by Matt Sernaker, Editor-In-Chief,
Star Trek hits another milestone as its 60th Anniversary celebration begins! After years in “Development Hell”, the long-promised series focused on the adventures of young cadets finding their place in the universe finally hits the small screen. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has officially arrived, and thanks to our friends at Paramount, we’ve experienced the first batch of episodes.
Set after the events of The Burn and the future adventures of Star Trek: Discovery, the Federation is in a rebuilding phase. Everything changed when the mysterious event known as The Burn devastated every corner of the galaxy, and now Starfleet is finally in a position to help grow the next generation of leaders. It’s been over a century since the last class of Starfleet Academy took to the stars, and a lot of things have changed for the worse. These kids grew up on worlds that were decimated and forced to fend for themselves – not exactly the bright and shiny Trek that we had seen for years. With a little help from their new friends and instructors, they’ll boldly forge their own path forward and figure out what the newly reopened Starfleet Academy has to offer. Oh, and there are space pirates. Maybe I should have led with that…?
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy features Holly Hunter (The Incredibles) as the charmingly quirky Captain/Chancellor of Starfleet Academy (she reminds me of some of my favorite undergrad professors), newcomers Sandro Rosta, Karim Diané Kerrice Brooks, George Hawkins and Bella Shepard star as the latest the Starfleet recruits, Zoë Steiner, Tig Notaro, and Robert Picardo (yes, the Doctor is IN) take on training duties as the faculty, and Oded Fehr, Mary Wiseman, Gina Yashere, and Paul Giamatti join the fun via guest roles. I know the internet was concerned about this coming across as “Star Trek 90210”, but thankfully, that is far from the case.
The cast is solid, dynamic, and most importantly, memorable. One of the issues I had with the early days of Discovery was the lack of personality and engagement with many of the bridge crew. The new series quickly establishes the characters and does a fantastic job making sure the relationships felt organic. To no surprise, Giamatti absolutely stole the spotlight as the big bad of the series, and I anxiously await more from this refreshing new threat. The youthful additions to the Star Trek universe were enjoyable as well, with no “weak links” in the casting or performances. The surprising return of Robert Picardo as a much more seasoned/centuries older EMH was another win for the show, as his presence added gravitas while acknowledging the rich history of the franchise.
Get to know the new recruits with these handy intros from Paramount+:
As a whole, I can see why this concept was a tough story to get right. The decision to set the series further into the future was the right call, as it gave more flexibility to build the next generation of cosmic adventurers without the weight of relying on cameos and/or forcing viewers to feel like they needed to know every detail of previous shows in order to enjoy it. This is a perfect entry for anyone who is interested in Trek. If you are looking for a comparison, I’d say it blends the best parts of Prodigy (one of the highest compliments that I can offer) with the later seasons of Discovery. Speaking of Star Trek: Prodigy, fans will be thrilled for the acknowledgement in the series and the clear appreciation for the contributions from that show. Lastly, the choice to design the U.S.S. Athena in a way that it could operate as both the flagship of the series that could also transform and dock in San Francisco was pure genius.
That being said, the only minor quibble that I have with the show is the odd choice to have the cadets call each other “bitch” constantly in the pilot. It just felt…weird for a Star Trek show, but I get that this is a less polished future where the utopian vibe the series was known for has undergone changes.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy celebrates the history of Trek while expanding the universe with unique and engaging characters. After the pilot, I knew I was in and love the direction that this is headed.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2
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