# Starfleet Academy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, star-trek-paramount\ **Created:** [July 29, 2025, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470 "2025-07-29T15:51:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/61 "2026-01-18T20:34:05Z")
I saw a description it is Hogwarts meets Riverdale. That is closer than “Oops! All Wesleys.” ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/62 "2026-01-18T20:42:58Z")
The students look older than Wesley and none of them are driving the ship. They have a regular “grown-up” crew who do that. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/63 "2026-01-18T20:56:55Z")
> [@digs](#): > > I’m not up on any Star Trek post-Picard _Starfleet Academy_ is the first new series to start after the end of _Picard_, so…you aren’t alone on that? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/64 "2026-01-18T21:01:58Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Supposedly there was this thing called The Burn, that led to a shortage of the dilithium fuel. “The Burn” resulted in the destruction of most diluthium in the galaxy. Lot of the ships blew up, too. Interstellar travel collapsed, interstellar organizations (like The Federation) along with it. Never ask why The Burn happened. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/65 "2026-01-18T21:03:23Z")
Did The Burn happen during the run of the Discovery show? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/66 "2026-01-18T21:04:55Z")
No, the ship (and series) jumped into a future more than 100 years after The Burn. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/67 "2026-01-18T21:26:17Z")
Discovery time jumped from pre-TOS times to about 100 years after the Burn. ETA: What @Darren_Garrison said. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/68 "2026-01-18T21:48:20Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > Why is Holly Hunter barefoot? In universe, she says: “Bare feet pick up electrons that reduce inflammation, up white blood cells and cytokines, and stimulate brain activity. Plus, sometimes, I just need to let the little piggies out to pasture, know what I mean?” I hope it does not mean that Star Trek is going to be including known pseudoscience like this as actually accepted science. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/69 "2026-01-18T22:18:09Z")
There’s a reason the term Treknobabble has been around for 50+ years and used in many contexts outside of their shows. I don’t think you’ve got a real concern there. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/70 "2026-01-18T23:32:09Z")
Technobabble isn’t pseudoscience. It’s fictional science that is accurate in-universe, but knowingly false outside of it. This is genuine pseudoscience. It’s something being pushed by barefooters as an alternative medicine sort of thing. It’s more akin to, say, homeopathic medicine, which I would also not like to see treated as actually real in Star Trek. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/71 "2026-01-18T23:44:58Z")
I agree, but I’ve never thought anyone would be taking medical advice from a Trek show… (“Honey, if I don’t make it out of the furnace room it’s because reversing the polarity of the anti-matter buffer on the warp core didn’t work. Tell the kids that I died doing what I believed in.”) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/72 "2026-01-18T23:50:57Z")
How do you know that it’s pseudoscience and not real science in this universe? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/73 "2026-01-18T23:52:49Z")
I haven’t even watched this show yet but that character is very likely only being serious about the part of letting the piggies out. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/74 "2026-01-19T00:48:39Z")
Yes - she’s clearly channeling Pelia from SNW (and it may be a Lanthonite quirk) . Live long enough and eccentric you will be. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/75 "2026-01-19T00:58:37Z")
> [@ekedolphin](#): > > And why the hell do we have a female Jem’Hadar on this show? They need to explain that to my satisfaction, as a DS9 fan. Technically - we still don’t - she’s half Klingon/half JemHadar - with the Mother being the Klingon. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/76 "2026-01-19T01:21:53Z")
Man! Klingons really are the 31 Flavors of the Star Trek universe. ---
**Author:** ![Scoobysnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Scoobysnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoobysnax)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/77 "2026-01-19T16:12:23Z")
I tried to watch the first episode last night but gave up about 30-40 minutes in. It is clear that I am not the primary audience for this show, and that is ok. I grew up in the 80s watching the TOS movies and the latest episodes of TNG weekly. A few issues I had with the show: - The alien characters look too artificial, almost falling into the uncanny valley for me. Although not as bad as the Klingons of season 1 Discovery, the skin tones are far too uniform and give off a plastic feel. - They needed to do a better job of filling in the historic background. I had to pause the show to look up what The Burn was. I quit Disco in season 2 so I missed out on their jump to the 31 or 32nd century. - I understand that they are supposed to be 18 years old (or whatever the alien equivalent is) but so far all of the characters are quirky, angsty, or wannabe alpha male. It is like they are all attending their first drama class and have been told to create a person with at least three distinct characteristics. - What was Starfleet’s plan for the academy if Holly Hunter’s character didn’t accept the job? She went from accepting to leaving space dock 24-hours later. She managed to pack up, transfer to the Athena, learn about the bridge crew, and familiarize herself with the ship in less than a day. The only reason we know that it was one day is that she mentioned it in her first ship wide broadcast. - Caleb physically assaulted 3-4 crewmembers and seriously damaged a shuttle while being transported to a penal colony. Clearly he was already convicted to several crimes and has just committed several more felonies. His punishment? Admission to the newly reopened academy. Yes, the Admiral could have pulled some strings to get Holly Hunter’s character to join up. If I run out of things to watch I might, and the reviews improve, I might give it another shot. Other than Prodigy, I have watched at least one full season of each Star Trek show. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/78 "2026-01-19T16:25:03Z")
> [@Scoobysnax](#): > > Caleb physically assaulted 3-4 crewmembers and seriously damaged a shuttle while being transported to a penal colony. Clearly he was already convicted to several crimes and has just committed several more felonies. His punishment? Admission to the newly reopened academy. They weren’t Federation, they were from the prison planet he was going to. Obviously they pulled diplomatic strings to have him released and they mentioned in Episode 2 he wasn’t a convicted criminal in the Federation. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/79 "2026-01-19T17:20:17Z")
I watched the first episode and I won’t be watching the second. I haven’t kept up with Nu-Trek but I was curious, Paul Giamatti and Holly Hunter (and Robert Picardo). There’s a number of specific things I could complain about, but I watched a show I figured I wouldn’t like and I didn’t like it, so it feels pointless to complain in detail. I’ll just say, the Star Trek I enjoy makes you think, and the only thing I was thinking about during that episode was “Why?” To whit: Setting aside the character introductions and all of the “action,” the show teases us with an ethical dilemma – was it right to uphold a law which resulted in a mother and child separated for life? The mother was convicted of felony murder, not a light crime. But it was in service of feeding her children. Paul Giamatti hints that the Federation is so inept and ineffectual that it’s directly responsible for the situations it’s created. Is any of this discussed by the characters? No, Holly Hunter, who was 400-something years old at the time and showing no signs of wisdom, evidently made a decision that she almost immediately regretted. “I should have looked the other way or something.” OK. How? What are the pros and cons of making an exception in this case? Did she know that the Federation was inept like Giamatti says? Nope, this is not that kind of show. Destroy that ship! Blam blam blam. The power of friendship and teamwork. The end. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470/80 "2026-01-19T17:38:11Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Star Trek: Oops! All Wesleys. (I am not a Wesley hater. Given that…) Considering who actually DID get into Starfleet - Cadet Finnegan, Lt. Stiles, Reg Barclay, Ben Finney, Norman (apparently), Captain Ronald Tracy, Captain Garth of Izar, Captain Maxwell, Commodore Wesley, Admiral Kennely, Admiral Layton, Admiral Satie, Admiral Pressman, Admiral Dougherty, Admiral Jameson, Admiral Cartwright (gee there are a lot of admirals here!) and the annoying fuck Rondon (sounds like a “[Ron](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ron-thread/475417)” all right!) with webbed fingers that was Wesley’s “test” at Starfleet Academy (that Wes passed, but Rondon needs more training in getting along with other species) , I’d rather have a crew of Wes Crushers. At least they get the job done and won’t sell out the Federation. > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Discovery time jumped from pre-TOS times to about 100 years after the Burn. From what I’ve read, that’s not the only thing they jumped. 🙂 > [@simster](#): > > with the Mother being the Klingon. Did she throw things? Could the Jem Hadar recite Klingon love poetry? > [@Scoobysnax](#): > > If I run out of things to watch I might, and the reviews improve, I might give it another shot. I find test patterns more interesting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starfleet-academy/1021470.md?page=5)