Discover Starfleet on the Job Training with ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’

“And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer it,” the poet John Masefield wrote in his famous book, “Sea fever. “The vision of the open sea and a sailboat was one that the ‘Star Trek’ writers often used and recited in the episode ‘The Ultimate Computer’.

This romance of the hard work of ocean navigation assumes that the person reciting the poem has a willing and able crew on deck. Unless the ship is partially automated, like the way Mr. Scott modified the Enterprise in “Star Trek III: Finding Spock“, a crew is essential for any ship, whether maritime or space.

Automate the business

But what if there was a ship with just a bunch of totally inexperienced people? What if a teenage couple discovered a Starfleet ship and took it upon themselves to begin a journey? Without training, ranks, pips or even captain?

This is one of the countless reasons why “Star Trek: Prodigy” is different from all the previous Trek series. While the show was created for a Nickelodeon– Age audience in mind, the fact that the “crew” of the USS Protostar is not really a crew at all. Instead, it’s just a handful of humanoid and non-humanoid species entering the universe.

Janeway’s Return

They have the occasional help of a very famous hologram. Kate Mulgrew returns as Captain Kathryn Janeway and appears throughout the series as a combination of Pinocchio Jiminy cricket “Conscious” and a guide, a bit like Jor-El by Marlon Brando in “Superman”.

Heavy’s own Robin zabiegalski was able to participate in a question-and-answer session with some of the show’s cast members, which included Ella Purnell (Gwyn), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk) and Brett Gray (Dal). Zabiegalski asked them to talk about what it must be like for a crew to become a “crew” without formal training.

Ella Purnell as “Gwyn”

Paramount / Getty“Gwyn” and Ella Purnell

“This is how it should be – maybe not on a spaceship,” the actress said. Ella Purnell. Fans might recognize Purnell from his roles in the Netflix movie “Army of the dead“and the series”Bittersweet. “Purnell gives the floor to” Gwyn “, a member of the species” Vau N’Akat “.

“Children should be allowed to explore what appeals to them,” Purnell said. “Explore what attracts them and what they’re good at. Not that living on a spaceship is safe in any way, in particular… it’s probably actually quite traumatic.

“I think by finding the roles they’re good at, and then finding the things they’re interested in, then they find parts of themselves,” Purnell said. “Rather than the way it is at the moment. It’s their own education system that’s not structured like ours, and I think it works better.

Rylee Alazraqui as “Rok-Tahk”

Primordial“Rok-Tahk” and Rylee Alazraqui

“I think they were put [into a] position, and they are learning from it, ”said young Rylee Alazraqui, who is the daughter of the actor and vocal artist Carlos alazraqui. His character, Rok-Tahk, seems to be inspired by the Ben Grimm from Fantastic Four but reserves some surprises.

“I think Rok-Tahk was security because she’s a huge rock monster because of course she’s going to be security,” Alazraqui said. “What else would she be?” I think the characters learn to love who they are, and they’re going to learn more from the position they’re in.

Brett Gray as “Dal”

PrimordialBrett Gray and “Dal”

“Dal’s challenge is interesting because Dal doesn’t feel like he has any talents,” said Brett Gray, who plays the role of “Dal”. Gray is known for his roles in “On my blockAnd “When they see us”.

“He’s not the raw size,” Gray said. “He doesn’t have combat training or anything like that, so all he really has is his voice and his ideas. His journey is mostly internal about what it’s like to be a leader. “

“It’s really like a maturing process for Dal,” Gray said. “Dal is really learning what it is to ‘be’ and to be confident in ‘being’.

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