Spoilers Star Trek: Prodigy General Discussion Thread

[Tim Thomason]

Something I noticed right away:

Here is Mr. Zero from the proposed Star Trek: Final Frontier animated series in 2006.

He seems awfully familiar with Zero from this new animated series.

I'm sure it's a coincidence, but the resemblance is striking.

 

[CuriousCaitian]

And really, there's no reason that well-done children's programming can't be enjoyable for adults simply for what it is -- good, solid storytelling. The only things that really define something as "adult" in our culture are sex, violence, profanity, drugs, and the like, and you can tell a rich, intelligent, sophisticated story without those things. Indeed, the use of such things is all too often a lazy crutch, a way to pass something off as "mature" without putting any real thought or intelligence into it. Children's programming has to be sophisticated on a more meaningful level, that of character depth and dramatic conflict, as we've seen in shows like Avatar/Korra and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

Not for the first time, a 'like' feels woefully inadequate for one of your posts. Absolutely dead on the money, and I'd expand it to note that at its worst, graphic content can be a distraction from and a detriment to the story you're telling. I agree with what Christopher Lee asserted in the cast commentary for Fellowship of the Ring: a moment is often scarier, or more moving, or more exciting, or more erotic, for what you don't see, than what you do see. It's the element of personalisation, of letting your audience put their own spin on things, that seems increasingly lost these days, except in family or children's storytelling, which is a big reason why I honestly greatly prefer it to more 'adult' fare.

In that vein, can't say I'm surprised it's the animated Trek series 'for children' that's grabbing me the most of the modern offerings; great potential for all the things I like about Trek, in my favourite visual medium, with few or none of the things I dislike about current televisual genre shows, and, if the genderless Medusan is any guide, a decent dose of the open progressiveness animated fare has been superb for in recent years. Just have to hope it's on Netflix in the UK so I can actually, yannow, watch it!

 

[Tim Thomason]

How in the hell did they (IE its people) put a 'child' Medusan inside and encounter suit designed I assume for Medusan crew members that interact with corporeal federation crew members?

What a strange question. Presumably they just get in and close it up. If a human child can get in a car, I assume a Medusan child can get inside an encounter suit.

According to the character description, Zero designed the suit for themself. So, we're dealing with a child Prodigy here, I assume. Probably other Medusans have excursion suits that don't look like they came from scrap heaps.

Or maybe they just chill out at home and people like Zero (and Kollos?) are rogues who have to fend for themselves and figure out how to interact with others around the galaxy.

 

[fireproof78]

Not for the first time, a 'like' feels woefully inadequate for one of your posts. Absolutely dead on the money, and I'd expand it to note that at its worst, graphic content can be a distraction from and a detriment to the story you're telling. I agree with what Christopher Lee asserted in the cast commentary for Fellowship of the Ring: a moment is often scarier, or more moving, or more exciting, or more erotic, for what you don't see, than what you do see. It's the element of personalisation, of letting your audience put their own spin on things, that seems increasingly lost these days, except in family or children's storytelling, which is a big reason why I honestly greatly prefer it to more 'adult' fare.

When someone says it is "just for kids" I now roll my eyes very hard. It shows a complete lack of appreciation of what it means to be a child any more and that somehow being an adult automatically means more sophistication.

 

[Oddish]

When someone says it is "just for kids" I now roll my eyes very hard. It shows a complete lack of appreciation of what it means to be a child any more and that somehow being an adult automatically means more sophistication.

We should have learned that much from most of Pixar's movies.

 

[NCC-73515]

I seem to remember a drawing in the Worlds of the Federation book that showed a Medusan box with little robotic tentacle arms... or was that something else?

 

[fireproof78]

We should have learned that much from most of Pixar's movies.

At least. It is a constant source of head scratching of how people are like "kid's stuff is just so uninteresting." I'm like "Have you worked with kids at all?" Kids have an almost insatiable curiosity and a story that engages them usually is provoking far more questions than other media. They are not mindless consumers as commonly portrayed,

 

[CuriousCaitian]

At least. It is a constant source of head scratching of how people are like "kid's stuff is just so uninteresting." I'm like "Have you worked with kids at all?" Kids have an almost insatiable curiosity and a story that engages them usually is provoking far more questions than other media. They are not mindless consumers as commonly portrayed,

I'd say the risk-averse movie industry itself has to shoulder a lot of the responsibility, there. I mean, it's only recently they've started to realise an animated movie can be longer than 90 minutes, something the Japanese have known for decades, and they're still producing far too many films like Angry Birds and Minions and not nearly enough like Into the Spiderverse and Raya and the Last Dragon. Films like the latter, and the above-mentioned TV shows are helping to break the mould, but decades of cumulative effect will take time to overcome. Hopefully Prodigy will further aid that progress.

 

[Oddish]

Kids are all different, just like adults. They like different things. It's just a matter of finding an audience. Between Trekkies, children of Trekkies, and fans of its assorted cast, I think Prodigy will.

 

[Tim Thomason]

I seem to remember a drawing in the Worlds of the Federation book that showed a Medusan box with little robotic tentacle arms... or was that something else?

That was Worlds of the Federation (p. 61):

 

[Oddish]

Medusans kind of remind me of that old kid's cartoon called "Mighty Man and Yukk." The latter was a dog who was so ugly that if anyone (or indeed most inanimate objects) saw his face, they would either pass out or run away screaming.

 

[SG-17]

Its supposedly a bunch of kids. So hopefully they know no one outside their family. Janeway is sufficient fan service.

Considering how much the current wave of Trek loves fan service (it always has to a degree), I wouldn't be surprised if we see Neelix specifically or other Voyager callbacks like the Hirogen or Vaadwuar (maybe picking up a native DQ species for the main cast later that puts them at odds with the rest of their species/family).

 

[fireproof78]

Considering how much the current wave of Trek loves fan service (it always has to a degree), I wouldn't be surprised if we see Neelix specifically or other Voyager callbacks like the Hirogen or Vaadwuar (maybe picking up a native DQ species for the main cast later that puts them at odds with the rest of their species/family).

Oh, I won't be surprised by it either. I just find it completely detracting from the show.

 

[captainkirk]

a moment is often scarier, or more moving, or more exciting, or more erotic, for what you don't see, than what you do see. It's the element of personalisation, of letting your audience put their own spin on things, that seems increasingly lost these days, except in family or children's storytelling, which is a big reason why I honestly greatly prefer it to more 'adult' fare.

A great example of this is in the first season of Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. When it starts to overlap with the events of the film, they show the ACU attack from a different perspective. In the film, we see people getting smashed into trees, getting stepped on, and getting snatched into the air and then raining blood. A kids' show can't do that, so instead, they just have some characters who are unaware of what's been going on find a bunch of radios which are receiving all the screams and roars, until they all go silent. Way more chilling and effective without showing anything graphic or costing a fortune in animation.

 

[NCC-73515]

That was Worlds of the Federation (p. 61):

That's what I remembered, so robotic arms on a container were established (sure, not canon, but reference material) decades ago, and Prodigy realizes it

 

[Christopher]

Considering how much the current wave of Trek loves fan service (it always has to a degree), I wouldn't be surprised if we see Neelix specifically or other Voyager callbacks like the Hirogen or Vaadwuar (maybe picking up a native DQ species for the main cast later that puts them at odds with the rest of their species/family).

Using species is fine, but too much continuity porn/fanservice can be a barrier for new viewers, and a show like this should be an entry ramp, accessible to people who've never seen or even heard of Voyager.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I'm constantly horrified by the way some people assume that "for kids" automatically equates to "shoddy and inferior." What would the world be like if we applied that thinking to food or medicine or safety equipment? Surely our children deserve the absolute best we're capable of giving them. Surely nothing in this world demands more care, quality, and devotion than the things we create for our children.

There's a well-worn Simpsons meme for occasions like this.

 

[Danja]

Using species is fine, but too much continuity porn/fanservice can be a barrier for new viewers

Exhibit A: Lower Decks

I think we've established that Mike McMahan and Co. are fans.

 

[Oddish]

Exhibit A: Lower Decks

I think we've established that Mike McMahan and Co. are fans.

The best parodies are the product of people who love the fandom.

 

[fireproof78]

Just tell good stories. Stop worrying about fan status!