Star Trek Prodigy Episode 7 First Con-Tact [Review]

In Star Trek: Prodigy episode 7, the Crew is having a hard time dealing with the fact that there was data scuttled in the ship’s log about the previous crew. So now they are looking for a distraction, and oh, do they find one!

You Bet Your Lobes!

As the kids are playing with the Transporter, even beaming Murph out onto the hull of the ship. Holographic Janeway tells them they have a distress call just two parsecs away. The crew opens up a channel while the poor woman on the screen explains her situation. Dal calls her out and introduces us to Daimon (Captain) Nandi, the Ferengi who raised him.

A Simple Task

Nande shows the crew her ship, and Dal shows off his “bedroom.” (If you want to call a hammock in the engine room a bedroom.) In his room, they find an old Klingon cloaking device. It’s not working because it doesn’t have its power source, Chimerium. Rok, naive as ever, blurts out the ship has plenty. Knowing the Protostar could use a Cloaking device, Dal makes an unsettling deal with Nandi to help get her some rare crystals from a planet that has had no first contact.

Janeway vehemently explains The Prime Directive, explaining this is a bad idea from the start! She even pulls up a copy on the holo screen.

The Prime Directive prohibits Starfleet personnel and spacecraft from interfering in the normal development of any society, and mandates that any Starfleet vessel or crew member is expendable to prevent violation of this rule.

Courtesy of Memory Core Alpha

As the right of each sentient species to live in accordance with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Starfleet personnel may interfere with the normal and healthy development of alien life and culture. Such interference includes introducing superior knowledge, strength, or technology to a world whose society is incapable of handling such advantages wisely. Starfleet personnel may not violate this Prime Directive, even to save their lives and/or their ship, unless they are acting to right an earlier violation or an accidental contamination of said culture. This directive takes precedence over any and all other considerations, and carries with it the highest moral obligation.

Cpurtesy of Memory Core Alpha

A Resonating Welcome

The Kids decide that landing the ship on a new planet would be a bright idea. No, the inhabitants can move the sands on their desert-like plane using sound waves as a form of communication. As the space polyglot, Gwynn figures this out and attempts to communicate. The inhabitants send them down to a gorgeous cave system. Much like the sand eroded caves, you would see in Utah.

The kids find the crystals, but Gwynn again figures out how the Semari (named by Rok) can control the planet and communicate. Nande steals several of the crystals, causing havoc. She also stole Chimerium from the Protostar because the Shields were down. The kids scramble to put the crystal back in place, but Nande gets away with one. Dall chases, and during their ensuing struggle, Nandi admits that she sold Dal to the Divinver, much like we saw in the pilot with the Cat alien. Dal pulls a fast one and puts his Combadge on the crystal, and uses it to teleport it back to the Semari.

A Captain vs Crew

Janeway is ticked off at the conundrum the kids put the reputation of the Federation in. But she’s also peeved that Dreadnok orchestrated the attack on the ship when Chakotay was in command. Who’s about to get a tip from the recently jilted Nandi…

Captain’s Log

This, for me, was a very quick episode. I’m not sure why but it was “once it started, it was over” quick.

Now, I have gripes about this one. First, why didn’t the kids take a shuttle or transport to the new planet’s surface? Why didn’t anyone put the shields back up? I know HJ can’t as it’s a higher function, but seriously? And before anyone says anything, remember Nandi could have been living in the Gamma Quadrant from coming through the DS9 wormhole. But then it doesn’t account for selling Dal to the Diviner 4000+ light-years away in the Delta Quadrant.

One thing I love about the new series is the fact that we get to see so many new species! Having the show in CGI makes alien encounters more alien. I even referred to the Samari as Earthbending Seahorses.

The Return of the Rules of Acquisition! Oh, how glorious it made my lobes tingle! If I did my calculations right, it’s been almost 20 years since we’ve heard about them on screen. (Not counting any other media.)

So… is anyone going to mention the Horga’hn statue on Nandi’s ship?

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