We finally know what Murf of Star Trek: Prodigy is and it’s a deep cut

Star Trek: Prodigy revealed what Murf is on the show’s return from break.

Star Trek: Prodigy features a group of kids aboard a reclaimed Starfleet ship called the U.S.S. Protostar. The Protostar is an experimental ship that is captained by the young, charismatic Dal R’El. He’s joined by Gwyndala (aka Gwyn), Jankom Pog, Zero, Rok-Tahk, and Murf, the slimy, dog-like pet.

For the longest time, part of the show’s mystery is who is everyone. We knew that Jankom is a Tellarite, a huge alien race from the Enterprise days. Rok-Tahk is a Brikar, Zero a Medusan and Gwyn is a Vau N’Akat. That just left Dal, whose mystery is known but only to the higher-ups at Starfleet and Murf.

The slim, dog-thing that can apparently survive in deep space without any sort of protection. Well, in the latest episode of Prodigy, “Asylum”, the crew finds a Federation outpost manned by a loan Talaxian, who does a bio scan of the crew as a check-in of sorts. During this scene, it’s revealed that Murf is a Mellanoid Slime Worm.

And while many aliens in Prodigy are created for the show, much like Jankom is an old-school Star Trek alien, we now know that Murf dates all the way back to season one of The Next Generation.

What are Mellanoid Slime Worms in Star Trek lore?

Mellanoid Slime Worms were first referenced in the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, in the episode “Coming of Age”. In it, Wesley Crusher is being tested and is put into a confrontation with a Rondon, a species who finds politeness insulting. The Rondon insulted Crusher and even called him a Mellanoid Slime Worm.

So now we know that Murf is a deep-cut reference back to the 19th episode of The Next Generation, thus continuing its trend of taking deep-cut references and characters and turning them into gold.