No sir, this isn't what I want out of Starfleet Academy.
Even more than Episode 2, this leans very heavily into YA tropes, to the point that across big sections of the runtime it just felt like the Trek elements were a thin coating of paint smeared over the show. It also really lacked the "adult side" of the last episode, so if you're not into embarrassing youth antics, there's really not much here.
I will say there's a strong bright side, which is everything to do with Darem. This episode is essentially his character introduction. He gives opening and closing monologues, and goes on a coherent arc, from total jerk to slightly less jerky. Genesis has a big spotlight too, but mostly serves as his foil, as once again she's shown as the "perfect" cadet who contrasts with the huge flaws of everyone else.
In theory, I think having a lower-stakes episode makes total sense, given the setting. However, I just don't think starting with a sports/pranking episode is necessarily the best foot forward to place the show on. Look, I understand - fun-loving, rule-breaking jocks are probably more popular with general audiences then mega-nerds, but this is Star Trek, and frankly the kids showed less maturity here than what I remember from when I was a college freshmen. Felt more high-school coded than anything.
The stuff with Ake was confusing, even at the end where the conversation with Caleb was meant to elucidate it all. Whereas the first two episodes showed her as a bit eccentric, but competent, here she comes across as more of a joke than a mentor. The end salvaged it a bit, but just enough to not ruin her character for later episodes - not enough to make her vague advice actually sensical here. Turning to the other adults, while it was sweet to see Thok and Reno were a couple, the whole drill sergeant thing is getting a bit tired, and I hope she gets a bit toned down soon.
I do like the messages the episode closed on, and can appreciate the effort to try and launder a bit of the Trekkian spirit to a generic YA audience - supposing any of the generic YA audience this show is looking for showed up. But it's still a miss for me. Thankfully, if the advanced reviews are anything to go by, the next two will be less YA and more Star Trek.
