‘Starfleet Academy’ Episode 8 Restores the Doctor To His Old Self

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Be warned, this discusses major plot points from Season 1, Episode 8 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, titled “The Life of the Stars.” The show has brought back several familiar faces from Star Trek, but it took most of the first season to handle one particular character well. While the portrayal hasn’t been bad, something felt off since the show began. After the latest episode, that initial feeling of something being wrong now makes sense, and has been fixed.

Mary Wiseman returned as Lt. Tilly in the eighth episode of Starfleet Academy, and she was great! She played the character much as she always has, though perhaps with a bit more confidence, which was a welcome change. Even though she left Discovery at the end of “The Life of the Stars,” it looks like she’ll likely return to teach more classes sometime. The episode also focused heavily on another member of the main Starfleet Academy cast, and their connection to another Star Trek series helped make their storyline particularly compelling.

Why the Doctor Hasn’t Seemed Right in ‘Starfleet Academy’ So Far


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At the start of Star Trek: Voyager, the Doctor came across as a grumpy and unfriendly person – not someone you’d expect to be a doctor. But over time, the show revealed a gradual change as he learned to value friendship and the crew became his family. He never lost his sarcastic wit, but it became a part of his personality. In Starfleet Academy, however, it’s been harder to see the Doctor’s cheerful side. So far, actor Robert Picardo is portraying a much more serious and troubled version of the character, though he still enjoys opera and stays current with medical technology.

The Doctor hasn’t been acting like his usual self, only occasionally showing glimpses of his former personality, particularly when dealing with the cadets. While he’s performed his teaching and medical duties, his interactions have felt distant and forced, as if he’s deliberately avoiding forming close connections. This is a stark contrast to how he mentored Seven of Nine on Voyager, where he was a warm and engaging teacher. It’s clear he can be that person, but he’s choosing not to be in this new chapter of his life at Starfleet Academy.

“The Life of the Stars” Finally Explains Why the Doctor Has Been So Closed Off


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The Doctor has found Cadet Kerrice Brooks’ SAM to be his most challenging student. SAM consistently asks more of him than any other cadet, not just seeking instruction but wanting the Doctor to act as her personal mentor at the Academy. The Doctor has firmly and unusually harshly rejected these requests every time they’ve come up, even during the ‘Life of the Stars’ program.

It seems SAM is triggering a painful memory for the Doctor – the loss of his holographic daughter, which happened in a 1997 episode of Voyager called “Real Life.” He’s carried that grief for centuries, making it hard for him to form close relationships. Losing the crew of Voyager, who felt like his first family, only deepened that pain. SAM’s cheerful and innocent nature reminds the Doctor too much of his daughter, so he’s been deliberately keeping his distance.

How “The Life of the Stars” Restores the Doctor‘s Optimism


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In a touching turn of events, the Doctor unexpectedly spends 17 years on the planet Kasq, raising a young boy named SAM as if he were his own daughter. The Kasqians assist in developing SAM’s emotional maturity, preparing him for the challenges of interacting with humans. Fortunately, due to time moving much slower on Kasq, only a few days pass on Earth. When the Doctor and SAM finally return, their relationship has grown far beyond a simple teacher-student connection – they’ve become a true father and daughter.

The Doctor’s period of emotional distance finally comes to an end, demonstrating that trying to avoid feeling anything was only causing him more pain. The sequence showing SAM’s development, from her creation to starting school, shows the Doctor regaining his former personality. This change is subtly noticed by Admiral Picardo, who smiles as SAM is happily accepted by her classmates. Given that Picardo still vividly remembers losing his own daughter in Voyager, having SAM in his life is likely a comforting and healing experience.

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2026-02-28 20:07