Star Trek: Discovery certainly has its devoted fans, but it's still one of the most divisive projects within the long-running sci-fi franchise. For those who dislike it, there's probably a very prominent reason for that, even if they're not consciously aware of it. As a Discovery spinoff, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has followed in the footsteps of its predecessor by imitating a specific part of its formula. Somewhat worryingly, it's the element for which many Trekkies criticized Discovery.
Thankfully, Starfleet Academy has also learned from what was arguably Discovery's most notable misstep. The new show has refined the formula that brought Star Trek back to screens in 2017, working out the kinks and making it more impactful overall. I'm sure there will still be fans who won't agree with how Starfleet Academy has approached telling its story, but they're probably just being picky Star Trek purists. Honestly, give it a shot before making up your mind. You'll thank me later.
MINOR SPOILERS ahead for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's double-episode premiere.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a better version of Discovery's "main character" blueprint
Sonequa Martin-Green's Michael Burnham is unquestionably Star Trek: Discovery's main character. When the show premiered, this was unprecedented, as Star Trek shows had always boasted an ensemble cast. Sure, the captains would often get a little more attention than other characters, but it never felt like they were the main protagonists in the truest sense. However, after the relative failure of Star Trek: Enterprise, Paramount clearly felt the need to try something new when Star Trek entered the modern age with Discovery.
Although Michael's story started quite interestingly, it plateaued a number of times. During those periods, the show often became quite boring. The side stories and supporting characters hadn't been fleshed out well enough to share the narrative burden. Despite token attempts to build an ensemble around Michael at various points, it never quite worked out. One or two of the stronger characters made it through, but a lot of the others rarely felt like more than extras.
At first glance, Sandro Rosta's Caleb Mir seems to be Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's main character, and while that's probably true, it's a much harder argument to place him in that role than it was for Michael in Discovery. While Caleb's storyline is definitely one of the spines of Starfleet Academy's premise, there are other arcs and characters that feel equally important. For starters, Holly Hunter's Captain Ake and her dynamic with her new cadets are also huge parts of what defines Starfleet Academy.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is bigger than Caleb Mir, and that's okay
It never felt like a real possibility that Michael would die in Discovery, or that she would permanently stop being part of the story in any other way. The show focused so much on her arc and how events would personally impact her that the thought of Discovery ever carrying on without her felt preposterous. It would have just felt like Star Trek: Side Characters Unite. Thankfully, Starfleet Academy doesn't have that same problem.
Caleb's arc is at the forefront of the show right now, but Starfleet Academy has already introduced a great ensemble that opens up several compelling plot lines, some of which have little or nothing to do with Rosta's character. Still, Caleb's goal of finding his mother is an emotional and interesting storyline, so his current role as one of the show's central figures makes sense. As time goes by, though, I wouldn't be surprised if he started to fade in and out of the background as Starfleet Academy showcased other characters.
In the grand scheme of things, Caleb is just one cadet at Starfleet Academy, and the broader story of the facility reopening after 100+ years is a great one in itself. The show's very premise demands a more in-depth look at what this means for the Star Trek universe, which also means it would be a waste for Caleb's arc to hog the spotlight indefinitely. Whether he gets that reunion with his mother or not, and wherever that moment takes him next, Starfleet Academy will be just fine.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is streaming now on Paramount+. New episodes premiere on Thursdays.