It’s time again for a look at the most recent Prodigy episode, titled “Crossroads.” The episode saw the Prodigy crew going to an outpost on a snowy planet in order to hitch a ride to a Starfleet base. The hope is that they can explain the weapon without being arrested. Plans don’t go well as the real Admiral Janeway arrives on the planet and realizes who the crew is. They start to escape, and also with the help of Captain Okona, who once appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Prodigy gets blasted by the Dauntless because Murph has finally hatched. The crossroad comes in whether or not both ships will enter the Roman neutral zone! With that, it’s time to give our thoughts on the episode…
Music
Mr. Daps: “This was a fun week for music. I wouldn’t say it was the most iconic music of the series but it definitely was enjoyable and it did a great job of accompanying the story that was being told. It was a solid week musically.”
Murray: “There are some great Giacchino Trek themes among this episode. I really enjoyed the soundtrack for the planet and the chases. It enhanced each scene while not distracting from what was happening.”
Design
Mr. Daps: “This week was a good week for design. We saw lots of aliens, including the Xindi. We also got to see the return of Okona, which was pretty awesome to see how the moved his story forward. The planet itself was pretty awesome. I thought the planet design was solid and interesting to look at. I also like getting to see more exteriors of the Dauntless. I am fascinated by it and also kind of curious about it. I would love to see the schematics!”
Murray: “The planet had some great aliens to see throughout the outpost. It was great to see some Xindi in an animated form. The other great design is with Okona. He has aged, but still looks like an adventurous captain. His personality was a different design in a way where it’s that mercenary type performance, but a bit more exaggerated for a kids show. It was obvious in that way, but not bad. It fit overall.”
Story
Mr. Daps: “I thought this week’s story was one of those that progressively build as the story moves on. I thought it was interesting that the beginning of it was rather slow and almost boring. Then suddenly things picked up and continued to just go at warp speed. The ending definitely left me hanging and excited for next week. There weren’t any major surprised this week but it was an enjoyable one.”
Murray: “The story for this episode escalated. I must say it started off slow and felt like it was rehashing not just Trek plots, but other show plots too. But, it ramped up and went to a high speed chase that ended on a great cliffhanger for the next episode. It wasn’t a complicated plot, and very straightforward. But, for a kids show it had some adult film elements to it.”
Hit or Miss?
Mr. Daps: “I would say this week was a hit. It might have started off as a bunt, to use a baseball metaphor. However, as the episode moved along it kept hitting the ball harder and harder. I like where things are going and I am really curious about how this season is going to end. I think there are definitely some questions that need to be answered but I am hopeful that they will be. If the future episodes for this show match the level of this week’s episode, this is going to be a lot of fun!”
Murray: “The story really came together for me even though I was unsure at the beginning. The designs and music came together for the episode as well. But, I give it a ‘miss’ and it’s because of one problem that Trek sometimes has: technology. What I mean is that there is such an easy way to talk to Admiral Janeway which is through communicators. They don’t need to use the Prodigy and connect to another ship which will result in damage. They can communicate with Starfleet communicators. Or a shuttle! I know they can either make one or even have another one on the ship. But, it was still a great episode. I have a hard time with episodes like this where I think about those plot points for too long. I will say it is an episode worth watching, and I hope others can get past the points of contention I have.”
