WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Prodigy season 2!
Summary
Star Trek: Prodigyseason 2 has raised the question of whether the Doctor (Robert Picardo) appeared onStar Trek: Lower Decks.ProdigyandLower Decksare the only two animated shows in the current franchise, withProdigyairing its second season on Netflix whileLower Decks' fifth and final season was announced earlier in 2024. Both shows operate at different points intheStar Trektimeline, and whileLower Decksdeals with the post-Star Trek: The Next Generationera,Prodigyhas become the spiritual successor toStar Trek: Voyager, bringing back multipleVoyagercharacters, including the Doctor.
The Doctor became one ofVoyager’s most popular characters while it was on the air, and is still beloved over 20 years after the show’s ending. When it was announced that Robert Picardo would be reprising his iconic role inProdigyseason 2, the news that another member ofVoyager’s cast of characterswould be returning was met with enthusiasm.The Doctor’s presence inProdigyseason 2 has proven to be just as delightful as it was onVoyager, but one line has caused confusion about whether the character was onLower Decks.
Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 Ending & Shocking Season 3 Set Up Explained
Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 brings the time travel saga of the USS Protostar full circle. Here’s what happened and what it all means for season 3.
Robert Picado’s Doctor Hasn’t Appeared In Star Trek: Lower Decks (Despite Prodigy Season 2)
Prodigy season 2 implied that the Doctor knew the Cerritos crew
Despite a direct reference to the USS Cerritos inProdigyseason 2,Robert Picardo’s Doctor has never cameoed onStar Trek: Lower Decks. The Doctor’s Cerritos reference came inProdigyseason 2, episode 5, which was written by Jennifer Muro and directed by Ruolin Li and Andrew L. Schmidt. In one of the first scenes of the episode, while discussing the show’s core cast of Starfleet Academy hopefuls, the Doctor commented that he hadn’t “seen a crew this dysfunctional since the Cerritos,” referencing the starship that functions asLower Decks' main setting.
The Doctor’s Cerritos knowledge raises the tantalizing possibility that Robert Picardo could appear inStar Trek: Lower Decksseason 5.
Given the Doctor’s absence onLower Decks,his mention of the Cerritos raises questions about how he knows the extent of the ship’s dysfunction. The possibilities for why the Doctor is aware of the hijinks ofBeckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), and the rest of the Lower Deckers are endless right now. The Doctor may have actually worked on the Cerritos briefly, or he may be friends with someone on the crew, perhaps Dr. T’Ana (Gillian Vigman). SinceLower Decksrarely passes up a cameo opportunity, the series could hopefully elucidate its connection to the Doctor soon.
Could Robert Picardo Appear As The Doctor Appear In Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5?
Give Lower Decks' cameo record, anything is possible
The Doctor’s Cerritos knowledge raises the tantalizing possibility that Robert Picardo could appear inStar Trek: Lower Decksseason 5. Given thatProdigyhas already brought the character back to a newerStar Trekseries, more appearances for him only make sense, especially in animation. With the renewed interest inVoyager’s characters thanks to shows likeProdigy,Lower Decksis primed to continue the Doctor’s story in the modern franchise era.
Lower Deckshas also already brought back otherVoyagercharacters, like Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill), so the Doctor certainly wouldn’t be a stretch. Likewise,a cameo for him would be a great way to explain his line inProdigyand tie the two shows together. At heart, the Doctor has always been a humorous character, andStar Trek: Lower Decksis a comedy first and foremost, so the show could benefit from using the Doctor to its advantage.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Cast
“Star Trek: Lower Decks” focuses on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the USS Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford and Tendi must keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies. The ship’s bridge crew includes Captain Carol Freeman, Commander Jack Ransom, Lieutenant Shaxs and Doctor T’Ana. This is the second animated spin-off in the franchise after 1973-74’s “Star Trek: The Animated Series,” but has a decidedly more adult tone and humor.
Star Trek: Prodigy
Star Trek: Prodigy is the first TV series in the Star Trek franchise marketed toward children, and one of the few animated series in the franchise. The story follows a group of young aliens who find a stolen Starfleet ship and use it to escape from the Tars Lamora prison colony where they are all held captive. Working together with the help of a holographic Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), the new crew of the USS Protostar must find their way back to the Alpha Quadrant to warn the Federation of the deadly threat that is pursuing them.
