Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1, Episode 17 - "Ghost in the Machine"Not only did Star Trek: Prodigy episode 17 have a holodeck episode, but it also homaged classic holodeck scenarios from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Captain Dal R'El (Brett Gray), Gwyn (Ella Purnell), and their friends were trapped in the USS Protostar's holodeck and forced to solve a mystery that would not end. The culprit behind the Protostar teens' plight turned out to be Hologram Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), who was unknowingly the victim of a subroutine planted by the Diviner (John Noble).
Holodeck episodes (and malfunctions) became a Star Trek tradition ever since Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced the miraculous device. Holodecks allow for entertaining changes of pace so that Star Trek episodes can indulge in different genres beyond science fiction. TNG's memorable holodeck episodes include the crew of the USS Enterprise-D playing through a Robin Hood scenario, with Worf (Michael Dorn) unforgettably declaring, "I am not a Merry Man!" But among the first and best known TNG holodeck programs are Captain Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) Dixon Hill detective LARP and Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) playing Sherlock Holmes, which gave birth to the sentient and brilliant hologram avatar of Professor James Moriarty (Daniel Davis).
How Prodigy's Holodeck Episode Homages Data & Picard
After Star Trek: Prodigy's young heroes realized they were trapped in the holodeck, they were brought to Zero's (Angus Imrie) favorite program, the Cellar Door Society, "purveyors of puzzling puzzles, amateur sleuthing, and milquetoast mysteries." The Cellar Door Society operates out of a cozy 19th century library, and the mystery program is a nod to Data's fascination with Sherlock Holmes. Zero fancies himself a bit of a sleuth, but the Cellar Door Society is decidedly of a lower-key than Data's holodeck program, which is more challenging. Although, Data's Sherlock Holmes scenario wasn't tasking enough for the positronic android, which led to the huge mistake of creating Moriarty as an opponent who could "outwit Data."
After the Cellar Door Society, the Prodigy kids wandered into a black and white holodeck program inspired by the 1940s, and it's an ode to Captain Picard's Dixon Hill mysteries. The Captain of the Enterprise liked to unwind as a private eye who fancied "martinis and skirts." Dixon Hill was famously recreated in Star Trek: First Contact when the Borg invaded Hill's favorite nightclub, and the tuxedo-clad Picard fought them off with a tommy gun. Surprisingly, Star Trek: Prodigy's 1940s detective yarn is the favorite recreation of Murf (Dee Bradley Baker), the Protostar's new security chief!
Murf's Holodeck Homages Vic Fontaine In DS9
Perhaps the biggest and funniest shock of Star Trek: Prodigy episode 17's holodeck episode is that Murf likes to unwind by hitting the stage as a crooner, complete with wearing a Frank Sinatra-like fedora. Although Murf lip-synchs because he can't speak English (or Federation standard), it's a hilarious revelation that the Mellanoid slime worm likes to perform as an Earth-style singer. Murf's holodeck is also a bit of a nod to Vic Fontaine (James Darren), the tuxedo-clad Las Vegas singer from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Vic Fontaine is a beloved character, although his prominence in the latter seasons of DS9 still irks some viewers. Like Moriarty, Vic was a sentient hologram who knew he was a collection of solidified lights and lasers, but he became a genuine friend to the crew of Deep Space Nine who often came to him for advice. Fontaine was integral to Odo (Rene Auberjonois) and Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) falling in love, and he helped Nog (Aron Eisenberg) heal after he lost his leg during the Dominion War. Murf was nice reminder of Vic Fontaine, just as Star Trek: Prodigy episode 17's holodeck episode cleverly evoked Data and Picard's favorite role-plays.
Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.