Into the Breach, Part I (episode)

Real world article

(written from a production point of view)

Warning!

This page contains information regarding Star Trek: Prodigy, and thus may contain spoilers.

Dal and his friends board Janeway's starship to investigate the wormhole created by the Protostar. Tired of his training, Dal longs for some action.

Summary[]

Act One[]

A group of Starfleet Academy prep school students take cover as drones fire on them before Murf single-handedly destroys them all. Murf is given a message from Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway inviting him to join her amongst the stars. As the excited Murf runs off, the amused instructor comments that he is a shoo-in for the security track. Elsewhere, as she gives a presentation, Rok-Tahk receives the same message as Murf. Rok quickly finishes up on how she has figured out how to stop tribbles from multiplying and runs off. Jankom Pog leaves an engineering seminar, declaring that it's a "new year, new Jankom" and no one's more even keeled and ready for Starfleet Academy than him. As he slips and falls, Jankom receives Janeway's message. Outside, Zero watches two teenagers awkwardly dealing with their feelings for each other, envious of their ability to feel sensations as corporeal beings. Receiving Janeway's message, Zero excitedly takes off. Elsewhere, an instructor calls for Dal R'El, only to find him skipping class. Dal watches ships flying overhead, commenting that they still aren't as fast as he is. Dal receives Janway's message where she reveals that they have an important mission, one which Janeway believes the former USS Protostar crew are uniquely qualified for, and it will look good on their applications to Starfleet Academy.

Dal and his friends reunite at the coordinates that Janeway sent them with Dal lamenting that their fields of study don't allow them to cross paths much anymore. To Dal's surprise, Jankom is cleaned up and unusually polite as Jankom is working on being more polite, something that Zero calls a marked improvement, but somewhat disturbing to see in a Tellarite. Rok wishes that Gwyn was with them, and Dal suggests that their friend is probably the Queen of Solum by now which Dal would prefer to his boring studies. Rok points out how big of a deal this is: Admiral Janeway is about to take the group under her wing on a real Starfleet ship and this is their big chance. Jankom agrees that a fancy internship with Janeway is going to look pretty nice to the Academy admission board.

A shuttle arrives carrying The Doctor who has been asked by Janeway to be their personal escort, but none of the cadets have ever heard of him despite The Doctor's accomplishments. Rok is surprised that The Doctor is another hologram and The Doctor explains that his mobile emitter allows him to leave the ship. The Doctor has come to learn that the kids care deeply for Hologram Janeway, their former Emergency Training Hologram, and starts talking about how it reminds him of one of his holonovels. The Doctor hopes that the kids will come to love him just as much as they did Hologram Janeway, but they are dubious about the idea.

On the shuttle, The Doctor reveals that their mission is to observe a new wormhole and determine if it poses a threat. Rok recognizes it as the wormhole that was created by the destruction of the Protostar and The Doctor explains that, after a rigorous probe survey, Starfleet picked up Captain Chakotay's distress call from fifty-two years in the future on Solum. Although Zero worries that Gwyn is heading to Solum right now, The Doctor calls it essentially two different worlds: the present day peaceful Solum that Gwyn is heading towards and the future Solum that has been torn apart by civil war that was caused by first contact with the Federation, something that hasn't happened yet. Jankom summarizes that if Gwyn interacts with the locals, it can mean a better future for everyone, but this "timey-wimey stuff" is just giving Dal a headache. Rok realizes that Dal has never read "Temporal Mechanics 101," but Dal is happy to just leave the science stuff to Rok while he takes the captain's chair.

Zero asks if they are taking a Protostar-class starship, but The Doctor states that the new ship is still under construction and they need to think bigger. Approaching a spacedock above Mars, everyone but Dal recognizes the ship as the USS Voyager, but different: the USS Voyager-A, Voyager's successor. The Doctor explains that the original Voyager is now a floating museum, so Janeway thought that it was high time for an upgrade. The new Voyager is a Lamarr-class science vessel refitted stem to stern with the latest and greatest technologies from Voyager's time in the Delta Quadrant "and then some." Zero is excited that the ship boasts 29 decks, 800 plus crew, and 2 schools while Rok loves the idea of Janeway being back at the helm of a brand new ship.

Nova Squadron 2385 — The other academy hopefuls on board

Onboard, The Doctor explains that they are lucky to continue their studies on Voyager. With the rest of Starfleet busy with the Romulan evacuation, Janeway discovered that Voyager needed a captain for her maiden voyage and volunteered for the job. The five aren't the only Academy hopefuls onboard: candidates for the elite Nova Squadron are also joining the crew. Dal is excited at the idea of joining Nova Squadron himself, but Zeph dismisses the group as Janeway's troublemakers and dubs them Never Squadron as he doesn't think that they belong in Starfleet. Janeway warmly greets the group on her way to the bridge, but Councilor Noum is less happy about it. Commander Tysess stops Dal's attempt to get more information on the mission and Noum pointedly states that only officers are allowed on the bridge.

Act Two[]

USS Voyager-A bridge — "Let's take her out for a spin..."

Janeway enters the bridge and greets her new crew, joking that she had already promised Admiral Picard not to lose this Voyager in the Delta Quadrant. Voyager leaves spacedock on her maiden voyage as The Doctor explains that each of the cadets have been assigned to their own division of interest, disappointing Rok that they won't be together. The Doctor takes Jankom to engineering where he's pleased with the ship's warp core and quantum slipstream drive. Continuing on, The Doctor states that there are over 16 holodecks, one of which Murf will find suitable for his security training needs. Indeed, Murf is pleased with what he finds, particularly the collection of medieval weaponry present for him to use. Zero will help The Doctor in sickbay, arriving just in time to witness the miracle of birth for the ship's resident Bolian. The Doctor suggests that Zero consult the ship's database on Bolian physiology for the answers to their questions. Given Rok's interest in xenobiology, she is assigned to Cetacean Ops, much to Rok's excitement.

Left alone with The Doctor, Dal is confused since Janeway had said that she needed them for a mission, but The Doctor simply tells Dal that Janeway needs the entire crew, and they all have important roles to play if the need arises. Dal is assigned to command training in the meantime which, to his disappointment, involves studying a lot of reading material instead of combat training, away missions, or shadowing Janeway on the bridge. The Doctor suggests that Dal start with a light reading of "Temporal Mechanics 101."

In the mess hall, Dal complains to his friends that he wants some action and wants to sneak onto the bridge. However, Dal's friends are more interested in their studies rather than going off on one of his plans again. Dal finds it weird that Janeway said that she'd take them under her wing, but she has been avoiding them instead and finds studying the wormhole boring. Zero points out that Janeway is busy as the captain of Voyager, while Rok finds the chance to study a temporal anomaly super exciting. Dal misses them having their own ship, exploring new worlds, being on the bridge, making the big moves and being heroes. Rok tells Dal that they have to get into the Academy if they want to be heroes again and leaves to feed the dolphins. Murf follows Rok while Zero leaves to keep up with their medical studies and Jankom follows, apologizing that he's just trying to fit in.

That night, Dal contacts Gwyn who is happy to hear from him, telling Dal that she's almost reached Solum and joking that the journey could've been faster with a protostar. Dal tells Gwyn that their friends love the new Voyager, and she instantly recognizes that Dal hates it. Dal admits that he's not sure anymore: things aren't the same and maybe Starfleet Academy isn't his thing. Gwyn advises Dal to give it some time, recalling that it took her some time to warm up to Dal's charm, getting a laugh from Dal. Gwyn wishes that she had some of that charm right now because she's about to step foot on a homeworld she's never seen to convince people she's never met to stop a civil war that hasn't happened, all to fulfil the dying wish of her father who Gwyn barely got along with. Dal asks Gwyn if her interference in events won't change things, pointing out that preventing Solum's civil war will mean that the Diviner never travels back in time to Tars Lamora, meaning that Gwyn might cease to exist. Gwyn asks if Dal has read "Temporal Mechanics 101" and explains that the past is still the past and it hasn't changed. Gwyn hopes to make a new future that hasn't happened yet, and Dal awkwardly asks about their own future, only to discover after a moment that the transmission has been lost.

In sickbay, Zero watches the Bolian mother feeling her child's heartbeats and wishes that they could experience such a feeling. The Doctor offers to give Zero some advice as one non-corporeal lifeform to another which Zero accepts. "To touch, taste, smell, love – with your Medusan physiology, you may never experience these things the way humanoids do. In my experience, we all have an opportunity to grow beyond our programming" which Zero hopes proves to be true. Janeway contacts The Doctor to tell him that she has just received news about their mission. The Doctor promises Janeway that he will meet her in Shuttlebay 3, before quickly trying to cover it up to an intrigued Zero.

Zero wakes up Dal who has fallen asleep studying to tell Dal that he was right and Janeway is hiding something, as is her bridge crew. The Doctor may be a highly skilled physician, but he's a terrible actor. Zero believes that there's more to this mission than meets the eye and whatever it is is going down in Shuttlebay 3 while Voyager is only supposed to have two shuttlebays. Dal decides that it's time for one of his cockamamie plans.

Act Three[]

Jankom notices Dal and Zero sneaking through the corridors of the ship and joins them, excited to learn about the mystery surrounding Shuttlebay 3. Although the shuttlebay will have restricted access, Dal intends to use the Jefferies tubes which go everywhere. Rok and Murf catch the group and Dal explains that they're going to find out what Janeway is hiding from them. Rok's unwilling to join them because they can't afford to break the rules and mess up like they used to do. They worked so hard to get here and Starfleet is where Rok feels like she finally belongs. However, Murf eagerly joins in while a frustrated and angry Rok stays behind.

In the Jefferies tubes, Zero discovers that there is no Shuttlebay 3, but there is a retrofitted hanger with restricted access. After nine failed attempts, the group finally finds Shuttlebay 3 which seemingly has nothing in it, disappointing the group. In frustration, Dal kicks a piece of metal into the air and it hits an invisible object. The group finds a cloaked ship, something that's illegal in Starfleet, leaving them with the question of what one's doing on Voyager.

As Murf holds the others to the celling and out of sight, Janeway, The Doctor, Tysess and Noum enter the shuttlebay and Janeway tells the others that they have a problem. Noum guesses that Admiral Edward Jellico is pulling the plug on their covert operation, distressing The Doctor given all of the effort that they have put into it and how hard it has been to keep the mission classified from the crew. Janeway orders the computer to decloak the Infinity and explains that Jellico fears that the wormhole is growing unstable and could put the entire timeline at risk. Jellico doesn't want to lose any more officers, meaning that their rescue mission has been scrapped. Tysess furiously points out that Captain Chakotay was Janeway's first officer and asks if Starfleet Command has forgotten how much Chakotay means to her. Dal realizes that Janeway and her crew aren't just observing the wormhole, but going through it, and Jankom identifies the Infinity as an experimental Federation support courier with temporal shielding emitters. A gelationous glob falls from Murf landing right in front of Tysess as both Tysess and Noum make it clear that they are willing to disobey orders and go through the wormhole. However, Janeway tells her crew that they can't go yet if they want to preserve the timeline. Until they convince Starfleet Command or the moment forces her hand, Janeway will need the Infinity primed and The Doctor, Tysess, and Noum ready for launch. Another glob falls behind Tysess, but he just dismisses it as a leak that needs to get fixed as they leave and Janeway recloaks the ship.

And this just got interesting — "this just got interesting..."

Returning to the ground, Jankom comments that the adventure is starting to shape up while Zero notes that Janeway and the others aim to retrieve Chakotay from the future, much to Dal's excitement.

Log entries[]

Memorable quotes[]

"Greetings, Starfleet Academy hopefuls. Prep school is over. It's high time you joined me among the stars. We have an important mission ahead – one I believe the five of you are uniquely qualified for, and it'll go quite a long way on your applications to Starfleet Academy. I've sent coordinates for a shuttlecraft. Welcome aboard. Consider this your study abroad."

- Janeway's message to the former Protostar crew

"I don't know what he said, but that kid's a shoo-in for security track."

- Murf's amused instructor

"So, basically, I figured out how to stop tribbles from multiplying. Thank you, gotta go."

- Rok, to a very surprised audience before running off

"I said "escort." I'm a doctor, not a butler."

- The Doctor

"So, what's the mission? A new scrap with the Borg? Take down a galactic warlord? Oh, uh, ooh, save Starfleet again?"
"Actually, something you should be familiar with. Starfleet has asked the admiral to observe a new wormhole to deem if it poses a threat."
"That's the wormhole we created when we self-destructed the Protostar."
"Very astute. After a rigorous probe survey, we picked up Captain Chakotay's SOS transmission from the other side, on the planet Solum, 52 years in the future."
"But isn't Gwyn headed to Solum right now?"
"Solum may well be two different worlds. The Solum of today that Gwyn is heading to is peaceful. Future Solum has been torn apart by civil war, spurred by first contact with the Federation that hasn't happened yet."

- Dal, The Doctor, Rok, and Zero, about the mission

"Ah, today Solum, future Solum – this timey-wimey stuff hurts my head."

- Dal

"At ease. I already promised Admiral Picard I wouldn't lose this one in the Delta Quadrant. Let's take her out for a spin."

- Janeway, meeting her new bridge crew

"Don't you miss having our own ship? We used to explore new worlds, be on the bridge, make the big moves. We used to be heroes."
"And if we want to be heroes again, we have to get into the Academy."

- Dal and Rok

"Ah! Borg is short for cyborg!"
"That's one way to learn."

- Dal, awakened by Zero after falling asleep studying

"I'm here to tell you you were right. The Admiral is hiding something, as is her bridge crew."
"I was right? Of course I'm right. Why am I right?"
"While The Doctor's a highly skilled physician, he is a terrible actor. I believe there is more to this mission than meets the eye, and it's going down in Shuttlebay 3."
"But Voyager only has two shuttlebays."
"You are learning."
"Let's go. It's time for one of my cockamamie plans."

- Zero and Dal, after Zero discovers that the senior staff are up to something

"They aren't just observing the wormhole, they're going through it."

- Dal

"This adventure is starting to shape up."
"They aim to retrieve Chakotay from the future."
"And this just got interesting."

- Jankom, Zero, and Dal, after learning the true purpose of their mission

Background information[]

Title[]

Story and script[]

Preproduction[]

Production[]

Postproduction[]

Cast and characters[]

Sets and props[]

Costumes[]

Soundtrack[]

Special effects[]

Continuity[]

Rok refers to Lieutenant Edward Larkin and the events of Star Trek: Short Treks's "The Trouble with Edward".
The Starfleet Command logo design first used in PIC: "The End is the Beginning" (seen in flashbacks from 2385) is shown alongside the older design used previously in Prodigy.

Cultural References[]

Dal complains that "this timey-wimey stuff hurts my head." Timey-wimey is a phrase sometimes used by the Doctor, a time traveler in the British TV show Doctor Who.

Apocrypha[]

Reception[]

Awards[]

Releases[]

Like the rest of the second season, it was first released on france.tv (a French public television's streaming service) as well as on AppleTV+ France on 22 March 2024, well in advance of the Netflix release in the United States.

Links and references[]

Cast[]

And

Kate Mulgrew as Admiral Janeway
Robert Picardo as The Doctor
Jason Alexander as Counselor Noum
Daveed Diggs as Commander Tysess
Sunkrish Bala as
Bonnie Gordon as
- Bolian mother
- Advisor
Debra Wilson as
Eric Bauza as Young man
Brook Chalmers as Study-Padd
Zeno Robinson as
- Student
- Student #2
- Command Student

Previous episode:
"Supernova, Part 2"

Star Trek: Prodigy
Season 2

Next episode:
"Into the Breach, Part II"