Logline
While our cadets compete to join an elite team at the Academy, a battle of escalating pranks breaks out between Starfleet Academy and a rival school. Tensions rise fast, threatening their newly-emerging bonds and a blossoming romance.
Written by: Alex Taub & Kiley Rossetter
Directed by: Doug Aarniokoski
I like seeing the personal growth of these characters kicking in early. And that we don’t only focus on Caleb. When’s my Jay-den episode coming?
And while I didn’t think I‘d like the post-burn setting, it gives our characters a reason to reiterate what Star Fleet and the Federation stand for. In the classic shows, there wasn’t really a reason so argue what the federation is supposed to be (because it was objectively extremely successful the way it was). I enjoy seeing our characters rebuilding this utopia.
Not a lot to say about this one - I’m just glad Reno found someone.
And we have a stardate!
868858.7 - that puts it pretty definitively after DSC season 5 (coda excepted), assuming stardates are, you know, linear.
868858.7 - that puts it pretty definitively after DSC season 5
Was that in question Reno being an instructor would seem proof enough that it was after her time on Discovery.
Kurtzman has made some nebulous comments about there being some overlap, so I was open to the possibility that this was happening between seasons or during season five or something.
I wonder if the production staff just couldn’t make up their mind to begin with honestly, because if you look close at Lura Thok’s personnel file from E01 it says she’s born in 3145 and is 50 years old, so you’re back to 3195 again.
Personally I don’t really trust relying on stardates for years in this future era since DIS wasn’t really consistent about it, so I’m hoping someone will actually cite a year out loud at some point and get rid of the wondering.
In general, I’m a firm believer in “stardates were made to be nonsense, and should be treated as such,” but they’re fun to puzzle over once in a while.
And I was right!
That was a really fun episode, I’m enjoying this show way more than I expected.
I want some warp core pajamas.
I want some warp core pajamas.
Right? Glad I’m not the only one! I also want Thok’s workout jacket thing.
And they fixed the endless empty void within the turbolift tunnels!!
I love Nahla so much
Episode was funny and I loved it!
I’m loving this show
Same here! It’s interesting and well done so far and honestly has a charm to it.
I mean personally the only 2 Star Trek stuff I’ve not liked at all is Section 31 & Star Trek Nemesis.
I haven’t seen all of Trek. I’m basically catching up on it still.
For context I’ve seen The Next Generation (and all the TNG movies), Deep Space Nine, Discovery, Picard, Strange New Worlds.
Currently watching TOS and I’m on the last season for that.
Right there with you. Section 31 kind of hit a so-bad-it’s-good again for me. And even Nemesis has the very cool space battle scene.
I could do without Enterprise Season 3, but it’s also not like I’m skipping it during a rewatch!
Nemesis did have a cool space battle and I agree with you there! I was just so disappointed with characters not acting like how they normally are like though.
Annotations for 1x03 are up at: https://startrek.website/post/34543028
I think I might have liked this series more if it came out like 15 years ago. Right now it just comes off as immature and overly quirky/comedic.
probably because it targets people 15 year younger than you.
Or older.
My partner and I are old enough to feel comfortable laughing at our young adult selves.
sure. I don’t mean only young adults will enjoy it (I am enjoying a lot) but the show is clearly targeted at that group
I watched the 3 first episodes. I wasn’t thinking I would like this show a lot, as I’m not at all fan of highschool dramas, but I was kind of positively surprised. The “jock” aesthetic is boring (almost all men have biceps as large as thighs…) but it’s a part of the genre, so I can’t say anything. And despite that, I find the characters interesting, especially Ake. I love her attitude, even if it may be a little over the top (but again, I imagine is a part of the genre…). The questions asked are good ones, and their answers are very “starfleety”. I love the fact that the stakes are (for now) quite low. If you care about the characters, each one is a universe, so you don’t need to threaten the actual universe to make hour show interesting, and after three episodes I do care about the characters. All in all, it’s not bad Star Trek.
The only serious criticism I have is that they’re trying to do two contradictory things at once, and they’re doing it rather poorly. Either it’s a grave show about childhood trauma, the search for a mother, the forgiveness one can (or can’t) grant to an institution that meant well but made an horrible mistake that destroyed a childhood, or it’s a lighthearted show about young people who misbehave and are punished for it. For example, the transition between Caleb’s absolutely terrible childhood and the push-up with a pack on his back gag is jarring. You don’t feel like laughing at him at this point! I don’t say it’s not possible, but it should be done with more finesse than that. A lot more.
But this third episode was all in the lighthearted side if things, and I liked it for that. Starfleet Academy won’t become my favourite show, as just like Prodigy I’m just not the demographics (and that’s okay, there could be Star Trek for everyone!). But it’s fun.
I want to see more of Kyle!
He’s a central character in the upcoming comic book so I’m guessing that means we will.
He’s got some serious chemistry with Jay-Den, too.
I don’t like teen dramas and I don’t particularly like romance plots, can someone explain why I’m loving this show so much?
The teens arent vapid socialites and theres enough Trek Universe mixed in that it really doesn’t align with the typical teen drama.
I watched 28 minutes and decided I’m gonna let this show go. I feel like I gave it a shot, the first two episodes weren’t terrible. I wouldn’t even say this episode was terrible (the ½ I watched), I just got very bored.
If like Lower Decks this show turns around to be great, do let me know and I might go back and watch it.
Honestly, healthy choice!
First episode was a bit rough at the start, but the second and third are pretty decent. While this isn’t really trekking beyond the campus right now, I just wonder where this show will go at it progresses.
Episode three is definitely strong (so far) and keeps pace with the end of episode two. I like that there are a few extras on the team at the end of the episode. Are we getting some red shirts ready? 😃
I’ll be watching for more. 👍
I didn’t realize this was releasing, so I binged and got all caught up.
Where is Sylvia Tilly? I thought the whole point of her being an instructor at the Academy was so she’d be here.
Also, what’s up with Captain Ake being…extremely unprofessional? Not to say I need my captains to always be stoic. But I feel there is some hypocrisy with how she acts and also dressed down Mir for not standing at attention, when she’s lazying around the captain’s chair or running around barefoot.
I can understand cadets being unprofessional, and needing to be broken in, but when the ranking officer is too… something don’t feel right.
The entire premise of high school/college drama and tropes, I’m not against this. It’s not as artificial as I sometimes feel it can be in media target at young adults, but it also is a little bit… Which is slightly bothersome, but I feel they’re also handling it well because it does appear to come with some character growth, but my fear is that that growth is coming too quick and they’ll just reset some character growth back to give themselves room to have character drama.
I don’t know where I stand on this series just yet. It’s not bad though.
I think that between her and Pelia, it is clear they are positioning Lanthanites as very quirky people
Ah, I didn’t make that connection that Pilia and Ake are the same race. I should have paid a bit more close attention. I guess that seems like a proper racial characterization.
Almost wish they’d give her that weird Pilia accent.
what’s up with Captain Ake being…extremely unprofessional?
Uh, are we watching the same show? She seems to have the complete and total respect of those around her, including Dadmiral and even the bad guy.
Where is Sylvia Tilly?
She was only ever announced as a guest star (which is bizarre), and one report has suggested that she’ll only be in one episode this season (which is…bizarrer).
Mary Wiseman was at the premier though, so I assume she’s on good terms with everyone. Maybe we’ll see more of her in season two.
If we assume that season one of SFA is taking place at the same time as Discovery season two, then we might expect Tilly to join as a more frequent recurring character in future seasons.
My read of the situation is that the original backdoor trailer did SFA that was in Discovery season four was very much not viewed as a success by Paramount executives — to the point that the central roles for Adira and Tilly in the ensemble were written out and rethought entirely.
The whole situation is rather odd, but I’m not comfortable speculating about what may have happened.
I’m just glad that things seem to be okay between Wiseman and production, and there at least seems to be a chance that we’ll see more of her in the future.
“All Is Possible” was really not a favourite of mine, though.
I get the discomfort about speculation.
It definitely sounds like there’s been ‘stuff’ behind the scenes already. Not TNG Chaos on the Bridge or Disco season one and two level, but definitely frictions.
(The actor who plays Genesis recently let slip when asked about Jonathan Frakes, that he’d been originally scheduled to direct her character’s second season feature episode but there had been “fighting going on” and Frakes was pushed back to directing a later episode!)
If the backdoor pilot episode in Disco season four didn’t work the way they’d hoped, it would be unfortunate if the characters and their actors have paid the price for the ‘notes’ from the senior executives.
However, as we saw with Number One in ‘The Cage’ if the the television franchise head thinks it’s worthwhile to bring back a character or an actor, one or both will happen eventually.
(The actor who plays Genesis recently let slip when asked about Jonathan Frakes, that he’d been originally scheduled to direct her character’s second season feature episode but there had been “fighting going on” and Frakes was pushed back to directing a later episode!)
Oh interesting…I tracked this down, and it looks like she said “conflict,” which could mean…just about anything, right down to simple scheduling conflicts.
One thing’s for certain: making TV is hard.
I was listening to the video and thought I heard “fighting” but that could have just been my misunderstanding.
Interesting - it’s possible we’re drawing from different sources. I found this TrekMovie piece:
He was supposed to be directing Genesis’s episode, actually, in season 2, but there was some conflict going on, and hopefully he’ll be back again. He’s the warmest, kindest person.
This one was a bit better than the first two, but still not my cup of tea.
Spoiler
I appreciate the idea of moving the starfleet headquarters, I always found the Earth (US) centricity to be unrealistic.
I still hope this whole future created by DIS to be retconned away, though.
