It’s been a long road, getting from there to here. The idea of doing a story set at Starfleet Academy dates back to the era of the original movies, with a proposed instalment detailing Kirk and Spock’s academy days. But now the basic concept’s been given an Alex Kurtzman makeover (alongside show creator Gaia Violo) and transplanted to the Discovery era of the 32nd Century.
The new show – as established in Discovery’s final season – sees Starfleet Academy return to its traditional home in San Francisco for the first time in over a century, with a new chancellor in Holly Hunter’s Nahla Ake.
The show however starts several years earlier, showing an incident between Ake, a young child called Caleb, his mother (She-Hulk’s Tatiana Maslany), and Nus Braka – a half Klingon, half Tellarite pirate, played with glorious hamminess by Paul Giamatti.
Flash forward several years, and the now-civilian Ake and Caleb (now played by newcomer Sandro Rosta) are reunited. She’s persuaded to reenlist and take over the academy, and persuades Caleb to study there (considering he’s looking at a prison sentence otherwise, he’s not got a huge amount of choice).
Before you can say “but it took Wesley Crusher years to get into the Academy,” (different era, and it’s explained that Starfleet needs to expand) they’re on the USS Athena heading to Earth. The Athena is the show’s new hero ship – a training ship which handily doubles as the academy’s campus while on Earth – when it’s attacked by Braka, who’s got a score to settle.
Despite the presence of much more experienced officers, it’s up to Caleb and fellow recruits (played by Karim Diané, Bella Shepherd, Kerrice Brooks, and George Dawkins) to save the day. They’re a fun bunch, with Brooks’ Sam (an advanced hologram) and Diané’s Klingon, Jay-Den Kraag by far the most interesting.
But, like another school-based (magical) franchise we could mention, the teachers are much more fun than the students, in large part due to the return of Robert Picardo as an 800-year older version of Voyager’s Doctor (his bedside manner having not improved one iota), and Discovery’s two most enjoyable characters – Tig Notaro’s Jet Reno and Mary Wiseman’s Tilly (who, we’re promised, is in the show, despite not appearing in the initial batch available for review).
Holly Hunter is also – as you’d expect – rather excellent, combining the gravitas needed from a Starfleet captain, with a quirkiness that won’t be to everyone’s taste. (Her character’s the same species as Carol Kane’s on Strange New Worlds. Apparently, they’re all a bit kooky. Ake’s primary quirk is walking around barefoot like she’s auditioning for a part in a new Tarantino epic.) There’s also a half Klingon, half Jem’Hadar, whose teaching method seems straight out of Full Metal Jacket (although with fewer mentions of reacharounds). Oh, Stephen Colbert and Brit Marling pop up in small recurring voice roles. He’s witty, she’s wasted.
The show itself is, as you may expect half Kurtzman-style Trek adventures, half school-based shenanigans. Considering the show is looking to attract a younger audience than usual for the franchise, this isn’t surprising. However, while all the usual teen cliches are covered (outsiders and daddy issues are a big thing with this lot), the early, school-centric stories seem a little conventional. What we will say, is stick with it, as by mid-season, it looks like the show is firmly finding it’s feet (one episode in particular ranks among the best of modern Trek).
Ultimately, if Kurtzman’s output hasn’t done it for you to date, it’s unlikely Academy will win you over. And with the new regime at Paramount developing their new Trek output, it’s quite likely that the currently filming second season will be the last we see of Academy. If so, it’ll be a shame. The show, like the cadets may currently be a little rough around the edges, but they both have a lot of potential.
