Star Trek: Prodigy - Season 1 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Star Trek: Prodigy - Season 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 4, 2023

Note: this release contains only the first half of season one; these episodes originally aired between October 27, 2021 and February 2, 2022. The second half of season one, which is not included here, aired from October 26, 2022 and December 21, 2022.

It felt like there was a lot of Star Trek years and years ago when the end of The Next Generation overlapped with Deep Space Nine and, later, DS9 overlapped with Voyager. That, of course was also when all of the TNG films were making their rounds through theaters, too. While Enterprise would follow a few years later, there was a general consensus that there was just too much Trek and a period of rest and recovery followed. Now, the series is back on the small screen, and with a vengeance, with no less than four concurrently running shows: Discovery, Strange New Worlds, Lower Decks, and Prodigy, the latter two animated and very divergent in terms of style and substance. Prodigy follows a ragtag band of aliens who seize an abandoned Starfleet training vessel and come to learn what it means to be Starfleet while facing off against a foe determined to take the ship for himself.

Official synopsis: 'Star Trek: Prodigy' follows the intergalactic adventures of six teenagers as they try to escape from their cruel past and look to the stars for hope and salvation aboard an abandoned Federation starship. These outcasts know nothing about the ship they have commandeered – a first in the history of Star Trek – but over the course of their adventures together, they are introduced to Starfleet and the ideals it represents.

Prodigy feels more like an animated Star Wars show in its early going rather than Star Trek. It's really only through some hints and sounds effects and little odds and ends that audiences are initially reminded that this takes place in the Trek universe. Once the ragtag "crew" secures the Protostar, and the Janeway hologram becomes a key cog in the show, Prodigy finally begins to take on the face and shape of Trek. It further requires half the season (or in the case of this Blu-ray, half of the first half of the first season) before it really finds its stride, the characters grow more defined, and the story takes shape. It matures from cumbersome but cute to irrelevant but irresistible. So far, Prodigy really adds nothing to the larger Trek canon -- it has yet to prove the point of its existence -- but all things considered it's a fun little diversion in bite-sized chunks (each episode runs a svelte ~23 minutes).

The biggest weakness this season is the villain, a fairly mundane, flat antagonist with a stable of personal and ulterior motives that don’t amount to much. The show efforts to wrench in some larger depth in the final minutes, but it’s too late for serious investment. But the show is better on its focus on the band of ragtag protagonists, anyway, and how they come together and mature from wayward souls to legitimate Starfleet cadets who grow to understand not just the science and technology that make the Protostar work but more importantly the moral compass that's the real glue behind Starfleet and the camaraderie that emerges from their shared time on and responsibility for the ship and one another. The heroes sell the show, but future seasons will need to find a more engrossing arcing plot to work. As an introductory (half) season this works well enough, even with the bland villain, but now that everything is in-line and well-oiled, Prodigy will need more to warp confidently into its future.

The following episodes comprise season one. Summaries are courtesy of the Blu-ray inset:

Disc One:

• Lost and Found: Part 1 and Part 2: Exiled on a mining colony outside Federation space, a group of lawless teens discovers a derelict Starfleet ship. Dal must gather an unlikely crew for their newfound ship if they are to escape Tars Lamora, but The Diviner and his daughter Gwyn have other plans.
• Starstruck: Even with the guidance of their hologram advisor Janeway, the crew of The Protostar is tested when their ship is on a dangerous cosmic collision course.
• Dreamcatcher: The crew has their first away mission on an undiscovered planet that manifests their deepest desires, only to realize the planet has desires of its own.
• Terror Firma: Marooned on a deadly planet, the crew must work together with their captive, Gwyn, to stay alive.... except the planet isn't the only thing in pursuit.
• Kobayashi: As Gwyn struggles to find her role aboard the Protostar, Dal tests his leadership skills in the newly-discovered holodeck.
• First Con-tact: When a mentor from Dal's past persuades him to use their Federation cover for personal gain, they quickly discover Starfleet has protocols for a reason.

Disc Two:

• Time Amok: When the Protostar is fractured in time by an anomaly, Hologram Janeway must synchronize the disjointed crew and save their ship before it destructs.
• A Moral Star, Part 1: The crew foregoes their dreams of Starfleet to return to Tars Lamora in a no-win scenario.
• A Moral Star, Part 2: When their plan goes awry, the crew must improvise. Meanwhile, Gwyn discovers a dark truth that will forever jeopardize their quest toward salvation.

Star Trek: Prodigy - Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Star Trek: Prodigy's 1080p Blu-ray presentation looks good outside of a few glaring issues, which appear to trace back to the source. These include some severe aliasing/jagged edges seen throughout the season and some banding that ranges from mild to moderate, again scattered throughout the season. Otherwise, the image is fairly strong, offering good, high yield clarity and definition to character models and environments. Viewers will be able to soak in character details, starship elements, and various landscape elements with highly impressive definition. Colors are bold and satisfying, with a diverse range of character colors and background elements all offering vivid depth and satisfying tonal nuance and accuracy. Outside of those aforementioned trouble some issues, this is a very satisfying release.

Star Trek: Prodigy - Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The first half of Star Trek: Prodigy's first season arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is well balanced in all areas of concern. Musical engagement is full and rich, offering expressive bass and well-defined spatial characteristics. Action elements offer excellent bass, too, such as when the Protostar is pulled back down to the planet by some vines in episode three, or in any number of explosive action effects, especially during the final two episodes or the Kobayashi Maru episode. Enviornmental supports offer engaging balance and stage immersion as well, whether subtle elements of impactful push. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized from its natural front-center position.

Star Trek: Prodigy - Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc Blu-ray release of Star Trek: Prodigy contains a healthy allotment of extras spread across both discs. No DVD or digital copies are included. This set does come with a few collectible cards inside the case.

Disc One:

• The Kobayashi Maru (1080p, 4:04): A quick look at the history of the captain's test and its place in this series.

Disc Two:

• Trek Tradition (1080p, 11:06): Building a show that is accessible for first-time Star Trek viewers: an "outsider's view in." It explores the character population and diversity, Trek lore and what makes the show special, underlying and overarching themes, exploring core Trek philosophy in the show, and more.
• The Prime Directive (1080p, 3:15): Prop Designer Jack Rossi discusses the Prime Directive and how it is actually physically modeled in Prodigy.
• The Protostar Pack (1080p, 28:33 total runtime): A closer look at specific character design and characteristics. Included are Creating Character, Dal R'el, Gwyndala, Jankom Pog, Rok-Tahk, Murf, Zero, and Hologram Janeway.
• The Protostar (1080p, 13:37 total runtime): Much like the previous supplement, this one focuses on ship design and presentation. Included are The USS 'Prostar,' Bridge, Transporter Room, Cargo Bay/Hangar, Crew Quarters, Engineering/Warp Core, Holodeck, and Nacelles.
• Gadgets & Gear (1080p, 17:22): Again, design and purpose of various odds and ends seen throughout the show. Included are 'Trek' Gadgets & Gear, The Runaway, Gwyn's Heirloom, Tricorders & Phasers, Hologram, Vehicle Replicator, Food Replicator, and Cloaking Device.

Star Trek: Prodigy - Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Prodigy is different, but it's different in an accessible, if sometimes not always immediately identifiably Trek, sort of way. It's also fun once it settles down, and the quality second half of this first half of season one paves the way for good things to come in the second half of the full first season. Paramount's two-disc Blu-ray release of the first half of season one delivers serviceable video and solid audio along with an enjoyable smattering of extras. Recommended.