Redshirts are a classic Star Trek: The Original Series trope. If Kirk, Spock, and some rando wearing a red uniform beam down to an unknown planet, fans know there’s a good chance the third wheel won’t survive. But what happens when those “expendable” characters do pull through? In the Star Trek: Prodigy episode “All the World’s a Stage,” the crew of the Protostar encounters an entire planet inspired by a redshirt from The Original Series. The writer of this episode, Aaron J. Waltke, talked to Inverse about what it all means. Spoilers ahead.
