Be warned, this article contains spoilers for Season 1 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. The show, currently rated 88% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, has finished its first season on Paramount+, and filming for Season 2 was completed in late February. Viewers can expect the new season to arrive on Paramount+ in early 2027. The series needs to avoid repeating some of the issues that plagued Star Trek: Discovery.
The first season finale of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy confirmed the show follows a class graduating in 3196. This places the series one year after the events of Star Trek: Discovery, which concluded in 3191, and keeps the story within the established 32nd-century Star Trek timeline. While the show smartly centers on a new group of characters, it did include a few returning faces from Star Trek: Discovery, joining Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) and her crew.
The unexpected appearance of the USS Discovery in the final episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s first season confirmed that both shows take place in the same universe. Starfleet Academy seems to have benefited from lessons learned from the initial seasons of Discovery, resulting in a stronger show. Despite this, there are a couple of mistakes made in Discovery that Starfleet Academy still needs to address to become even better.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 2 Should Show The 32nd Century USS Enterprise
Unlike Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has the potential to show us the USS Enterprise as it exists in the 32nd century. While Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s first season finale featured the USS Discovery passing by the USS Athena near Betazed, it wasn’t clear if the Enterprise was present at that time.
The later seasons of Star Trek: Discovery introduced the 32nd century setting. While the show referenced the USS Enterprise on several occasions, it never actually appeared on screen. As a result, fans still don’t know what the designation is for the 32nd-century Enterprise – what letter comes after ‘NCC-1701’ – or what kind of ship it is. It’s also unclear if the Enterprise remains the Federation’s flagship after the devastating event known as The Burn.
As a huge Star Trek fan, I was really excited to see the USS Voyager-J show up in seasons 3 through 5 of Discovery. It wasn’t the original Enterprise, but it was cool to get a look at what Intrepid-class ships look like way into the 32nd century. Apparently, Voyager-J was the first ship to try out Starfleet’s new Pathway Drive – pretty important stuff! And I loved that Lt. Commander Nilsson (played by Sara Mitich) moved from the Discovery to the Voyager – a nice little connection between the shows.
The Starship Enterprise is a legend, deeply connected to the entire thousand-year history of Starfleet. Its stories are essential learning for all Starfleet Academy cadets. Seeing the USS Enterprise depicted in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy would inspire them and strengthen their ambition to serve on such an iconic vessel.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 2 Needs To Develop USS Athena’s Bridge Crew
I’m really hoping the second season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy does a better job of developing the crew of the USS Athena than Star Trek: Discovery did. Honestly, Discovery spent so much time on Captain Burnham that we didn’t really get to know the rest of her team, and that was disappointing after five seasons!
| USS Athena Command Crew | Position | Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Captain Nahla Ake | Captain, Chancellor | Holly Hunter |
| Commander Lura Thok | First Officer, Cadet Master | Gina Yashere |
| The Doctor | Chief Medical Officer | Robert Picardo |
| Lieutenant Thelonious Dandridge | Helmsman/Conn Officer | Michael Brown |
| Lieutenant Mackenzie Ya | Tactical Officer | Rebecca Quin |
| Lieutenant Hayden Thriss | Operations Officer | Ken Barnett |
| Lieutenant Astrid Atlee | Communications Officer | Nicole Dickinson |
| Ensign Weldu | Science Officer | Joseph Chiu |
| Lieutenant Rork | Academic Liaison | Tricia Black |
In the first episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Captain Ake personally welcomed each member of the USS Athena’s command crew. However, after the fourth episode, “Vox in Excelso,” these characters were never seen again throughout the first season.
While Star Trek: Starfleet Academy focuses on the students and teachers, some of the more experienced officers, like Lieutenant McKenzie Ya (Rebecca Quin), could also act as mentors, similar to how Commanders Lura Thok (Gina Yashere) and Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) currently do.
As a huge Star Trek fan, I always felt like Discovery really dropped the ball with its bridge crew – we never really got to know them. So, I’m really hoping Starfleet Academy doesn’t make the same mistake in its second season. Honestly, showing off the Enterprise and giving us a deeper look at Captain Ake’s team would be amazing and would add so much to the world they’re building in the 32nd century.
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2026-03-20 13:10