Our heroes of Star Trek: Prodigy find themselves in a precarious position this week. They must free their colleagues on Tars Lamora, rescue Gwyn from the Protostar, and defeat the Diviner once and for all in a race against the clock.
The episode has everything you want in a finale, albeit a midseason one. With the Diviner heading back to the mining colony to regain the protodrive, he activates all his droids to hunt it down. There is plenty of exciting action and suspense as Jankom, Rok-Tahk, and Murf evade their pursuers while trying to stabilize the gravity of the Rev-12. It becomes even more intense when the imposing Drednok enters the fray. It’s disappointing how easily the robot enforcer is dispatched but there is a really cool death blow from the unlikeliest source.
The character development is well executed and plays directly into some of the cast member’s arcs throughout Star Trek: Prodigy. Rok-Tahk, the youngest member of the group, has been searching for her calling. People always pigeonhole her into a specific role because of her size but she’s proven she can do more than lift heavy things. All the knowledge she obtained in “Time Amok” is put to good use turning the tide. In addition, Zero has their opportunity for revenge for all the atrocities the Diviner made them commit.
The most compelling part of the episode is the father/daughter interactions between the main villain and Gwyn. We finally receive insight on the Diviner’s motivation and more history about the Vau N’Akat race but it’s not too different from any other antagonist who felt they were wronged by Starfleet but with a minor twist. You can feel the weight and conflict Gwyn has between doing the right thing and saving her people. There is added impact when her father addresses her by her full name, Gwyndala, in an attempt to create a more intimate connection with his child. Usually, he uses the more impersonal “progeny” moniker.
The ending teases some intriguing possibilities for Star Trek: Prodigy going into the second half. Not all hope is lost for the Vau N’Akat because Gwyn could find a more reasonable way to prevent her race’s destruction. Unfortunately, the trauma from the showdown with her dad has affected her memories including everything the Diviner relayed to her.
Furthermore, the Diviner may have the last laugh. His plan isn’t completely foiled with the crew and the Protostar heading out to exactly where he wanted the ship to go and spell disaster for Starfleet. One kind of new face is also searching for the Protostar and she’ll probably have our protagonists seeing double. These are some tempting storylines that we’ll have to wait for when the series returns next.
“A Moral Star Part Two” delivers everything you want from a midseason finale: exciting suspense and action, captivating character arcs and development, and juicy teases for when the series returns.
Watch the first ten episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy on Paramount+.
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