As one of the biggest ways Star Trek is celebrating its 60th anniversary, Starfleet Academy season 1 has a responsibility to act as an ongoing homage to the franchise's rich legacy. However, the show wouldn't make sense if it were just an endless streak of Easter eggs. There has already been one episode that has struggled to strike this balance, but Episode 4, "Vox in Excelsio," doesn't repeat the sins of its immediate predecessor.
"Vox in Excelsio" places Karim Diané's Jay-Den Kraag in the limelight. While many disgruntled Trekkies have voiced their displeasure at the presence of a non-violent Klingon, this type of character is nothing new to the franchise. Not only does the latest episode prove that Jay-Den is an authentically-written member of his species, but the way Klingons as a whole are handled is masterful, while also being a fascinating examination of how the ridge-headed race slots into Star Trek's 32nd century.
FULL SPOILERS beyond for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 Episode 4, "Vox in Excelsio."
"Vox in Excelsio" fixes the biggest mistakes of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 Episode 3
An influx of new Star Trek characters can be difficult to adjust to. This has been proven again and again by the franchise's resistance to making new shows in the modern era without the presence of familiar figures. Discovery and Starfleet Academy are the biggest examples of when this has been attempted. However, the new show had a lot of other familiar elements to fall back on in its first two episodes. Then, Episode 3 focused too hard on a game of Calica that nobody asked for, and it wasn't all that entertaining.
Episode 4 doesn't neglect Starfleet Academy's new characters and setting, but it frames them in a much more accessible way for long-standing fans of the franchise. Using Jay-Den as a way into how Klingon culture has evolved — or rather, stayed largely the same — is a masterful way of blending Starfleet Academy with more established areas of Star Trek lore. Seeing how Jay-Den's family history and the Klingon diaspora have impacted him also fleshes out his character significantly. By the end of the episode, I felt like I understood Diané's Klingon, and his friendship with his fellow cadets felt far deeper and more rewarding.
Furthermore, after the previous episode focused almost exclusively on a prank war between Starfleet Academy and the War College, I was worried that Episode 4 would be equally zeroed in on a debate competition with no real payoff. Thankfully, tying this arc into the fate of the Klingons copied what I loved so much about the show's double-episode premiere. The cadets had significant input into what was happening, but their learning experiences came from scenarios that held real weight within the larger Star Trek universe.
The Doctor was used the perfect amount, and handled brilliantly
Robert Picardo's Doctor is one of my favorite Star Trek characters. While I loved seeing him serve as a walking, talking Voyager reference in Starfleet Academy's first two episodes, I much preferred how he was used in "Vox in Excelsio." Rather than being present purely for fan service, Picardo's role in Episode 4 showcased how the Doctor has changed through the centuries, and a more thorough insight is provided into how he approaches getting the next generation of Starfleet Officers ready for service.
This is in stark contrast to Episode 3, where the Doctor barely featured. I was starting to worry that the Doctor's role within Starfleet Academy's storyline was going to be a binary option of either flashy window dressing or not present at all. "Vox in Excelsio" proves that the Doctor can and should be woven into the show's fabric organically, rather than being used only for nostalgic purposes.
I only have one criticism of "Vox in Excelsio"
One of the coolest aspects of Starfleet Academy is that the show's titular educational facility doubles up as a starship called the USS Athena. Since the ship landed on Earth early into the show's run, I'd been waiting for the moment it would take off again and teach the cadets during what is essentially active service. While "Vox Excelsio" does take the Athena back among the stars, it's...very easy to forget that this is what's happened.
"Vox in Excelsio" could easily be set on Earth, because most of the time, being at the Academy and aboard the Athena is an aesthetically identical experience. All that's really missing when the Athena is away from Earth is the possibility of cameos from the War College characters, and any scenes that take place outdoors in San Francisco. Going forward, I hope Star Trek: Starfleet Academy finds a way to create a bigger distinction between the two possibilities for the USS Athena.
Episode Rating: A
Catch a new episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Thursdays on Paramount+ until the season 1 finale on March 12, 2026.