Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 is over, and season 2 has wrapped. Although there isn't much confirmed information about what the next batch of episodes will look like, the show's inaugural run provides some very obvious clues. In fact, I still find it surprising that one of the strongly implied upcoming events didn't happen in season 1. I'm very confident that season 2 will bring with it what many Trekkies are waiting for, though.
While it did have its own central storyline, season 1 referenced several classic-era Star Trek episodes. Some of these acknowledgements were more prominent than others, but all were pretty much undeniable. Although this could be attributed to the ongoing celebration of Star Trek's 60th anniversary, this generational approach is also an attempt to welcome in new fans. Therefore, I think it's reasonable to assume that this trend will continue. If and when it does, it's pretty easy to tell what's coming.
Starfleet Academy season 1 ended with a string of four Voyager sequels
Starfleet Academy's first seven episodes seemed largely content with having Robert Picardo's Doctor serving as an ongoing reference to Voyager. The character appeared in all seven seasons of the classic-era show, so even just his presence felt like a huge nod. He did occasionally mention parts of his time as a member of Captain Janeway's (Kate Mulgrew) crew, but those moments were few and far between. Then, Episode 8, "The Life of the Stars," kick-started a string of Voyager sequels.
After unexpectedly paying off "Real Life" and "Blink of an Eye" in the space of a single episode, Starfleet Academy's next two installments formed a two-part finale that served as a stealth sequel to "The Omega Directive." Considering the show had been largely drip-feeding Voyager references to established Trekkies for most of Starfleet Academy before Episode 8, fans are lucky they didn't drown after that. Of the three Voyager episodes used as source material, only "Real Life" was particularly Doctor-centric, which is probably why "The Life of the Stars" felt especially poignant. Either way, now I'm especially excited for what surely must happen in season 2.
Starfleet Academy season 2 is more likely than ever to pay off Voyager's "Living Witness"
This 1998 installment was heavily discussed when Picardo was announced as part of the Starfleet Academy cast. Set centuries after Voyager, the newer of the two shows struggles to reference many episodes from the classic show. "Living Witness" isn't just in the minority when it comes to eligibility in this respect, but it's the gold standard. When running the numbers, the back-up version of the Doctor that appears in "Living Witness" should be arriving back at Earth at some point during Star Trek's 32nd century.
As such, Picardo could easily find himself playing two versions of the Doctor in Starfleet Academy season 2. He did this more than once during similar scenarios in Voyager, so it wouldn't be especially new ground. Pair this with the fact that the Starfleet Academy writers have already established their affinity for folding in Voyager lore, and a "Living Witness" sequel becomes almost certain in season 2. I really hope I'm not wrong.
Why "Living Witness" could be trickier to acknowledge than the other Voyager episodes used by Starfleet Academy
Season 1 handled "Real Life," "Blink of an Eye," and "The Omega Directive" very tastefully. While they were strongly referenced, they were also intertwined with the storylines of Starfleet Academy's newer characters, who are the true focus of the show. In fact, "The Omega Directive" isn't even directly acknowledged in Starfleet Academy. It's undeniably a Voyager reference, but the Paramount+ project almost treats the Omega-47 mines as an entirely original concept.
So, even though "Living Witness" feels like an obvious choice for Starfleet Academy season 2 to pay off, it might be difficult to find a place for it. A "Living Witness" sequel wouldn't just need to dedicate most of its runtime to Picardo's character(s), but the concept of the original episode and what it would mean for its continuation is quite high-concept. It wouldn't be easy to establish the premise in just a few lines and then move on, as has been the approach in season 1's Voyager-tinged storylines.
As a result, "Living Witness" may be considered far too Doctor-centric to belong in Starfleet Academy's catalog of tributes to the classic-era show. A parallel connection to one of the younger stars would need to be formulated in order for this to happen. One possibility could be that Kerrice Brooks' SAM is somehow duplicated, which could help Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 2 grant the biggest wish of the Voyager faithful.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 is streaming now on Paramount+. All seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager are also available on the same platform.