‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ 2×12 Review: “The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 2”

Michaela Dietz as Maj'el and Ella Purnell as Gwyndala in Star Trek: Prodigy 2x12 "The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 2."

Star Trek: Prodigy 2×12 “The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 2” shows us what a little determination can do. We learn about serving where we are most needed, and we take the last flight of the Protostar. There’s a lot of good stuff to unpack here, so let’s sail into my review of Star Trek: Prodigy 2×12 “The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 2.”

Robert Beltran as Chakotay and Brett Gray as Dal in Star Trek: Prodigy 2x12 "The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 2." — CBS Studios

For the Kids

For the kids in the audience, in particular the young boys, Star Trek: Prodigy 2×12 “The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 2” has a lot to say. The episode does an amazing job illustrating that it isn’t as important to always be in the lead, as it is to do what is needed of you. So many boys, young men, and even adult men feel like they are nothing if they aren’t in the lead, or more specifically in this case, the Captain’s chair. That’s not true. No human’s value should be determined by their position or leadership role. Our society tends to teach young boys and men that they must be in leadership roles to the point that they devalue anyone who isn’t a man.

The conversation Chakotay has with Dal here is poignant. He felt useless and aimless until he was Janeway’s first officer. Chakotay didn’t have to be in the lead to have value. He just had to help her. Until then, he found purpose in doing what needed to be done, no matter if that was a prestigious job or not. What a valuable lesson! I’m so grateful for this important lesson in Star Trek: Prodigy 2×12 “The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 2.” We would do well to heed it.

Kate Mulgrew as Captain Janeway and Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher in Star Trek: Prodigy 2x12 "The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 2." — CBS Studios

For the Adults

While Star Trek: Prodigy 2×12 “The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 2” offers valuable lessons about learning to serve where you’re needed for both the kids and the adults in the room, it also has a good lesson for the parents in the room. This is a good word for the parents of older kids, and really one for parents of adults as well.

We have a wonderful cameo from Gates McFadden, reprising her role as Dr. Beverly Crusher. While she misses her time-traveling son, she has a good word for the parents. “All we can do is be there for them when they find their way home.” Many parents have no idea how to parent their kids as they mature into adulthood or how to be a parent when their kids are adults. Throwing out the welcome mat and meeting their kids where they’re at is parenting at its finest. The adults in the audience would do well to remember this as their kids grow up.

Robert Beltran as Chakotay in Star Trek: Prodigy 2x11 "The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 1." — CBS Studios

Final Thoughts

Star Trek: Prodigy 2×12 “The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 2” in some ways is a coming of age for our young crew, but in particular, Dal. He grows from a boy who always wants to be in charge (whether he’s earned it or not) to a young man who knows his self-worth isn’t determined by his position of power. It’s the last ride of the Protostar, and they make it one for the books. I am so ready for a Janeway/Chakotay reunion. We’ve got to power up our ship a little more to get there. With any luck, we’ll be on our way soon.

What did you think of Star Trek: Prodigy 2×12 “The Last Flight of the Protostar, Part 2”? Leave me a comment, and let’s talk Trek.

All episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 are streaming now on Netflix.

The Nerdy Blogger

Ashley Thomas is The Nerdy Blogger. She holds a B. A. in English Literature from Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee (c/o 2007) and completed her M. A. in Literature and Language, concentrating in Imaginative Literature at Signum University in Summer 2017. Ashley blogs, reads, writes (for fun and for hire), and spends time with her husband, Ryan, and their two cat-monsters, Oliver and Nynaeve. She and Ryan reside in Charlotte, North Carolina with a large quantity of board games, comic books, and polyhedral dice. She would like to be Brienne of Tarth, Leslie Knope, and Sylvia Tilly when she grows up.