Warp Speed! Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has finally premiered on Paramount+. If you’re a Star Trek fan, you’ve likely heard whispers about this new series over the past 5 or so years. Finally, it has arrived. The creative team chose to set the series in the 32nd Century, as seen in Star Trek: Discovery. However, while the setting is not my first choice, it does give this new generation of the Star Trek Universe room to shine.
Paramount+ have given Starfleet Academy the double-episode premiere treatment. While a typical streamer thing to do, I think I would have been happy with just the first episode. I’ll explain why in a moment. It’s clear this new Star Trek series is aimed at welcoming in a new generation of Star Trek fans. This is something the franchise has struggled with and missed the mark in 2025 with the Michelle Yeoh-led Star Trek: Section 31. However, can Starfleet Academy land on target? Let’s see!
SPOILER WARNING: Nerdgazm’s review of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will contain spoilers for the first TWO episodes of the new series.
Starfleet Academy’s “Kids These Days”
Titled “Kids These Days”, the premiere episode dives straight into establishing backstory for the two central characters. This is Captain Nahla Ake, portrayed by Holly Hunter and Caleb Mir, portrayed by Sandro Rosta. Luciano Fernandez portrays a young Caleb in the flashback sequence. It’s worth noting that this first episode is around 75 minutes long, which gives plenty of time for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy to find its feet. The premiere episode does a great job of introducing us to both Ake and Mir as central characters in the show’s overall story.
Still, Starfleet Academy is not just about these two characters. We’ve got a whole new class of Starfleet Cadets waiting to be discovered. In typical Star Trek style, we’re given a flashy new starship. Initially, when I saw this ship in the trailers, I wasn’t keen. However, now that I see it in action and in space, the design has grown on me. I look forward to seeing more of the USS Athena in action. You’ll have to head over to The Hangar Bay, Nerdgazm’s Starships Channel, to see a breakdown and analysis of this 32nd-century design.
Given Star Trek: Discovery paved the way for this new series in the 32nd Century, it’s no surprise we get references to that series. While Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr) makes a guest-star appearance to convince Captain Ake to return to Starfleet, we also learn another detail. The dialogue in the premiere episode mentions that the USS Discovery is undergoing a refit. It’s unable to render aid to the USS Athena as a result.
Action, Adventure and a Legacy!
Starfleet Academy is not short on action and adventure. The series features Paul Giamatti as Nus Braka, a part-Klingon and part-Tellarite character. He is the villain of the first season and is introduced in the first part of Episode One, “Kids These Days“. However, this is not the last we see of him. He pops up again in the first episode, attacking the USS Athena and causing chaos on the Academy starships’ voyage to Earth. While setting the scene, the first episode is not short on action, with explosions and more.
Detail-wise, the series is full of cheeky references to the Star Trek Universe’s past. Set in the 32nd century, it’s almost 800 years removed from the likes of Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Oh, one thing we need to mention is the Athena’s bridge crew. I think the creatives took the criticism of Discovery well. The bridge crew of our hero ship, while not the main characters, is all named and introduced in the first episode. It’s done properly, without feeling out of place or bolted on for the sake of it. I’m actually really impressed by the whole launch sequence.
Starfleet Academy’s first episode left me pleasantly surprised. Initially, based on trailers, I was sceptical about whether this Star Trek series would actually be for me. Still, Holly Hunter’s character steals the scenes she is in, and, to be honest, the younger cadets were not as high-school-drama-focused as I thought they would be. Sure, you had the “banter” between a few of them, but it works well and makes sense for the setting. I’m now hooked on this series and can’t wait to see where it takes us.
“Beta Test” Diplomacy
The second episode of Starfleet Academy premiered alongside the first. Again, this is no great surprise as Paramount+ – along with other streamers – seems to really enjoy doing this. While the first episode ventured across many locations and took the USS Athena out for a spin, the second stays put on Earth. However, this does give us plenty more time to explore the actual Starfleet Academy location. Something the series does well is giving us the A and B plots that fit together.
“Beta Test” centres on the Betazoid Delegation visiting Earth. The new Star Trek series does a great job of continuing the world-building established in Discovery. This is the reestablishment of the United Federation of Planets. I’m actually a big fan of how this is being handled. Diplomacy gives us a core message from the Star Trek Universe. The franchise is known to deliver inspirational quotes and messages from time to time, and I think we’ve found one in this episode. “Progress is impossible without change“. Sure, it’s a tense scene, but the quote sticks out to me.
While slower than the first episode, “Beta Test” gives the Starfleet Academy cast more time to shine. Of course, the focus is on the characters, but we can’t deny that Tig Notaro’s Jett Reno and Robert Picardo’s The Doctor steal the focus in their scenes. Still, the young cadets are given room to shine. I will say, the high-school drama banter between Caleb and Darem (George Hawkins) might start to get annoying as we progress through the episodes. Yes, you can expect it from people at this age… but it’s also a little tiring sometimes. Still, the end of the second episode may suggest that this ends soon.
Warp Speed into Starfleet Academy
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is an exciting new adventure into the Star Trek Universe. Honestly, this series is something of a breath of fresh air. I think the Star Trek Franchise should push the boundaries with a new series, and the Academy does just that. Of course, the series is kinda different to what long-time Trekkies might be expecting. However, this is a new generation of Star Trek for The Next Generation. This is the point. Star Trek needs to evolve. Star Trek needs to find a new audience to ensure it lasts for the next 60 years.
Still, the series does have some teething issues, unsurprisingly. Perhaps the high-school drama and banter might be too much for some viewers. It remains to be seen whether the young cadets grow through the season and from the stories’ experiences.
The first two episodes of “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” premiered on January 15th on Paramount+, with new episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays.
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