Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2.
Star Trek: ProdigySeason 2 is finally here after a harrowing journey from Paramount+ to Netflix. With all 20 episodes of the new season hitting its new streaming home at once, there’s an abundance of joyfulnewStar Trekcontent for fansto feast upon this week. Those who’ve already binged the new episodes know that this season heavily features the return ofWil Wheaton’s Wesley Crusher many years after he left theEnterprise-Dto join the Travelers. Aside from a brief cameo in Season 2 ofStar Trek: Picard, we haven’t seen Wesley on screen in decades, so naturally, he’s a bit evolved from the gangly teenager we know and love.
Collider’sMaggie Lovittrecently sat down withProdigycreatorsDanandKevinHagemanfor an in-depth interview on all things Season 2, and she made sure to ask about how they designed this version of Wes and where his new and improved swagger comes from. “We talked a little bit about aDoctor Who/Willy Wonka — some guy whose mind would be fritzed,” said Dan. “And in playing into that scruffiness, he had to have a sweater,” he continued, honoring Wesley’s iconic tri-color sweater fromTNG. “I mean, it starts with a sweater. I think even, like, the fabric of time, the tapestry, was inspired by his sweaters. I think we wanted the scene, too, that we never got to where Rok got one of his sweaters, and it fits her,” he laughed.
Part of making Wes even more charming than one might have expected him to become, is rooted in reality as Kevin explained, “If you remember, one of our writers, Jen Muro, she grew up withNext Gen. She had a poster of Crusher on her wall.” Though Muro and Wheaton are pals now, the team behindProdigywanted to turn Wesley into a “heartthrob.” Kevin continued withtheDoctor Whocomparison, drawing a picture-perfect connection between the two sci-fi franchises for those of us who are huge fans of both. He said:
“I love theDoctor Whoof it all, how very discombobulated he is. He’s really an unstable and almost trustworthy mentor to come into these kids’ lives.”
‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Boldly Brings Back Wesley Crusher for a New Adventure
Wesley has rarely been seen on screen since hisTNGdays having only madea brief cameo appearance inPicardSeason 2. Kevin explained that “a lot of the other shows were maybe scared to touch Wesley because he became this character…” “Too powerful,” Dan supplied. But for the Hagemans, including Wesley was a must, “He’s like the original prodigy, so weneedhim in our show,” said Kevin. He explained:
“No rules, all power. What do you do with this character? But we loved that challenge. We wanted to make it that he’s not just a super being, but, my gosh, it must be a lot going on in his head. It’s probably a little damaging, and it’s hard to keep it together. So, I love his character in this.”
Now we just needRussell T. Daviesand the Hagemans to team up andmake theStar TrekxDoctor Whocrossoverof our dreams a reality so that Wesley and the Doctor can actually meet.
You can watch Season 2 ofStar Trek: Prodigynow on Netflix. And don’t miss Lovitt’s full conversation with the Hagemans here at Collider.
Star Trek: Prodigy
A group of young aliens escape captivity by commandeering a derelict Starfleet ship, the U.S.S. Protostar. As they navigate the galaxy, they must learn to work together and uncover the ship’s secrets. The show blends adventure and discovery, appealing to both new viewers and longtime Star Trek fans.
