The fourth episode of the new Star Trek: very Short Treks’ series of comedic (and very non-canon) promotional shorts is now online, continuing CBS Studios’ celebration of the 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Animated Series. This week, very Short Treks has a holodeck adventure written by Star Trek: Prodigy writer/co-executive producer Aaron Waltke, featuring the voices of a surprising number of Star Trek stars.
“Holograms All the Way Down”
The fourth episode has some fun with holodecks, with the logline “It’s Holodecktastic!” Even though it is the shortest of the “very Short Treks” so far, the new episode features the voices of the most Star Trek stars.
“Holograms All The Way Down” starts off with a play on the holodeck framing story of the Star Trek: Enterprise series finale “These Are The Voyages.” From there it keeps running that premise, and through a number of Star Trek characters spanning the whole franchise, featuring the voices of:
- Connor Trinneer (Trip)
- Jonathan Frakes (Riker)
- Armin Shimerman (Quark)
- Noël Wells (D’Vana)
- Angus Imrie (Zero)
- George Takei (Sulu)
- Doug Jones (Saru)
- Bruce Horak (Hemmer)
- Ethan Phillips (Neelix)
It’s no surprise that Aaron Waltke crammed so much Trek lore and characters into one short as he is a Trek super-fan (listen to him take our All Access Star Trek “Trek Questionnaire”). Waltke wrote what are likely the most lore-filled episodes in the first season of Prodigy: “Kobayashi” and “All the World’s a Stage.”
Spock and Beverly Crusher were just some of the classic Trek cameos in “Kobayashi” (Paramount)“
There is one more very Short Trek to go: “Walk, Don’t Run” will be released Wednesday, October 4 on startrek.com and the Star Trek YouTube channel at 10:00 A.M., PT/1:00 P.M., ET.
ICYMI: Episodes 1-3
Episode 1 launched on Star Trek Day, with Ethan Peck as Spock. Set on the original USS Enterprise with characters from Star Trek: The Animated Series, “Skin a Cat” features comedian Pete Holmes as the captain.
Episode 2 also features Ethan Peck, but this time he’s on Pike’s Enterprise, joined by Strange New Worlds stars Bruce Horak as Hemmer, Celia Rose Gooding as Uhura, and Gia Sandhu as T’Pring. Discovery star Doug Jones also makes a surprise appearance as Saru.
Episode 3 is set in the 24 century with Star Trek: The Next Generation stars Jonathan Frakes and Gates McFadden.
Keep up with news for the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com.
Wow! The only one that doesn’t actively attack aliens as being too weird for humans. And this one’s actually good.
Weird, but definitely better than the last two, number one is still the best (and I don’t think it’s a compliment)
That was great!
This is AMAZING!
Best of this sad bunch for sure Not bad but the payoff ? is weak Think they went one or 2 to far .
4/10, needs more boogers
LOL I was just about to post “needs more boogers”
This will probably be the most successful with the vocal fanbase, but might be the most inaccessible to folks who aren’t as versed in trek history and its many incarnations or how Holodecks work.
Needs more Knickersonians!
Can’t go wrong with Knickersonians.
You know what this short needs? More holodeck waste!!
What happened to Sulu’s voice? I understand Takei is in his mid-80’s but that’s quite a change.
You answered your own question.
Yeah. I don’t know any actors in their 80s who sound super close to their younger voices. Everyone gets that deep gravelly resonance.
same question for Armin – but – I’ll give them passes for a 5 second effort of a voice they’ve not done in 30 years
Well, again – how many 73 year olds sound like they did when they were in their 40s? This seems pretty rhetorical…
True, however last time I heard him live on the radio was about one year ago, and he still had his typical grave timbre. Now it’s totally different, not even reminiscent…
Very interesting that they allowed Prodigy to be a part of this…
These are not connected to Paramount Plus.
They actively say “Watch Star Trek TAS and Star Trek Lower Decks on Paramount+” at the end of every short though?
Why wouldn’t they be able to? All the shows are one franchise.
Yes, very interesting that the writer of this short Aaron J. Waltke would include Star Trek Prodigy in this, the show that he is co-executive producer and a writer of…
Christ.
Sorry that I’m surprised that Paramount allowed Prodigy, the current red-headed stepchild that they’ve gone out of their way to erase from Paramount+ and any kind of Star Trek promotional media, was included in one of these. This was definitely the best of the four that they’ve put out, and it was nice to see the Protostar crew included.
Finally a good one! That was both funny and fun!
Yes.. this is the right tone. Well done.
They should cancel the next episode and end with this one, because so far it’s the only one that works well.
Yep Aaron Waltke definitely wrote this one and why it was so bleeping awesome!! 😃👍
Someone who actually understands Star Trek and great story telling. I loved every show was represented and we got Trip and the Prodigy characters too. This is only 2 minutes but will be an instant classic in my book. That’s how you honor TAS!
Thank you Aaron, thank you!
#SaveStarTrekProdigy
Well.. The first true dog VST. Cute concept. But once the idea was established it did nothing with it. This actually felt like it was part of a LDX episode.
Let’s hope this was an anomaly and the upcoming final one returns to the hilarity of the first three.
See, and this is the only one I’ve liked.
That one was cute. Nicely done!
I’ll be honest: If I didn’t know that Aaron Waltke was going to write one of these, I might have given up after the first 3. While I originally kind of enjoyed the first episode to some degree, that faded quickly, and I haven’t cared for it since then.
But as a big Prodigy fan, who has both “Kobayashi” and “All the World’s a Stage” in my top 5 of that series, there was no way I’d miss this one. And it definitely didn’t disappoint. I love how the humor actually stems from a very notable (if infamous) moment in Star Trek history, and blows it up to absurd levels. And unlike the first episode, my appreciation for it has only solidified since watching it.
This was the only one I was really waiting for and it was truly done right!
Walkte gets the spirit of Star Trek and it was brightly shown here.
Exactly! I’ve loved everything Star Trek-related I’ve seen from him, and not just his episodes. His interviews are always great to read/watch, as are his Tweets and general interactions with fans. He knows how to write a good Star Trek because he’s one of us, and I’d hate to see that wasted. Whenever Prodigy ends (hopefully after several seasons on another streaming service), I’d love to see him stick around for other projects.
Yep in total agreement my friend. I remember being skeptical of Prodigy when it was announced too. But the Hageman brothers and Walkte calmed my fears early on.
Aaron especially not only has that amazing geek Trek cred but can actually make thoughtful stories and for kids too. You can tell how much he loves it. This episode shows just how much he does.
And I want to see Waltke stay on and make more Trek as well. He, Mike McMahon and Matalas has restored my faith in Trek after being mostly let down by it since 2009.
“I remember being skeptical of Prodigy when it was announced too.”
The funny thing is, Prodigy and Lower Decks were the shows I was most skeptical of from the new shows, but they’re my favorite and second favorite now. I do actually like all the new shows in their own way (though some of them definitely have their rough spots), but these two do a great job capturing the spirit and ideas of Star Trek, while pushing them in new directions.
Wow, one that does not suck, but went on just a hair too long.
Better then the last lot but still not great. To be honest if these ever got released on dvd/blu-ray they would be the first Trek content I’d skip. They had a lot of potential with these but imo they wasted it.
I doubt they will be released on home video since all of them together is probably like 15 minutes. Unless an extra on Lower Decks season 4.
OK this one was solid. Just a lot of fun and great to see nearly all the shows portrayed (although Picard is oddly not shown). I watched it three times straight (not exactly a big time consumer lol). It actually feels like a tribute to all of Trek and TAS.
And I think we’ll see Tendi again in the last one because there is a scene in the trailer where she’s on the bridge of the original Enterprise with several TOS/TAS characters.
There were production constraints, so Riker and Troi get to rep both TNG and PIC!
Wow a response from the legend himself. Thank you so much for the reply and understand of course. I know you guys have to weigh all of these actors and production woes so I’m just appreciative of whoever you can get.
I think this episode will be considered a classic in time which is saying a lot for a two minute story llol. I really love it!
Perfectly stupid! Loved it!
Well this latest Very Short Trek I have to say I really enjoyed. I didn’t like the others to be honest but this I loved, Well Done Aaron Waltke!
This is what happens when a professional does the work!
Great Job Aaron! Loved seeing the Protostar crew but also seeing Enterprise get some love!
Agreed. After the last one, I wasn’t excited about anymore of them but crossed my fingers Aaron’s would a least be decent and it hit the mark perfectly IMO. They needed this guy to make these shorts and actually understood the assignment in the process.
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Nice. Thats the best one so far.
The weakest so far. The old tops here will probably like it.
Yay! Finally we got one that didn’t seem like it hated Star Trek or its values. Of course, we EXPECT good stuff from Aaron J. Waltke. :-)
I don’t. Thus far Waltke has been hit or miss. But given the rest of Secret Hideout Trek (aside from 3 of the 4 VST’s) hit or miss is a stunning achievement.
This one didn’t have enough booger humor for you?
No. This one didn’t have enough humor humor for me. One thing I want from things that claim to funny is to, you know… Be funny. This one swung and missed. But that’s OK. They can’t all be winners.
Got it.
FYI… That first one had no booger humor in it and it was excellent.
Agreed. Absolutely loved it! ♥️
Well, at least this one wasn’t disgusting. It should have ended with Neelix but it’s like the writers couldn’t stop themselves. AT least with it ending on Neelix it was kind of cute.
Finally, an episode written for viewers older than ten years old.
Best one yet…
Finally a good one.
That one was actually a neat idea. It just felt like a joke missing a punchline. But given the punchlines they were using up to that point, maybe that’s for the best.
Pretty much. The idea was cute. But it just wasn’t a funny one. I kept waiting for a payoff that never came. In the end I guess it was poking a teeny bit of fun at THESE ARE THE VOYAGES. But that’s kinda punching down.
Its kind of ironic that the first thing an Enterprise actor gets involved in in Star Trek since the ending of that show is something that is considered non-canon. Hopefully this means they could bring back the Enterprise actors down the line for some sort of “true” miniseries ending to that show.
Totally delightful! Makes it all the more bizarre that this sort of tone and approach to the humor wasn’t the way they did all of ’em..
Better. Not good, but better
Woo! A good one. I cheered when the Prodigy kids showed up.
Best of the bunch so far, but that’s a very low bar. Still pretty meh. none of these have tickled my funny bone. This “celebration” of Star Trek animation has really been a lost opportunity. And as a fan of TAS, I was really looking forward to it.
Finally, one that didn’t make me cringe inside.
Oh I am so happy that this one made me chuckle!