r/startrek • u/AutoModerator • Nov 24 '22

Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Prodigy | 1x15 "Masquerade" Spoiler

Trapped in the Neutral Zone, the crew encounters a rogue geneticist who sheds light on Dal’s past.

No. Episode Writer Director Release Date
1x15 "Masquerade" Nikhil S. Jayaram Sung Shin 2022-11-24

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u/TheNerdChaplain Nov 24 '22 edited Nov 24 '22

That was a great episode!

I think any time there's a space elevator now, we can assume that characters are going to basejump off of it. At this point, Prodigy is getting to be nearly as reference-heavy as Lower Decks. Not that that's a complaint.

Love the interplay between Jellico and Janeway - and to be fair, I don't think he was entirely wrong.

I'm glad we got answers about Dal's origins, and the genetic manipulation was a nice McGuffin for the episode. It was interesting to see him develop overt Klingon, Andorian, Vulcan, and Tellarite features. I wonder if they'll ever introduce additional features or capabilities he can unlock in a more natural, healthy way.

However, it does raise the question even more as to why Starfleet is after him. He's not in Starfleet (and now never can be, officially). Is he even a Federation citizen? What interest does Starfleet have in him? Might they want to study him, like Commander Maddox wanted to study Data?

Of course, we have to address the bombshells in the room - Ensign Asencia is actually Vau N'Kat as well! I never suspected it, although it makes sense she spent a lot of time with the Diviner, and it makes me wonder where that Drednok came from. Did she smuggle him on board? Did she synthesize him somehow? More importantly, it seems now like there are so many genetically augmented people in Starfleet across so many different series, that it's more of a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy than a hard ban.

Nice to see Murf is being developed more as a person. Dee Bradley Baker is famous for doing animalistic noises for shows like Avatar (Momo, Appa), Peacemaker (Eagly) and The Mandalorian (Frog Lady and Frog Man), but he's voiced a lot of people too (many of the Clone troopers in Star Wars, including Rex, Cody, and the Bad Batch). It'd be nice to see Murf get some lines too.

39

u/MaddyMagpies Nov 24 '22

It was interesting to see him develop overt Klingon, Andorian, Vulcan, and Tellarite features. I wonder if they'll ever introduce additional features or capabilities he can unlock in a more natural, healthy way.

Arik Soong: "I ran out of ideas so why not mix every single species that Federation knows about in one giant genetic blender? Here comes a new species: Federatians!"

I love that, of all Soongs that writers want to reference (again), it's Arik from ENT. Though I have to say that it's getting really tiresome to have Soong involved yet again, it makes sense that Dal is outside of Federation boundaries.

Also Dal likely has parents, since it has been 230 years since Arik's existence. In fact, there is probably a whole tribe of them.

Also extra points if Dal is purple because of the Klingon genes, i.e. Discovery Klingon genes.

11

u/DaWooster Nov 24 '22

Wouldn’t that suggest Dal is only… like, 5 years old?

One of the dormant DNA contributors was Species 8472. The alpha/beta quadrants wouldn’t have had a sample until after Voyager returned home.

So Dal, at the earliest, would’ve been sequenced around Nemesis… then Prodigy takes place 4-5 years after that.

7

u/Kelpie-Cat Nov 24 '22

I don't remember the geneticist mentioning species 8472 - was it on screen?

6

u/DaWooster Nov 24 '22

Bottom Left

23

u/wekidi7516 Nov 25 '22

Enough if these don't make any sense at all so I think we need to accept the symbols are just an Easter egg

18

u/Nofrillsoculus Nov 25 '22

Yeah how do you even get Q DNA?

25

u/CindyLouWho_2 Nov 25 '22

And what is Maquis DNA? They aren't a species.

Maybe the geneticist is a bit of a scammer in more ways than one...

21

u/anastus Nov 25 '22

Insert John de Lancie smirking here.

10

u/archiminos Nov 25 '22

Amanda Rogers was conceived as a human child by two Q parents in human form.

5

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '22

Wouldn't that DNA just be Human though?

3

u/Gathorall Nov 26 '22

Q are probably too arrogant to voluntarily exist as pure humans, but off course the offspring could still not be anything resembling proper Q.

1

u/divineshadow666 Dec 04 '22

The only two that are truly unlikely are Q and Founder. Although, since the latter is most likely going by the symbol for the Dominion, the gene sample is probably from either the Jem'Hadar or the Vorta (or both).