Star Trek has always loved time travel, and the latest season of Prodigy clarifies the rules.
So, you have questions about time travel?
asks Starfleet science officer Dr. Erin MacDonald in the fourth episode ofStar Trek: Prodigyssecond season.
Youve come to the right place.
Without question, time travel has long been a major part of theStar Trek.
But while these stories generally turn out to be a lot of fun, theyre not always clear.
Her statement is followed by images of dominoes falling, suggesting that one event leads to another.
Well, more specifically, MacDonald says big event, which, again, makes sense.
But on the surface, thats not really consistent with stories weve seen in the past.
Somehow, according to City on the Edge of Forever, a social worker living is a major event.
How does that make sense?
To get that answer, we need to consult a higher power.
We need a Traveler.
In other words, hes essentially the Doctor (fromDoctor Who, not Robert Picardo).
As such, hes the perfect person to finally give some structure to the franchises time travel mechanics.
By the time Wes reappears inProdigy, he has an omniscience that fits his go-getter personality.
Theres a straight line in the middle, with branching lines coming off of it.
Instead, it branches it, leading to a different timeline.
Trekkies saw this most obviously in 2009sStar Trek.
Instead, it created an alternate timeline, which fans dubbed the Kelvin-verse.
Makes sense, right?
Big events result in big changes, which means full on new timelines.
The Romulans capture Earth and the Mirror Universe is born.
The USS Kelvin gets destroyed and the Kelvin Universe is born.
But what about small events?
What about Edith Keeler living inTOSor Rios staying behind in the 21st century onPicard?
Big events cause whole new timelines, but small events can either be devoured or fixed.
Weve seen aspects of that already inTrek, most notably in the most recent season ofStrange New Worlds.
A Romulan temporal agent they encounter expresses frustration at her inability to change the past.
No matter how hard she tries, things dont change, she complains.
However, Wesleys explanation, and the introduction of the Loom, points to another.
The major eventKhan and the Eugenics Wars had to happen.
Youll never have to look at them again.
Because now, we begin 201!
And thats not the point anyway.Star Trekis, fundamentally, a fictional show about a possible future.
Star Trek: Prodigy Season Two is now streaming on Netflix.
