1x19 Supernova (1)

[7.5/10] Let’s get the bad out of the way first. I rarely come to Star Trek for action. It’s not like the franchise is necessarily bad at it, but it’s just not what I’m asking for or excited about from a contemplative franchise like this one. So a season finale, which have been almost uniformly action-packed in the Kurtzman era of Trek, is not really my speed.

But even if it were, it’s not something Prodigy is especially good at. The weakest element of the show, frankly, is the design and animation work. So seeing our heroes do battle with Dreadnok isn’t much to write home about when the movements are stiff and the editing is choppy. (As an aside, it’s not clear whether Dreadnoks are so vulnerable that a room full of malnourished Tars Lamora prisoners can subdue them, or so unstoppable that they can’t be stopped by most of the Protostar crew working together.)

A fencing-esque duel between Gwyn and Ascenscia is pretty meh when their movements aren’t fluid and there’s not a real sense of depth or weight to their stand-off. And the Protostar zipping past the Starfleet armada or seeing a host of Federation ships firing on each other loses a lot of oomph when the art style renders the vessels pretty unremarkable and the direction can’t do much to up the verve.

Likewise, I’m very conflicted about the Diviner redemption tour here. I feel like, at a minimum, we needed some extra steps before we can fully accept that he’s seen the error of his ways and is worthy of mourning despite his grievous sins of the past. He tries to save Gwyn from Ascencia, which goes a long way, but he’s been a bad guy for a while now, and we’ve only gotten a glimmer of redemption in the last episode. He never apologized for his missteps with his daughter, and there's a lot to answer for. I’m not averse to a redemption arc for him but this all happened very fast. I don’t mind Gwyn grieving for him. There are, of course, a lot of complicated feelings there, regardless of what the Diviner has done. But it feels like the show wants us to sympathize with him as he fades from existence, and it hasn’t quite done the work to earn that just yet.

With that out of the way, let’s talk about the good. I like the character choices here. Dal learning he’s forbidden from joining Starfleet, but using that as reason for him to volunteer to fight off a Starfleet boarding party so his friends still have a chance to join, is one of the most mature, selfless things he’s ever done. Ironically, it’s proof that if anyone belongs in Starfleet, it’s him.

Likewise, while the execution is a little clumsy, I like the fact that what springs Admiral Janeway from the Brig is the kindness she showed to people in a time of need back in the days of Voyager. The callback to the Brenari refugees from “Counterpoint” is a little forced, but the show’s heart is in the right place, and the message that your good deeds come back to you in unexpected ways is a good one.

In a similar vein, it’s mildly convenient that the living construct screws up the universal translator so that no one in Starfleet can communicate with one another, to where it quickly becomes Gwyn’s time to shine. Nonetheless, I like the idea that she once used her linguistic abilities to pit different species against one another, but now she’s using it to bridge divides. It speaks to her personal growth, and understanding of the big tent values of Starfleet. The fact that Dal dubs her captain and has full faith in her to lead them through this moment is the icing on the case. (And hey, their chaste little kiss in a tight spot is a sweet moment as well.)

And while the “all our allies come together” hope spot in the finale has become something of a cliche at this point, it’s still a nice win to see Gwyn get through to Starfleet’s non-Federation allies. (Though don’t get me started on the tricky question of whether the Klingons are part of the Federation or not, and how this exacerbates that debate.) The idea of her reaching out to everyone who’s been helped by the Federation, imploring them to return the favor in their hour of need, and seeing that call for help answered, is a pleasant tribute to Starfleet as well.

The same themes hit in miniature with the Protostar crew working together to escape from Dreadnok’s attempts to neutralize them. There’s some genuine cleverness to the Rube Goldberg series of events where Rok-Tahk using Jakom’s hand tool frees Murf, who liberates Zero, who removes Dal’s restraint, who neutralizes the gravity device holding down Jankom and Rok-Tahk. It’s a touch too simple, but the idea of the rapport and ability to work together these young officers-in-training have forged, and the way it helps them break out of this, is a good thing.

Otherwise, the idea that Starfleet vessels in distress automatically call for back-up, exacerbating the current problem, is a nice means of escalation and the need for more solutions beyond what’s been achieved in part one. Jellicle is till a total dick apparently, so I’m glad Prodigy preserved that. It’s neat to see the show pulling from obscure corners of Star Trek’s illustrious history, with a conspicuous appearance from the U.S.S. Sovereign which originated in a TNG video game. And I’m a little leery of Ascencia turning into a mustache-twirling villain, but her escape via Dreadnok opens up other possibilities.

Overall, the first half of Prodigy’s season 1 finale does some of those clunky, traditional finale things that irk me a little. But it also gets the core values and key character choices of Star Trek right, which covers for a heck of a lot.