Morale for the young crew of Star Trek: Prodigy has hit a low considering their first contact mission was almost a complete failure. Trying to rally the troops, Janeway suggests some team building exercises. It’s no surprise they’re a hot mess when they can’t solve a simple logic riddle. However, that won’t be the only time they’ll be tested as a group.
The episode is a well-executed story involving time fluctuations as a result of the Protostar’s engine reacting to a tachyon storm. Isolating the different characters in various periods gives each person moments to stand out individually. Also, it emphasizes the themes of developing chemistry and working together to solve the problem. The only constant is Janeway who can transcend timelines and relay information. It’s not uncommon for similar narratives to be confusing but this one is straight forward and easy to follow.
In addition to the running cooperation motif, trust is highlighted because they can only build the foundations for each other and must have confidence their peers can hold up their end. There’s no better example of this than when Gwyn records a heartwarming message for Rok-Tahk encouraging her while she’s their last hope.
Speaking of Rok-Tahk, she shines the most. Rylee Alazraqui’s youthful voice brings out the inexperience and insecurities of the ship’s youngest member. On Star Trek: Prodigy she was pigeonholed into security officer because of her imposing size but she proves she would be qualified for any position on the ship. Her success is a reflection of the teaching abilities of the rest of the crew as a whole. Even though Rok-Tahk is the one who executed everything, it was only made possible through their directions.
“Time Amok” also brings out some compelling revelations to pursue moving forward. Out of frustration early on, Dal confesses to Janeway how they aren’t Starfleet cadets. Once again, he proves he’s not a good captain by giving up when things get hard, a sharp contrast to Gwyn this episode. He might possess ingenuity, but then make him an engineer. There is still opportunity for him to grow into the role but right now he’s not the right choice. The main conflict takes over so we haven’t yet seen if there will be any repercussions for the lying from Janeway.
Elsewhere, the Diviner proves that despite being quadrants away, he has a wide reach and can still be a danger to the young crew on Star Trek: Prodigy. It sheds some insight on how the original crew of the Protostar was attacked and why there are Vau N’Akat files on the main computer. With Janeway recouping some of her memories, hopefully we’ll gradually learn more about the Diviner’s intentions and his history with the ship.
This installment is a cleverly crafted time jumping story with themes of teamwork and trust.
New episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy are released Thursdays on Paramount+.
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