‘Starfleet Academy’ is my favorite new Trek show in years
‘Starfleet Academy’ is my favorite new Trek show in years
The series keeps the teenage drama to a minimum, and does what the best Trek titles have: relies on its characters.
As a lifelong Star Trek fan, I do my absolute best to avoid the debates about new Trek versus old Trek. I’m old enough to remember when the same debate centered on the merits of “Star Trek: The Original Series” versus newer titles like “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” and the problems at the center of the discussion really haven’t changed in the past 25 years.
But for reasons that are entirely my own, I’ve had a lot of issues with the newer Star Trek titles released by Paramount+ in recent years. My main complaint is the reliance on fan service: the entirety of “Star Trek: Picard” is so drenched in fan service that I find it essentially unwatchable, and even the well-executed “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” relies on recycled, familiar characters and settings. That’s why I approached “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” with no small amount of trepidation.
I’m happy to report that “Starfleet Academy” has allayed my worst fears. Don’t get me wrong — there’s plenty of Easter eggs that not-so-delicately remind fans which show they’re watching, but the series does not rely on those callbacks. Instead, it falls back on a strong cast and well-written characters, which have always been the cornerstones of the best Trek titles.
“Starfleet Academy” continues the 32nd-century storyline first established in “Star Trek: Discovery.” Starfleet is still recovering after a quadrant-wide cataclysm called The Burn, and as part of its efforts to rebuild, it welcomes the first class of students to Starfleet Academy in over 100 years. The series follows Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter), new chancellor of the Academy, as well as a small group of cadets: human orpha Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta), Klingon Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diané), the holographic cadet Sam (Kerrice Brooks), Khionian Darem Reymi (George Hawkins), and Dar-Sha Genesis Lythe (Bella Shepard).
This group is packed with strong performances, but I have to give special credit to Hunter and Rosta. Hunter portrays Captain Ake with such effortlessness, balancing a commanding presence with a true desire to reach her students. Rosta gives a highly complex performance as Caleb, an orphan who never thought his future would lead to Starfleet.
Fans who are worried that these young actors would lean into shlocky teenage drama will be agreeably disappointed. There are hints of romances and disagreements to come, to be sure, but these characters don’t feel like children. They feel like young adults who are eager to represent a Federation that wants to once again be a major presence in the Alpha Quadrant.
Perhaps that’s my favorite thing about “Starfleet Academy” — it feels like Star Trek again. At its strongest, the franchise has held a mirror to society through the retelling of morality plays that are as old as the written word. “Starfleet Academy” is a much closer return to that formula, relying on the strength of its new characters instead of trying to revive old names or settings from Trek’s past to try to excite viewers.
Fans will love seeing Robert Picardo return as The Doctor, but I can’t take my eyes off Paul Giamatti as Nus Braka whenever he’s on the screen. There’s a ton of potential for Braka as a complex, nuanced villain, and Giamatti is clearly having a blast in the series.
Trek fans may not find “Starfleet Academy” perfect, but since when can two Star Trek fans agree on just about anything? The crew of “Starfleet Academy” is more than worthy to carry the franchise’s torch, and I’m fascinated to see where in the galaxy the series goes next.
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