Synopsis: Dal R’El and the rest of the crew learn about the U.S.S. Prototype from Hologram Janeway.
This episode can be seen as illustrations of James Hillman’s idea of the relationship between the Puer, or eternal youth archetype, and the Senex, or wise elder archetype, that we all have in our psyches.
In “Star Struck,” Hologram Janeway explains to Dal R’El and the rest of the crew about the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet and tells them that she is there to assist them in returning to the Federation. She then defines the Federation:
“The United Federation of Planets, an interstellar union of different worlds and species, with shared principals of universal liberty, rights, and equality. Starfleet is the Federation’s representatives for deep space exploration, on a mission to maintain peace and freedom, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before” (Quandt & Wan, 2021).
Dal R’El tells her that he does not need the Federation, that its just another name for someone else in charge. He orders the U.S.S. Protostar into a dangerous gravity well, and tells Janeway that he does not need her help to escape it, until circumstances become so grave that he is forced to ask for her assistance. When she saves the ship from destruction, Dal R’El does thank her, but also takes credit for asking her for her assistance.
In this episode, Dal R’El can be seen as embodying the energy of the Puer archetype, that of the youth who is trying to break away from authority. Janeway can be seen to represent the power of the Senex archetype, that of the structure that the Puer is trying to become free from. Hillman wrote that the balance between these two opposites—of needing structure and desiring freedom—can be used to explain the relationships between all the other archetypes in our psyches. There is a constant pull and tension, but when balanced is reached the psyche is more stable.
Reference:
Quandt, C. (Writer), & Wan, A. (Director). (2021, November 4). Star struck (Season 1, Episode 3) [TV series episode]. In A. Baiers, D. Hageman, K. Hageman, H. Kadin, K. Krentz, A. Kurtzman, E. Roddenberry, & T. Roth (Executive Producers), Star trek: Prodigy. CBS Eye Animation Productions, CBS Television Studios, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Roddenberry Entertainment, Secret Hideout.
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