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Mon: Hello and welcome to a new episode of Stereo Geeks. Today, we’re reviewing the first six episodes of the newest show in the Star Trek universe: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. I’m Mon. 

Ron: And I’m Ron. Starfleet Academy comes out on January 15. So there will be no spoilers in this review.

Mon: Before we start our episode, we would like to acknowledge that the land we are recording on is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. It is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

Ron: While we are making this land acknowledgement, we understand that this is not enough and that positive action is required by the people of Canada to make substantive change for the Indigenous nations and communities whose lands we now reside on.

[Music]

Mon: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy takes place post Star Trek: Discovery. Thanks to Discovery’s findings, the United Federation of Planets, and space exploration, is back in business. To kick-off this new phase of exploration, the universe needs new explorers. Where else to make them but in the newly-restarted Starfleet Academy!

Ron: But populating the Academy with a new generation of cadets is challenging. These youngsters haven’t grown up in a stable world where space was the final frontier. A lot of them have seen the worst of the universe and their worlds. How can Starfleet, the manifestation of hope and optimism, win them over?

Mon: Shepherding this young flock is Chancellor Nahla Ake, played by Holly Hunter. She has her own demons and a connection to one of the cadets. Her Number One is Lura Thok – Gina Yashere – a no-nonsense officer who is prickly, to say the least. Rounding out the staff in the first six episodes are Tig Notaro’s Jett Reno, reprising her role from Discovery, and Robert Picardo’s The Doctor, returning as the Emergency Medical Hologram from Star Trek: Voyager and Prodigy.  

Ron: The stars of the show are the cadets of Starfleet Academy, and they’re a motley crew indeed. We have Caleb Mir, played by Sandro Rosta, a disillusioned young man who’s on a mission of his own, when he’s offered security through the Academy. Darem Reymi, played by George Hawkins, is the first of his species to join Starfleet. He’s a real go-getter and does not care who he mows down on his way to success. He’s found his match in Genesis Lythe, played by Bella Shepard, who’s got Starfleet in her veins. But at least she’s friendly.

Mon: We also have Jay-Den Kraag, played by Karim Diané, a Klingon like none other. And the last of the core group is SAM, Kerrice Brooks, a bubbly, awkward cadet, who is the first photonic cadet at the school. 

Ron: Behind the scenes, Starfleet Academy has some known and new names. NuTrek creator Alex Kurtzman is back as a co-showrunner, alongside Noga Landau. Executive producers include show creator Gaia Violo, as well as Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Jenny Lumet, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, as well as Tawny Newsome, who fans will know from her role as Beckett Mariner on Lower Decks. That’s quite the list!

Mon: We’ve watched the first six episodes of the show. As with many of the old Trek seasons, some episodes are spotlight episodes on particularly cadets, while others are ensembles with multiple character viewpoints. 

Mon: I am utterly confused about how I feel about the show. I want to say it’s because the characters are just so dang young. And they’re in school. It feels so far removed from our lives now. But it’s not that. I loved Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, as well as Prodigy, and those characters were literal kids. Starfleet Academy is fun and profound when it embraces the Star Trek part of its existence. The moment it wants to be a CW show like Riverdale, I wanna roll my eyes. Oh wait, I was rolling my eyes.

Ron: I’ve already had my ups and downs with this show. It’s not what I expected but I am enjoying it. I will say, the second episode isn’t strong–the politics are so interesting and then it’s undercut by this ongoing love story that just doesn’t work for me. But the cadets themselves, the politics of this future in Trek, and the inter-relationships, I really like all those aspects.

Mon: I’m with you there. The themes of the show are particularly intriguing. But every time the super-forced romance crops up, I’m like ‘go away’. It’s also with the weakest character on the show. I don’t blame the actor, she’s given zero to do than be a walking trope. Ok wait, that simpering performance is to blame. Star Trek has had problems with its female characters for a long time. But the writers and actors all worked hard to subvert and overcome the studio executives’ myopia. We’ve got two Uhuras, Beverly, Deanna, Kira, Seven, B’Elanna, now La’an and Nurse Chapel. These are just some of the amazing women who could and should have been tropes, and yet exceeded those mandates to become role models. 

Ron: Agreed, I do get Soji from Picard vibes; at least Soji eventually got to do more. But Starfleet Academy has a lot of characters that are very interesting. And it is going to be rewarding for long-time Trek fans. There are so many nods to the Trek that’s come before. There are definite ties to Discovery, since this show takes place after the crew of the Discovery brought Starfleet and the Federation back from The Burn. But there are plenty of nods to Lower Decks, Prodigy, Voyager, of course, but also DS9. At the same time, I don’t think you need to be a fan to start watching this show. There’s enough context to just enjoy the show along with the cadets.

Mon: The references are to live for. I think it’s going to be hilarious when people tune in, only to find the story is closely tied with events from Discovery. I want to say they’ll have to go watch Discovery now, but they probably won’t. I don’t think the haters of NuTrek will watch this show, anyway. 

Ron: The haters of NuTrek don’t hate Star Trek; they hate that women and people of colour are in the lead. There are already haters of Starfleet Academy because there’s a woman co-showrunning, Noga Landau.

Mon: Kahless, there’s no hope for these people. 

Ron: I know. And despite her last name, Landau appears to have no relation to the famous Landaus. She’s worked on very popular YA shows, including The Magicians and Nancy Drew. I think she knows what she’s doing.

Ron: Now, we’ve got a lot of new characters in Starfleet Academy. Do we already have favourite characters? Any standouts? I don’t think it’s going to be surprising who my favourite is.

Mon: I don’t have any favourites. I like the returning characters. Love Tig as Jett. And Robert Picardo continues to bring me nostalgic joy as the Doctor. And Charles Vance, played by Oded Fehr. Still a suave and cool dude, that guy. 

Ron: To the surprise of no one, Jay-Den, the Klingon, has caught my interest. He’s so unexpected as a Klingon and makes me wonder why Trek doesn’t want to show us Klingons who are just, well, Klingons. With Worf, we got a Klingon raised by humans on Earth. B’Elanna Torres, still my favourite, was a Klingon aching to be anything but. And now Jay-Den, a young man raised among his kind but so unlike them. Yet, fiercely protective of the Klingon way of life.

Mon: I get that. Jay-Den is definitely more interesting than the others because he’s a character who hasn’t belonged. That’s a trope you and I are particularly fond of. But that came up in one episode, he’s not been given a ton to do so far. 

Ron: Well, we’ve seen six episodes and there are a lot of characters, so yes, he got one episode to himself. Give it time. Are none of the cadets standing out to you? Sam is very sweet. But I need to see more of her and the Doctor. She’s such a fan and the Doctor isn’t exactly the friendliest chap.

Mon: Yeah, the Doc’s reactions to her are less than stellar. I do wonder if she’s bringing out some of his insecurities. He was unique all this while. Now, not so much. 

Ron: Interesting take. Or maybe the Doc just wants some peace and Sam isn’t giving him any. Haha. But what are your thoughts on Holly Hunter as Captain Nahla Ake? That’s such a Star Wars name to me!

Mon: She’s cool. Eccentric. What else you want me to say? 

Ron: Wow, how are these characters not making an impression on you? I feel like we haven’t seen Hunter in so long and she looks exactly the same. She brings this very chill vibe to Ake. She’s definitely eccentric, but she’s also lived through some very strange times. She’s a principled person who has let rules and regulations define her. And now she’s kinda chafing against that? She fits this universe and I love that about her. Ake ties the three parts of this series together, Starfleet, the faculty and the cadets.

Mon: Whoa, you got a lot more than I did. I don’t dislike her character. She’s just not jumping out at me, you know.

Ron: What about Lura Thok? Isn’t she fascinating? A Klingon-Jem’Hadar Starfleet commander and instructor. This is what I love about NuTrek! 

Mon: She’s great when she’s on screen. Then she leaves and I forget she was even there. 

Ron: Wow, that’s so harsh. Maybe I’m being too effusive because it’s Star Trek and I really want to love it?

Mon: If it makes you feel better, I am ok with Paul Giamatti here. I usually can’t stand him, but the makeup is helping me put up with him. 

Ron: Giamatti is a great actor. But I find him so grating to watch. But here, he’s having the time of his life and I am surprisingly intrigued by him. He’s solid.

Mon: One thing I want to point out is that there’s a smidge of body diversity on this show. It’s so refreshing to see curvy and larger women in Starfleet and at the Academy. Tilly on Discovery was the only woman in Trek who had a slightly different look from the rest. But on this show, there’s several women who aren’t stick-thin. That’s a nice change.  

Ron: Yes, absolutely. Give me some body-diversity in my Star Trek.

Mon: The sets are amazing. I like the look of the uniforms as well. Some of the action scenes have been great. The show hasn’t failed me with its pacing, so that’s a really good sign. You know I’m a stickler for good pacing. 

Ron: Absolutely, the pacing has been excellent. Nothing really lags. Speaking of production design though, I love these uniforms! They are spectacular. The yellow uniforms, especially. How good does Tig Notaro look in her uniform? So dapper and handsome. That’s a nod to her podcast.

Mon: Tig Notaro looks awesome. She has so much charisma and gravitas in her uniform. 

Ron: And the same for the Doctor in his white uniform. Gorgeous. The cadet uniforms are largely grey with stripes for their chosen profession but they look good. We’ve got some skirts and trousers, and they don’t seem to be gendered, either. Female-presenting characters wear trousers and some male-presenting characters wear skirts. Whatever’s comfy, I guess.

Mon: We also have a new ship, the USS Athena. We’ve had a lot of ship designs over the years. Thoughts on the Athena?

Ron: Considering how many ships we’ve seen in Star Trek, I didn’t think they could possibly create a new design that would wow me. But here they are, doing it again. I love this design. It catches the eye. It’s unusual but it’s also pretty freaking cool.

Mon: Coming to my main criticism of Starfleet Academy–this show feels like a step back from some of the strides that Star Trek has made. Listen, we’ve already noted how straight Strange New Worlds is, as opposed to Discovery which gave us gay main characters, a trans character, and a non-binary character. But at least the ladies are awesome on that show. Here, sigh, why are the two main girls wearing skirts as their uniform? There was more skirt and trouser diversity in freaking Wicked. 

Ron: Agreed. I would have been happier if one of them was wearing trousers, but they’re both wearing skirts. It seems like the rest of Starfleet Academy is less gendered than our core characters. I also feel like they aren’t getting as much screen time as the boys. Am I being too harsh?

Mon: No, you’re not. You’re totally right. They’re still enigmas, but the boys are pretty obvious because of how much they’ve been written, and the dynamics they’ve been allowed to develop. 

Ron: Not just me then. I do think Caleb is being undone by this silly romance. Why so hetero again, Star Trek?

Mon: I know right? He was really interesting, with a full-fledged, emotional backstory. And now he’s just been shunted into this dumb romance. He can be so arresting, but whenever he’s on screen I want to tune out, because, hello, dumb romance. 

Ron: Yes. Even his personal mission is being left by the wayside for this love story.

Mon: Ufffff… It’s so cringeworthy what they’ve done to Caleb’s characterization. I wish instead they’d focus on the others, because I get the feeling a gay romance is brewing. Which would be great, because the straight romance is making me want to phaser my screen. And I need that screen. 

Ron: Would it have been terrible to start with the gay romance and let the straight one simmer? Like, why are we eking out a queer subplot in 2026? Because if nothing comes off it, this is going to be a painfully straight show. I’m already getting frustrated with Strange New Worlds not pushing the boundaries. Let this show not make the same mistake. Star Trek was doing such great work with Discovery.

Mon: See, I wouldn’t have a problem with the straight romance if it wasn’t so tediously regressive. It’s like really? This is the choice you make with these characters? I loved the romances on the first two seasons of Strange New Worlds, because they made sense and weren’t backward. 

Ron: If we look back at the romances, and almost-romances, of past Treks, which ones do we still think about? Troi and Riker is one for the ages. B’Elanna and Tom is obviously a favourite. Seven and Raffi were super-cute though underdone.

Mon: It’s obvious they were hoping for a Troi/Riker vibe with how the romance and romantic interest was introduced on this show. But Troi and Riker first happened in the 80s. Sensibilities have moved on since then. Marina Sirtis may have pushed back on some of it, even. This is nuts that we’re so bloody backward in 2026 with a Star Trek show!

Ron: Indeed. But aside from the romance, as I mentioned, the second episode doesn’t work. It doesn’t have enough plot to justify the runtime and, as a result, brings the story to a grinding halt. After that hiccup, the show picks up. The last four episodes of Starfleet Academy were exciting and fun, and very Star Trek. We learned so much about the universe and the characters. And of course, we got some cameos that will make any Trek fan’s heart soar.

Mon: My last criticism, and it’s probably at the heart of why I haven’t been able to connect with it as much, is that Starfleet Academy is too colloquial. I can’t find a better word for it. There’s name-calling; there’s tepid swearing; there’s banal rivalries that we’ve seen a thousand times before in American entertainment. Star Trek, of all the franchises, has always reflected the real world through a diamond prism. It makes the world better, richer, more glorious. It’s a chip above the rest because Star Trek shows us the banalities of life through narratives and arcs that are distinctly not the banalities of life. The style and tone of Starfleet Academy is the opposite of that ethos. 

Ron: Ah. That might be why you’re feeling so apathetic. I know Star Wars has a very particular cadence but Star Trek also has a tonality to its dialogue. Even with characters like Geordi LaForge, he didn’t speak like his colleagues, but he spoke like a Star Trek character. We’re not getting that here. These characters could be in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, or Riverdale High. And this is probably why Jay-Den stands out. Karim Diané brings this heavy, guttural inflection that is instantly recognisable as Klingon. He feels like the most Trek character among the cadets.

Mon: Makes sense. I’m intrigued to see more, but this is not fall-in-love immediately Star Trek for me. It’s problematic. Even though it’s a small part that’s problematic, it’s just encompassing everything I feel about the show. Also, the tone is just off for a Star Trek show. This looks like a Star Trek show, but it doesn’t feel like it. And the dialogue certainly doesn’t sound like one.

Ron: I’m going to be extremely boring and say, of course I can’t wait for more. This is Star Trek. We need more Star Trek in our lives. Whatever criticisms we have, despite how annoying that central romance is, when those Starfleet ships appear on screen, I’m back to us being six years old, turning our chairs upside down pretending we’re on the bridge of a spaceship. I’m already going to love this. Let’s see what the rest of the season has in store for us.