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Star Trek’s two animated shows detail the right and wrong ways to showcase future captains

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Star Trek's two animated shows detail the right and wrong ways to showcase future captains

As a Star Trek fan who’s spent countless hours traversing the final frontier, I must say that the contrast between Becket Mariner from Lower Decks and Dal R’El from Prodigy is as stark as a Klingon bat’leth against a Romulan disruptor.

1) Two popular animated series, Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy, have recently appeared and may be concluding soon. Star Trek: Lower Decks is approaching its fifth and final season, set to end before the year 2025 rolls around. As for Star Trek: Prodigy, while its future is uncertain, fans remain optimistic that the team will return for another season or more.

Despite neither show having a third season yet, Prodigy with its 40 episodes and Lower Decks with 50, provide a substantial comparison point. Particularly when analyzing their main characters. In the case of Prodigy, we have Becket Mariner, a self-reliant and sometimes self-centered daughter of a famous Starfleet captain. Contrastingly, Dal R’El is an augment orphan who discovered his place within Starfleet in Lower Decks.

As a gamer, I find myself immersed in two different worlds, where my characters are the central figures. It seems that both have been nurtured by their senior mentors with the ambition of becoming future commanders. However, among them, only one truly exudes the potential for effective leadership.

In contrast, while Mariner is the main character in a humorous series, Dal appears in a more dramatic, family-friendly program. Interestingly enough, three characters from Lower Decks – Sam Rutherford, D’Vana Tendi, and T’Lyn – seem well-suited for command roles. Previously, we observed Boimler stepping into a leadership position; however, that Boimler was actually a duplicate. This incident suggests that the real Boimler possesses the potential to become a commander as well.

As we delve deeper into Mariner’s character, it becomes increasingly apparent that she may not be suited for a leadership position. Surprisingly, this is quite refreshing in the context of Star Trek, where she has consistently demonstrated defiance, inefficiency, and contentiousness over five seasons. Indeed, she serves as an almost flawless depiction of what a Star Trek captain should not be.

Demonstrating how remarkable it is when Star Trek characters ascend to the rank of captain, showcasing what it entails and what it takes to reach that level. It’s a role we observe in Dal. He exhibits focus, welcomes constructive criticism, strives for learning, and is committed to helping others. He doesn’t shirk responsibilities or dismiss the notion of order. In essence, he embodies the ideal qualities of a future captain.

It seems quite apparent that both characters may eventually become captains in Star Trek lore, yet it’s crucial to acknowledge that Mariner has not demonstrated enough qualities to suggest she could reach such a position. The conclusion of Lower Decks remains uncertain, but if it concludes with a leap forward in time to Mariner as captain, it might feel unmerited. Conversely, if Prodigy continues for a third season and culminates with Dal seated in the command chair, it would mark the end of a skillfully designed narrative where a young man discovers his destiny and embraces it wholeheartedly.

Maybe Lower Decks will end with Mariner resigning from Starfleet to live a life unburdened by responsibility. Maybe she’ll stay on as a specialist with limited responsibilities. Both endings fit the character fare better than anything. Plus, it’s good to show people that not everyone has the same wants and desires as one another. Mariner rejecting a leadership position would be the perfect ending to the series.

Additionally, let’s emphasize the major distinctions between her and her cartoon counterpart from another series.

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2024-12-16 06:23

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