WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Prodigy, season 2, episode 15, “Ascension, Part 1”
Summary
Star Trek: Prodigyseason 2 revealed another tragedy of the Mars Attack fromStar Trek: Picardthat hinges on one unexpected character. AlthoughProdigyhas mainly taken inspiration fromStar Trek: Voyager,season 2 revealed two huge connections toStar Trek: The Next GenerationandPicard. One of these connections was the return of Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton), who acted as an advisor forProdigy’s cast of charactersthroughout the season. The other was the reveal that season 2 was set around the same time as the Romulan evacuation and subsequent Mars Attack featured inPicardseason 1.
Since its introduction, the Mars Attack has become a hugely significant event intheStar Trektimeline, resulting in several universe-altering events including the Federation’s ban on synthetic life. Having the tragedy foreshadowed throughoutProdigyseason 2 added another layer to the season for audiences who understood what was coming. Several scenes in particular hit harder than they would have under normal circumstances,including one inProdigyseason 2, episode 15, “Ascension, Part 1” featuring the character of Zero (Angus Imrie).
Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 Ending & Shocking Season 3 Set Up Explained
Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 brings the time travel saga of the USS Protostar full circle. Here’s what happened and what it all means for season 3.
Star Trek: Picard’s Mars Attack Is Even More Tragic For Prodigy’s Zero
Zero lost out on a new body because of the Attack on Mars
Picard’s Mars Attack means that Zero will be unable to get an android body. Zero went through an intense journey duringProdigyseason 2, starting when they were gifted a corporeal body from a planet that the crew stopped at on their journey to findCaptain Chakotay (Robert Beltran). This was a huge leap forward for Zero, but once they left the planet, the body began to break down. During “Ascension,“Zero discussed the possibility of getting a synthetic body with the Doctor (Robert Picardo)and the two made plans to contact the Daystrom Institute to get the ball rolling.
As a Medusan, Zero used a fully technological containment suit to be able to move around, but their corporeal body allowed them to experience sensations for the first time.
However, thanks to the Federation’s synthetics ban, Zero’s dreams will be short-lived.Prodigyseason 2 didn’t actually show the enactment of the synth ban, butPicardindicated that it came into effect not long after the Mars Attack. In the post-Prodigyseason 2 timeline,the Daystrom Institute’s synthetics program will be shut down and all research and development on androids will be suspended.Picardseason 1 showed the multiple tragedies that resulted from this, butProdigyseason 2 has added to that tragedy list with the loss of Zero’s chance at an android body.
Zero Can Get An Android Body - But Not Until Picard’s 25th Century
Zero is going to be waiting a while for a synth body
Luckily, Zero’s dream of getting a new body hasn’t been crushed completely; it will just be a long time before they can make that dream a reality. Thanks toPicardseason 1, the synthetic ban was lifted around 2400 after Admiral Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of La Sirena managed to prove that the attack had been orchestrated by Romulan infiltration of Starfleet.With the ban out of the way in the 25th century, Zero has every right to request a new synthetic bodyto replace the containment suit they moved back into duringProdigyseason 2.
Zero won’t have to wait forever for their dream of becoming corporeal again to be realized, but the fact that it will take so long when they’ve already had a taste of that freedom is truly heartbreaking.
However,Star Trek: Prodigyseason 2is set during the early 2380s, meaning that Zero will have to wait almost 20 years for the synth ban to be lifted. Of course, Zero will likely be a high-ranking Starfleet officer by the 25th century,meaning that they should have no trouble getting an android body similar to the one Picard received. Zero won’t have to wait forever for their dream of becoming corporeal again to be realized, but the fact that it will take so long when they’ve already had a taste of that freedom is truly heartbreaking.
Star Trek: Prodigy
Cast
Star Trek: Prodigy is the first TV series in the Star Trek franchise marketed toward children, and one of the few animated series in the franchise. The story follows a group of young aliens who find a stolen Starfleet ship and use it to escape from the Tars Lamora prison colony where they are all held captive. Working together with the help of a holographic Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), the new crew of the USS Protostar must find their way back to the Alpha Quadrant to warn the Federation of the deadly threat that is pursuing them.
Star Trek: Picard
Star Trek: Picard follows retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, twenty years after the events of Star Trek Nemesis. The series delves into Picard’s life post-Starfleet, as he navigates a new chapter filled with unresolved past events and new challenges.
