“Into the Breach, Part II”

Prodigy is starting to break with what I would consider established in-universe expectations. For example: when Dal accidentally drops on to the bridge and reveals he's been sneaking around and knows about the secret cloaked ship, Janeway decides to read him and all of our main characters in on the classified mission.

I would not expect Janeway to read in a bunch of cadets just because Dal's been sneaking around and learned of some secrets, even if she brought them along. They are cadets, after all. But they are also our main characters. And it's a kid's show.

I do appreciate that Dal has trouble fitting in, can't follow rules, and gets into trouble. It frustrates me, but I think it makes some sense.

Why is Gwyndala being sent completely alone for a First Contact mission? When she left to go on this mission at the end of last season, I presumed it would be with other officers. I mean, that's a crap load of responsibility.

Nevertheless, I'm quite interested in how her story will unfold perhaps more so than the search for Chakotay. Seeing her interact with her now-gentle father was seeing her begin to achieve a resolution most of the other characters achieved at the end of last season. Also, I'm curious what we'll learn about this species.

So much better than Part 1, despite some really silly things that happen for the needs of the plot.

Dal continues his first-season habit of doubling down on bad decision after bad decision. I have my quibbles regarding Janeway bringing them in on the secret, but realistically what other option did she have other than throwing them into the brig? What follows is a series of failures that lead to the kids ending up essentially in the same situation as the first go around - separated from any competent adults on a ship of their own. As it should be, with a show of this sort, playing cadets-in-training doesn't work, given what we saw in the first season.

Gwyn's subplot also stretches credulity - and here, the mistakes come across as more the fault of Starfleet rather than hers (it's difficult to determine what flaws her character has other than a soft spot for her father). I have to admit I'm not thrilled to see Ascencia again, but it's not surprising either, and hopefully the show will deepen her this season. Still, Ella Purnell is such a good performer I'm immediately engaged whenever she's onscreen.

On the whole, it's on an upward curve. Indeed, so little was really established in the first episode that with some minor tweaking (and a more in media res setup) this would have worked pretty much fine as the season 1 opener alone.

Again, interested to see where it goes from here.

I remain convinced the entire reason the kids are on this ship is because Janeway knows they're needed for future events to play out as they're supposed to. The same reason the Doctor "let slip" about the existence of shuttlebay 3. So, with that in mind, of course she's going to "read them in" on the secret mission when they discover the secret shuttlebay. This is all according to her plan.

As for Gwyn being sent on her own . . . I don't know, her species is repeatedly said (and shown) to be extremely xenophobic. Perhaps Starfleet think sending anyone with her would blow the mission. They already greeted her with extreme suspicion, if she shows up with a bunch of aliens, they would probably think she's just a trick. (And they weren't counting on Ascencia being there to oppose her.)

It's something I can rationalize without too much trouble, though I too recognize it as unusual for Starfleet.