The Star Trek franchise is currently experiencing a boom thanks to super-producer Alex Kurtzman. There is literally a show for everyone: Star Trek: Discovery continues to push its crew into a new frontier. Star Trek: Picard revisits the heroes of Star Trek: The Next Generation as they’ve grown a little older and (somewhat) wiser. And Star Trek: Lower Decks provides plenty of laughs as it pokes fun at some long-running tropes in Trek. Surprisingly, however, one of the best new entries in the growing Trek franchise has turned out to be the animated series Star Trek: Prodigy.

Created by Kevin and Dan Hageman, Prodigy centers on a ragtag group of alien teenagers who have endured a life of servitude on the Tars Lamora prison colony. When fast-talking Dal (Brett Gray) discovers a Federation starship called the U.S.S. Protostar buried deep within Tars Lamora, he and fellow prisoners Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui), Jankom Pog (Jason Mantazoukas), Zero (Angus Imrie), and Murf (Dee Bradley Baker) abscond with it. The Diviner (John Noble), who rules over Tars Lamora, launches a chase across the galaxy to retrieve the Protostar. Not helping matters is the fact that his daughter Gwyn (Ella Purnell) has boarded the Protostar as a stowaway.

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Image via Paramount+

Star Trek, at its core, has always been about connections -- people who couldn’t be more different setting aside said differences and working together to solve problems. A large part of forming connections is communication, and the series manages to explore this in its two-part premiere “Lost and Found.” Dal, Rok-Tahk, Pog, and Zero are unable to communicate with each other due to a language barrier, but once they step on the bridge of the Protostar, the built-in translators allow them to understand each other which leads to stronger bonds between the group as they explore the universe. And like the crews on various Star Trek shows, the Protostar crew becomes a surrogate family; the fact that this is the first Trek series to have a cast composed entirely of aliens only underlines this fact.

That bond of family even extends to the Protostar itself, as it projects a hologram version of Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) that often appears to give the Protostar crew advice. Much like Dal and friends, Janeway and her crew were stranded for years in the Gamma Quadrant during the events Star Trek: Voyager. And over the course of that show, she had to learn to trust others, specifically former Borg Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). Now, we have the Protostar growing to depend on Janeway, viewing her as a teacher and friend. During the episode “Time Amok,” she even rallies the crew and convinces them to work together when a tachyon storm separates them at different points in time.

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Image via Paramount+

Over time, each member of the crew finds their own role on the ship -- which is important, as Star Trek shows always put the focus on the different roles within a starship's hierarchy. Think about how many times Geordi La Forge used his engineering skills to save the Enterprise from destruction in Star Trek: The Next Generation, or how many times Montgomery Scott beamed his crewmates out of danger in Star Trek: The Original Series. Prodigy takes things a step further, with each member of the crew choosing a role that happens to utilize their natural talents. Gwyn, for example, takes the role of communications officer since she's studied thousands of languages. Zero assumes the role of science officer, as they’re genuinely interested in learning more about the universe.

Every ship needs a captain, and that honor goes to Dal ... who turns out to be terrible at it, at first. Years of living on Tars Lamora has given him a healthy distrust of authority, along with abandonment issues. Prodigy begins to pull back the layers of false bravado, especially in the episodes “Kobayashi” and “First Con-Tact.” The former episode, in which Dal takes the infamous Kobayashi Maru test, not only serves to humble him but shows that he needs to place his faith in his fellow crew members. The latter reunites Dal with Nandi (Grey Griffin), the Ferengi who raised him. During a mission to another planet, Nandi steals a valuable crystal, not only violating Starfleet’s Prime Directive but also throwing the planet into jeopardy. That isn't even the worst part; she also reveals that she sold Dal to the Diviner, shaking him to his core. Every captain on Star Trek has faced their own crisis of conscience, and Dal is no different. And thankfully, Prodigy wrings genuine emotion out of these moments, proving that even though it's targeted toward a younger audience it won't speak down to said audience.

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Image via Paramount+

Prodigy has also explored the concept of Starfleet from the point of view of teenagers who had never even heard of it. Starfleet was founded due to the unity between mankind and aliens, and has always been about exploration. Even though they never officially become part of Starfleet, and despite their different backgrounds, the Prodigy crew manage to find an accord and explore the vast corners of space. The series also explores how Starfleet can often cause strife in place of unity; the Diviner is revealed to have traveled back in time as he attempts to destroy Starfleet before first contact is made with his planet, resulting in its utter destruction. Villains with a personal bent against Starfleet have shown up frequently throughout the saga, from Nero in J.J. Abrams' first Star Trek film to Khan Noonien Singh in The Wrath of Khan. However, the Diviner's plan is far more sinister, as he's equipped the Protostar with a virus that will disable Starfleet ... and none of the crew has any idea. There hasn't yet been word on when Prodigy will return with new episodes, but when it does, it will no doubt continue to explore and put its own spin on classic Trek elements.

Star Trek: Prodigy is available to stream on Paramount+.