Ella Purnell’s 2-Part Sci-Fi Series On Netflix Proved The Doubters Wrong

Although Ella Purnell’s Netflix sci-fi show was met with plenty of skepticism, the Fallout star’s series managed to defy expectations admirably. Ella Purnell’s movie and TV career has been impressive for years, but her profile has recently been raised further by the success of a few major shows in a row.

Purnell’s main roles in Arcane, Yellowjackets, and Prime Video’s hit video game adaptation Fallout, as well as her starring role in the dark comedy Sweetpea, all marked her out as a star to watch. However, while Netflix’s Arcane is superb, the actor has another sci-fi hit on the same streaming service that remains underrated.

Ella Purnell’s Star Trek: Prodigy Had Its Skeptics, But Proved Them Wrong

Debuting in 2021, Star Trek: Prodigy was an unusual addition to the sprawling Star Trek franchise for numerous reasons. For one thing, the series was animated, and although the ‘70s brought viewers Star Trek: The Animated Series and the more recent cartoon comedy Lower Decks was also set in the show’s universe, most of Star Trek’s iconic shows and movies are live action.

For another, Star Trek: Prodigy was the first show in the history of the series that was actively aimed at a younger audience. Star Trek: Prodigy’s story follows a group of young aliens who discover an abandoned Starfleet ship in 2383. A co-production between Netflix and Nickelodeon, Star Trek: Prodigy starred Purnell, Jason Mantzoukas, and Brett Gray.

Earning a superb 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes upon release, Star Trek: Prodigy managed to wow critics who were understandably concerned about the show’s attempts to reorient the franchise toward a younger audience. Any fears about the show dumbing down the franchise were soon dispelled when Star Trek: Prodigy turned out to be a smart, funny, and original adventure show.

Ella Purnell Could Yet Return To The Star Trek Franchise

Much like Netflix’s Jurassic World series Camp Cretaceous managed to capture the spirit of the movies in an animated, short-form format, Star Trek: Prodigy felt true to the existing franchise while also carving out a unique identity and tone of its own. However, Netflix still opted to cancel the show after two seasons, even after two Children’s and Family Emmy Awards wins.

Luckily, this doesn’t necessarily need to spell an early end for Purnell’s contributions to the Star Trek franchise. Since the actor played the 17-year-old alien Gwyn in the original series, Purnell could appear as an older version of the character in a future live-action project.

After the recent cancellation of Starfleet Academy, the future of the franchise is currently unclear. However, considering how successful Ella Purnell’s career is right now, the makers of Star Trek: Prodigy would likely jump on the chance to bring the Fallout star back to the franchise.