Prodigy: A Tribble Called Quest

Season two of Star Trek: Prodigy has been playing a lot of "the hits" -- we've had time travel shenanigans, cameo appearances, hologram hijinks, and more. Why not throw in some tribbles?

The Protostar crew is looking to collect a special compound to fuel their unique propulsion system, and they find it in abundance on a nearby planet. But that planet is infested with tribbles -- and not just "cute but threatening" garden variety tribbles. These have been genetically modified by a Klingon scientist looking to rid the Empire of its "greatest enemy," and they can now grow to gargantuan size... with deadly teeth.

Yes, this episode is pretty goofy. Still, I think it's actually less goofy than any of the other tribble stories Star Trek has served up before this. The Protostar crew faces a serious problem here, and these tribbles feel considerably more dangerous than usual. (If we hadn't already seen the Loom, I'd have said this might be as much menace as I'd expect this kids' show to depict.)

There's also a serious message at the heart of this too. Just as the best Star Trek episodes usually have some sort of moral at the heart of their stories, the best Prodigy episodes tend to center some key lesson about growing up. Here, it's that mistakes are part of living, and that you need to learn not to dwell on them.

All of the central characters of Prodigy are young adults, but Rok-Tahk usually feels like the most child-like of all. I think that can sometimes make her difficult to center in an episode story. This feels like the perfect story for her, though. Plenty of adults struggle with the stress of perfectionism, and I think children who deal with it feel the stress even more acutely. Sure, you have to shorthand things a lot to fit it into 22 minutes of television; nevertheless, the way Rok-Tahk beats herself up over her mistakes during "act two" of this story feels quite genuine.

The larger, ongoing narrative still progresses amid this clear "side adventure," though. Chakotay continues to be a mentor for the kids. Zero's injury, and the acknowledgement that it is unlikely to heal, is a reminder that their new body isn't going to last for long. And it looks like we've picked up a new character (of sorts) in the form of the ready-to-be-merchandise Bribble.

I'd give "A Tribble Called Quest" a B. Sure, it feels a bit like "filler," but it has something to say -- an impressive feat, given the (admittedly fun) pure silliness of your average tribble episode.