Star Trek: Prodigy 2×15 “Ascension, Part 1” sets up a great point of action for the last quarter of season two. We’ve got the band back together! The Protostar gets an antivirus upgrade! And now, Ascencia is back and meaner than ever! It’s a lot to take in, so strap in for my review of Star Trek: Prodigy 2×15 “Ascension, Part 1.”
For the Kids
Once the action hits in Star Trek: Prodigy 2×15 “Ascension, Part 1,” it doesn’t stop. Our crew jumps into the thick of it. Zero, even in their weakened state, continues to help however they can. Dal goes where he is needed, which is in the cockpit, and Chakotay takes the Captain’s Chair on the Protostar. A good takeaway for kids in Star Trek: Prodigy 2×15 “Ascension, Part 1,” comes from Dr. Noum. He says, “As long as you’re conscious, you’re helpful.” Kids, and really, adults too, can feel inadequate for various reasons. It might be a physical disability like Zero has. It could be any number of things that make a person feel like they’re not enough or not as good as they could or should be. That does not diminish your value as a person. It doesn’t mean that you are incapable of being helpful or that you shouldn’t try. As long as you’re conscious, you’re helpful. You matter. That’s a good word for the kids, and really, for the adults too.
And now, on a completely not serious note, I would imagine that Rok-Tahk’s line, “…Bribble just had an oopsie in my pocket!” elicited more than a few giggles. It definitely did at my house. I also love that we have confirmation of actual useful pockets in Starfleet uniforms—pockets big enough for 1) a Bribble to fit in and, 2) a Bribble to “oopsie” in. I have pocket envy.
For the Adults
There are some great callbacks in Star Trek: Prodigy 2×15 “Ascension, Part 1.” First, there’s the “Boothby Supernova!” Boothby the Gardner has been educating Starfleet cadets about life for seemingly hundreds of years, so it’s only fitting that there’s a fancy fighter pilot formation named in his honor.
There’s also a lot of meat in Star Trek: Prodigy 2×15 “Ascension, Part 1” in terms of morals, meanings, and messages. Dal’s opening monologue says, “Maybe home isn’t always a place, it’s the people you trust the most.” First of all, aside from a very sweet sentiment, when he says that, we get a shot of Janeway placing a hand over Chakotay’s hand. This set off all the shipper alarms in my head! Once those died down, I felt the sentiment to be apt not just for our young crew, but also for pretty much any Starship crew. It’s certainly true for the original Voyager crew. It’s definitely true for Chakotay and Janeway. I can even say it’s true in my own life. I imagine many of the adults in the audience can say the same thing.
Star Trek: Prodigy 2×15 “Ascension, Part 1” also has a great philosophical statement from Zero when they find out that they are going to need a new body sooner rather than later. The Doctor reminds them that they will experience all the joy and sensations a physical body feels, but also the pain. Zero says, “What is life but a balance of both?” Part of being human is learning to take the good with the bad. That’s simply how life is, and while it’s not always how we might want it, it’s important to learn how the world works. Even so, it’s also just as important to look at the world how it could be. We are reminded that mistakes are unexpected variables. Things may look grim, but we learn to compensate. Unexpected variables are just that—unexpected. We learn to keep moving forward. That’s a good word for everyone.
Final Thoughts
Star Trek: Prodigy 2×15 “Ascension, Part 1” leaves us hanging. Voyager has tried to hit Ascencia with everything they’ve got, only to have their shots deflected. Ascencia here is positively menacing. She is the perfect scenery-chewing villain for this show, and Jameela Jamil is really killing it in this series.
Finally, I did a lot of swearing when we discovered that Ascencia had got Wesley! It’s pretty easy to have the upper hand when you know exactly what’s coming next. It’s going to be tough to get past these unexpected variables, but I must believe our crew can do it.
What did you think of Star Trek: Prodigy 2×15 “Ascension, Part 1”? Leave me a comment, and let’s talk Trek.
All episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 are streaming now on Netflix.
