JLP's Day 2021

It was quite an active 48 hours in the world of Trek with not just a new trailer for Picard but the first real information around the new characters from Nickleodeon's Prodigy series.

Yes, we all know that Kate Mulgrew will be back as Captain Kathryn Janeway, the ship's training hologram but what about the six runaways who acquire the as-yet unseen starship?

Coming later in 2021 and Picard in 2022, Prodigy's cast is a big mash up of existing aliens and brand new ones. Army of the Dead's Ella Purnell arrives as 17 year old Gwyn from the Vau N'Akat. Her character was raised on a mining colony and travelling to the stars has always been her dream.

Brett Grey voices the maverick Dal whose race has yet to be identified. Jason Mantzoukas is the 16 year old Tellarite Zankum Pog. Fans will easily recognise the argumentative race from TOS and latterly Enterprise. A second familiar race is included with Zero. Again TOS fans will know of the Medusans from Is There in Truth No Beauty and this one is buried inside a containment suit to protect anyone around them. Exposure to a Medusan can cause insanity!

Dee Bradley Baker voices Murf who appears to be a blobby alien of nondescript origin who likes the taste of ship parts and is virtually indestructible. Finally, the youngest voice actor is 10 year old Rylee Alazraqui. She plays the shy, rocklike alien Rok Tahk. While not an obvious returning species, the Brikar have been around before in Worf's First Adventure and the New Frontier novels - both of which were penned by the brilliant Peter David.

Little else to go on there from Prodigy and even the few stills released alongside the character photos provide nothing to expand on the story. It does offer a look at the animation style and the characters a little bit closer up. As with all of the other Star Trek productions around it will definitely have its own identity with the freedom of CG providing an unlimited base of opportunity.

In a wild Messenger conversation yesterday I managed to predict that a Picard trailer would land on Captain Picard Day and lo and behold I was proved right. I mean, come on, it was going to be a certainty wasn't it???

"Welcome my friend to the very end of the road not taken..."

While Prodigy's update offers mere suggestions, the live trailer for season 2 of Picard isn't holding back. Opening with Picard seemingly suffering some ill effect, Q is back. The road not taken suggests we're heading into a season of alternatives but not precisely the often walked path of the Mirror Universe. Indeed there seems to be more of an indication that season 2 will be playing out a slight sideways "What If...?" twist that might be spawned or at least inspired by Tapestry, maybe All Good Things... and The Visitor. 

Aside from a good look at Elnor (who appears purely as a background character here), we get to see Soji in white, Doctor Jurati, Captain Rios and of course Seven.

There's not a lot riding on the sightings of Soji or Jurati but Rios has a distinct look and is sporting a black uniform with an unfamiliar Starfleet badge. Picard and Raffi are back in uniform themselves at what one might assume is Starfleet Headquarters. Their styling is of the uniform used in the flashbacks of season 1 rather than the "present" versions seen at HQ and worn by Riker.

The verdict in humanity's trial may not have been reached but there are more than a couple of surprises and questions packed into the last few seconds. For one, there's an oddly shaped pin badge or object in Seven's room...but when she wakes there's no sign of a single Borg implant...Seven of Nine is totally human which would make her 100% Annika Hansen!

Here's one other thought - perhaps that scene of Jean-Luc faltering at the beginning is Q returning him to human form and ridding us of the contentious robo-Picard that was in play at the end of the first season. Just a thought there but it's something that I wouldn't put past Q nor the writers to deal with the level of backlash that the move to "kill" the captain seemed to create.

Either way - anyway - we'll have to wait at least six months before we get to find out...