Summary
Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2’s Premiere - “Into the Breach, Part I”
By the 32nd century ofStar Trek: Discovery, Starfleet had figured out a way to prevent the threat of Tribbles multiplying, andStar Trek: Prodigyjust revealed who solved that mystery.Tribbles were first introduced in the classicStar Trek: The Original Seriesepisode, “The Trouble With Tribbles,“as little balls of fur that could reproduce incredibly quickly. When just one of the creatures made it onto the USS Enterprise, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) soon found himself literally buried in Tribbles.
InStar Trek: Discovery’sseason 5 premiere,a Tribble can be seen scurrying along the wall of the USS Discoveryas Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) walk by. They don’t even glance at the Tribble, suggesting that the little creature is not a threat to the ship. A few episodes later, inStar Trek: Discoveryseason 5, episode 3, “Jinaal,“Lt. Christopher (Orville Cummings) reveals that he became the new owner of the (neutered) pet Tribble that once belonged to Commander Nilsson (Sara Mitich).
Star Trek: Discovery Explains Season 5’s Tribble Is Not A Threat
A Tribble was sighted aboard the USS Discovery, which should be alarming, but Star Trek: Discovery season 5 explains this Tribble is no trouble.
Star Trek: Prodigy Explains Why Tribbles Don’t Breed In Star Trek: Discovery
Rok-Tahk found a way to keep Tribbles from multiplying so quickly.
One of the first scenes ofStar Trek: Prodigyseason 2shows Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui) speaking to a group of Starfleet cadets. When a transmission comes in from Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew),Rok-Tahk quickly wraps up her presentation, revealing that she has figured out how to keep Tribbles from multiplying.As she puts it:“If you block the chromatin, remodeling at a specific locus, the protein won’t bind.“The Starfleet officers watching her presentation react with surprise and even awe before Rok-Tahk rushes out of the room to join her friends for a new mission.
When Lt. Christopher tells Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) about his pet Tribble inStar Trek: Discovery,he quickly assures the new First Officer that the creature has been"neutered.“Rok-Tahk’s discovery eliminated the only danger Tribbles posed, which was their rapid reproduction.Now that the cute little balls of fluff can be neutered, it’s not surprising they have become popular as pets. Without the risk of a ship being overrun by Tribbles, a singular Tribble on board no longer poses any danger.
Star Trek: Prodigy Cast Guide: All Returning TNG & Voyager Characters In Season 2
Star Trek: Prodigy’s cast of young alien heroes are joined by legacy characters from TNG and Voyager in season 2.
Star Trek: Short Treks’ Tribble Episode & Genetic Experiments Explained
Lt. Larkin altered Tribble genetics in Star Trek: Short Treks season 2, episode 2, “The Trouble With Edward.”
InStar Trek: Short Treksseason 2, episode 2, “The Trouble With Edward,” Captain Lynne Lucero (Rosa Salazar) takes over command of the USS Cabot in the 23rd century, where she meets Lt. Edward Larkin (H. Jon Benjamin).Lt. Larkin reveals that he has been working on a genetic experiment involving Tribbles.He believed that tribbles would make a food source if he could discover a way to make them reproduce more quickly. Lucero immediately pointed out the ethical problems with Larkin’s idea and ordered him to work on a different project.
In a post-credits scene, a commercial advertises a Tribbles cereal that was created using the meat of real Tribbles. Although little context is given for this commercial, the cheeky tone implies that it is not meant to be taken seriously and that this cereal does not actually exist in theStar Trekuniverse.
The foolish Lt. Edward Larkin disobeyed orders and continued gene splicing Tribbles, eventually finding a way to make them reproduce extremely quickly.Larkin’s Tribbles were now born pregnant, and they quickly took over the Cabot, leading to the ship’s destruction.Captain Lucero managed to evacuate the ship’s crew, except for Larkin himself, who was caught in a wave of Tribbles. Tribbles would remain a rapidly multiplying nuisance untilStar Trek: Prodigy,when Rok-Tahk discovers how to fix the problem Larkin created in 2384. ByStar Trek: Discovery’s32nd century, neutered Tribbles have even become a popular pet.
Star Trek: Discovery
Cast
Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.
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.
