Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 comes to a close this week, and today we’ve got new images from “The Stars at Night” for your review!
In the season finale, the USS Cerritos crew must face having their roles in Starfleet supplanted by Admiral Buenamigo’s (Carlos Alazraqui) new Texas-class automated starships — but not without a fight, as Captain Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) challenges the admiral to a race to see which ship can complete a follow-up contact mission first.
Be sure to stick around after the episode’s closing credits on Thursday!
The title of this week’s episode, “The Stars at Night,” comes from the classic song “Deep in the Heart of Texas” — appropriate for the introduction of Buenamigo’s new starships.
Here are four images from this week’s new episode:
THE STARS AT NIGHT — In the season three finale, the Cerritos crew must prove their worth in a mission race.
Written by Mike McMahan. Directed by Jason Zurek.
Star Trek: Lower Decks concludes its third season with “The Stars at Night” on Thursday, October 27 on Paramount+ in the United States, Australia, Latin America, and the Nordics, as well as on CTV Sci Fi Channel in Canada and on Prime Video in many other regions.
We’re back with our next interview from October’s New York Comic Con event, continuing our chats with the cast and crew of Star Trek: Prodigy — straight from the convention floor.
Along with a few other outlets, TrekCore had the chance to sit down with Star Trek icon Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway), who told us about playing two versions of her legendary character in the new animated series, thoughts on a rumored live-action return, and what it’s like to have a statue built in her character’s honor.
Mulgrew portrays Holgram Janeway (left), and the real version (right). (Paramount+)
QUESTION: What’s exciting to you about introducing Janeway to a new generation of viewers?
KATE MULGREW: You can imagine how rewarding it is, right? I get to bring this down to kids in an animated version, but I’ll tell you the truer tale — we’re living in a very strange time. You could say that this is borderline of bleak time; just look at what’s going on in Ukraine and the recent threats and all of that. To bring a character like Janeway to animated television to small children is ennobling and elevating.
And it brings us back to what we always thought was important: hope, promise, comradeship, fidelity, passion, science. All the noble, lofty ideas, right? That’s what Star Trek is, and that’s what Starfleet stands for. So if I can reinject even a modicum of that, even a scintilla, I’m very, very gratified instead of some, you know… it’s not some show about nonsense.
The darkness — if there’s any darkness at all in Star Trek: Prodigy — is the very real darkness of being separated from your survival. You’re having to really learn skills. And I think it’s been invaluable.
TREKCORE: Now that both versions of the character are part of the Prodigy story – the hologram, and the real Vice Admiral Janeway – how do you distinguish between the two when you’re recording for the series?
MULGREW: Well, that’s the fun, and that’s the job. I mean, I have to distinguish them; that delineation must be drawn so that the audience understands that one is a person, and the other is not. And it’s great fun to do it.
I’m alone in a sound booth. I’ve got the producers on Zoom. I’ve got my headset on, and I can just take it where I need to take it. For Hologram Janeway, I’ve had to establish a certain level of soundness. In other words, she can roam, but not too far — whereas Vice Admiral Janeway’s spectrum is broad, very broad, and her temperament can be quite wide.
So I can go wherever I want to go with the sentient being, but with the hologram, I’m trying to endow now some more human characteristics — because she does, after all, have to lead these arguable miscreants away from danger, doesn’t she? And I think in order to get their attention, I’ve given her some levity, not just command.
You know, you see that in a good mother, don’t you? She’s the boss. She has authority, but she makes you laugh. So it sort of heightens your respect, and I’m trying to bring all of this to them both.
Hologram Janeway and Zero (Agnus Imrie) aboard the USS Protostar. (Paramount+)
QUESTION: How do you prepare to play both versions of the character?
MULGREW: It’s easy to prepare for them. They’re too distinctly different people. Vice Admiral Janeway is very much like the original Captain Janeway. So I just tap into that. She’s always lived inside of me. She’s never far. She comes like that.
Hologram Janeway has to be a little more subtle. You might even argue that she’s less interesting vocally hologram Janeway, but I don’t find that to be the case. I find that to be the challenge. I have to, within this barometer, bring to life all of the things that would be most compelling in her voice. So I work on that. That’s my job and that’s the fun of it.
TREKCORE: The kids see the hologram as their protector and friend, but from their perspective, Admiral Janeway is a threat. She’s the one chasing them, and they can’t explain themselves – they don’t know her the way viewers do. Does that play into your performance at all?
MULGREW: No. Nor can it, because I can’t — that awareness would ruin the story. What it does is draw a wonderful tension and that makes for good television, right? So if you’re watching it, you’re seeing that this very tight band has been drawn in almost every scene — once Vice Admiral Janeway appears — adding great dimension to hologram Janeway and her importance and raising the stakes.
QUESTION: With all the legacy behind this show, where you’re now bringing her to life in two different iterations, has there been a challenge to stay true to the character?
MULGREW: Again, I’d hearken back to the responsibility of it and the privilege of it. And when I recognize that if I lose it even for a second, it’s unfortunate because this has been a great gift. You can argue that it’s geeky and silly and nerdy for Star Trek fans, all that sort of thing. But it is essentially very fun, and its ideals are very lofty.
So when I go into the booth or I walk onto the bridge, I remember that and I remember that this carries with it a great responsibility and that it really helps people. Janeway has helped people, and so she will in this animated version too. And that’s something wonderful, isn’t it?
Mulgrew, Brett Gray (Dal), and Jameela Jamil (Asencia) at NYCC 2022. (Paramount+)
QUESTION: Having seen evolution of Star Trek as a franchise and as a universe, how do you feel about its continued expansion and growth over the years?
MULGREW: Again, lucky. I think it’s a real privilege. I mean, you can be attached to big things; Star Wars or Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. You can be attached to those things. It’s all fantasy.
But there seems to be a groundedness to this message in Star Trek that surpasses all the others. And it’s simply the message of hope. We are after all, on this planet, lost in space, aren’t we? So it’s how we’re gonna find each other that matters.
QUESTION: If this theoretical live-action Janeway series that’s been discussed ever came to fruition, who would you want to be part of the show with you?
MULGREW: I’ll tell you one thing. Every color, every gender, every disposition will be represented on that bridge if I’m the captain again. And really represented so that we know their backstory.
So that their backstory and who they are, rich, what’s going on on the bridge, a real deep dive into all the changes that our society has made. That’s what I’d like — and if every one of them are cast with brilliant actors, I’d just win, wouldn’t I? [Laughs]
MULGREW: I could hardly say the words because it’s crazy, isn’t it? “I must go and see my statue unveiled!” I mean, what does this mean? [laughs]
I’ll tell you what it means. She’s a big deal, especially to women in STEM. I mean to women, Janeway made a big, big difference. And I, I told you, I just came back from Europe where I met with two groups of women who are just convinced that Janeway is the reason why they could do what they did with the rest of their lives. It’s a real, it’s a funny thing.
I know I’m just an actor. I know I just played a character, but there’s a responsibility when it’s this fast and this significant to so many people. So I take it seriously. I take the fan base seriously. I try to be as reciprocal as possible and I try to enjoy every minute.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Star Trek: Prodigy will return with “Asylum” on Thursday, October 27 on Paramount+ in the United States, and on October 28 in Latin America, Australia, Italy and the U.K. The series is said to air “later in the year” in South Korea, Germany, France, Austria, and Switzerland.
We’re back with our next interview from October’s New York Comic Con extravaganza, continuing our chats with the cast and crew of Star Trek: Prodigy — straight from the convention floor.
Along with a few other outlets, TrekCore had the chance to sit down with Prodigy newcomer Jameela Jamil (Ensign Acensia of Admiral Janeway’s USS Dauntless), who told us about her love of Trek growing up, how the franchise continues to stay relevant despite it’s long life, and who she’s most like to meet if Prodigy ever crossed over to live-action television.
Jamil voices Ensign Asencia (right), the Trill pilot aboard the USS Dauntless. (Paramount+)
TREKCORE: Did you know you were auditioning for Star Trek when you first went out for the role? These things are kept so secret sometimes…
JAMEELA JAMIL: No, I was told – and I jumped for it. I didn’t even look at the pay, I didn’t care! [laughs] My brother was the first person I called when I got it, and he’s so excited for me.
TREKCORE: You’ve said how much of a Trek fan you were from growing up.
JAMIL:The Next Generation was my first big introduction to Star Trek, and then I worked my way around to the other shows after that. Deep Space Nine? So good. Like, when did we ever see stories about Black fatherhood in these worlds? DS9 was just so ahead of the game, and I can’t wait to see if what we’re doing now on Prodigy will be as relevant in twenty years’ time.
QUESTION: As someone who loves nerdy things, how does it feel to be part of something that’s meant so much to you growing up – and something that may mean so much to another generation?
JAMIL: I’ve hit my nerd EGOT, Right? It’s like MCU, DC, Star Trek. If I hit Star Wars, that’s it. It’s amazing. Science fiction, especially Star Trek – and I think Marvel and DC are doing a really good job too – they were some of the first places where kids like me could see people like them represented, and there were ideas about class and race hidden in all of these stories being told.
I think these are some of the greatest stories ever told, in spite of how unrelatable the environments may be, the kind of intersocial and emotional politics that get told through these stories are very good for children to learn – and to learn about people who are so different, who come from very different backgrounds, and who even sometimes can’t communicate with each other, but still find ways to work together to reach a better outcome.
Asencia is the youngest member of Admiral Janeway’s team. (Paramount+)
That is vital in these times where there’s so much division, for kids to be able to see that. I’m so glad to see children now really invited into the Star Trek world with something made specifically for them – not just for them, though, because I think there’s also a lot of adult undertones as well – but we are definitely making a statement that this is for kids, you know?
I think they’ve done a really good job of not condescending to young people. It’s such a massive legacy to take on; decades and decades of Star Trek history to catch up on. The Prodigy writers have been so smart to have these kids who aren’t from this world join Starfleet, and kind of learn from scratch in a way that’s really easy to introduce people to this legacy – but without being like, “go watch 55 years of history.”
QUESTION: Did you get to see Asencia’s character design before you began recording?
JAMIL: I got to see some rough sketches, but I had no idea how beautifully drawn it would all be – I was blown away just seeing the incredible opening shots from the pilot episode.
So I had a little bit to work with, but really I had a lot of freedom because it was still in such early stages, and they built her facial expressions and her mannerisms around my performance.
TREKCORE: Asencia’s accent is obviously different from your speaking voice – was a choice you made in recording?
JAMIL: It was the creative team’s idea – I think they just wanted me to just blend in, for reasons that will make sense later on in the show. It’s important that she doesn’t stand out too much – she’s got her own voice, and she’s precocious and she stands up for her ideas, but she’s still very much a team player.
Brett Gray (“Dal”) on stage with Jamil at NYCC 2022. (Paramount+)
QUESTION: If the Prodigy characters ever made the leap to live action, would you want to be a part of that?
JAMIL: Oh yeah! I mean, I would die to be in live-action Star Trek. If I could interact with, like, Data, I’d lose it. He’s always been my favorite character; I’ve been talking about him all day. I’m obsessed with him, he’s my favorite character in anything ever.
And Worf – I love Worf! Somehow people even decided to love the Ferengi before they loved Worf. I’m a very grouchy person like he is, and I love him. I love his mating call. I love his deadpan delivery, he’s so funny.
TREKCORE: What’s been the biggest surprise to you as you’ve become part of the Star Trek universe yourself?
JAMIL: Knowing how fandoms can be on the internet, you know…. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one, because the legacy is so dense and rich. But I’ve found Star Trek fans to be the kindest and most welcoming – I don’t know if it’s because “Live Long and Prosper” sets a tone of “I want the best for you,” but that’s what it feels like.
But also, with how long the franchise has existed, the fan base is really of all ages, and that’s really cool. To be able to talk with people who’ve loved this for such a long time – even longer than I have! I’m having a blast so far, and I really wasn’t allowed to talk about Prodigy much until now.
So get ready for me to not shut up about it!
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Star Trek: Prodigy will return with “Asylum” on Thursday, October 27 on Paramount+ in the United States, and on October 28 in Latin America, Australia, Italy and the U.K. The series is said to air “later in the year” in South Korea, Germany, France, Austria, and Switzerland.
“Trusted Sources” – the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks season three – delivers a big shake up to the status quo for the show, just in time for next week’s season finale. In what feels like it might be more of a part one than it lets on, “Trusted Sources” by Ben M. Waller packs a lot into its 25-minute run time.
The USS Cerritos has been approved by Starfleet to test out “Operation Swing By,” a concept developed by Captain Freeman that appears to date back to her realization in the season one finale “No Small Parts” that the races that Starfleet contacts might not stay on the right path forever.
To herald the dawn of an expansion of the California-class’s mission, Starfleet assigns a Federation News Network reporter to cover the first examples of Operation Swing By.
Freeman, desperate to look good in front of the reporter Victoria Nuzé, forbids Mariner from speaking with her. But when Mariner defies Freeman and speaks to the reporter anyway, all of the blame for the reporter’s bad impressions of the Cerritos fall firmly on Mariner. But there’s a twist; when the reporter’s piece airs, it becomes clear that Mariner spoke very highly of Freeman and the Cerritos — and it was the rest of the crew who said all the bad things about the ship.
But it’s already too late; Freeman reassigned Mariner to Starbase 80, where she decided to resign from Starfleet and link up with Petra Aberdeen, the Vash-like archeologist from “Reflections.” Meanwhile, Project Swing By experiences a lot of complications; after getting a polite brush off from the Ornarans (of TNG’s “Symbiosis” fame), the Cerritos is attacked by the Breen when they attempt to re-establish contact with the Brekka (of the same episode) and are rescued at the last minute by a new class of automated Federation starships.
It’s a lot of different ideas, but it’s fun to see the show weave together more elements of its own backstory into new tales. The conversation between Mariner and Freeman from “No Small Parts” about their frustrations with Starfleet’s blasé attitude towards second and third contact returns in this episode as Project Swing By, and it’s fun to revisit the two races from “Symbiosis.”
“Trusted Sources” is also really successful in laying in and executing its twist. The audience, just like the crew of the Cerritos, are so conditioned into expecting Mariner to be the wild card and the problem, that when you discover that she isn’t, it is a genuinely surprising turn of affairs. It’s a credit to the growth that we’ve seen from the character over the last couple of seasons, and a signal about how that growth might continue for the character moving forward… if she returns to Starfleet!
This season, Lower Decks really does feel like it is attempting to move its characters forward in a significant way from where we met them at the start of the series.
Each of the four Lower Deckers has gotten some level of meaningful growth this season – ranging from Bold Boimler and his experiences in “Crisis Point II: Paradoxus,” Tendi’s acceptance of her family history and her desire to be a leader, to Rutherford’s exploration of his past and who he used to be – and now significant signs that Mariner has found ways to channel her rebellious energy more productively that serve herself and her shipmates equally.
This episode has a strong “Redemption, Part I” vibe to it, in that it ends with a character off the ship, though Mariner gets a lot less support from her colleagues than Worf does for his decision to stand and fight for the Klingons. Mariner didn’t get a long line of her colleagues wishing her well as she headed to Starbase 80, which seems like a genuinely awful place.
I’m excited to see where next week’s season finale takes us!
TREK TROPE TRIBUTES
You would think that in nearly 900 episodes of Star Trek, one of the previous series would have used the faux-documentary “interviewed by the camera” trope (used in sitcoms like The Office and Modern Family) as a central conceit for an episode, but I think this might actually be the first time it’s been used in Star Trek!
Characters leaving the ship under less than ideal circumstances for a non-Starfleet life is a reoccurring trope in Star Trek, such as the previously mentioned “Redemption, Part I” or Tom Paris in “Investigations.”
CANON CONNECTIONS
The Ornarans and the Brekka were previously seen in the first season Next Generation episode “Symbiosis.” This episode even includes a decent synopsis for the events of the “just say no to drugs kids” episode from season one… in case you can’t bring yourself to revisit it.
The Federation News Network has become the go to news agency for modern Star Trek, used previously this season in “Grounded” and in the Star Trek: Picard pilot “Remembrance.”
The Ornarans created a mural about their experiences, which includes the Enterprise-D warping away and leaving them to get themselves together.
Admiral Buenamigo suggests that Freeman ask the Ornarans to show her their government, “just in case it’s secretly run by kids or someone pretending to be the devil” – the latter referring to Ventax II and the case of Ardra’s appearances in the TNG episode “Devil’s Due.”
Freeman remarks that they should send the next Project Swing By mission back to Beta III because there’s “a pretty good chance they’ve gone back to Landru again,” referring to both the first season Lower Decks finale “No Small Parts” and the Original Series episode “The Return of the Archons.”
Victoria Nuzé references the events of “Strange Energies,” “An Embarrassment of Dooplers,” “I, Excretus,” “Hear All, Trust Nothing,” “Kayshon, His Eyes Open,” “Temporal Edict,” and “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption,” to demonstrate that Freeman might be a bad captain.
Also, “I’m seeing a lot of stuff about Q” – harkening back to the trickster’s appearance in “Veritas.”
The shuttle from Starbase 80 that arrives is the TNG-style shuttlepod, which has not been seen since the earlier years of The Next Generation — along with the officers’ TNG-eera combadges, this shows just how far behind Starbase 80’s technology is compared to the rest of the fleet.
The conspiracy theorist Levy returns, this time telling Mariner that her troubles are connected to the Temporal Cold War from Star Trek: Enterprise.
Mariner is so confused by the crew’s reaction to something that she didn’t do, she asks whether she’s in a “Frame of Mind” situation, referring to the Next Generation episode where Riker was psychically tortured.
The Breen return! The race is seen for the first time since Voyager’s “Flesh and Blood,” and their ships for the first time since Deep Space Nine’s “What You Leave Behind.” The ships apparently still possess the energy-dampening weapon, though it only damages the Cerritos’s shields and doesn’t drain it of all power.
The Starbase 80 crew are trying to subdue a Pyrithian bat, in much the same way as Archer and Phlox in “A Night in Sickbay.”
At the end of the episode, Mariner and Aberdeen are on their way to retrieve some Vedalan mummies, likely referring to the Vedala from the Animated Series.
OTHER OBSERVATIONS
“Trusted Sources” has to be the most meta title for a Star Trek episode ever, clearly referring to all the so-called “news” sites that publish unfounded and patently-ridiculous rumors about modern Star Trek (based, of course, upon what they hear from their “trusted sources” that they never name).
Blueberry pie is a perfectly respectable flavor choice for a pie eating contest.
Lauren Lapkus pulls double duty in this episode, voicing both the Federation reporter and Jennifer in the same episode.
The Texas-class is the first of three new fully automated Federation starships.
“Trusted Sources” sets up what will hopefully be another big season finale for Star Trek: Lower Decks, and continues this season’s work of building on the show’s own story and mythos from the last two seasons to craft interesting stories that push our characters to continue to grow and evolve. This episode was a lot, but it was also a lot of fun.
Star Trek: Lower Decks concludes its third season with “The Stars At Night” on Thursday, October 28 on Paramount+ in the United States, Australia, Latin America, and the Nordics, as well as on CTV Sci Fi Channel in Canada and on Prime Video in many other regions.
It can be very difficult to get a turn on the Nintendo Switch at my house — we have three kids and two adults who all love to play video games — but when a game comes out that everyone is interested in, it can become a great family activity that we can all enjoy together.
My family and I got to start playing Star Trek: Prodigy — Supernova a few weeks ago in advance of its October 14 release. Supernova is a third-person action adventure game published by Outright Games — and the first Star Trek video game specifically designed for kids. My children are 8, 10, and 12, right in the game’s target age range.
Supernova is a fun companion to Star Trek: Prodigy and a well thought-out game that really respects it’s young audience and its place in the Star Trek universe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rxI_rowZok
This game features a new story that takes place in between seasons 1A and 1B — after the events of “A Moral Star, Part 2,” and this month’s “Asylum,” which airs on October 27 — and the story itself is an interesting stand-alone adventure that fits in with the overall arc of Prodigy, touching on several themes upon which the show has focused.
Environmentalism, found family, and helping others are explored in ways similar to the show itself, and I was surprised when I heard they were making a middle-grade novelization of the game due out in January — but after playing it, there is definitely enough meat here to make an interesting book. (It could have been a movie, even!)
The story is definitely Prodigy through and through, and so are the other aspects of the game. This is a Star Trek: Prodigy game, not just a generic game with a Star Trek skin. My kids remarked that it felt like an episode of the show, and it really did! The character, environment, and object designs were all spot on and lusciously colored to the same palettes as the show.
A standout feature is the audio, as not only the gorgeous music from the show fills the background, but the character voices of the entire crew are all here and no one is phoning in their lines. Brett Gray (Dal) and Elle Purnell (Gwyn) in particular are outstanding and add a fun energy to the intriguing story line. While Dal and Gwyn are the playable characters, the whole beloved Prodigy crew is on hand to help in the mission — so Murf fans rejoice!
Scanning the area with a tricorder. (Outright Games)
There’s a lot of good banter between all the crew members that would fit right in on the show. There are direct references to already-aired episodes, including “Dreamcatcher,”“Kobayashi,”“Time Amok,” and “A Moral Star, Part 2.” My children loved that they knew the lore behind the game.
Besides residing deep in the heart of Prodigy, there are some wonderful touches from the greater Star Trek universe as well. References to various species (Xindi!), locations (Rura Penthe!), and substances (Kemocite!) add to the immersive experience. There’s even a little history lesson from Holo-Janeway… about a mission when some older heroes went back in time to find some whales. This made me smile and I made a mental note that it might be time to plan a family movie night to watch Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home together.
The actual gameplay itself was very entertaining to both myself and my kids. It consists of levels with mini objectives that contain both puzzle points and combat portions. The puzzles are the correct level of challenging for the age group and they do a great job of utilizing Dal and Gwyn as a team. Each has their own unique abilities, so you have to pick the right person for each job.
This makes the two-player co-op mode very satisfying for both players, as both are required at every stage — but you can also enjoy the game in single-player mode, swapping control of one character to another with the touch of a button.
Exploring an underground cavern. (Outright Games)
As a parent, the co-op mode is one of the best things about this game. Needing both characters to complete the puzzles made it a really satisfying bonding experience to play with my kids. It was really fun to say, “Ok, Gwyn, we need you now, press that switch!” to my child — compared to other games we’ve played together, where two player co-op just increases the number of bad guys you’re fighting.
My child on the younger edge of the age group, who isn’t as experienced with these type of puzzles as my older two, liked playing this way best. (I did, too, but not from a gaming perspective as much as I just loved seeing my kid’s face light up as we solved puzzles together!)
This game takes full advantage of the type of side quests that my kids love to do. There are several things to collect, including isolinear chips (which they call “relics”, which made me feel old!). You can trip out the Captain’s quarters with treasures from all different eras of Star Trek history, and the holodeck offers mini “training levels” which you can complete to upgrade your crewmates abilities.
Jankom Pog can upgrade your weapons in exchange for the in game currency. My kids really got a kick out of getting to be on the Protostar in between levels of the main quest to manage all of these extras.
Jankom Pog, Rok-Tahk, and Zero send players on missions. (Outright Games)
There are a few issues that distract from the overall experience. (Noting here, that I am reviewing a prerelease copy of the game). There were a few times where the characters glitched into places that I could not “unstick” them from and had to reset, losing some progress each time. That was frustrating to my kids, especially.
Semi-related to that, this game needs at least three times as many save points as it has, because you pretty much have to finish a level to save — which is even more inconvenient for kids who can only handle shorter gaming sessions due to attention span (or math homework that they have to finish!).
I found the combat portions to be a little repetitive, as groups of “watchers” would frequently appear, but the ability to upgrade your weapons and the fact that other crew members would appear to help occasionally relived some of that monotony. And the “boss battles” were fine. There was also an issue with the on screen dialogue not matching the words spoken by the characters.
We are very sensitive to that issue as a household with a hearing impaired child. It took us out of the story every time it happened.
Hologram Janeway maintains the Protostar’s systems. (Outright Games)
But these issues were relatively minor overall. Star Trek: Prodigy — Supernova is a really fun game with a great Star Trek story and gameplay that kept all ages in my household entertained. Sharing Prodigy with my kids has been really exciting for me as a parent, and this game adds to that experience by meeting them at their level in a way only a great video game can.
I highly recommend it for kids and their parents, but I also think that adult Star Trek fans in general would have a fun time going through it as long as they understand that while it truly is a “kids game” in the sense of difficulty level, it is also a Star Trek game story well worth the time — if the kids ever let you get a turn to play!
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We also had the chance to get the inside story on Star Trek: Prodigy — Supernova from Outright Games producer Rudy Lamy, who answered a few of our questions over email earlier this month.
TREKCORE: How did you approach developing a game with over 50 years of Star Trek lore behind it — and how much does a new player have to know about the Star Trek universe going into Supernova?
RUDY LAMY (Producer, Outright Games): The game has been designed with the whole family in mind, so parents and kids can enjoy playing together. Veteran fans can teach the newer players all the references they find, but we are sure that the younger players will have a lot to say about the lore of the show and the saga in general.
As game developers — although we are fans of the Star Trek saga — we don’t know all of the details of every incarnation. However, we were fortunate to have the continued support of the Star Trek teams at Nickelodeon and Paramount, who were always on board to help us give the game an unparalleled Trekkie layer.
The game does occur after the Protostar crew has united during Season 1 of the series, and does tie into the history of the Vau N’Akat, but due to the specific time setting and new locations, Star Trek: Prodigy —Supernova is also a great opportunity to jump into the Prodigy lore. The game design and narrative express the core Star Trek values of cooperation, diversity, and friendship, and we believe it can also serve as a solid introduction to the Star Trek universe.
Clear tutorial screens educate players on gameplay mechanics. (Outright Games)
TREKCORE: What was the process like working with the Star Trek: Prodigy cast to help bring their characters to life?
LAMY: It was a privilege (and lots of fun) to collaborate with the cast from the series, and get them to bring their characters to the game. Working with the different cast members, they genuinely feel like a crew: with their own personalities, senses of humor, and motivations. We’re especially proud of how natural the banter and emotions come across in this game. It can be hard to juggle the transition between jokes and the epic, emotional stakes of adventure, but the Protostar crew really delivered.
The gameplay is full of fundamental Star Trek staples: characters, rich personalities, their abilities, knowledge and cultures, and the use of the Star Trek technology such as the Tricorder, the Transporter, etc.
TREKCORE: You mentioned targeting the 6-to-11-years age range, which is a pretty wide target when it comes to video games. How is this game designed to appeal to all kids in this group?
LAMY: Supernova is a co-op game where kids will find it very accessible to have a lot of fun, the difficulty progression of the game is designed to be played by everyone. We have tested the game so players don’t get a high level of frustration, etc.; the conversations between characters are meant to be fun, engaging, and authentically Star Trek for the whole family.
We put a lot of work into ensuring this game can be enjoyed by all ages. We think we’ve hit a really nice balance between ease vs challenge, so it’s going to test the younger players but parents for example will be able to enjoy the settings, characters and exploration so it’s not all about difficulty.
The co-op mode is fully drop in/drop out, so anyone can play together — and we have our companion AI take over in single player, which definitely helps keep the game nice and approachable if you are a younger or less experienced gamer.
Secret treasures slowly populate the captain’s quarters as the game proceeds. (Outright Games)
TREKCORE: My kids love discovering Easter eggs, glitches and fun things like that inside games, so they wanted me to ask: are there things like that for them to discover in Supernova?
LAMY: Yes, of course, we also love the secrets behind every video game. In Star Trek: Prodigy — Supernova you can find a variety of relics from the different Star Trek series which will appear in the captain’s quarters aboard the Protostar, and we dare you to find them all! Also, there are some fun cheats to unlock by completing certain gameplay objectives.
TREKCORE: Any chances for a future Supernova DLC?
LAMY: We don’t have anything to say about future add on content for the game at this point — but do keep an eye on our socials for any updates about the game.
TREKCORE: Is this a standalone adventure? Is there room open to continue in this story, or would another game be a completely separate story?
LAMY: Our game is very much a standalone adventure, however it is also deeply tied to the events and characters of the existing TV series — so we really get to have the best of both worlds! We worked incredibly closely with the Star Trek teams at Nickelodeon and Paramount to see where our game would take place in relation to the show.
We identified a really curious window that was unaccounted for due to a time jump, so our game is set then and explains what happened during this time. We’re not at a point where we are able to talk about our future titles, but we’re just so proud of what we’ve made here and are incredibly excited to see the reaction from fans and newcomers alike.
Murf is present and accounted for. (Outright Games)
In addition, stick around to hear Jenn’s theory about seeing a Deep Space Nine character in Star Trek: Picard’s final season, and Alex’s thoughts on Star Trek Online’s starship Enterprise-F becoming part of the on-screen canon — and just how much of that ship we’ll see in Picard Season 3.
WeeklyTrek is available to subscribe and download each week on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube, and Spotify— and we’ll be sharing the details of each new episode right here on TrekCore each week if you’re simply just looking to listen in from the web.
Do you have a wish or theory you’d like to share on the show? Tweet to Alex at @WeeklyTrek, or email us with your thoughts about wishes, theories, or anything else about the latest in Star Trek news!
Star Trek: Lower Decks is back with Season 3’s penultimate episode this week, and today we’ve got new images from “Trusted Sources” for your review!
In this new episode, the USS Cerritos and her crew get a visit from a Federation News Network reporter, eager to shine a spotlight on the California-class starship — driving Captain Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) to demand perfection from her crew during an important mission.
Here are three images from this week’s new episode:
TRUSTED SOURCES — A visiting reporter on the Cerritos puts Captain Freeman on edge.
Written by Ben M. Waller. Directed by Fill Marc Sagadraca.
Star Trek: Lower Decks returns with “Trusted Sources” on Thursday, October 20 on Paramount+ in the United States, Australia, Latin America, and the Nordics, as well as on CTV Sci Fi Channel in Canada and on Prime Video in many other regions.
We’ve finally caught our breath after last weekend’s New York Comic Con marathon, and today it’s time to bring you the first of several new interviews with the cast and crew of Star Trek: Prodigy from straight from the convention floor.
Along with a few other outlets, TrekCore had the chance to sit down with series lead Brett Gray (Dal) to talk about his experience with the Star Trek world since joining the animated series, lending his voice to the brand new Prodigy video game, and if he’d climb into Dal’s untied boots — for real.
Brett Gray on stage at New York Comic Con 2022. (Paramount+)
TREKCORE: What’s been the most surprising thing that you’ve experienced since joining the Star Trek world?
BRETT GRAY: I didn’t have any Star Trek knowledge before I was cast in Prodigy, so everything, to be honest! I’ve been to two Star Trek Day events and two Comic Cons at this point, and I’m learning slowly that this is a big train that you never get off.
It’s really cool, because it feels like for the rest of my life I’ll be invited to the party — because I’m in Star Trek. That’s been the biggest thing for me; there’s so much lore around the show, there are multiple events a year, and things like that. I’ve gotten to meet other Trek cast members that have become friends of mine, and I’ve had other friends that have also become part of things.
My friend Celia Rose Gooding is on Strange New Worlds, actually; we met years ago, acting, and now we’re both in the Star Trek universe. It’s so cool that there’s, like, this family, and I feel like I learned a language, you know? I can speak it with the people who know it, but whoever doesn’t, it’s just kind of something they don’t know.
QUESTION: Where is Dal at, emotionally, when we return to the series?
GRAY: He’s really wrapped up in everything that happened in “A Moral Star.” I mean, he’s really concerned about Gwyn — and about the state of their crew, and about their journey towards Starfleet — and I think that for the first time, the pressure and responsibility of leadership is more serious for him than ever.
The stakes are the highest they’ve ever been, but at the same time, he still doesn’t even know where he comes from or what his purpose is — so there’s lots for him to think about and lots for him to learn. Self-discovery has been something that he’s been struggling with since the beginning of the series, and he’s come so far. I’m very proud of him, even though he’s a fictional character!
He’s come a very long way and he’s learned a lot about other people and how to connect to them. Now it’s about trying to learn how to connect to himself. Yeah.
QUESTION: Can you talk a little bit about how the relationship between Dal and Gwyn evolves this season?
GRAY: I imagine that they had a personal relationship for a very long time back on Tars Lamora, because she was the only person who could speak his language. So to me it’s awesome. It’s like those would-be childhood lovers who, like, they have that rivalry because they’re sort of like star-crossed in two different worlds.
But at the end of the day, they relate to each other so much in terms of not knowing fully who they are or where they come from, and the sort of imposter syndrome around each other’s origin in purpose and the universe. Gwyn’s learned that everything she knew was a lie, you know, and Dal is also learning that same lesson.
I love their little banter, and I think they need each other, you know? Him to calm her down, and to remind her that she’s still 17 and should have some fun — and her to show him how to be a leader.
TREKCORE: How is work going on Season 2? That’s another 20 episodes, coming after the next 10 air, right?
GRAY: Yes — and I’m actually still recording. I actually recorded the first season in my bathroom because of the pandemic, so I had to re-record it in studio first. Now I think I’m finally caught up to where the other cast members are at in Season 2.
Gray at the 2021 ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ premiere event. (TrekCore.com)
QUESTION: As a young actor, how does it feel to know that some young viewers are getting their first connection to Star Trek through your work on Prodigy?
GRAY: I’m so excited that I’m on this show in particular, because I think Prodigy is gorgeous. I think the writing is smart. I think the story is both fun and engaging and entertaining, but also complex and heavy and emotional.
It’s cool! For me, I grew up on Nickelodeon watching shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender, and some kids told me the other day, “You’re like my Aang!” I was like, “Oh, done. I can go now!” [laughs]
QUESTION: Was Dal’s character design shared with you before you began recording for the series?
GRAY: Yeah, and I actually got to see it for the first time at my audition. They showed us what the characters all looked like, and a little bit of the world and the terrains and the colors before we even started our auditions.
In terms of the character, though, they let us create a lot. I mean, the Hagemans have been super open to collaboration and, if there are lines where I feel like, “Oh, what if I tried it like this?,” they let me give them 10 different options to fit the scene the best.
We take lots of time to like really make sure the moments are landing, and it’s really awesome to be led by them and guided by them and Brook Chalmers, our voice director — because it’s my first time acting only with sound. So experimenting with the nuances and the intentionality around sound is something new that I’m learning about.
TREKCORE: Did you ever think one of your characters would become an action figure?
GRAY: Never! I actually got to see the Dal action figure, and premiere it at a Paramount+ licensing expo, and then they ripped it from me, and I never saw it again! I was like, “I want one so bad!”
GRAY: Oh yeah! That was actually really quick, and it was over before I knew it. I think it was only like three or four sessions — I was filming something in New Orleans at the time, so I was doing both at the same time. I’d never done a video game before!
But again, Dal and Gwyn are sort of like back at it in the video game, and their relationship develops even deeper — it’s almost like the game is a continuation of the show, set between the first and second half of the season.
GRAY: Oh my God, paint me purple! Let’s go! Hand me the prosthetics, I’m ready! [laughs]
I think that’d be so fun. I can only imagine, when I’m already getting so emotionally attached to Dal and the show watching it in animation… sitting on a Protostar set with Ella next to me? What would that do to me? It would be a dream!
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Star Trek: Prodigy will return with “Asylum” on Thursday, October 27 on Paramount+ in the United States, and on October 28 in Latin America, Australia, Italy and the U.K. The series is said to air “later in the year” in South Korea, Germany, France, Austria, and Switzerland.
Two seasons after what is arguably one of Star Trek: Lower Decks’ best episodes, “Crisis Point,” the Lower Decks team returns to the concept of a loving takedown of the best and worst of Star Trek movies to help our characters grow and advance by repeating the trick in “Crisis Point II: Paradoxus.”
It’s a direct sequel to the original “Crisis Point” in more than just name; where the first season episode chose to use Mariner as its vehicle for Star Trek movie shenanigans, this time the subject of the episode is Boimler.
After Ensign Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) receives word that his transporter clone William has met a sudden, untimely, and senseless end, Boimler turns to the latest chapter of the Vindicta Cinematic Universe — Crisis Point II: Paradoxus — for meaning. As Tendi and Rutherford play out the holodeck program the way it was designed, Boimler sets off on his own path to find some kind of meaning in the death of his transporter clone.
It’s a lot, and serves up an extremely thoughtful — if not quite as funny — sequel to the original “Crisis Point.”
Where the original “Crisis Point” felt like it leaned a little harder into the Star Trek movie send up than the character development, “Crisis Point II: Paradoxus” shifts the balance in the other direction. This is a character episode through and through, and actually quite a poignant one, particularly for Boimler and Tendi.
“Crisis Point II: Paradoxus” throws us a large number of Star Trek movie tropes — mostly from the bad ones — as a way of sending up the idea that “Crisis Point II: Paradoxus” is a sequel to the original “Crisis Point” and might not be as good. But the most important movie trope it deals with is pulled directly from Star Trek: Generations.
Boimler finds himself dealing with the senseless death of a family member just like Picard in that movie, and seemingly learns an important lesson that will hopefully help the character continue to grow in confidence: you’ll never find joy if you worry about a meaningless death.
Meanwhile, as Ensign Tendi (Noel Wells) is left as “acting captain” in the holoprogram while Boimler sets off on his own quest, she discovers that she has a taste for command. When Rutherford doesn’t take the program seriously, Tendi worries that means that she wouldn’t be respected as a captain, something that she has just realized that she wants for herself.
It’s a fun to see Tendi come to this realization, and set that kind of big career goal for herself. It also says a lot about her relationship with Ensign Rutherford (Eugene Cordero), who is just messing around in the program most of the time, that when he discovers how much it means to Tendi he immediately takes it completely seriously and supports her entirely. It’s another wonderful facet of their relationship, which is one of Star Trek’s best even if it never results in a romantic relationship.
While I don’t know that a third “Crisis Point” would work in the same way as one and two, the second version of this episode is particularly successful at upping the stakes and throwing visuals and ideas at us that would never fit in a regular episode of Lower Decks. Want to see Boimler in the captain’s chair of a Sovereign class ship? You can in “Crisis Point II,” though in this case as “Captain Bosephus Dagger” of the USS Wayfarer.
I like the way that leaning on the holoprogram allows Lower Decks to just let its hair down and have some Star Trek fun. 21st century punks? Sure. Romulan warbirds commanded by evil triplets? Okay! Sign me up!
But the movie tropes wouldn’t work without a strong emotional core to the episode, and seeing both Boimler go through something, and the way that Ensign Mariner (Tawny Newsome) supports him, and then seeing Tendi make a realization about herself, and the way Rutherford supports her — gives the episode a really strong throughline that both lets you enjoy the Star Trek movie tropes, and get a good character episode of Lower Decks in.
And you didn’t think I’d end this part of the review without mentioning that Lower Decks got one of the biggest legacy cameos of all? It really was great to see George Takei lending his voice talents to the show, returning as a version of Hikaru Sulu for the first time since his 1996 appearance on Star Trek: Voyager.
Goodness, this show is a good time for longtime Star Trek fans!
TREK TROPE TRIBUTES
The fictional villains of “Crisis Point II: Paradoxus” are the Melponar triplets, whose familial relationship (and impressive boob windows on their uniforms) is clearly meant to spoof Lursaand B’Etor, the Duras sisters from Star Trek: The Next Generation and the villains of Star Trek: Generations.
The story of “Crisis Point II: Paradoxus” is built around a suitable macguffin that doesn’t make a ton of sense — in this case, the Chronogami — which gives us serious “red matter” vibes.
Mariner comments incredulously on how “Crisis Point II: Paradoxus” can be a sequel to “Crisis Point” given there are hardly any of the same characters — pointing out that the Star Trek movies often have very little in common with each other, despite all being sequels to Star Trek: The Motion Picture!
Starfleet characters traveling through time and mixing it up with punks is an old classic.
“Yeah it’s an uneven story that totally ignores the successes of the original. But it’s also a Starfleet movie. Which means it’s worth doing.” That pretty much describes every bad Star Trek outing.
The rock god on the third moon of Shatnari (har har) comes alive in a similar fashion to the stone temple to “God” in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. There are then a suitable number of references to how there’s always a twist with god-based episodes.
The mythical KTYHA that Boimler is seeking is actually Kitty Hawk, in a send up of V’Gerfrom Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
I loooooove how William Boimler points out the absurdity of the Section 31 badge. “Isn’t Section 31 supposed to be a big secret? Why would we wear special combadges that advertise who we are?” Such a great joke that makes humor out of something the fans have been wondering about for years.
“Does it make an alternative cinematic timeline that runs concurrent to our own but with like different people playing younger versions of us?” Mariner asks about the Chronogami, exactly describing the Kelvin Timeline.
The Federation outpost where the Chronogami was invented is purposefully made to look like Regula I. The top secret video to introduce the project is a send up of the Genesis introductory video from The Wrath of Khan, and Doctor Helena Gibson is a take on Carol Marcus.
One of the holodeck characters calls out to “let Minookiguide you!” referring back to the D’Arsay god from earlier this season. One of the other characters calls out “the koala smiles on us all!” extending the long-running koala joke from “Moist Vessel.”
The Starfleet characters at the Aquatic Research Center are all wearing the monster maroon style of Starfleet uniform.
Neurocine gas, which supposedly killed William Boimler, was previously referenced in “Civil Defense” for its toxic properties.
The freighter Boimler and Mariner are aboard is the same design as the Batrisfrom “Heart of Glory.”
The exterior of the Founding of the Federation scene is the matte painting of the Federation Council building from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. The interior of the sequence comes directly from “These Are The Voyages.”
The Romulan’s bomb design is the same as the thalaron bomb from Star Trek: Nemesis.
Section 31 enters Lower Decks, complete with a Defiant-class ship equipped with a cloaking device!
OTHER OBSERVATIONS
The Wayfarer uniforms — which may or may not be fictional creations of the mind of Bradward Boimler — are interesting variations on the Star Trek: Nemesis style, with a white stripe separating the grey yoke from the black uniform.
Boimler sits with the Riker lean when he’s inhabiting the character of Bucephalus Dagger.
Mariner calls the two Crisis Point tales “the Vindictaverse,” referring to the name of her villainous character from the first episode.
Boimler is “Bucephalus Dagger,” Rutherford plays “Sylvo Toussant”, Tendi is “Meena Vesper” and Mariner is “Rebecca Doodle” in “Crisis Point II: Paradoxus.”
The opening credits and the font used for the location names are drawn from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Mariner, who is not terribly impressed with Boimler’s acting, says that “someone took a Winger Bingston class” referring back to the theatrical Starfleet officer seen previously in “Moist Vessel.”
One of the planets visited in this episode is Tatasciore IX, named after Shaxs voice actor Fred Tatasciore.
This episode poses some interesting questions about how the holodeck works — and how smart it is — through testing the limits of its adaptive programming.
I wonder if the Great Soolian Algae Crisis was a real event in Federation history, or just something that Boimler made up for the program? Neither Tendi nor Rutherford say enough about it to make it clear if it’s something they are remembering from history or if it’s just part of the in-holodeck backstory.
We get a snippet of the Chu Chu song, the infamous song from the Zebulon Sisters references in “Terminal Provocations.” Rutherford’s version does not seem to be the one that adds the third Chu.
Jim Kirk’s Generations cabin has a hot tub. Appropriately.
While the season may have gotten off to a slow start, the run of episodes from “Reflections” through today easily rival the strongest runs of the first two seasons. With the end of last week’s episode teasing a team up of Peanut Hamper and AGIMUS, and this episode putting William Boimler in Section 31, I feel like there are a lot of great parts of Lower Decks’ history and own story that have been set up for some very fun future stories.
Star Trek: Lower Decks returns with the penultimate episode of Season 3 on Thursday, October 20 on Paramount+ in the United States, Australia, Latin America, and the Nordics, as well as on CTV Sci Fi Channel in Canada and on Prime Video in many other regions.
Star Trek: Lower Decks is back for the eighth episode of the new season this week, and today we’ve got new images from “Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus” for your review!
First announced back on Star Trek Day, this week’s episode is a sequel to Season 1’s “Crisis Point” Trek movie-themed adventure — but this time, it’s Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) writing the holodeck storyline, starring as fictional Captain Bospherous Dagger of the USS Wayfairer.
Here are four images from this week’s new episode:
CRISIS POINT 2: PARADOXUS — Boimler’s holodeck movie sequel tries to live up to the original.
Written by Ben Rodgers. Directed by Michael Mullen.
Star Trek: Lower Decks returns with “Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus” on Thursday, October 13 on Paramount+ in the United States, Australia, Latin America, and the Nordics, as well as on CTV Sci Fi Channel in Canada and on Prime Video in many other regions.
