Star Trek: Prodigy gives Chakotay a purpose his character never had on Voyager.
This Star Trek: Prodigy article contains spoilers.
For decades, Chakotay represented one ofStar Treks greatest failures.
Whatever producers intentions, Chakotay made matters worse.
So imagine Trekkers surprise when theProdigykids finally find Chakotay in season twoand that Chakotay completely rules.
Rather, the kids give Chakotay a crew, and thus a purpose.
The depth of Chakotays development can be heard in Beltrans voice acting performance.
But when Chakotay finds a purpose with the kids, Beltrans voice becomes crisp and sharp.
Beltran keeps the same warmth of the best Chakotay episodes, but adds an authority rarely seen onVoyager.
Dal feels like hes failed as a future captain, which leaves him without direction.
When I was your age, I was lost too, Chakotay tells Dal.
Lost my father, my heritage, my purpose.
According to Chakotay, service onVoyagerrestored the purpose he thought he had lost forever.
It brought him back to the Federation and helped him become a great Captain.
Chakotays speech inProdigyreveals that, at his heart, he was always a Federation member.
Even more important might be what Chakotay doesnt say inProdigy.
Theres no mention of the bones of his people, no declaration of Akoocheemoya.
Is it as good as getting proper Native creators and actors inTrek?
No, not at all.
But it is the best case scenario for a massively mishandled character.
No one watchingVoyagerwould have believed that Chakotay would make for a believable Captain, let alone a compelling character.
Star Trek: Prodigy season two is now streaming on Netflix.
