacks who write for a lot of kid's shows, churning out derivative cornball melodrama with 2 dimensional characters + cheesy dialogue, assuming kids will watch any old garbage because they won't recognize what a pile of recycled cliches it is and just don't know any better.

[@schnaffoo8557]

It’s sad that well written Trek is so quickly abandoned by Paramount

[@ZJBorg]

To your answer about why a kids show can be more satisfying and better written than other “adult” ones, so many original Star Trek fans were introduced to the 60s show as kids/young adults. While it always had bigger themes underneath, whether you were a kid, young adult, or adult, it tapped into the childlike sense of wonder first. And often through there, as a child, we feel things deeper. I think this show hits those beats as a result. Shame marketing dolts haven’t picked up on it. I’ll add-I don’t always agree with your views on legacy characters but I think what they do here is the textbook as well. Much as I loved TOS and the 90s era shows they weren’t as good at developing the side characters yet. We’ve seen more in shorter bursts with Voyagers characters in Prodigy when we almost ever did in 7 years of Voyager without playing the old beats. I like seeing old characters return but I LOVE seeing new depth and layers added since we last saw them. Prodigy writes the book on doing that.

[@knighriderredux]

Just finished watching Season 2, I'd have to disagree that THIS is the best current in production Star Trek series. I am blown away how the writers managed to incorporate the different ST universes into one coherent story. They managed to fix the one problem I had with current ST which is that they didn't seem to be talking to each other. Totally agree about how they nailed using legacy characters, much better job at doing this than any other show.

[@Bastion90]

Prodigy made all the different series feel more cohesive and connected than any of the other recent/current shows have. Prodigy also did it in a way that was fully integrated into the story and not just plucking out references for the sake of mentioning them.

[@brendancaulfield970]

Yeah, makes it sting all the more how dirty Paramount have done them.

[@TheCyberQuaker]

Yeah, I was looking forward to this season, but I wasn't expecting it to be such a satisfying bridge between Lower Decks and Picard

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@Bastion90 yeah, I was really surprised at how they incorporated some elements from Picard. And IMO made them work way better than they did in the Picard flashbacks...

[@mocknburd23]

@@Bastion90 And let's not forget that they did this while 4 of the 6 main characters are species we'd never seen before on any Star Trek (including Dal, who was a mystery for most of season 1).

[@tsharabrown3719]

I binged the whole thing in 48 hours. Apparently, Netflix looks for watch data in the first week and first month to decide whether to greenlight a new season. The Unnamed Legacy Character was well-used. His involvement in the plot made sense given his trajectory from when we last saw him. It did not feel like he was just plopped in when it could have been anyone, or for the sole purpose of going, "Look, Legacy Character is here!"

[@dantetre]

"Let's reach the stars" Is the best captain's order. It's the true essence of ST's view!

[@ansambel3170]

after first 2 episodes, i was absolutely sure i will hate dal as a character, but his arc was really impressive, esspecially in a kid's show.

[@Bastion90]

I binged the whole season over two days; it was amazing, and I really hope there's a season 3. It's my 4th favourite Trek series in the franchise (VOY, TNG, DS9, PRO). After Janeway, Zero has been my favourite character since the beginning of season 1, so I was really happy to see them get such a good story arc for season 2. I love how much these are characters are developing.

[@creativerealms]

Like Steve I am not a fan of references for the sake of references, but it comes off better when cadets bring it up. It makes it come off like they are remembering their lessions rather than fanboying over their favorite episodes. A scene from this season's third episode came to mind. Bringing up other time travel incidences didn't bother me as much if say Lower Decks did it.

[@EdDale44135]

Watching Strange New Worlds and been very surprised and pleased with how much I enjoy it. Each episode has been a solid story. Usually we have 3 stories ongoing at the same time. Characters are clearly different from the original, but they are consistent within the new show. Actually had to rewatch Balance of Terror after watching “A quality of mercy.”

[@UkyoSensuke]

I love Voyager, but I thought the exact same thing: Chakotay has never been this good! He has... character... motivations? He evolves and grows over the course of the show? Imagine if Voyager had done that at any time in 7 seasons!

[@keit99]

I also like voyager. But character writing wasn't it's strong suit outside of Jane way the doctor and seven

[@wpaunan]

I cant believe they ended the season in the way they did, tying in with the shows and the movies. Brilliant brilliant writing. I loved how they incorporated that legacy character as well without being all fan service bc it makes sense with the grand story arc of the season.

[@tuegy]

This kind of reminds me of how clone wars was marketed as a childrens show but turned out to be one of star wars best shows, just like prodigy is now

[@chimaxx]

One of the things I really liked was the way it dropped in some significant lore Easter Eggs without drawing attention to them. I'm an old fart, who watched the original series as it first aired and had memorized the best episodes and a few good-but=not=great ones before Next Generation started. So when that wall rotated to show that 1968 fanciful "futuristic" computer wall, I recognized it instantly from Assignment: Earth, and thought "about the implications of that in explicitly tying together two bits of franchise lore. My partner is a good decade younger than me, and saw the original series episodes once or twice growing up, but TNG was his real Star Trek beginning. So the connection to Assignment: Earth flew right past him. When I explained it quickly ("It was the episode with Terri Garr in it, remeber?"), he saw it. BUT THE SCENE WORKED COMPLETELY WITHOUT THAT ADDED BACKGROUND. That was cool bonus material for those of us who have been around, but it wasn't necessary exposition for understanding what was happening in the scene, and they didn't draw attention to it, or name drop Gary Seven or do any "Remember that? Huh? Huh? Huh?" signaling. It was just a piece of the set that worked in the scene without any needed context. I wish the writers of Lower Decks had a better grasp of that. And when they dropped in the *big* character in that episode, you didn't need to know who he was. And Roktok's litlle fangirl exposition of who he was is exactly how characters were explaained into the original series (e.g., how Roger Korby is introduced in the opening minutes of "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"). It was the inverse of the pointess shoehorning into Piccard.

[@FreihEitner]

I think I just got up to the episode last night which introduced the legacy character Steve might be talking about. Absolutely unexpected but I agree I think he was introduced well into Prodigy and with a valid reason. Unlike Steve, I love Star Trek: Lower Decks, but I agree Star Trek: Prodigy season 1 blew me away with how well it was written and the strength of its characters (yes, you do need to get beyond the first 3-4 episodes to see the character growth, it's a season-long arc).

[@pjlusk7774]

If it makes you feel better, things are...not great in France and Canada either.

[@lunatickoala]

Or the UK, or much of Eastern Europe, or North Africa, or Subsaharan Africa, or the Middle East, or South Asia, or East Asia, or South America, etc. There are two constants in society: change, and those who fear it to the point they will do anything to try and halt it.

[@justinp4996]

Glad to see you enjoyed it, cannot wait to find a source to view season 2 here in Canada.

[@occupationalhealth4779]

Binged the entire season in one sitting as well! And yeah that guest character did a brilliant job and fixed mistakes others made. Everyone's performances were brilliant and the integration of a new main(ish) character into the core kids group worked great! Gotta be said though Kate Mulgrew is the anchor again this season going between her different characters with each one being very clearly defined and engaging.

[@AtoManPL]

About international release: countries that have SkyShowtime platform should be getting the show mid-August, the rest will probably have it on Netflix.

[@notavailable2590]

It’s not available on Netflix or TV in Canada. We are getting the new Batman cartoon on Prime, so guess which one I’ll be watching.

[@ericcousino2068]

Prodigy has better character development in 20 half hour episodes than Discovery has had in 5 seasons. For example, in one scene Chakotay says " 10 to beam up!" These 10 were not all main characters yet you knew their names and their journeys. On top of that there are 5 to 10 more characters on the show that you know just as well. To this day, having watched every episode of Discovery, I could not tell you the names of any of the bridge crew. I struggle to remember most of the main cast character names.

[@federicomarintuc]

19:14 that seems more like an editing problem probably derived from the lack of budget. There's also a couple of times the starships models don't have lights on them and the voices are clearly superimposed over the original

[@cyberius7042]

So glad to hear that season 2 was another winner. I also thought Prodigy was the second-best of the current crop of Trek and was furious when Paramount+ canceled the second season and deleted the first season.

[@TheCyberQuaker]

They also did something with "legacy character" in the finale that fixed a big issue with season 3 of Picard

[@marcpebler3599]

Even if it is a kids show… to me it feels more like real Star Trek than anything else since DS9/Voyager. It‘s a beacon of hope that real Trek is still possible and waiting to be unleashed… if the people in charge only would give it a real shot. It would make more money than what they did till now.

[@TraskStudios]

What did Beltran do during the writers strike? I've heard similar sentiments from others but don't actually know what he did

[@creativerealms]

There was an an actor's guild rule that actors could still go to fan conventions during the strike but shouldn't talk about current, former, and future products. As well as them not promoting their work period. Some people, like Beltran were not following that. There might be more to it then that.

[@FoxMulder-FBI]

He talked about Star Trek on a convention

[@jy3n2]

1. Broke strike rules against discussing previous work. 2. Persisted in breaking said rules after the other actors warned him. 3. Approvingly retweeted a homophobic/transphobic tweet in response to the fans calling him out over this.

[@voxangelaemortis]

I came back to rewatch this video after watching the entirety of Prodigy's second season. I really enjoyed season one, but am an uninvolved/casual viewer and did not realize that there was going to be a season 2 until it showed up on Netflix (and even then I was lazy enough to wait for you to tell me if it was worth risking having the series hover on my "continue watching" history potentially forever). I agree with pretty much everything you say in this video. There were some tropes that started to grate me (the Kirk-ian reckless urge of our "captain" character to buck authority that sets everything in motion, for instance) but then went away or were subverted enough to be passable. Some of the nostalgia-fueled episodes got a side eye to start (espceially the one that predictably resulted in a plushie-worthy pet sidekick for a member of the crew) but also had some of my favorite moments (the throw away comment about a hybrid captain and his fusion cooking, for instance). And [POSSIBLE SPOILERS IN THIS STATEMENT:] I feel like it picked up a ball dropped by Next Generation that Picard never even bothered with as one former child prodigy shows up to help the next generation of child prodigies (also love that his character arc consisted of "Call your mother! She worries about you!") The one thing I did not like was the false ending for Janeway. [DEFINTE SPOILERS THIS TIME:] Why does every captain's dream idea of retirement seem to consist of being a farmer? Kirk. Sulu. Picard (once in a probe-related false memory, then again as a variation on the theme with his vineyard). Janeway. They have all been shown to retire to a farm in one form of media or another. Does no one want to embrace their inner Golden Girl at the Nova Miami colony or something? It wasn't until I was rewatching this video that something struck me: This show made for children is so much more mature than the supposed "for adults" Lower Decks. Just an example of "adult animation" actually being aimed more to the rebellious middle schooler demographic, I suppose.

[@dmann1982]

The UK got Prodigy Season 2 the same day as the US, technically several hours before. And I binged all 20 Episodes in one block. Was well worth it.

[@everardoaguilar8991]

Prodigy is amazing! It gets dismissed as a kids show but it des with very mature themes. I like that none of the main cast is human.

[@deoradh]

Prodigy’s win was in having the Hagemans involved: The format and storytelling seen here was typical of the Trollhunters series and its follow-ups. They know how to produce for adults while hiding it in an allegedly-for-children show. Neil Gaiman has that talent, as do a few others. That people get surprised that a “children’s” show is so damn good is more a comment on how dismissive and biased we tend to be about anything marketed toward children that we don’t bother to look at the story itself. Child slavery? Civil war? Identity crises? Self-sacrifice? Trans-species dysphoria? Post-apocalyptic genocidal vengeance trips? Inter-species romance? .. this is classic science fiction drama, not Fred Flintstone. It’s no more a kids show than His Dark Materials was.

[@robertmckeown5628]

I'm from the UK and I totally agree everything you said

[@firehawk128]

Greatest Star Trek season in the history of the franchise. Thank you Prodigy.

[@me-nah3343]

I like how the episodes do a lot in a limited runtime, but without straining credulity.

[@TobyDeshane]

While I share a lot of the criticisms of Voyager as you, calling it "forgettable and mediocre" is a bit much. :P That said, my god, this show... it pulled a massive miracle with that one unmentionable character. It's like the promise they told us about for so long, to the point of being a joke -- finally _realized_ and INTERESTING. And that was just one facet of the whole season. Amazing stuff.

[@CozinhadoDemir]

Brazil here ... just marathined all season 2. Best ST show ever. Kids' show? I am 60 and I loved it. Anxious to see season 3. I hope they do it.

[@CoffeeBlack-VOY]

Best star trek since Enterprise. Yes I said it 🖖☕

[@kilo1012]

Funnily enough I think Boxing is the ONE time one of his random ass traits was actually established in a prior episode. It was the one time sfdebris didn't do his dice rolling gag

[@jaredeiesland]

I've always liked the dark moments in the lighter series because they hit so much harder and feel more real. In the Pale Moonlight: "Delete that entire personal log", Under the Cloak of War with Pike asking the Dr what really happened and how we'll never know for sure, and now in Prodigy when they find Adreek... It's a show about exploration and hope, but it's so careful with its optimism v pragmatism, that the whole recipe is delicious. The chill up your spine is real and impactful and leaves an imprint.

[@emoke150]

My trekkie heart was so satisfied after watching this! How aren't they able to make more Trek shows on that level. It was so good.

[@kaboombox1581]

I agree that there were issues with the way the episodes were structured. They were in a traditional over the air broadcast format with obvious breaks in the story for commercials.

[@thecynicaloptimist1884]

Watching Season 2 I had in the back of my mind your video about how _Star Trek: Beyond_ should be the template of _Star Trek_ going forward, and I think this season is the result of that wish. It's _fantastic._ It's fun, touching, heartfelt, rousing, suspenseful, and just downright awesome. It's the best thing I've seen since DS9, and feels in many ways a spiritual successor to _The Original Series._

[@wlewisiii]

Binged this show in less than 12 hours and loved the spoiler special character's use. That was a perfect example use of how to do it.

[@TheTaurus104]

The best of Star Trek combined in 20 episodes. Star Trek Prodigy has become far more than what it was supposed to be! See you again in Season 3!The best of Star Trek combined in 20 episodes. Star Trek Prodigy has become far more than what it was supposed to be! See you again in Season 3!

[@TheMAZZTer]

I rather enjoyed Season 2. Maybe it's just because I'm a sucker for time travel and alternate reality stories which this season had in spades. I'm gonna write a bit before I watch this video on my uninfluenced thoughts. The main sticking point to me was that despite the fact that Solum needed to be hostile to Starfleet in the future so that the Protostar would be sent back in time, somehow everyone seems to think it's a great idea to try and fix Solum in the present to prevent that from happening. Maybe there's an explanation somewhere in this season and I missed it. But it seems to be a plot hole. Inconsistent consequences of time travel is a staple of Star Trek I suppose. I wasn't prepared for the guest appearance by you-know-who at the midpoint. I had hoped he would show up in other Star Trek shows such as Lower Decks or SNW but I was not even expecting him on Prodigy. I feel his performance here is far better than on Picard. The new bad guys are quite terrifying and I think the show does a pretty good job of giving out heroes defenses against them as the season went on without completely neutralizing them as a threat (well, except the final encounter, perhaps). This season was more focused on the overarching story than season 1 I feel. It feels like there are less episodic stories. Which is fine since I felt the overarching story was great. The individual episodic stories we do get were still good as well. Finally we got a lot more out of the legacy Star Trek actors this time around, not just Kate Mulgrew. Robert Beltran, Robert Picardo, you-know-who from before, and Ronny Cox made great reprisals and the former four all had meaningful contributions to the story. The end of the last episode also works pretty good, hooking into events we saw in Picard and setting up the ending for both a "and they lived happily ever after" if season 2 is the end, or being the foundation for a season 3 if necessary. Also about how Cetacean Operations going from an in joke to an actual part of the show (first Lower Decks, which is a comedy so it gets a pass, and now here in Prodigy).... not sure how to feel about that. As Scotty said, all that water must weigh a ton. And would they really have rocks in the tank? The dry areas of the ships don't need rocks for the humanoid personnel. All that said the character of Gillian is fun and I like the way she's used. Edit: I forgot, really liked the new character Ma'Jel or however you spell it. Well here are my thoughts on Steve's comments now. I agree it took a bit to get going. Sometimes I'll pause and switch to doing something else for a few minutes if a show isn't really capturing me. In the first few episodes this was a problem. Once we were past the first quarter or so of the season I didn't have that problem any more. Of course this isn't too unexpected, the stakes have to be built up in order to catch you I suppose. I think the references to Admiral Picard make sense because this show takes place during the planning of the Romulan evacuation which is mentioned a few times. It makes sense he would come up as well. I think TrekCulture pointed out Picard would have been in charge of a large chunk of the fleet for that, so it's reasonable he'd have to authorize Janeway to take a ship that could have been used for that effort, which is one of the three references to Admiral Picard I recall. I talked to a friend about the appearance of you-know-who and he guessed who it was since it apparently was discussed online. I was happy to have been surprised by it and it sounds like Steve was as well, Those are my thoughts on this season. If you'd like to hear more.... too bad.

[@andrewlonghofer]

It really benefits from the half-hour time slot, and it’s really refreshing that the writers of THIS one know how to write ten hours with no slack and nothing rushed. I love the fact that the core cast are this show’s characters, but I really wish that the galaxy had more than like 10 other people in it to be tertiary one-off characters.

[@AndrewD8Red]

I think the whole "legacy character" thing is interesting because to me, I felt they _weren't_ their own characters so much. We weren't given any reason to think, for example, Chakotay was anything special to Janeway except she literally said so. The audience knows why, but newcomers don't. People are more sympathetic to shows they enjoy, and that can go a long way in helping us to overlook things we'd be more critical of elsewhere. It isn't hypocritical or contradictory, it's just what we do.

[@MartinHalldynomot]

It's here on Netflix in the UK Steve.

[@hundinger1]

Germany too.

[@trekman10]

I'm glad that there's a formula for Star Trek series to have connectivity to each other that doesn't offend you automatically. I like what you said about the legacy characters not feeling like they are "visiting from another show". I think that's also the best way to do it, because for me it would be equally weird if each show felt like it took place in a different Federation with entirely different people. Like if instead of Picard in DS9 Emissary, it was some previously-unseen bald starfleet captain with whom Sisko had a vendetta against. That would've been weird. People alive in the 2370-2400s should be able to pop in any of the shows in concept since they'd logically be around.

[@likeluptid]

For me it was different. As I watched the 1st season, I didn't get into it until maybe the 5th or 6th episode; then I realized how good the show is and started all over again before going forward any further. And I LOVED the first season. The 2nd season totally grabbed my attention in the very 1st episode. I thought it was a brilliant way to begin the season. And then I made it to episode 9, and a great show became 10 times better in that episode. I was not expecting to see that or to hear the Kelvin timeline spoken of. The 1st season was great, but the 2nd season was 10 times greater, especially for all the people who had already watched the Picard series. (For the record, that's not a spoiler.)

[@rmeddy]

I just finished it today and it was great. A simple testament to how good it was is that they leaned on two big fanservice faux pas I was hoping they avoided, and it was still great despite these things usually hamstringing other shows.

[@RanninRavensight]

Prodigy season 2 is the biggest apology/redemption that Voyager could ever hope for.

[@meiketorkelson4437]

I have to say, I really enjoy holographic mentor Janeway. It feels like an angle to the character we rarely saw.

[@Nathan_STELLARIA]

I saw a funny animation error in season 2 episode 4 where Dal moved his face muscles in just a flash to smile with his teeth before the camera turned away from his face

[@AliceJoy78]

We got this on Netflix in the UK, too, and, just like you, I watched the entire season in one straight run. It was really good. It didn't even feel like a chore to watch. It kept my interest all the way through, and that isn't an easy thing to do. This surprise legacy character was very much unexpected, but what they did really works. In fact, this character was definitely better and was far more developed in this series as opposed to his original appearance, but there are times you just want to tell him to shut up, lol. It would make sense to see this through another season, at least. Especially when it was marketed as season 2 and not "final season"

[@wpaunan]

Wouldn’t it been funny if someone in exasperation said “oh shut up ……..”?

[@dantetre]

In short: Go watch it, it is one of the best Star Trek series EVER!

[@Qicksilver0075]

When I saw the major Legacy character on screen I went yay he'll get to keep his sag health insurance because he's getting enough hours out of this show to qualify again get another reason why we should have Universal Health Care

[@StephenHennessy-Stone-ee5fy]

I've gotta admit the second season of Star Trek Prodigy is absolutely perfect season 1 was okay it took me awhile to get used to the characters but they have grown on me even the Voyager characters again there were some emotional moments and funny moments that just shows that characters like Dal, Gwynn, Ruck, Zero Jancko and Murph can be great if written properly and the voice actors are absolutely perfect

[@bobingabout]

Was released on Netflix in the UK on the 1st, so I'm assuming it SHOULD be available everywhere on Netflix, assuming it's available in that country on netflix. I know it's available on a different network in france. (Because of the news of it being accidentally released early.)

[@florai3148]

I live in UAE and it’s available but not marketed at all, it feels like I’m the only watching it in the entire region

[@ninegearcrow]

Prodigy is the show that Picard could have been, and it makes the former look even weaker for failing to accomplish what a "kids" show did seemingly effortlessly.

[@AndyMcCavish]

Prodigy has been on my to do list for a while so the question is do I need to / should I watch season 1 first?

[@thebigdork8030]

I think season 2 does a good enough job of giving you the cliffnotes for season 1's overall plot. But I still wouldn't say to skip it.

[@JoeZasada]

S2 was incredible. Also liking the proper 20 episodes per season count.

[@vullord666]

Binged new season when it noticed it dropped. Absolutely loved it. Star Trek Prodigy is SO good as a Star Trek project and some of the best tightest writing I've seen in the franchise. Also I gotta say I love how they're doing cameos in such a way that you don't feel lost and they even feel natural. They even take time to explain some of the more complicated things in Star Wars. It's so good both for old fans and brand new Star Trek viewers (say kids; this is the perfect thing for oldies to watch with their kids and get them interesting in Star Trek). I so desperately want Season 3 to happen. Prodigy has been some of the best writing I've seen of Star Trek and it's certainly the tightest. Older Star Trek shows took a more episodic approach and the linear storytelling serialized approach is fairly new. Some have done better and worse with it and Prodigy did it so so well, easily the best. This show really feels like a Star Trek for the Next Generation. I'll say about the legacy characters and member berries, stuff aren't just dropped. They affect the main plot and we even have the events of Star Trek Picard (I won't say what) play a direct role in tying into the end. The characters feel like they're there for a reason, explain why they're there and it's not just blatantly for nostalgia, and they have impact on not just the plot but helping our main cast (who need mentors) grow. I will say I love how Chakotay and Dal affected each other and really how the former helped one of main characters grow. It's great seeing characters from older shows realistically advance in Star Fleet and take on mentor roles.

[@BSRJR]

Based on yours and Jessie Gender’s effusive praise, I paused this video halfway to binge both seasons. I was really unsure about it for the first 4 or so episodes (Dal is hard to take at first) but I ended up really loving season 1. For season 2, I disliked the change in format (it’s more serialized than the first season) and Dal’s regression in character development. But around episode 12 it won me back and ended up finishing nearly as good as the first. I have mixed feelings about it embracing elements of Picard season 1 that I felt were bad choices, but I trust these writers to “make something great out of this mess”. I wasn’t expecting this show to be a direct (and better) sequel to Voyager and a prequel to Picard season 3, but here we are.

[@The_Real_Kyrros]

Yeah, this season was produced the same as last season, two 10-ep mini arcs that encompass the whole. I am grateful that at least the first half of the season was dropped all at once, because... yeah, the first 4-5 episodes were not very self-contained, rather very serialized. Things just kinda plodded along for those initial episodes. I understand they had some stage-setting to make, but there wasn't much in the way of A or B plots to keep things different between episodes. So, yeah, grateful it was all at once, else I'd've had a tough time keeping positive about it over the course of several weeks. The back half of the season would've done just fine if released weekly. They were largely self-contained storylines that also ended up serving the larger story as well, and the few two-parters there were, were clearly titled as such, we were told in the title that it was part I, so that kind of cliffhanger or otherwise unresolved ending is much more excusable. So, yeah, Prodigy is definitely still a favorite of mine after the 2nd season as well. In the same way that the animated 'Clone Wars' series is some of the best Star Wars in the entire franchise, Prodigy is also some of the best Star Trek in the entire franchise. DS9 and SNW are my favorites, but Prodigy can compete in the same arena and still have a respectable showing in any matchup, even if it doesn't necessarily beat those other two out.

[@DLZ2000]

Mentioning a legacy character isn't a good or bad thing. Often, it's a case where a name has to go in there. They'd be going out of their way, just as much, if they picked a name at random. And given this season, using the name you cited, was actually appropriate, because the political situation looming over the proceedings is relevant to that character. I don't think a random name would have improved the show, and I don't think using the name they used detracted from the show.

[@saavedra77]

Has Chakotay ever been written so well before? I think not!

[@vladutcornel]

It’s not available here, on any (legal) platform. It’s sad because Netflix got me into Star Trek.

[@vijay-c]

They took all the stuff I don't like much about Trek and turned it into something I really liked! It's sooo good! It's almost made Voyager bearable!

[@AstriaStarwynd]

I loved that this series had references and cameos that felt like part of the story and not just flagrant fanservice. I mean, sure, it is fanservice, but it's functional and it works.

[@T1hitsTheHighestNote]

Prodigy can't be found on Netflix here in Sweden, had to watch it via VPN. Honestly, I have no idea what they are doing at the moment, but season 1 can be found on various lesser streaming services, so it might be some local licence situation. These studios really makes it difficult for you to consume their content!

[@obsidianwing]

Just finished Season 2 and im blown away through the Wormhole. Never through such a complex show for kids. This show is fun to watch even for the Adults ... yip yip

[@richtheobald4390]

Great hearing your thoughts, and I would agree that it was a fantastic season that I could barely break away from until the end. For myself, however, I found it started strong and only seemed to flag a little in the middle for a couple of episodes. Saying that, even they were very good and were integral to the overarching plot. And the end.. it kind of brought me to tears in a good way... how sappy am I? I'm really wishing and hoping for a season three.

[@AUBWallace]

I thought the show was canceled. Now i'm sad because i'm sure the platform with the rights to air it in my country won't do it in months or even years

[@rainsfall2494]

Bro just use a VPN!

[@AUBWallace]

@@rainsfall2494 i would like watch it with my language dub

[@federicomarintuc]

You can download it from yourserie

[@federicomarintuc]

​@AUBWallace it's dubbed in 15 languages

[@uosdwiSrdewoH]

I was happy that season 2 got picked up by someone but I'm concerned it's Netflix. Their system for what to renew and cancel seems to alternate on any given day. The only thing we can do is watch it and hope that's enough to get it a third season pickup. Once you watch it, anytime you're not in the room, start it up again. Run it when you're asleep, at work, whenever. Ensure that the fan outcry when it was cancelled translates to numbers they can see. I can think of multiple shows that were cancelled only for calls for renewal to end up with nobody watching. The numbers have to be so overwhelming that they'd be stupid to cancel it.

[@heyitsjefe]

As usual Steve you are spot on with everything, in my humble opinion! 😂

[@euterpe55]

This show was fantastic! It kept you watching and totally engaged without a mystery box. Wonderful character development and brilliant script writing. Season 3, please!

[@loupetron]

I just finished the series myself. I sat there so many times saying “How is this show this good. Paramount cancelled **this**?” Prodigy shot up so fast on my chart of great Star Trek. The way they created a lived in universe where all the shows matter to each other in Prodigy. It’s not “ooo look it’s a reference”, it’s “this happened and there are consequences, and here’s how we have to deal with it.” I can’t wait to watch season 2 again, and I hope for more #savestartrekprodigy

[@Chris-tf7gi]

Just finished Season 2 of Prodigy. I AM NOT sure that Star Trek Prodigy isn't better than Strange New Worlds. I'm not sure. (XXXX it.) Prodigy is the best new Star Trek show. If this is all we get, I'm okay with it, but I sure hope we get a Season 3 of Prodigy. (Parimount, you had THIS in your vault and you were not going to let it see the light of day! That's amazing too and not in a good way. Glad at least it worked out with Netflix.)

[@molin1]

I finished both seasons this weekend after having been interrupted when S1 was removed from Paramount+. What a show! And I was also glad they gave a new lease on life to certain legacy characters that have been so badly treated over the years.

[@charlesdivittorio9135]

Great show. Great sci-fi concepts. Great characters. My only gripe is the whitewashing of Janeway. Those kids would have spent the entire season in the brig if this was the Janeway from Voyager. I would have appreciated a line or two about how much she's mellowed. Or a line about how she is giving the kids a lot of slack because they saved the Federation last season. But old Janeway would have said in episode 1, "You broke into a restricted area? You are all in the brig until this mission is over. The only one who gets to break the rules is me. And NO ONE defies my orders."

[@ruhafla8326]

I liked season 1 of Prodigy. I absolutely love season 2.

[@FlipORican00]

Star Trek does work as an animated series. If they wanted to fill in the blanks dso to speak, between the live-action series, they could do it as an animated series, especially in the style of Prodigy animation, which i love. They can given fans the Sulu or Worf series that fans were interested in. Isn't an animated series cheaper to make than a live-action show? Plus, with animation they are restricted in terms of action sequences that in live-action could have limits that can be done. I hope Paramount will at least give fans one animated series out of all the Star Trek they plan to produce.

[@wpaunan]

And with animation they can explore more aliens

[@MrMeldonius]

Did... did this show make HIM (not Chakotay, the other one) likeable? What comes next? Likable Neelix? Ok, ok, I know this is Star Trek, but even in sci-fi there are some things that are not possible Totally agree with you, this show and this season is great

[@goodpeople25]

It has captain Tuvix mentioned, that's kind of like Neelix and kind of like development.

[@mocknburd23]

I agree basically completely with your review! A couple other things to mention. I don't think it's a spoiler to say how great this relationship was handled with Gwynn and her father. And Jankom didn't have a lot of the primary story lines, but I was totally Team Jankom! And I can't forget to mention that I literally laughed out loud many, many times! Especially the episode, let's just say, where Chakotay puts the grease on his face...