Star Trek: Starfleet Academy revolves around a compelling storyline that's entirely original, but it doesn't forget to pay homage to the franchise's recent history and distant past. That said, the show's premiere massively surprised me by referencing a Star Trek show that has been unfairly abandoned by Paramount. It's only a brief moment, but it addresses some key components of what fans needed to know about a run of episodes that will now almost surely never happen.
The show in question is Star Trek: Prodigy, which is essentially an animated legacy sequel to Star Trek: Voyager. It ran for two seasons, although it had to fight to even last that long. Despite season 2 ending as a clear setup for more episodes, season 3 is looking less and less likely as time goes by. It's becoming increasingly difficult to stream with any ease, suggesting Paramount has wiped it from established canon. However, Starfleet Academy hasn't just cemented Prodigy's canon status, but has also teased at least some of what happened after season 2.
SPOILERS ahead for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episodes 1 and 2, as well as Star Trek: Prodigy.
The Doctor has an interesting reaction to the name of a Star Trek: Prodigy character
Robert Picardo's Doctor is the biggest returning Star Trek actor in Starfleet Academy. It's his third show overall, after having starring roles throughout Voyager and in Prodigy season 2. Both eras of the holographic physician's life are directly referenced in Starfleet Academy's first episode, "Kids These Days." This happens when Sam (Kerrice Brooks) tries to snag Picardo's character as her mentor. As a photonic lifeform herself, Sam feels it would only be fitting to have the Doctor show her the ropes of what it means to be in Starfleet.
When the Doctor claims not to be mentor material, Sam disagrees by saying he was a mentor to the crews of the USS Voyager and the USS Protostar, the latter being the primary vessel in Star Trek: Prodigy. She lists the members of the former Protostar crew: "Kal, and Murf, and Captain Gwyndala." The Doctor visibly flinches and lets out a little noise of surprise at the sound of Gwyndala's (Ella Purnell) name, who ended the animated show's second run as acting captain of a training vessel named the USS Prodigy.
Sam makes it especially clear to the audience that the Doctor is recalling some form of upsetting or traumatic memory by pointing out, "your sensitivity calibrations are spiking," and asks if she has "said something inappropriate or frightening." The episode's orchestral score also offers a tense swell. The Doctor gets defensive before quickly changing the subject and suggesting Sam join the opera club. Classic Doctor.
What the Doctor's reaction to Gwyndala's name suggests
The Doctor is centuries old by the time of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. So, he will have seen countless friends and colleagues die, and his photonic memory probably means he remembers each instance very clearly. Gwyndala and the rest of the USS Prodigy's crew are also very likely to be dead in Starfleet Academy's 32nd-century setting, unless there has been time travel involved. So, it wouldn't make sense for the Doctor to react to Gwyndala's name in the way he did unless her death was particularly unique or upsetting.
One possibility is that Gwyndala died at a young age, perhaps shortly after the season 2 premiere, and that the Doctor failed to save her and blames himself. This wouldn't be the first time he had been forced to endure such guilt, as Star Trek: Voyager's "Latent Image" built an entire episode around this in 1999. Alternatively, maybe Gwyndala lived much longer and actually rose through the ranks to become an official Starfleet captain. During active service, she still could have met a particularly grisly end that, even if the Doctor were not present, could still be traumatic to think about.
It's impossible to know for sure without more episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy. That said, maybe Starfleet Academy is planning to delve further into the matter of Gwyndala's fate. Otherwise, this seems like a particularly specific character moment for the Doctor if it's not going to be paid off down the line. It's also a pretty niche reference, especially with Prodigy disappearing from streaming services left, right, and center. I would love to find out more, and I hope we do. Long live Prodigy.
Gwyndala and her friends being name-dropped isn't Starfleet Academy's only Prodigy reference so far
Starfleet Academy's double-episode premiere isn't just content with mentioning key pieces of Prodigy canon; it also shows something the latter introduced to the franchise. There are a handful of appearances from a member of the Brikar species, who has clearly signed up to be a Starfleet cadet. For those who haven't seen Prodigy, the huge, rock-like character probably looks comical in a live-action setting. As someone who has seen Prodigy, I can tell you that it's still pretty funny to see.
That said, it's also very cool that the race has made the jump from an obscure animated Star Trek project into its latest live-action one. Prodigy's Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui) is currently the franchise's most famous Brikar, but given the relatively low profile of the show in which she appears, her counterpart in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is probably already as well-known after just a couple of scenes.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is streaming now on Paramount+. New episodes premiere on Thursdays.