Star Trek: Prodigy gives a wink to classic Voyager episode

This post contains spoilers for Star Trek: Prodigy, episode 17 “Mindwalk.” 

In the latest episode of Star Trek: Prodigy, “Mindwalk,” Dal (voiced by Brett Gray) and Vice Admiral Janeway (voiced by Kate Mulgrew) inadvertenly swapped bodies when Dal and Zero were trying to telepathically contact Admiral Janeway aboard the U.S.S. Dauntless. The good thing about the swap is that it allowed Janeway to learn what was actually going on aboard the Protostar and why the crew had refused to make contact. The bad thing was they had to figure out a way to get Admiral Janeway back in her own body and back on her own ship.

With a little ingenuity, the crew comes up with a plan that will involve both Dal (in Janeway’s body) and Janeway (in Dal’s body) leaving the ships and meeting outside. They would need to touch to establish a conduit which would transfer their minds. Admiral Janeway is unperturbed by the suggestion and tells the crew of the Protostar about something that had happened in the past that Star Trek: Voyager fans will remember all too well.

"“Listen, I was once transformed into a salamander. Nothing can be difficult as that.”"

Star Trek: Prodigy adds a moment of continuity to Star Trek: Voyager.

Prodigy reminded us that this Admiral Janeway is the same Janeway who commanded the Voyager so many years ago with a nod to a classic episode of Voyager.  In “Threshold” Captain Janeway and Lt. Paris spent some time as salamanders after Lt. Paris broke the warp ten barrier. While the crew of Voyager was out looking for them, Janeway and Paris had a little intimacy that resulted in salamander babies.

Though not everyone is a fan of “Threshold,” this was a great wink back to Star Trek: Voyager, and added a moment of levity (at least for fans of Voyager) to a serious situation. Great move, Prodigy writers!