This week’s episode is Star Trek: Prodigy‘s spin on the classic holodeck malfunction trope — “Ghost in the Machine” is a fun adventure that continues the ‘get to know you’ vibes that started last week, showcasing each crewmember’s taste in holographic programming. It also showcases the holodeck itself, touring its magical possibilities in a way that effectively captures the imagination of viewers new to the concept.
 
As the episode starts, the crew is using the holodeck to simulate ways to safely leave the Neutral Zone, knowing they are going to run into Admiral Janeway and the Dauntless on their way out. The crew have really grown into their roles, as we see a confidence in their actions as they execute the plan.
 

Their efforts show shades of “Kobayashi”, however, as we learn they have attempted this 86 times with no luck and they all begin to realize this may be a no win scenario. They all decide as a group that they have to give up their dream of finding a way to safely go to Starfleet. It’s a mature decision and they make it together, cohesively as a team.

The best scene in the episode happens early, as we see the crew coping with their decision together in the mess hall. They eat their feelings with comically large bowls of ice cream and whenever someone brings up a bummer they all chant “Pile it on!” and give them another scoop. Needless to say this scene was a hit with my kids, and the cherry on top for them was when Gwyn squirted whipped cream directly into her mouth. Since this is a habit I actively try to discourage at my house, I had to laugh when all three kids gave me a LOOK, that plainly said “see Mom, Gwyn does it too!”.

But this scene wasn’t just for laughs, it was also a culmination of all the bonding this crew has done over the last 17 episodes. This wasn’t just a “group of kids” eating ice cream, this was a family at the dinner table. The ease they have with one another, the understanding, the acceptance of each other made this scene heartwarming through the laughter. Just beautiful.

After they head to bed, the crew see some strange things… and soon realize that they never actually left the holodeck. This is a scenario any seasoned Trek fan has encountered before, but it was brand new to my kids — and I think it blew their minds a little. I could practically see their gears turning as Zero explained what was going on, and as Rok-Tahk laid out some great scientific explanations for the physics of the holodeck itself. This episode really captured their imaginations as the possibilities of the holodeck are laid out.

Each scenario the crew travel to is a fully realized environment that really captured the spirit of each crew member it belonged to, while also paying homage to classic holoprograms of Treks past. We solve mysteries, we exercise through combat, we sing lounge songs — and of course, we captain an actual sailing ship. The whole adventure also added the layer of solving a puzzle similar to an escape room, which added to the fun in a familiar yet fresh way.

Zero’s program showcases their intellectual side, in that they spend their holodeck time solving mysteries. The preciously-named “Cellar Door Society” headquarters has just the right atmosphere to begin a quest like this. My kids love escape rooms, so they were all in from the very start — you could hear a pin drop in my house as the crew piece together the first clue and find what they believe is the answer to shutting off the holodeck: the Case of the Lost Skeleton Key.

Jankom Pog’s program appears through a door, and our crew find themselves in an alley facing a street gang full of Dr. Noums — the Tellarite doctor from the Dauntlessc. Jankom fights them to let off steam during his holodeck time. The idea that Jankom really took to heart his brief encounter with the doctor is a really fitting character detail; he’s always so proud of his heritage, so of course meeting another Tellarite (and being insulted by him) would stick with him.

There are Dr. Noums all over this episode. It’s a great thread that connects all the programs together and it’s a real treat to keep hearing Jason Alexander’s voice throughout.

The crew defeats all but one of the gang (“The tatooed ruffian flees!” Zero exclaimed. Adorable!), and they find the next clue on his tattoo. It’s on to to The Key Club, a lounge that turns out to be Murf’s program. My kids gasped as he took the stage — a really fun way to build on Murf’s personality. The club itself had an appealing, surreal quality to it, with the black-and-white visuals and the characters from the other programs integrated in.

The Diviner himself makes an appearance as the bartender, which gave Gwyn a lovely opportunity to kind of pick his brain about her relationship with him and her homeworld. It was effectively disquieting to see him outside the normal context, and “Find your own way!” is pretty great advice. A really nice moment.

Next up is Dal’s program, and of course our budding captain plays as a captain in the holodeck — but here he’s the captain of a pirate ship. Zero channels WarGames when they realize that the only way to win… is not to play. Zero figures out that the keys are just a distraction from the real mystery of why they are trapped in the first place, and extrapolates the data to point to the only explanation: Hologram Janeway.

It’s a shocking yet believable twist that her program was also corrupted by the Living Construct, and using Dal’s command codes, she was able to take control of the ship — bringing the Protostar out of the Neutral Zone, and right up to the Dauntless‘ nose.

As is with most Prodigy episodes, they really leave you ready for more.

OBSERVATION LOUNGE

• We learn that Rok-Tahk plays a holodeck game called Delta Heart: Magical Veterinarian when one of the pets from the game, the perfect parody-named “Glittersmooch,” is found seemingly outside the holodeck. My children are very familiar with games like this on Roblox, so this instantly made Rok-Tahk even more relatable to them. My youngest wants to play this game something crazy!

• Rok-Tahk describes some of the science of the holodeck when Gwyn wonders how Zero is so far away from them if they are in the same room. She mentions motion floor dragging and visual-horizon manipulation — clearly this girl has read the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual!
• Gwyn does chin-ups using her heirloom as the bar. That thing has a million and one uses.
• Mr. Murfy No-Shoes lip syncs to a song called “Smile and Forget It,” written and performed by Troy Kline.
• Holo Janeway sets a course for the Terran system. Uh-oh.

“Ghost in the Machine” is a clever new addition to the Trek holodeck episode portfolio. It was a hoot for me to see where they would go next, but for my kids it went even farther in capturing their imagination — this episode really took advantage of the longstanding holodeck concept.

My kids were super into the holodeck after this, asking me questions about it, and even asking if we could watch more holodeck Trek episodes. Music to my ears. Computer, run program!

Star Trek: Prodigy will return with “Mindwalk” on Thursday, December 15 on Paramount+ in the United States, and on December 16 in Latin America, Australia, Italy, the UK, and additional territories.