star trek prodigy tricorder

A tricorder was an advanced multi-function hand held computing and scanning device used to gather, analyze , and record data , with many specialized abilities which made it an asset to crews aboard starships and space stations as well as on away missions . ( TOS : " The Naked Time ")

Captain Donald Varley compared "little piece of legend" from an archaeological dig at Denius III that was believed to be of Iconian origin. Varley's engineers examined the object, but were completely baffled by its technology , leaving Varley to ponder its purpose. He likened his understanding of it being comparable to "a caveman confronted by a tricorder." ( TNG : " Contagion ")

Data using "Mr. Tricorder"

"Mr. Tricorder" was a joke made by Data in 2371 , during an away mission aboard the Amargosa observatory following the installation of his emotion chip . He used a tricorder like a hand puppet and talked to Geordi La Forge . ( Star Trek Generations )

During B'Elanna Torres ' baby shower she weighed a gift in her hand that she had received from Tuvok before opening and noted that it " Feels heavy, " before she guessed, " Baby 's first tricorder? " Tuvok responded, that it was " not exactly ", and Torres opened it to find a pleenok . ( VOY : " Human Error ")

• 1.1 Capabilities
• 2 Components
• 4.1 See also
• 4.2.1 Real-world devices
• 4.3 External links

Operations [ ]

One could learn how to use a tricorder from a tricorder operations manual . ( VOY : " Phage ")

Tricorders maintained their own tricorder logs , but were often useful for recording entries in personal or official logs . ( VOY : " Phage "; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , et al)

Capabilities [ ]

In the proper hands, a tricorder could be used or rigged to:

• Detect a cloaking frequency . ( VOY : " Riddles ")
• Emit a homing signal . ( VOY : " Initiations ")
• Set up a multiphase pulse . ( TNG : " Attached ")
• Explode (SNW: "Those Old Scientists" (emergency capabilities revealed only to Captain, CMO, and Chief Security Officer, TS-120 series, only.)

EM interference limited tricorder range to as little as one hundred meters . ( TNG : " Descent ") The jamming signal produced by the Jem'Hadar on AR-558 limited a tricorder's range to one hundred meters. ( DS9 : " The Siege of AR-558 ") Similarly, a planet 's atmospheric ionization jammed the transponders of tricorders, which rendered them useless. ( DS9 : " Heart of Stone ")

In 2375 , Commander Geordi La Forge modified a tricorder with one of Data 's actuation servos , but it only had an operational range of four meters. Star Trek: Insurrection

Components [ ]

• Isodyne relay
• Optronic relay
• Scanner head
• Bajoran tricorder
• Jem'Hadar tricorder
• Klingon tricorder
• Romulan tricorder
• Heavy duty tricorder
• Psycho-tricorder
• Medical tricorder
• TR-560 Tricorder VI
• TR-580 Tricorder VII
• TR-590 Tricorder X
• TR-590 Tricorder XI
• TR-890 Tricorder XV
• Trill medical tricorder
• Vulcan tricorder

Appendices [ ]

See also [ ].

• Diagnostic wrap
• Tricom badge

Background information [ ]

The original impetus for the introduction of the tricorder to Star Trek was outlined in a memo from Gene Roddenberry to Robert H. Justman , dated 14 April 1966 , stating with regard to the role of the Captain's Yeoman : "It has been suggested that she carry as part of her regular equipment... some sort of neat, over-the-shoulder recorder-electronic camera via which she can take log entries from the Captain at any time, make electronic moving photos of things, places, etc... it seems like it could also be a potentially popular toy item for female-type children." ( The Making of Star Trek , p.169)

As of its third revision, dated 17 April 1967 , the series' Writers/Directors' Guide (p. 19) described the device thusly:

" TRICORDER: A portable sensor-computer-recorder, about the size of a large rectangular handbag, carried by an over-the-shoulder strap. A remarkable miniaturized device, it can be used to analyze and keep records of almost any type of data on planet surfaces, plus sensing or identifying various objects. It can also give the age of an artifact, the composition of alien life, and so on. The tricorder can be carried by Uhura (as communications officer , she often maintains records of what is going on), by the female yeoman in a story, or by Mister Spock of course, as a portable scientific tool. It can also be identified as a ' medical tricorder ' and carried by Doctor McCoy . " ( Star Trek: The Original Series 365 , p. 026)

In the final draft script of TOS : " Miri ", a tricorder was used by Spock to ascertain that McCoy wasn't dead. In the final version of that episode, however, no device is used by Spock upon determining that conclusion.

According to Eileen Palestine , Geoffrey Mandel , Doug Drexler , and Anthony Fredrickson 's Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual (p. 150), the name "tricorder" was short for " tri -function re corder ."

The tricorders in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock were designed by Bill George . ( text commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD special features)

In the documentary Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier , Brannon Braga ironically states that, although he didn't know what tricorders do, " they were probably used a little too often. "

Recalling how the tricorders in Star Trek: Discovery were designed, Aaron Harberts described them as "super-important [...] key props" that "nobody wanted to really change." [1]

Real-world devices [ ]

The TR-107 Tricorder

The first "real-world" tricorder was developed by a Canadian company called Vital Technologies Corporation in 1996. [2] The scanner was called the TR-107 Mark 1 ; Vital Technologies sold 10,000 of them before going out of business in 1997. The TR-107 could scan EM radiation , temperature , and barometric pressure .

Many research laboratories are developing, or have developed, portable scientific analyzers. For example, in February 2007, researchers from Purdue University publicly announced their portable (briefcase-sized) DESI-based mass spectrometer, the Mini-10, which could be used to analyze compounds in ambient conditions without prior sample preparation. This was also announced as a "real-life tricorder" in later press releases. Truly hand-held devices, based on lab-on-a-chip systems, are also in development. These are typically more specialized than the Star Trek equivalent; however, it is believed that biomarker analysis will allow the development of a general-purpose medical instrument in the near future. ( citation needed • edit )

Sandia National Laboratories in the US is a major center for lab-on-a-chip research, and have developed many handheld instruments for biological or chemical analysis. In May 2008, researchers from Georgia Tech publicly announced their portable hand-held multi-spectral imaging device, which aids in the detection of the severity of an injury under the skin, including the presence of pressure ulcers, regardless of lighting conditions or skin pigmentation. The day after the announcement, technology websites including Inside Tech and The Future of Things began comparing this device to the Star Trek tricorder. ( citation needed • edit )

In October 2009, researchers from NASA showed their prototype for a device that detects deadly gases in the air; it contains a chip the size of a postage stamp connected to an iPhone. ( citation needed • edit )

A mobile medical imaging lab that operates using inexpensive mobile phones was demonstrated in 2009. ( citation needed • edit )

In April 2017, a seven-member, self-funded team took first place in the international Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE competition. Their entry consists of several parts that are used with a tablet. It exceeds the design goal by being able to help a layperson walk through the process of diagnosing thirty-four medical conditions. The tricorder is called DxtER (pronounced Dexter) and the team is looking forward to evaluation and testing by the US Food and Drug Administration. More information is here .

External links [ ]

• Tricorder at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Tricorder at Wikipedia
• 2 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Sito Jaxa

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Introducing a Fully Functional Star Trek Tricorder

Beaming in the Wand Company's latest Trek replica.

Designed to work just like the fantasy version imagineered in the 1960s, with more than a little help from some 21st century technology, a full-colour LCD displays information stored in the Tricorder along with dynamic data gathered by its sensors and audio recording function.

With a target retail price of $250 USD, Star Trek fans can now look forward to measuring the environment, scanning radio frequencies, recording audio, impressing their friends, and enjoying the fact that they’ll own perhaps the most sophisticated prop replica ever designed and manufactured. The Tricorder will be available in summer 2021 directly from The Wand Company Shop, the official Star Trek Shop, and other selected terrestrial retailers. If fans want to be the first to hear about product updates and pre-order availability, they should register their interest The Wand Company's online store .

How Does A Star Trek Tricorder Actually Work?

The ultimate space travel multitool, a "Star Trek" tricorder is one of the handiest things aboard any Starfleet vessel. Useful for performing a wide range of functions, they are the "Star Trek" universe's answer to a smartphone. And like the mobile phone, these handy devices see quite a few evolutions through the years from the early bulky models on "Star Trek: The Original Series," eventually getting the ultimate 32nd century holographic interface as seen in "Star Trek: Discovery." As Bradward Boimler put it, "They never improved the design. Sure, they were made smaller, and more powerful, and less likely to explode" ("Star Trek: Lower Decks: Those Old Scientists").

As described in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation Series Bible (Season One)," tricorders are "portable scanning devices" that are "capable of scanning and recording information about alien landscapes, cities and objects." According to the 1967 "Star Trek Writer/Directors Guide." the "tri-" refers to the device's three primary capabilities as part sensor, part computer, and part recorder, all packaged neatly in a portable device. This handy piece of equipment is useful for much more than planet scanning on away missions and can function equally as means of recording communications or medical data.

Although the 1967 writers' guide explicitly states that the tricorders' functionality should never be explained in the series, the 1977 "Star Trek Star Fleet Medical Reference Manual" takes a pretty solid stab at tricorder engineering. Written by a group of fans — three of whom would end up working on "Star Trek" productions — and based on information mined from the series, the guide states that tricorders were built upon Dr. Richard Daystrom's duotronics technology. According to the manual's diagrams, earlier medical tricorders featured a scanner display, speaker/microphone, remote scanner, analysis section, surgical tools, and controls for analyzing, recording, and diagnosing.

The tricorder was designed for Yeoman Rand

Although the tricorder would eventually come to be an invaluable tool in the Starfleet universe, it started out as a plot device meant to increase the relevance of the ship's yeoman in "The Original Series," according to a production note revealed in "The Making of Star Trek." Sent from "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry to producer Robert H. Justman on April 14, 1966, the note considered ideas for expanding Yeoman Janice Rand's (Grace Lee Whitney) role, writing, "It has been suggested that she carry as part of her regular equipment [...] some sort of neat, over-the-shoulder recorder-electronic camera via which she can take log entries from the Captain at any time, make electronic moving photos of things, places, etc." (p. 169). In the same note, Roddenberry suggested a second use for this type of equipment: as a toy for "female-type children."

Those simple functions would soon be expanded to include the tricorder's three main functions. According to the "Star Fleet Medical Reference Guide," the "diagnose" function of the medical tricorder works almost exactly as the sick bay scanner would right down to the vital signs readout. "Analyze" allows users to evaluate information in more detail, ascertaining details like what type of bacterial organism they are dealing with or taking a much closer look at blood composition. And "record" allows users to record that data.

Although the tech would eventually change in-universe, Yeoman Rand's model would have a lasting impact on generations of Starfleet officers to come. Just as humans today often wax nostalgic over their favorite vintage technology, trill Starfleet officer Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) revealed how much she admired the classic design of the 23rd century model in the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Trials and Tribble-ations."

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Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Gets Timely In “Who Saves the Saviors”

| July 2, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 13 comments so far

“Who Saves the Saviors”

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2, Episode 3 – Debuted Monday, July 1, 2024 Written by Erin McNamara Directed by Sung Shin

The second season settles in to start exploring time and space and more importantly, some new character dynamics.

Here we go… again.

WARNING: Spoilers below!

“We’re hurtling through a time hole!”

After a harrowing wormhole trip to the future, the Infinity crash-lands on war-torn Solum, where Dal, Jankom, and Zero quickly spot their old ship, the USS Protostar. They hide all Starfleet accoutrements and are soon captured, but this is a good thing as it should keep them out of temporal trouble… until they are thrust into the same cell as Captain Chakotay and his Aurelian first officer, Adreek . They try to play it cool: “Nice tattoo.” Smooth. Soon enough they realize that even though the Starfleet officers smuggled a tricorder into their cell, they have no plan to escape, so the kids figure it’s a causal time loop thing. “Who would think it was always us who helped them send the ship back to Tars Lamora?” Don’t get ahead (or behind?) yourselves, kids. As Dal and Maj’el bicker, Pog (in between dropping bird puns) gets to work using the tricorder to control his confiscated techno-mitt Thing-style to deactivate the jail cell. With one final bird gag (“Time to fly the coup!”) they head off to the Protostar and destiny. Chakotay is impressed with the offer to distract the guards so he can get to the Protostar. Time for some speeder bike action: Dal getting the Vau N’Akat’s attention with phaser shots and “Look how distracting I am!” Heroic, but he needs to work on his taunting.

If we don’t break out soon, I’m going to run out of bird puns.

“I will enjoy watching you perish.”

Meanwhile, back on present-day Solum, Gwyn’s nice new young dad gets her an audience with the elders, who agree to allow her to challenge Asencia to the Va’Lu’Rah ritual. The pair is taken to an ancient site. They set aside their personal heirlooms as a dais descends them to a chamber covered in hieroglyphs of the Solum’s past. Gwyn sorts out this place must be the original source of the Vau N’Akat heirlooms as golden dust permeates the air. Each can now conjure these telepathic weapons at will, and so their fight begins, and they trade dangerous stabs, parries, dodges, and blocks in a violent ballet. As they are evenly matched, Asencia uses the time to do some villain dialoguing, such as “You thought you were strong enough to save us from our fate?  Ha!” Gwyn sees the futility of this and decides to use heirlooms as pitons to free-climb her way up and out, beating her rival to the top—and that’s when Dal’s future shenanigans intervene. 52 years later, the gang reunites at the Infinity and figures all is well until they realize they dropped a phaser rifle during the exciting chase and Chakotay is using it to fight his way onto the Protostar. The temporal warnings on the Infinity light up like a Frontier Day tree as Chakotay and Adreek pilot their way through the wormhole, which means that ship is not going to end up crashing on Tars Lamora, which means… Back in the past Gwyn’s climb is cut short as she starts fading away like Marty McFly , falling to the chamber bottom to be trapped. Asencia emerges as the victor, proven as true Vau N’Akat, hailed by the elders as their new leader. Time travel problems, am I right?

Why did it have to be snakes heirlooms?

This is no time to argue about time.

After the near-perfect season premiere, the follow-up delivers a solid episode that doesn’t try to do too much with the limited time on offer. (This is a good thing, as the complex 2-part opener set up three concurrent storylines.) Here we focus on the future and present events on Solum, with only a quick pop in to Janeway and the Voyager-A. “Who Saves the Saviors” ramps up the action, akin to early season 1 episodes, but with classic Trek elements. Who doesn’t love a jailbreak or ancient ritual fight? The former was the better of the two elements, with plenty of humor to be had, even in those groan-y bird puns. The Gwyn/Asencia fight was perfunctory, the season’s current baddie just a bit too mustache-twirly even for a show primarily aimed at younger viewers. The new character of Maj’el also shows promise, but at this point in her season arc, she is still a bit too much on the nagging Vulcan side, citing rules and regulations as a foil to the freewheeling Dal. What was very welcome was that we finally have our main characters interacting with Chakotay after he’d been seen only in recordings and flashbacks for over a season. Robert Beltran was able to have a bit of fun with his interactions with the kids while still delivering as a heroic Starfleet captain.

Janeway says “hi”… oops, forget I said that.

The future Solum storyline also isn’t shying away from complicated temporal mechanics storytelling. In our recent interviews with both the Hageman brothers and Aaron Waltke, it’s clear they put a lot of thought into how these different timelines interact and the consequences Dal’s actions are having. It appears that much of the rest of the season will be dedicated to fixing the timeline, and all of this is likely related to that mysterious Orb being warning them all in the season opener. One strong element from the present-day Solum storyline with Gwyn was getting more worldbuilding for the Vau N’Akat, as we can see their society isn’t entirely homogeneous. There is also a nice bit of allegory going on with Asencia’s campaign to paint Gwyn as a fake Vau N’Akat, playing on the society’s already established xenophobia to reject the message of peaceful contact with outsiders. Even the design of the elders and their ornamental face shields shows how they are blinded, claiming it is Gwyn spreading “poisonous rhetoric.”

Can you see anything? Who designed these things?

Final thoughts

Season 2 of Prodigy is off to an excellent start. The stakes are still bigger, but this episode doesn’t forget to have some fun along the way. This is a more complex season but they are allowing that time to develop and the 20-episode drop on Netflix makes this more serialized approach a lot easier to digest as you can just click on to the next episode.

Talk about being ghosted.

• Stardate 61860.1 (for “present day” Solum in 2385)
• The episode title  “Who Saves the Saviors” is evocative of the TNG first contact episode “Who Watches the Watchers.”
• To hide her Vulcan ears, Maj’el creates a headband, as Spock did when he traveled back in time in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home .
• Maj’el cites previous causal time loops of the Bell Riots (DS9 “Past Tense”) and the Cochrane warp test ( First Contact movie).
• For the second episode in a row, Maj’el uses a Vulcan nerve pinch, which was noticed by Chakotay but dismissed by Dal.

I think you did a little too much LDS.

TrekMovie’s  Prodigy July binge-watch

Since all 20 episodes were released on Netflix at once, we’re binging it in five-episode arcs; we can’t stick to watching just one a week! Each All Access Star Trek podcast (every Friday morning) will cover five episodes, while written reviews for all five will publish throughout the week, with two-parters paired up.

This will all wrap up just as San Diego Comic-Con kicks off at the end of the month. We also hope to have more Prodigy interviews and analysis in July and beyond.

We welcome fans joining us through July covering 5 episodes each week. However, for those choosing to binge the show even faster, we ask readers to avoid spoilers for episodes beyond the latest recap/review in our comments section .

Season 2 of  Prodigy is available to stream on Netflix globally (excluding Canada, Nordics, CEE, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Belarus and Mainland China) and season one is currently available on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe with season two coming soon. Season two has launched in France on France Televisions channels and Okoo.

Keep up with news about the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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S2 is wildly entertaining and has lots of heart. I loved it!

I’m not sure yet but this may be my favorite episode so far because I love all the crazy time travel elements in it and this one is basically the catalyst of everything happening in the future (no pun intended ;)).

The twist was great and I can safely say I didn’t see coming. I loved all the stuff on Solum and how Gwyn is now suddenly in peril through the entire session. It was also great to finally see Chakotay in his actual appearance and his interactions with the kids are plain fun!

I absolutely love both this show and season. Its so entertaining and creative. If this was a live action show it would be a huge hit.

Oops meant season and not session.

Jankom Pog gets the best puns award. Another enjoyable episode.

This episode was an absolute delight. I loved seeing Chakotay back and where he ended up has created a bigger mystery I was not expecting. I could not stop laughing over all the bird puns Jankom was making. So much goodness in all of it.

To the makers of Prodigy, you should be commended for the fantastic job you done with this show and managed to convince old birds like me to fall in love with it so quickly.

Prodigy just used a coda story line ahhhh

I like the Netflix user interface. I can easily skip the intro and fast forward and rewind with ease.

Weird having the convenience of a real streamer to work with, right? P+ has the worst user interface of any streamer, period. Netflix has the best. And I can’t for the life of me figure out why that is.

Really seems like not every studio needed it’s own streaming service. Should of just been content creators for others and let them worry about the infrastructure ect.

Chasing dollars and making life hard for consumers. 2 or 3 streaming services that carry everything would be ideal. The streamers, though, decided to become content creators themselves, so the studios felt threatened by that. Hopefully, the new owners of Paramount will see the wisdom of canning P+ and selling original content to Netflix, Prime, or Hulu.

I’m enjoying the 2nd season. Dal was very annoying in the first half. But I like the story. I have other comments I’ll save for later. Enjoy

Watched until Ep. 5 now and it’s simply great. Touching, great pacing and timing, heartful characters. True Trek. Love it like I love Season 1.

Another really strong episode. At this point, I was already surprised at how much more serialized season 2 was turning out to be, since by this time in season 1 we were already getting our first stand-alone story with “Starstruck.” But the future plot here does still work as an interesting story in its own way. I liked how it’s the first time the kids are seeing first-hand just how tricky it is to navigate time travel. And I liked Maj’el’s role here, still kind of being the outsider, but already starting to integrate into the group a bit more after her somewhat antagonistic role in the previous episode. The kids’ interactions with Chakotay and Adreek were fun (loved the running joke of Jankom’s bird puns).

And of course, more scenes with Gwyn on Solum which, as I said in the previous review’s comment, was one of my most anticipated plots of the season. Here, I loved seeing a more direct confrontation between Gwyn and Asencia. The action was really well done here. And they did a good job intersecting the plots a bit, as Gwyn starts to feel the effects of the other kids’ time travel actions. I felt so bad for her as she was falling at the end.

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Star Trek: Prodigy

A group of enslaved teenagers steal a derelict Starfleet vessel to escape and explore the galaxy. A group of enslaved teenagers steal a derelict Starfleet vessel to escape and explore the galaxy. A group of enslaved teenagers steal a derelict Starfleet vessel to escape and explore the galaxy.

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The Star Trek Tricorder Becomes Real

Medical emergency in Star Trek ? Quick Doctor, grab the Tricorder. We’ve all seen the medical episodes of Star Trek . It usually involves the doctor using his or her devices to diagnose how the captain is almost killed off this week. Thanks to IdentifySensors Biologics , the Star Trek Tricorder Becomes Real . Trek is well known for inspiring real-world technology, and it appears to have done it again.

Last year, we caught up with the team at Identify Sensors to check out their new tech. They had developed Check4™ -an affordable handheld device for molecular disease diagnostics, including COVID-19 (and other pathogens). Upon further inspection, it did appear like a modern-day Star Trek Tricorder. We’ve also recently caught up with Dr Gregory Hummer, the Founder & CEO of IdentifySensors. Catch our interview and discussion with him over the next few weeks.

Technology Advancements

However, advancements have been made since we last caught up with the team. IdentifySensors Biologics has partnered with  Jabil Inc.  The global manufacturing solutions company will develop processes for the Check4 device. The partnership means that IdentifySensors are one step closer to the Star Trek Tricorder Becoming Real. The small portable devices, branded Check4 ® , consist of two main parts. A multiple-use electronic reader about the size of a cell phone. And single-use test cartridges that detect as many as four separate infections simultaneously.

Speaking about the new partnership, CEO Dr Gregory Hummer had this to say.

“We are very pleased to work with Jabil,” said Gregory Hummer, M.D., CEO and cofounder of IdentifySensors. “Jabil has the experience and bandwidth to ensure this testing platform is manufactured efficiently and effectively with the highest quality controls in the industry. They will be a great partner for us.” Gregory Hummer M.D, CEO – IdentifySensors Biologics

IdentifySensors Biologics developed the technology in partnership with Purdue University, which helped commercialize the process. The technology and applications are secured through multiple patents. However, Can the dream of a Star Trek Medical Tricorder be brought to life? While we’ve had plenty of replicas over time, IdentifySensors seems to be making something close to the real deal. With our turbulent world, I can easily see the Check4 device becoming widely used.

Why Is This Technology Significant?

You might be asking yourself, why is this news? Well, as we know from Star Trek , medical breakthroughs can change the course of human history. Therefore, it’s only a matter of time before we, as humans, do something similar. This is what IdentifySensors are doing. As they say, the COVID pandemic exposed how current pathogen detection methods can be slow and inefficient.

By moving the testing from a chemical-reaction model to a digital readout, IdentifySensors is projected to significantly disrupt the $50 billion diagnostics industry that will make most existing tests obsolete. Therefore, we’re watching as the Star Trek Tricorder Becomes Real. A big factor is the lower cost for individuals and healthcare providers. During my conversation with Doctor Hummer, we discussed how important this is.

About IdentifySensors Biologics

IdentifySensors Biologics is a Cleveland-based pathogen-detection platform technology company focused on developing real-time pathogen detection capabilities. Additionally, the company’s technology has expanded into multiple industries and applications, such as diagnostics, food safety & sustainability, environmental monitoring and national security.

The company is currently seeking investment to make the device become a reality. Interested readers can head to the website to check out the investment overview .

Personally, I’ll never forget that moment in Star Trek: Voyager where Ensign Harry Kim hands The Doctor (Robert Picardo) the wrong Tricorder. The Doctor scolds the young Ensign by saying, “Medical Tricorder”. Instantly I was curious about what this device could do. However, looking at the Check4 device, it’s fantastic—offering us a new way to self-diagnose ourselves effectively. I’m excited for Trek Central to be working with IdentifySensors. Additionally, showing more of the device to Star Trek fans in 2023.

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Marvel and 'Star Wars' take note. 'Star Trek' is now Hollywood's ultimate shared universe

From 'Discovery' to "Strange New Worlds' via 'Lower Decks' and 'Prodigy', 'Star Trek' is leading the way.

Shared universes go back way further than Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and co sitting down for some post-Chitauri shawarma. Superheroes have been moonlighting in each other's comic books for decades, while Cheers regulars frequently paid Frasier a visit in Seattle. It wasn't until Marvel Studios launched the MCU ( Marvel Cinematic Universe ), however, that the concept started to gain serious mainstream traction. 

By incorporating the contrasting adventures of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Black Widow into one gigantic, overarching narrative, Marvel successfully blended cinematic spectacle with the "must-watch-every-episode" ethos of serialised TV. The MCU's famous end-credits stings also had the unexpected side-effect of convincing us all to stick around until the end of the closing titles of every movie, y'know, just in case. 

From a business point of view it's one of the shrewdest creative decisions ever made in Hollywood, a move that helped turn the MCU into the most lucrative franchise in history, while spawning an army of imitators. Some fell quickly by the wayside — Universal's planned Dark Universe didn't survive beyond its first release, "The Mummy" — while others (most notably DC's original answer to the MCU) simply felt tired in comparison. But with apologies to box-office behemoths Marvel, Star Wars and the Monsterverse home of Godzilla and King Kong, the most exciting shared universe of them all is currently located somewhere on the final frontier.

It's not quite "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations" (sorry, Mr Spock), but " Star Trek "'s guiding principle since "Discovery" brought the franchise back to TV in 2017 has been variety. "Discovery" started out as an "Original Series" prequel, before warping off to the even-more-distant future of the 32nd century. That left a gap in the timeline for the less serialized voyages of a pre-Kirk Enterprise in " Strange New Worlds ". "Picard" picked up the story of the ageing Jean-Luc Picard two decades after "The Next Generation" crew's final voyage, while a pair of animated series — kids' show " Prodigy " and all-out comedy "Lower Decks" — were given freedom to take the most daring swings in "Trek" history. 

Throw upcoming spy adventure " Section 31 " and cadet-themed "Disco" spin-off " Starfleet Academy " into the mix, and it's clear that — beyond the obligatory warp drives, phasers and frequent violations of the Prime Directive — the main element unifying these very different series is their shared universe. Even their settings are far enough apart — geographically and chronologically — that there's little danger of storylines colliding in Spacedock. 

The contrast between the Alpha Quadrant and a certain galaxy far, far away is stark. Until " The Acolyte ", every canonical "Star Wars" movie and TV show had been set within a few generations of the Skywalker family tree. But even ignoring the limitations of that brief timeline, there's a creeping homogeneity to much of the saga's storytelling and dialogue. 

Scenes from "The Acolyte" (set around a century before "The Phantom Menace") feel interchangeable with moments in " Ahsoka " (several years after "Return of the Jedi"), while the powers-that-be at Skywalker Ranch seem more preoccupied with plugging holes in existing lore than telling stories for their own sake. What was the final episode of "The Acolyte" season one if not a prequel to the prequel trilogy?

"Star Wars" should be an exhilarating interstellar playground capable of supporting any story you can imagine, but it's increasingly constrained by strict rules that must, it seems, never be broken. "Star Wars" is calling out for its own "Lower Decks"-style comedy" , while the upcoming "'Goonies' in space" " Skeleton Crew " could be the kid-oriented launchpad that Prodigy has been for "Trek". "Star Wars" arguably needs both because right now, all that canon could easily feel daunting to anyone eager to take those precious first steps into a larger world.

Not that the current iterations of "Star Trek" deny the franchise's rich past. The glorious final season of "Picard" was a nostalgia-fest from start to finish, bringing back familiar friends and foes to give the "TNG" crew the send-off they deserved — if it's possible to replicate your cake and eat it, that season showed the way. "Prodigy" also goes big on the deep cuts, but crucially, it doesn't matter if you have no idea that the name of the USS Voyager-A's resident whale (Gillian) is a reference to "Star Trek IV". Or that a mention of the "dysfunctional" crew of the Cerritos is a callback to "Lower Decks". All of the in-jokes are simply window dressing holding the universe together, without excluding newcomers. 

That's the genius of the modern "Star Trek" universe, whose guiding lights clearly understand that expecting every viewer to be up-to-speed with the more than 900 episodes and 13 “Star Trek” movies in the back catalogue would be a surefire route to failure. The MCU and "Star Wars" lived charmed lives when they were built around a relatively small number of movies, but both franchises are now too vast and unwieldy to demand that even casual viewers become completists. 

Nobody should have to watch everything , so surely it's better for everyone if we accept that some people will set their targeting computers on "The Mandalorian" but avoid " Andor ", just as some "Discovery" fans can skip "Picard" without feeling they're missing out. 

Besides, we probably shouldn't be surprised that it's "Trek" leading the way, because this isn't Starfleet's first away mission to a shared universe. Back in the ’90s "The Next Generation", "Deep Space Nine", "Voyager", four movies and even prequel series "Enterprise" shared characters and plotlines, to the extent that after hundreds of hours of TV, planet Earth was losing interest in shows that were becoming increasingly formulaic. Sound familiar? The franchise's latest overseers have boldly taken note — now "Star Wars", the MCU and the rest should follow in their warp trails.

"Discovery", "Picard", "Strange New Worlds" and "Lower Decks" are all available to stream on Paramount Plus, along with "The Original Series", "The Next Generation", "Deep Space Nine", "Voyager" and "Enterprise". "Prodigy" is available on Netflix.

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Richard's love affair with outer space started when he saw the original "Star Wars" on TV aged four, and he spent much of the ’90s watching "Star Trek”, "Babylon 5” and “The X-Files" with his mum. After studying physics at university, he became a journalist, swapped science fact for science fiction, and hit the jackpot when he joined the team at SFX, the UK's biggest sci-fi and fantasy magazine. He liked it so much he stayed there for 12 years, four of them as editor. 

He's since gone freelance and passes his time writing about "Star Wars", "Star Trek" and superheroes for the likes of SFX, Total Film, TechRadar and GamesRadar+. He has met five Doctors, two Starfleet captains and one Luke Skywalker, and once sat in the cockpit of "Red Dwarf"'s Starbug.  

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• Mars Tafts I have been a Star Trek fan since 1966 and even I don't believe this article. Reply
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Kate Mulgrew and Brett Gray Debate How Romance Should Be Shown in 'Star Trek: Prodigy'

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The Big Picture

• Collider's Sam Coley sat down with the cast and crew of Star Trek: Prodigy at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con.
• Cast members tease potential character arcs and romances, as relationships evolve in Season 3.
• The Hageman brothers connect Prodigy to the greater Star Trek universe and reveal an alternate ending to the show.

Bringing back familiar faces and introducing us to an array of new ones, Star Trek: Prodigy has been hailed for its beautiful storytelling that captures the essence of the franchise. Season 2 saw a memorable 20-episode run this year, as the stories of younger characters like Dal ( Brett Gray ) and Gwyn ( Ella Purnell ) are woven with cast members from series like Star Trek: Voyager . Season 2 also saw Kate Mulgrew 's Captain Janeway step into the limelight, as her search for Chakotay ( Robert Beltran ) becomes one of the central conceits of the season.

As such, at the 2024 San Diego Comic Con, Collider's Sam Coley sat down with Kate Mulgrew, Brett Gray and creators Dan & Kevin Hageman to talk about the characters, relationships and potential romances established during this season. They also tease potential conflicts and more heart-warming moments for future seasons, and how the end of Prodigy looked very different in the Hageman brothers' minds when they set out to do the show. You can hear this from the crew themselves in the video above, or read the transcript below.

Star Trek: Prodigy

A group of enslaved teenagers steal a derelict Starfleet vessel to escape and explore the galaxy.

COLLIDER: How has it been to see the fans rally so hard to bring this show back and get it saved and get Season 2 out there, so people can see it?

KATE MULGREW: That was pretty moving. I was really impressed by that loyalty, but there's no fan base like this in the world. So, when they flew that little plane over Netflix and Netflix picked up on their cue, I was absolutely delighted. It needs to be picked up; it needs to go on. It's so great. These guys are geniuses.

BRETT GRAY: I know I wanted to piggyback off of what you were saying.

MULGREW: Piggyback? Oh my God.

GRAY: It’s new lingo. [All laugh]

MULGREW: What did you want to say?

GRAY: All of that. You really ate that and left no crumbs.

You're also following in the footsteps of the original series, which also got cancelled and brought back. [It's really] amazing.

MULGREW: But I don't understand it. Do you?

No, not at all.

MULGREW: Well, what do you think is going on?

I don't know.

MULGREW: There are no creatives as superb as these two guys in all of Hollywood . I think it deserves it, because the audience is vast. It's not just children, it's their mothers and their grandmothers. And I think that's the thrilling aspect, the most thrilling aspect of it.

Dal Is Not Ready To Be a Captain in 'Star Trek: Prodigy'

Brett, Dal goes on such an incredible journey this season and I think it's a relatable one for a lot of people. Can you talk a bit about his arc and finding that maybe the captain's chair is not where he's needed?

GRAY: At first it was hard for me, I definitely will have to say. Thinking about it when they first told me I was like, 'Oh man, that kind of sucks.' But looking back on it and seeing who Dal is now and what I think he needs as a character, I think this is actually perfect. I think Gwyn is ready. I think he cares about Gwyn more than probably anybody. I think in order to be a great leader, you have to learn how to follow as well. And I think that it's Dal's turn to see what it's like to be a member of the team as opposed to leading the team , because he's not always prepared anyway. So, I think it'll be really good for him, and I'm very proud of his arc and where he's going.

KEVIN HAGEMAN: We want this to be the first chapter for Dal’s arc. We want more seasons. We want to see him grow up and become a captain and become a man.

MULGREW: Wait a minute, this is fascinating. Grow up and become a man? How are you going to do that?

GRAY: Well, he's purple. So, I don't know. And he does have a, what do we call it? A dangler?

MULGREW: A dingle dangle!

GRAY: Dingle dangle. I mean, he hasn't even named his species or anything yet.

MULRGEW: Well then, he's not a man.

GRAY: He's a humanoid… He's going to become an adult.

MULGREW: There you go.

Is Romance Brewing Between Dal and Gwyn in 'Prodigy?'

Something I really enjoyed this season was the sort of parallel between Dal and Gwyn and Janeway and Chakotay and sort of lining those two relationships up. So, can you guys talk about textualizing the parallels between those two?

MULGREW: Romance, is that what you're talking about?

I mean, I enjoyed it both ways. Either way.

MULGREW: You need to be on this show. I was saying to these guys, as long as there's tension maintained and maybe a line not crossed . Just saying, guys, but the tension is high and is sustained. That's what keeps the audience really involved. Don't you agree?

GRAY: Cross the line.

MULGREW: I mean, what's going to happen with you and Gwyn?

GRAY: We need to cross the line.

MULGREW: God only knows… [All laugh]

GRAY: I would love to see them in a relationship in this team. What that does to the dynamic and also them finding love in themselves for the first time. I think it would be really cool to see them at the same time as they're also in a larger mission. I think the stakes would raise even more. I think it would be dope.

MULGREW: But I did ask this, and I am seriously asking it. How long can you keep that up? There's a story here to tell. You can't keep that romance alive forever. Somebody's got to die or suffer , right?

DAN HAGEMAN: Relationships evolve.

There [can be] conflict in an established relationship.

'Prodigy' Could Have Had an Alternate Ending

KEVIN HAGEMAN: What I will say, when we were working on the relationship of Dal and Gwyn and realizing that they were going to go and save Chakotay, we just felt like what an amazing symmetry that is, where these two get to see that and Dal learns from Chakotay that being a number one is amazing. You don't have to be a captain.

DAN HAGEMAN: And I want to add like we have things that we're learning about Star Trek. I remember early on in the story process, we imagined two chairs next to each other, Captain Dal and Captain Gwyn, and we thought it's a beautiful ending . And then, one of our consultants is like that's a horrible idea. The way they disagreed was like a photon torpedo was coming their way.

KEVIN HAGEMAN: Imagine a battleship, and you had two captains declaring to turn left to turn right. Engage, don't engage, like what it would be? It would be terrible.

MULGREW: But a breeding ground for conflict and tension.

Captain Janeway's Relationships May End With Tragedy

I love the journey that Janeway goes on this season and doing all that work to get Chakotay back, and then just when you think she's retiring, this big catastrophic thing happens that brings her back into the fold. Can you talk a bit about her arc and what you'd like to see in a third season?

MULGREW: I'd like to see a third season. Let's be very clear about that. I think it would be very interesting to follow this relationship with Janeway and Chakotay. And we also have the Doctor involved. So, we've got two of my old pals, Robert Beltran and Bob Picardo. See where you can go with it. Perhaps I like tragedy. I like a little tragedy with my soup.

DAN HAGEMAN: Someone's got to go down.

MULGREW: But I don't know. I mean, where could you go with Janeway?

KEVIN HAGEMEN: The death of Janeway?

MULGREW: What did you say? [Everyone laughs] The great thing is infinite possibilities . Star Trek at its finest. And these guys are going to take us there.

Speaking of that ending and tying into Picard Season 1, I cried through the whole finale, and then we got to that ending, and I was like, if I don't get Season 3, I'm going to be so upset.

DAN HAGEMAN: It's love turns to anger!

'Prodigy' Season 3 Will See the Kids Grow Up Together

So, I'm not going to say if we get Season 3, I'm going to say when we get Season 3, what can fans expect from the balance of dealing with the catastrophic fallout of the attack on Mars? And then the new exciting journey that the kids are going off on and exploring this new pilot program?

KEVIN HAGEMAN: It's a dark time for the Federation, we realize, and we wanted to get our characters out of that. I think one of the major things that we do want to see is that we want to grow up with these kids . When we get our Season 3, it's going to take a little time to make. These kids are going to grow up to see our actress for Rok-Tahk, Rylee [Alazraqui] , and she is going to be older. I don't know how old she's going to be, but she'll probably be a teenage girl.

MULGREW: It’ll be a vocal development. Is that what you're talking about?

KEVIN HAGEMAN: We would never recast and get another younger actress to continue playing. We want Rok-Tahk to grow up along with everyone, and to one day become a full-fledged adult Starfleet officer.

DAN HAGEMAN: I also want to add what we can expect thinking about Season 3. At the end of Season 2, these kids leave space and become a beacon of light for hope . And if we don't believe that there's something out there past Season 2, then why are we writing the show?

The Hageman Brothers on Stitching 'Prodigy' Into the Fabric of Star Trek

Building off that, I love the way that this season really weaves Prodigy into the fabric of the rest of the franchise. You guys reference Picard , you reference the Cerritos even at one point, which I really loved. Can you talk about adding in those little references and just really sort of stitching it into the fabric of Star Trek? Even if you're not necessarily on Paramount anymore?

DAN HAGEMAN: We never wanted it to be the show that was the little brother or little sister of the rest. We wanted to sit at the adult table , and we wanted to make sure that our show works that way and that it is canon. So, we tied as many canon things into it so they couldn't get rid of us .

KEVIN HAGEMAN: But we never did it just to showboat. We always made sure there was an organic reason for these characters or these little nods to be in there.

It works really beautifully. I love it so much.

MULGREW: It's witty, it's nuanced, right? And I think that the audience goes, "Oh, how exciting."

DAN HAGEMAN: It shows how deep Star Trek can go. There's a lot of deep cuts.

MULGREW: And the possibilities are infinite.

Lastly, a fun thing we're asking people here at Comic-Con, if you were to dress up as a character, it doesn't have to be a Star Trek character, it could be any character, and just roam around Comic-Con, what would you pick?

MULGREW: We have to dress up as somebody else?

You don't have to.

MULGREW: Cleopatra

GRAY: Captain Janeway.

DAN HAGEMAN: We had the perfect idea for Comic-Con today. It's a guy who has a sign that says, “line starts here,” and then people will start lining up behind you, waiting for someone. And you get a picture of how big your costume is: the whole line.

Star Trek: Prodigy is streaming now on Netflix in the U.S.

Watch on Netflix

Star Trek Star Hopes Netflix Will See Prodigy's Potential And Renew It For Season 3 or More

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Star Trek: Prodigy Fans Fly Banner Over Streaming HQs To Save Series

Star trek: prodigy – the pros & cons of a star trek for kids, star trek: strange new worlds season 3 to feature a famous friendship.

• Star Trek: Prodigy, an animated series on Netflix, aims to engage younger audiences with a fun sci-fi adventure in space.
• Robert Picardo's return in Season 2 adds excitement, as fans hope for a Season 3 and more of the popular show.
• Fans worldwide support the series, with efforts to save it from cancelation and positive reviews from viewers of all ages.

Star Trek is targeting a younger audience through its 3D animated series, Prodigy , which is available on Netflix. The second season was released earlier this month, and Robert Picardo, who had reprised his role as The Doctor in the show, hoped Star Trek: Prodigy would be renewed for more seasons.

Star Trek: Prodigy from Emmy Award winners Kevin and Dan Hageman is the 10th series from the Star Trek franchise and it debuted in 2021. The animated series appeals to a younger audience as it follows a group of young aliens in the 24th century who find the abandoned starship Protostar and discover the Starfleet. Although the first season received positive reviews from critics and the show won the Children's and Family Emmy Award, Paramount Plus abruptly canceled it before the second season aired. Prodigy found a new home on Netflix, and Picardo, who joined the second season, hoped the series would continue for more seasons.

Star Trek: Prodigy fans have employed an unusually eye-catching technique to help save the show from cancelation after one season.

Picardo reprised his role as The Doctor in Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2, which premiered on Netflix on July 1. In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant , they talked about a third season and the Innerspace actor was hoping that the streaming giant would give Star Trek: Prodigy a greenlight since the series had the potential. He also hoped that Netflix would learn from his friend Bryan Cranston's show Your Honor, which had modest viewers when it aired on TV but became a huge hit when it was moved to Netflix. Picardo believed that Prodigy had the same potential. He said, "There's an example of a show, like Prodigy , that started elsewhere. They picked it up. And if they recognize [ Prodigy's ] potential, I think it should definitely get a season three and hopefully more. But it'll depend on not only viewership but re-viewership. So I hope that young viewers, once they make it through season two, will go back and watch them all again.”

Picardo's return to the franchise was confirmed at last year's Star Trek Las Vegas when the producers played a four-minute footage for Prodigy Season 2. The Doctor's comeback was the biggest news that day and Picardo said he was delighted that the cat was finally out of the bag because he waited so long for the public to know it. According to him, he did most of his recording for the show two to three years ago. As for his return, Picardo considered it "poetic" because he played The Doctor virtually on Voyager and did the same on Prodigy . He added that he had always seen his character as a teacher at Starfleet Academy, mentoring young Starfleet cadets.

Picardo's wish for Star Trek: Prodigy Season 3 is likely to happen because the animated series has gained thousands of fans worldwide. When Paramount Plus canceled the show, fans united to save the program using the hashtag #SaveStarTrekProdigy. They also went as far as to fly a banner over Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon HQ with the message "#SAVE STAR STREK PRODIGY." Their efforts worked because Netflix picked up the series months after Paramount Plus dropped it. There are pros and cons in writing a Star Trek program for kids when most fans are adults, but it seemingly works because it visibly resonates with both young and adult viewers. Also, numerous fans had already expressed their interest in Star Trek: Prodigy Season 3 after watching Season 2. So, Picardo is not alone in wanting a third season or more. Whether Prodigy will be renewed or canceled is something only Netflix can tell, so fans should wait for further announcements about the show.

Star Trek: Prodigy streams on Netflix.

Star Trek’s past story lines have undoubtedly possessed some adult content, but the themes of the franchise are ones that any age could benefit from.

Source: Screen Rant

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Catherine hicks: leonard nimoy’s star trek movie whale biologist explained.

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Every Star Trek Movie’s New Female Character Ranked

Harrison ford finally completes a 44-year-old iconic star wars line to celebrate his disney legends award, new inside out 3 emotion pitched by riley actor after 12 cut emotions in 2024 sequel.

• Gillian Taylor is an essential character in Star Trek IV, helping Kirk and Spock navigate through the 1980s in a fish-out-of-water comedy.
• Catherine Hicks' portrayal of Dr. Gillian Taylor has a lasting legacy, influencing the creation of a descendant whale character in Star Trek: Prodigy.
• Dr. Gillian Taylor's expertise in humpback whales in Star Trek IV leads to the development of Starfleet's Cetacean Operations program in the future.

In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , directed by Leonard Nimoy, Catherine Hicks plays Dr. Gillian Taylor, a 20th-century marine biologist with expertise in humpback whales. To save 23rd-century Earth from a probe demanding to speak with whales, Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and the crew of the USS Enterprise must take their stolen Klingon Bird-of-Prey (dubbed the HMS Bounty) back to 1986 , when humpback whales were not yet extinct. In 20th century San Francisco, Dr. Gillian Taylor, the assistant director of the Cetacean Institute, is instrumental in bringing humpback whales George and Gracie to the future.

Part audience surrogate, part potential love interest for Admiral Kirk, Catherine Hicks' Gillian Taylor is a grounding factor in Star Trek IV . Narratively, Gillian Taylor plays the straight man, so to speak, in the fish-out-of-water comedy that makes The Voyage Home one of the best Star Trek movies . Despite her initial disbelief at Kirk and Spock's story, Dr. Taylor becomes Kirk and Spock's guide to navigating the 1980s in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . Gillian helps the time-displaced Enterprise crew with basics like money and getting through 20th-century San Francisco as they rush to save George and Gracie, who have been prematurely released into the wild.

The Star Trek franchise's 13 movies have introduced a series of important, intriguing, and intrepid new female characters.

Catherine Hicks Played Whale Biologist Dr. Gillian Taylor In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Gillian taylor introduced kirk and spock to humpback whales.

Catherine Hicks plays whale biologist Dr. Gillian Taylor in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . Dr. Taylor is a consummately professional woman of science who is highly knowledgeable and dedicated to the welfare of the humpback whales in her care. It's this dedication that first alerts Dr. Taylor to the mission of the original Starship Enterprise crew , when Spock enters the whales' tank in an effort to communicate with George and Gracie. The Institute is losing funding, so Gillian is quick to help Kirk and Spock bring George and Gracie to the future . Because the 23rd-century whales and their offspring need a caretaker to thrive, Dr. Taylor ultimately joins them.

Catherine Hicks may be best known to Star Trek fans for her role as Dr. Gillian Taylor in 1986's Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , though in that same year, Hicks was also in Peggy Sue Got Married . Prior to Star Trek IV , Catherine Hicks played other professional women on television. Hicks played Dr. Emily Rappant in the TV version of The Bad News Bears , and Dr. Faith Coleridge in the 1970s soap opera Ryan's Hope , which also featured Star Trek: Voyager 's own Kate Mulgrew. Later, Catherine Hicks starred as family matriarch Annie Camden in Aaron Spelling's family dramedy 7th Heaven , and frequently appeared in TV guest spots and made-for-TV movies.

Catherine Hicks’ Gillian Has A Surprising Star Trek Legacy

Dr. gillian taylor influenced star trek's cetacean legacy character.

Catherine Hicks' Dr. Gillian Taylor has a surprising Star Trek legacy. In Star Trek: Prodigy season 2, episode 5, "Observer's Paradox", Starfleet Academy hopeful Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui) is assigned to the Cetacean Operations division on the Lamarr-class USS Voyager-A. Rok-Tahk works directly with (and befriends) a humpback whale named Gillian , who communicates through Voyager's computer (Bonnie Gordon). Star Trek: Prodigy writer and co-executive producer Aaron Waltke confirmed that Prodigy 's whale Gillian is George and Gracie's descendant . Gillian the whale's name is a direct homage to Dr. Gillian Taylor, showing the importance of Dr. Taylor's work with George and Gracie in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home .

Before the debut of Gillian the whale in Star Trek: Prodigy, the first cetacean Starfleet officers seen on screen were beluga whales named Matt and Kimolu, in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 10, "First First Contact".

The existence of the Cetacean Operations division in Star Trek: Prodigy also finally answers the question, albeit obliquely, of what happened to Catherine Hicks' Dr. Gillian Taylor after coming to the future with Kirk and Spock on the HMS Bounty. As the only marine biologist in the 23rd century with expertise in humpback whales, Gillian Taylor became a key figure in developing Starfleet's Cetacean Operations program , which trained whales and dolphins as navigators on Starfleet starships. Humpback whales George and Gracie likely became some of Starfleet's first cetacean navigators after Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , thanks to Catherine Hicks' Dr. Gillian Taylor.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Not available

Star Trek's Kate Mulgrew Explains Why She's Down For A Key Prodigy Romance But Didn't Want Janeway And Chakotay To Hook Up

She explained the differences in those character pairings.

There's a lot to love about Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2. I especially enjoyed the unexpected reveal that Gwyn would captain the new Protostar, and Dal willingly stepped down to be her First Officer. It was a mature decision by the lead character, though I wondered how their new dynamic would be complicated by that passionate kiss they shared in Season 1. Who better to ask about that than Kate Mulgrew, who shocked me by sharing she's on board for a Dal and Gwyn romance even though she never wanted Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay together on Voyager .

I spoke to Mulgrew, Brett Gray, and the Hageman brothers at San Diego Comic-Con and asked about the possible issues that could arise with a romance between Gwyn and Dal having a romance, given their new work dynamic. I definitely asked Mulgrew, because she famously advocated that Janeway not have a romance during Voyager and had a major impact on Janeway's Prodigy storyline with Chakotay . The result was Janeway revealing that her love for Chakotay goes deeper than romance, and that made for a real tear-jerker even if some were disappointed they didn't officially become a couple. It turns out Mulgrew has different feelings about how Dal and Gwyn's situation plays out, because it doesn't align with Chakotay and Janeway's situation:

I was the first female Captain. There was no way I was going to say, 'Chakotay in my Ready Room for a little dingle dangle.' It's fair in this story. It's right in this story. It wasn't in mine. And I think that the tension between those two is terrific as long as you [points to Kevin and Dan Hageman] sustain that.

Kate Mulgrew says Dal and Gwyn's relationship in Star Trek: Prodigy is fair, and she makes a valid point. They had a friendship before ever getting involved with Starfleet, whereas Janeway and Chakotay formed the bulk of their bond while she was his superior officer on the Voyager . It allowed them to form a deep and professional relationship similar to other past Captains and First Commands but, just because they's the opposite sex, it was not mandatory for them to become a couple.

Wil Wheaton opened up to CinemaBlend about Wesley's return in Star Trek: Prodigy.

I had hoped that when the Season 2 trailer for Prodigy was released, Gwyn's heavy presence would suggest that viewers would get some answers on where she and Dal stood. Unfortunately, Dal only referenced the kiss once and, thanks to an interruption in their frequency, it's unclear if Gwyn heard the inquiry about whether she and Dal were a romantic item. Hopefully, Star Trek fans are taking the Prodigy creators' advice and helping the series get renewed for Season 3 so that more answers to those romance questions might arrive eventually.

At this time, Prodigy Season 3 is not listed on the scheudle of upcoming Trek shows that are in development but, as someone who hailed it the best-serialized story in franchise history , I'm crossing my fingers. I'm wanting to see where this crew goes on future adventures now that they're officially a part of Starfleet and, of course, like, Kate Mulgrew, I'm down for a potential Dal and Gwyn romance and want to see what lies ahead for the characters.

Stream Star Trek: Prodigy on Netflix, as fans await word on whether or not it'll return for Season 3. In the meantime, you can also check out the 2024 TV schedule for info on new shows that are headed your way.

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Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

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Why Star Trek’s Addition of Chekov Was So Culturally Significant

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Why chekov was added to star trek, the space race between the united states and russia, star trek has always been about representation.

Star Trek is one of the most popular and omnipresent brands. The franchise has 12 television series, 13 feature films, and even more projects on the horizon. It can all trace its roots back to Star Trek: The Original Series , which ran for three seasons from 1966 to 1969. Despite its cancelation, the series endured and gained a passionate, loyal following that was thrilled with the adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise . The characters of the original Star Trek series are icons. Captain Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Sulu, and Scotty are all household names that even someone who has not seen Star Trek vaguely knows.

Yet one of the franchise's most enduring characters, Pavel Chekov, was a late addition to the cast. Joining in Season 2 of the series, Chekov became an important part of the cast and an example of characters added later into the show that truly helped it grow, like Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer , Frank Reynolds on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia , or Leon on Curb Your Enthusiasm . While now Chevok might not appear like a big deal, at the time, his inclusion on Star Trek was a significant step forward on television as he was a positive Russian character during the Cold War.

Pavel Chekov, played by Walter Koenig, first appeared on Star Trek in the Season 2 premiere episode "Amok Time." Chekov was born in 2245 and joined Starfleet, becoming the navigator of the Enterprise . Chekov was reportedly added to Star Trek for a number of reasons. Walter Koenig said that the character was added to Star Trek to cash in on the popularity of The Monkees , a fictional band that headlined a television series and became a breakout band on the Billboard Charts.

However, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry always held there was another more important reason for the addition of Chevok: including a Russian hero during the Cold War was a way of realizing Star Trek 's optimistic ideal future where Earth has moved past regional conflicts to become a united front . The Cold War was a 44-year period of global conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, known for no major battles being fought but a series of proxy wars and also the rising tension of two global superpowers developing nuclear weapons and competing ideologies.

Millions of Americans were afraid of the threat the Soviet Union posed, so adding a character from that region who kept his Russian heritage during the height of the Cold War gave audiences a new perspective while also giving them hope for a future of world peace . Roddenberry reportedly wanted to add a Russian character in Season 2 after Russian newspaper Pravda and their editor-in-chief Mikhail Zimyanin called out Star Trek for not featuring a Russian character.

There is a chance both stories are equally true. Roddenberry likely thought having a Russian character would help enforce the future he envisioned for Star Trek while also wanting to create a character to appeal to a younger audience. Regardless of whether the intent was more business cynical or culturally progressive at the time, the fact is that what has remained is the importance that Chekov had on both Star Trek and television as a whole.

Chekov's first appearance on Star Trek aired in the United States on September 15, 1967. Chekov was not the first Russian protagonist American audiences would be exposed to as by this point, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. had been running for three seasons, and audiences were thrilled to the adventures of Russian spy Illya Kuryakin ( played by David McCallum ). The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was a spy series set in the then-present 1960s and dealt with real-world threats, including other Russian agents.

Star Trek , however, showed audiences a future that they could dream of, one where humans and aliens could live in peace. If humans and aliens could co-exist, with no different groups of humans like the Russian Chevok or a Black woman like Uhura. Star Trek aired both during the height of the Civil Rights movement and the Cold War.

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Star Trek 's relation to the Cold War is fascinating. Just four years before the series debut, the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred. Meanwhile, the United States and the Soviet Union were caught up in the Space Race , trying to see which side would be able to send a man to the moon first. Star Trek found itself airing during the height of the Space Race. While in the real world, the United States and the Soviet Union were in a race against one another, on television, audiences saw a Russian working side by side with others for the betterment of the human race in the wonders of space .

Star Trek 's final episode, "Turnabout Intruder," aired on June 3, 1969, one month before the Apollo 11 mission, which saw humans finally land on the moon and mark a major turning point in history. The idea of space travel used to be the stuff of fiction, yet now it was real. If that was now real, why was the idea of humankind coming together in peace like in Star Trek so far-fetched?

Characters like Chekov and Uhura are important to Star Trek , not just in the character roles in the story, but also in what they mean to audiences. These characters were major characters on Star Trek and were treated no differently than the other main characters, despite many Americans at the time holding less than kind thoughts on Russians or people of African descent. In Star Trek , these characters stand tall next to Captain Kirk and Spock, who are trusted members of the crew. Not only did this help an audience see themselves represented on screen, but it also might have done a little bit to shape the minds of some fans with an open mind to listen and see them not as labels but as people .

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This tradition in Star Trek continues to this day . With the rise in anti-transgender agendas and legislation in both the United States and the UK, it is important for Star Trek to feature non-binary characters like Adira or trans characters like Gray on Star Trek: Discovery to show that the future that Star Trek has promised is one where everyone is accepted . While Star Trek still can make mistakes, like seemingly mixing race and culture with the newest clip from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , it has always been a series about hoping that the best of humanity wins.

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In their first April update, the company shares some of the detail behind taking their reference images, photographs, and scans of the original surviving Original Series tricorder prop, and using all of that combined data into a new digital model for 2021 manufacturing.

The high-resolution tricorder 3D scan data gives us an extraordinary opportunity to create a detailed and accurate replica that should… look and feel as much as possible like a real piece of equipment that had been issued to an Enterprise officer. However, it is not as simple as just using the generated scan data to make a production product, although it is an excellent jumping-off point for our design. For The Wand Company, the finished replica should not only follow the external dimensions and geometry of the original prop as closely as possible but also fulfil a number of other important criteria: it has to be manufacturable in volume, invisibly contain the components needed for it to be functional, be robust enough to be enjoyed as intended and used in one’s quarters and during away missions and, most importantly, create a rich experience for the owner which immerses them in the optimistic expanses of the Star Trek universe. Naturally, decisions have to be made about how the tricorder will fit together and how everything needed to make it function can be squeezed into the form that was determined by Wah Chang, [but] even with a modern LCD, still a crowded place for the functions that we want to pack into it in 2021.

In addition to a number of shared images of their digital 3D model of the new classic  Trek tricorder prop replica, the team also went into fine detail about the challenges faced with recreating the handmade, original prop — with dimensions  meant to by symmetrical, yet are warped or damaged after decades — as a new design capable of being mass-produced with current factory materials and techniques, preserving Wah Chang’s original look and styling in the process.

When studying the prop it was clear that some of the panels had become warped and one side panel was completely loose from its original position. All this is captured by the scan and that data is all imported into the CAD – the good, bad and the ugly. However, because I had also physically examined the hero prop, I was able to ascertain which aspects of it were part of the original design intent and which areas had become damaged or misshapen during the hero prop’s history. With the scan geometry in CAD, I was able to make multiple sections through the data as well as overlaying what were intended to be symmetrical parts, for example the two side panels, so that I could then compare each part directly to find coherent features. Needless to say, there was quite a lot of this to work through which took a great deal of care and time to get to the model ready for production.

In an interesting development, The Wand Company also intends their tricorder prop replica to feature an ejecting series of data discs, where round tiles are able to be removed from the central storage bay using a servo mechanism — adding functionality to part of the prop only seen as ‘static’ on-camera.

The middle compartment of the hero prop, along with all the original details, was long-removed. However, I could see the dried glue and the edges of the remnants where certain parts of the middle section had been held. Combining this with the scan data and original photos, I was able to more precisely calculate the sizing and geometry of those missing middle features. This allowed me to recreate those elements that were absent from the hero tricorder. [One of the most rewarding parts of this project was] designing a working rack of removable data discs that would fit within the original geometry that Wah Chang conceptualized. (We will discuss this aspect of the design in more detail in a future post.)

The company’s second April update focuses on their use of 3D printing technology in the tricorder’s prototype development stages, a vital process in their building and refinement of the prop replica’s final design.

Our tricorder CAD was a constantly evolving mechanical design for well over a year, as we pulled together all the elements that we wanted to fit inside the skin of this iconic prop. Several of the early mechanical concepts required physical testing before being developed into a design that could be manufactured and 3D printing was a key part of this process. 3D printing allows us to quickly produce real parts in practically any shape we like, which could be difficult or even impossible to injection mould. This is helpful, as we can get a concept made quickly which allows the parts to be tested in mechanisms before being tweaked and developed into models that are designed as production parts. Once the mechanical concept is tested, then the parts have to be designed so that they will be manufacturable in an injection mould tool with the associated limitations and essential draft angles.

For those of you who enjoy 3D printing as hobby, there are a bunch of interesting deep-dive technical details about their trial-and-error work, the machines and materiel they use, and so forth — read the full post for that fascinating insight!

To minimise the potential for changes this late on in the process and also, from the earliest point possible, to find out if the CAD design would work in the real world, each of the components have been 3D printed, often multiple times. 3D printing the tricorder has been critical in realising the design and understanding fully how it will fit together, be built on the production line and actually work in the hands of a user. Seeing the geometry turned into real 3D printed components assembled, all mechanically slotting into each other, truly brings the tricorder to life.

3D printing can only go so far, of course; while extremely helpful in the development of each component, it also helps the factory which will be building the final product understand what needs to be produced when the design is “locked” for the big day.

It’s not only us that need to see and feel the tricorder: our factory also makes use of rapid prototyping and Stratasys PolyJet 3D printing machines to get a better understanding of what they are going to have to manufacture. A fully working prototype is essential for the factory to test the fit and build sequence and make sure that the CAD really works before tool cutting is started. There are many aspects of the design that are very difficult to gauge from just looking at CAD on a screen or by testing functions with simulation software – for example, how bundles of cables are routed, what the detents on the hood opening action feel like in operation, or how the range of internal state sensors perform together. It is usual for these factory models to be expensive and time-consuming to build and, more often than not, the process is repeated a number of times whilst the design is refined as issues are discovered and ironed out in subsequent revisions, which then also need testing. They are, however, a very necessary step towards full manufacture.

In addition to the plastic material which the final tricorder replica will contain as 3D-printed parts, there are also a great number of metal components and assembly equipment (springs, screws, pins, etc.) and hundreds of electronic bits to help it actually function.

The tricorder is constructed from a range of different materials, and in addition to 68 injection moulded parts which can be 3D printed, there are 22 metal parts, a number of different sized screws, bolts, springs, and magnets, a hand-stitched leatherette strap, and more than 350 electronic components assembled on to six printed circuit boards. Where it is easier or more accurate to do so, many of the metal parts are created using traditional CNC machining, laser or waterjet cutting. For the tricorder’s side frame plates, we had access to a laser cutter which allowed us to initially cut acrylic sheet to shape to create quick prototype models in order to test our initial design concepts. As soon as the design had been refined, the side plates were sent out to an external fabricator to be laser cut from aluminium.

With every new technical detail revealed, we get more and more excited about the final product The Wand Company will eventually be releasing — so if you’re as interested in this project as we are, keep checking back to TrekCore for all the latest updates!

If you’re interested in this classic  Star Trek  tricorder prop replica,  you can register on The Wand Company’s website for more news on the project, and preorder availability, as things move closer to fruition.

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• The Wand Company

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