Star Trek: Prodigy – Season 2, Episode 16: “Ascension, Part II”

Synopsis: The U.S.S. Voyager fends off an attack from Asencia’s massive warship.

This episode can be seen as an illustration of James Hillman’s acorn theory—that just as an acorn has everything inside it to become an oak tree, we all have inner daimons with all the information we need to become who we are meant to be.

In “Ascension, Part II,” the U.S.S. Voyager has sustained heavy damage from Asencia’s vessel, the Rev-1. The U.S.S. Protostar also becomes caught in the energy draining tractor beam from Rev-1 and cannot assist Voyager. The crew aboard the Nova Flyers are frustrated by Asencia’s drones which seem to anticipate their every move, until Dal R’El tells the others that they should stop flying like Starfleet vessels. Asencia fires a weapon of chronometric deterioration at Voyager, which pierces the ship’s hull. While the weapon does not explode, no humanoid crewmember can go near it because of the radiation leaking from it. Fugitive Zero volunteers to try to disengage the weapon, because Medusans do not age like those with corporeal bodies do. Fugitive Zero enlists the aid of Rok-Tahk to help him, but he cannot disable the weapon, only aim it at another Starfleet vessel. Ensign Maj’El has a plan to target her Nova Flyer which is heading toward Rev-1, so that Rev-1 will be destroyed. The plan works and everyone returns safely to Voyager. Fugitive Zero is fitted with a new containment suit which Jankom Pog created for him.

In this episode, when the different crew members used their different inherent capabilities in order to help Voyager fend off Rev-1, this can be seen as illustrations of Hillman’s acorn theory. Dal R’El used his ability to see outside the box, while Maj’El used her logic; and Jankom Pog used his gifts to create a new containment suit for Fugitive Zero, while they used their state of being noncorporeal to approach the weapon, also depending on the scientific genius of Rok-Tahk to tell him how to proceed. These can be seen as illustrations of Hillman’s acorn theory in that each one listened to their own inner daimons as to what they were meant to do, and how their skills were needed to come to Voyager’s rescue.