I watched the 3 first episodes. I wasn’t thinking I would like this show a lot, as I’m not at all fan of highschool dramas, but I was kind of positively surprised. The “jock” aesthetic is boring (almost all men have biceps as large as thighs…) but it’s a part of the genre, so I can’t say anything. And despite that, I find the characters interesting, especially Ake. I love her attitude, even if it may be a little over the top (but again, I imagine is a part of the genre…). The questions asked are good ones, and their answers are very “starfleety”. I love the fact that the stakes are (for now) quite low. If you care about the characters, each one is a universe, so you don’t need to threaten the actual universe to make hour show interesting, and after three episodes I do care about the characters. All in all, it’s not bad Star Trek.

The only serious criticism I have is that they’re trying to do two contradictory things at once, and they’re doing it rather poorly. Either it’s a grave show about childhood trauma, the search for a mother, the forgiveness one can (or can’t) grant to an institution that meant well but made an horrible mistake that destroyed a childhood, or it’s a lighthearted show about young people who misbehave and are punished for it. For example, the transition between Caleb’s absolutely terrible childhood and the push-up with a pack on his back gag is jarring. You don’t feel like laughing at him at this point! I don’t say it’s not possible, but it should be done with more finesse than that. A lot more.

But this third episode was all in the lighthearted side if things, and I liked it for that. Starfleet Academy won’t become my favourite show, as just like Prodigy I’m just not the demographics (and that’s okay, there could be Star Trek for everyone!). But it’s fun.

I watched 28 minutes and decided I’m gonna let this show go. I feel like I gave it a shot, the first two episodes weren’t terrible. I wouldn’t even say this episode was terrible (the ½ I watched), I just got very bored.

If like Lower Decks this show turns around to be great, do let me know and I might go back and watch it.

Where I am right now in the real world is such that I could use … I dono, somehow low-stakes but fun? I get that good scifi is sometimes high stakes / somebody might die / high drama entertainment, but sometimes something that’s more … down-to-earth is good. I think that scifi has spent too much time lately trying to be intense, but hey I’m just a rando on the internet so what do I know?

I still adore Capt Ake. I don’t think that Capt Ake had the actual plan that they implemented in her mind. She was expecting them to settle this “their way” or I guess “her way” which she was trying to imprint upon Starfleet. She figured that the Vitus Reflux spores would be really funny. And they had no way of knowing one critical piece of information, which was how to get into Kelrec’s hidey closet, and I’m imagining that she was probably totally surprised and delighted as to how they fit things together into a proper workable plan. And this is kinda how you get people to grow? If they don’t have the complete plan right away (hacking their computer during exam week is a bad idea) but look like they just need a poke in the right direction, don’t give them a plan, give them a poke.

Likewise, Capt Ake didn’t go to Kelrec for the first prank, she went there once it was clear that he was acting as ringleader.

“Leadership, according to Capt Ake” is clearly a book. It’s a different, more eccentric book than “Leadership, according to Capt Picard” but no less useful.

I was spoilered that Thok and Reno were going to be a thing but the scene where they show it had me dying with giggles. “It’ll brie allright?” And then also Thok’s earlier “They shenanned once, they’ll shenann again” shows either that one of them has been encouraging the other or that they are two peas in a very bad pod.

Also, I am glad that we can welcome Darem into the ranks of disaster bisexuals without quite as much need for subtext as … well, Kirk or Riker.

I think it’s funny that Thok can’t just say “there will be tryouts for Calica” without tossing in a mini speech about how lucky they will be to live until tomorrow or stopping a potential fisticuffs by saying that no blood shall be shed without her permission. And then returning it to the end with the line about meditating on decapitation. Her over-the-top “RELEASE THE DRONES” and everything.

I love the extra bits of silly Klingon lore. Klingons loving blood in their cuisine … yeah, that is saying what was logically there the whole time. But then the “what is this gagh doing in my aO’mat Gri?” joke.

And it was really funny to have the quality of the Mugato mascot costume be … at about the level of the actual Mugato costume in TOS.

With the Romulan cadet Dzolo from the War College, Genesis, and Capt Ake, you have three very small and unassuming women being very spicy. I also love that B’Avi stood up with the same sort of Vulcan “have you prepared new insults for me?” energy that baby Spock was on the receiving end of in the 2009 Star Trek.

Oh and they put everybody in the underwear without nearly the same energy as the decom room on NX-01 or Star Trek Into Darkness.

There’s a little bit of Starship Troopers, the movie, in here. Enough to maybe even be a bit intentional? Same mixed-gender showers, recruiting video, etc. Even the tryouts for Calica felt like they were channeling it. And … just like I hope people are getting the intention of Trek trying to show what a better future might be like, I am hoping that the writers knew what Paul Verhoeven was trying to show in that movie.

This supports the War College vs Starfleet Academy thing that I was hoping to see. The ending with both the notion that you can use empathy to win without combat as well as Capt Ake’s follow-on to Caleb’s question about what to do when somebody does want the fear. Also Jay-Den being a pacifist.

There’s a lot of speeding-up here, e.g. Darem could have been a little more show and a little less tell, but also it’s a short season? Clearly making room for whatever the Caleb / Tarima story is going to be.

So, yeah, it’s accidentally what I wanted right now, so I’m still having fun watching it.

Episode was funny and I loved it!

And they fixed the endless empty void within the turbolift tunnels!!

That was a really fun episode, I’m enjoying this show way more than I expected.

I want some warp core pajamas.

This episode started rough with the gym lens flare being so strong I couldn’t even look at the TV. The War College gave up a little easy, but I expect them to be back harder and stronger, I hope they get a big win just to help even things out.

Also something I appreciate is all the security this episode and the previous episodes have had. So many Star Trek plots would have been fooled with even the most basic of security, so seeing someone need proper authorization or cloning an eyeball is surprisingly new for Trek.

I like seeing the personal growth of these characters kicking in early. And that we don’t only focus on Caleb. When’s my Jay-den episode coming?

And while I didn’t think I‘d like the post-burn setting, it gives our characters a reason to reiterate what Star Fleet and the Federation stand for. In the classic shows, there wasn’t really a reason so argue what the federation is supposed to be (because it was objectively extremely successful the way it was). I enjoy seeing our characters rebuilding this utopia.

I think I might have liked this series more if it came out like 15 years ago. Right now it just comes off as immature and overly quirky/comedic.

So first, Jay-Den is my favourite character. I would love to see some Klingon standup comedy lol

Second, after Kelrec gave his small speech about his students to Ake, I was hoping she’d reply “That’s like your opinion, man”

Besides the concerning number of shots with bare feet in them, I really enjoyed this episode. A true classic rival school plot! I particularly enjoyed that other people were at the center of the plot this time. The next episode is the Jay-Den one I think and I’m really looking forward to it

I love Nahla so much

Not a lot to say about this one - I’m just glad Reno found someone.

And we have a stardate!

868858.7 - that puts it pretty definitively after DSC season 5 (coda excepted), assuming stardates are, you know, linear.

Annotations for 1x03 are up at: https://startrek.website/post/34543028