Spoilers Star Trek: Prodigy General Discussion Thread

[Danja]

Okona could be a foil for Janeway:

Janeway is spit, polish, and military discipline.

Thaliun Okona ... ISN'T (He impregnated almost an entire royal household! )



There's almost a David Addison/Maddie Hayes/Moonlighting vibe here (Two people who can't stand each other are forced to work together).

 

[Serin117]

And that explains Janeway's involvement. She hears about a ship with a hybrid Talaxian/Federation species and immediately hunts him down to split him apart.

...And today's new Prodigy star trek shitposting meme credit goes to...

 

[Tim Thomason]

Given what we learned about Starfleet, and faux-Starfleet officers hunting down the renegade ship (the "USS Prodigy"), I'm assuming this occurs post-2379 aways, at a point where Starfleet is beginning to explore the Delta Quadrant via tranwarp or slipstream or whatever.

Janeway is a hologram or maybe just a really old retired Admiral. Okona is an old rogue, but he does date this to the early 25th century at best. I presume the uniforms will be their own variant, which would ideally push this past Picard by 10 years or so. Maybe 15 or 20 so as not to interfere with Star Trek Online tie-ins (unless they want it to be a concurrent product).

The Delta Quadrant is a big place. Voyager went in a straight line, more or less, from the far corner towards the center, kinda, but there are massive swaths of unexplored triangular territory going down or left from Voyager's route.

Other than our Cyborg Talaxian, there's no need to feature any familiar cultures, and I think I'd be okay with that. Our Madenan/Argelian friend Okona could be one of several Alpha Quadranters exploiting the region due to advancements in propulsion tech or a wormhole.

 

[Christopher]

Okona is an old rogue, but he does date this to the early 25th century at best.

I still suspect Campbell misspoke or was misinterpreted, and the Okona cameo is for Lower Decks. I mean, he said it was an animated comedy, and deep-cut TNG continuity nods are LD's bread and butter. It makes more sense there than on Prodigy.

 

[Danja]

I still suspect Campbell misspoke or was misinterpreted, and the Okona cameo is for Lower Decks. I mean, he said it was an animated comedy, and deep-cut TNG continuity nods are LD's bread and butter. It makes more sense there than on Prodigy.

He was also a one-off character on TNG who last appeared over thirty years ago -- hence, a blank canvas who doesn't carry a ton of backstory. He's ripe for re-invention.

In this era of woke and #MeToo, do you really think Trek is going to permit someone whose primary attribute is sleeping with whatever isn't nailed down?

 

[Christopher]

He was also a one-off character on TNG who last appeared over thirty years ago -- hence, a blank canvas who doesn't carry a ton of backstory. He's ripe for re-invention.

I don't see how that negates or relates to the idea that he's intended for Lower Decks.

In this era of woke and #MeToo, do you think Trek is going to permit someone whose primary attribute is sleeping with whatever isn't nailed down?

The #MeToo analogy is completely inappropriate here. There's nothing wrong with being sexually active or promiscuous per se. What's wrong is being in a position of power over others and using that power to exploit them sexually or abuse them emotionally. Okona was not in power over the women he was involved with. He didn't pressure or blackmail them into sleeping with him against their will for fear of losing their jobs. He was just a charming guy they found attractive and had casual, entirely consensual hookups with. That's a completely different thing and there's nothing wrong with it.

 

[captainkirk]

And that’s another good reason why Lower Decks is more likely. Does that seem like an appropriate character for a kids’ show?

 

[fireproof78]

Okona doesn't sound appropriate for Trek at all but that's just me. Kid's show or not, I don't want to watch him.

 

[Christopher]

And that’s another good reason why Lower Decks is more likely. Does that seem like an appropriate character for a kids’ show?

While I agree that LD is more likely for Okona, it's not for that reason. Kids' shows can certainly have characters interested in romance and flirtation without getting into the sexual details. The Legend of Korra, for instance, had lots of romantic subplots between its four leads with their shifting attractions and dating and unrequited crushes.

Again, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with people feeling attraction and pursuing relationships. It's not something to be condemned in and of itself. It's certainly not "inappropriate" to acknowledge to children that people do feel attraction and date each other and so forth. They can figure that out on their own, since it's just part of life. It's just a question of how far you take it in the story, how much is onscreen and how much is left offscreen.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Yeah, Okona having (consensual) sex with everything that moves is a fun character trait. It's a little more problematic with Riker and Picard and Kirk when applied to their position as authority figures because of the power dynamic.

Of course, giving him a flirtatious relationship with any of the Prodigy teenagers brings its own set of problems, problems that wouldn't really exist (despite the, likely, large age difference... although we don't know anything about Okona's species aging) if he were to have relations with Mariner and/or Tendi.

 

[fireproof78]

Yes...a "fun" character trait.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Yep, nothing wrong with sex positivity when done right. Good for women. Good for men. Good for everybody.

Would make more sense on Lower Decks, of course, if they choose to continue that aspect of Okona.

 

[fireproof78]

Pass.

 

[Christopher]

Yeah, Okona having (consensual) sex with everything that moves is a fun character trait. It's a little more problematic with Riker and Picard and Kirk when applied to their position as authority figures because of the power dynamic.

Well, contrary to the stereotype, Kirk never pursued members of his crew romantically when he was in his right mind. The running gag with Yeoman Rand was that they both wanted it but his responsibilities prohibited it, so it was only when he was split into good and evil halves or under the influence of an inhibition-releasing virus that he was able to express his attraction. In "Miri," Rand was upset that Kirk never even looked at her legs. Then there's Helen Noel. He danced with her at the Christmas party, but a cut line from the script revealed that he hadn't known she was a member of his crew, which was why he was so embarrassed when he saw her in the transporter room. And some people mistake the neural neutralizer-induced fantasy of them making out for something that really happened between them, but the entire point was that it could never possibly have happened, that it was so far from reality that they could be sure it wasn't a real memory.

The closest Kirk ever came in his right mind to showing romantic interest toward a female crewmember was with the Prime Marlena Moreau at the end of "Mirror, Mirror," but all we really saw was him going over to talk to her, which could be entirely innocent.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Yeah. The only thing I can't parse is the tooth. Maybe hybrid Talaxian/Tellarite.

Or just a snaggletoothed guy. Trek has never needed an excuse to alter the details of its aliens -- e.g. DSC giving Tellarites tusks when they never had them before, or various productions moving Andorians' antennae all over their heads. But there are enough distinct features saying "Talaxian" that they outweigh any single feature that can be easily attributed to the creative license of the designer.

If you left it to Trek fans, all those breeds of dog couldn't possibly be the same species! Poddles, German shepherds, pugs, Dalmations? CANON VIOLATIONS!

 

[Danja]

If you left it to Trek fans, all those breeds of dog couldn't possibly be the same species! Poddles, German shepherds, pugs, Dalmations? CANON VIOLATIONS!

That's a great name for a dog.

"Nice dog. What's his name?"
"Canon Violation. We just call him Canon for short."

And that’s another good reason why Lower Decks is more likely. Does that seem like an appropriate character for a kids’ show?

They might be doing a retcon (Chances are, Okona is going to be entirely new to today's ten-year-olds).

If he was going to LD, surely he would've issued a correction by now.

He could be a "lovable rogue", someone with a TON of connections throughout the galaxy ("I got it from my ex-girlfriend's cousin's brother's sister's best friend's ex-roommate's aunt.")

 

[dupersuper]

Well, contrary to the stereotype, Kirk never pursued members of his crew romantically when he was in his right mind. The running gag with Yeoman Rand was that they both wanted it but his responsibilities prohibited it, so it was only when he was split into good and evil halves or under the influence of an inhibition-releasing virus that he was able to express his attraction. In "Miri," Rand was upset that Kirk never even looked at her legs. Then there's Helen Noel. He danced with her at the Christmas party, but a cut line from the script revealed that he hadn't known she was a member of his crew, which was why he was so embarrassed when he saw her in the transporter room. And some people mistake the neural neutralizer-induced fantasy of them making out for something that really happened between them, but the entire point was that it could never possibly have happened, that it was so far from reality that they could be sure it wasn't a real memory.

The closest Kirk ever came in his right mind to showing romantic interest toward a female crewmember was with the Prime Marlena Moreau at the end of "Mirror, Mirror," but all we really saw was him going over to talk to her, which could be entirely innocent.

Yeah: Riker didn't date crew either (until he married his counselor before they transferred to the Titan together). Picard tried once and we saw how that ended.

 

[Christopher]

Yeah: Riker didn't date crew either (until he married his counselor before they transferred to the Titan together).

Riker and Deanna were romantically involved for four years before their marriage (the length of time between INS and NEM). Also, Riker dated a tactical officer named Rebecca Smith sometime prior to TNG: "Genesis." And he and Ro got it on while their memories were wiped in "Conundrum."

 

[The Overlord]

Yeah, Okona having (consensual) sex with everything that moves is a fun character trait. It's a little more problematic with Riker and Picard and Kirk when applied to their position as authority figures because of the power dynamic.

Of course, giving him a flirtatious relationship with any of the Prodigy teenagers brings its own set of problems, problems that wouldn't really exist (despite the, likely, large age difference... although we don't know anything about Okona's species aging) if he were to have relations with Mariner and/or Tendi.

I think if Okona appeared in Priodgy, that would have to be toned down, that wouldn't really fly in a Nickelodeon cartoon. If he appears in Lower Decks, that can aspect can remain.

 

[thribs]

At long, long last! A crew with no humans at all! I know Janeway is going to be part of it but I suspect not as a main character. My excitement has increased.

I hear humans are still voicing them so we’re not there yet