When Star Trek announced Starfleet Academy, I was immediately skeptical. While I've always wanted a more thorough insight into how Starfleet cadets are trained for service, setting the show in the 32nd century made me think we were getting something that was far too similar to Star Trek: Discovery. With the new show's aesthetic being very similar to the one from which it was spawned, paired with the fact that they share an era, there was little that could convince me they wouldn't be alike.
I should make it clear that I watched all of Discovery, and I liked it. I didn't love it, though. It's definitely toward the bottom of my favorite Star Trek shows, even though I thought season 1 was a near-flawless run of episodes. Personally, I think the show lost its way when it jumped to the distant future. It was cool, and it was ambitious, but it also felt cold and impersonal. Having now seen some full episodes of Starfleet Academy in advance of the premiere on January 15, I'm pleased to say that my concerns were unwarranted.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is its own show, AND a tribute to the franchise at large
Despite the passing visual similarities between Discovery and Starfleet Academy, the latter is a far more fun-loving affair. That said, it's also not afraid to include dramatic and philosophical moments, as any good Star Trek show should. The show's prominent coming-of-age storyline experienced by its younger characters isn't its only focus, either. There is also plenty of time to showcase a compelling political arc that reveals the state of the Federation and Starfleet in the wake of a widespread disaster.
If that wasn't enough, Starfleet Academy doesn't just cater to fans who jumped aboard with Discovery, or even brand-new Trekkies who are testing the waters with this new show. It's absolutely littered with easter eggs and references to the franchise's rich history. Names and events from various Star Trek properties are continuously mentioned, most have which are in the timeline's distant past by the time of Starfleet Academy's 32nd-century setting.
Of course, Robert Picardo's return as the Doctor is a walking, talking, photonic reference to Star Trek: Voyager, but there's plenty of love given to other shows within the franchise as well. These coy nods rarely inform the story in any kind of direct way to the same level as the Doctor does, but they do combine to create a strangely nostalgic atmosphere for a Star Trek project built on what are functionally untrodden foundations. I recently claimed that Star Trek was failing to properly celebrate its 60th anniversary well enough. I've changed my mind.
Starfleet Academy instantly ensnared me in ways I never expected
Star Trek didn't play its cards particularly close to its chest when it came to Starfleet Academy's premise. In fact, the title alone immediately gives away the general idea of what to expect. While I was certainly interested to see what the show would be like, to say I was all that excited would probably be something of an overstatement. Still, a few minutes into the premiere, I knew I was watching a carefully crafted storyline that was far more than just a way to keep the Discovery era alive.
Like all Star Trek stories, Starfleet Academy lives and dies by the strength of its character dynamics. That's where I think certain modern shows like Picard and Discovery haven't done all that well. Both projects focused too much on a central figure, often pushing all the supporting characters to the fringes of the story. This can work well in sci-fi and in storytelling in general, but a more traditional ensemble cast has proven to be a more effective approach for Star Trek.
Starfleet Academy does sort of adopt this "main character" formula, but it's pulled off in a way that's far less distracting. Every interaction between the core members of the cast, new or old, feels just as important and rewarding. There's never a feeling of sitting through a scene with characters I don't care about, which is impressive considering the size of the cast.
Furthermore, the show's first episode is so cinematic, so well-written, and so action-packed that its extended runtime makes it feel like an awesome movie. Thankfully, there are still nine more sequels to the not-quite-a-movie after that, and that's when it starts to feel a little more like a traditional TV show format. So, considering I went into Star Trek: Starfleet Academy hoping for little more than a slightly improved version of Discovery's latter seasons, and have been fully converted into a fan, the same thing can happen for those reluctant to give it a shot.
The first two episodes of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will be available to stream on Paramount+ on January 15, 2026. New episodes will follow weekly for the rest of its 10-episode first season.