In case anyone cares, the Cheronian cadet appears to be the same ethnicity as Lokai, or in other words, the oppressed ethnicity.
Spoilers Star Trek: Starfleet Academy 1x01 – “Kids These Days”
- Thread starter Commander Richard
- Start date
I liked the pilot quite a bit even if it’s a bit overlong. I really adore Ake. I think her chill, almost hippy approach is a nice different kind of command. Caleb has a compelling story but I do figure mom is going to have some sort of connection to Braka. I also have this funny feeling Ake isn’t making it out of the season alive, unfortunately. Hope I’m wrong on that one. (That might be why first Holly Hunter agreed to be a part of this series and why Tilly is not a regular on the series and this point. She might take over in season 2. No spoilers, just pure speculation on my part.) Giamatti looks like he’s having the time of his life, which is great. I’m a little meh on The Doctor so far and there’s really not a ton on any of the regulars to get much of a reading here.
7/10.
7/10.
Yes! You're the first person I've seen who loves Ake. I thought she was delightful.
Disagree on the doctor though, his first scene could have been lifted straight out of voyager!
I watched it.
It wasn't as bad as cringe as I thought it was going to be.
But did anyone else just find it... boring?
It seemed very formulaic. Very cliched characters with trope backstories I've seen a thousand times in a thousand series. The plot was paint by numbers. Once again we got another:
The humour was very flat, almost asinine in places. Lower Decks was silly too but that whole show wasn't taking itself too seriously, so it worked.
The visual effects were impressive, but they didn't further the plot, they were just there to spend the ridiculous budget.
And sure, the memberberries were fun and Picardo was awesome, but would anyone really remember anything about the 24th century, over 800 years later?
Maybe I'm just getting old.
To paraphrase Scotty:
There comes a time when a man finds that he can't fall in love again.
He knows that it's time to stop.
I don't belong in this Trek.
Hiraeth, Hiraeth
It wasn't as bad as cringe as I thought it was going to be.
But did anyone else just find it... boring?
It seemed very formulaic. Very cliched characters with trope backstories I've seen a thousand times in a thousand series. The plot was paint by numbers. Once again we got another:
- Shockng cold open flashback
- Introduce quirky ensemble with check-listed archetypes
- Looks like we all have some trauma that made us different, so let's be friends
- Time to be positive, let's fly!
- Big bad threat appears with a big bad ship and bashes us to bits
- Corridor running, console staring, reaction shots, SHIELDS AT 47%
- Let's negotiate with quippy banter
- Final action set piece where we spent all our VFX money
- Cliffhanger or set-up for next epsode
The humour was very flat, almost asinine in places. Lower Decks was silly too but that whole show wasn't taking itself too seriously, so it worked.
The visual effects were impressive, but they didn't further the plot, they were just there to spend the ridiculous budget.
And sure, the memberberries were fun and Picardo was awesome, but would anyone really remember anything about the 24th century, over 800 years later?
Maybe I'm just getting old.
To paraphrase Scotty:
There comes a time when a man finds that he can't fall in love again.
He knows that it's time to stop.
I don't belong in this Trek.
Hiraeth, Hiraeth
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She was a breath of fresh air to be sure!
I think that’s my issue. I love the Doctor. But I don’t see a lot of character growth from what we saw in Voyager or even Prodigy. I’d like to see some differences in his personality. Maybe that’s coming. But right now the reaction is, “Yep. That’s The Doctor.”
Not when they have two seasons in the can. I would expect a decision probably after S1 has aired (IE - They want to see some actual streaming ratings before deciding); - but if they also decide not to renew Alex Kurtzman's contract then I would expect the series to be canceled after S2.
If they do renew his contract it has a chance for a S3.
After seeing the second episode, I'm changing my vote here from a 6 to a 7. I liked the premiere more than I liked episode 2, so it should be reflected as such.
Between a 6 and 7. Everything about this set up just felt like the worst parts of modern Trek where it's unnecessarily dark and scummy, violence solves everything - they just murder the pirate ship after telling people that extrajudicial decisions are bad with Caleb's mother - and the conflict/setup is unnecessarily complicated. They somehow tried to introduce two Dals and had them fight each other... like, eh. It's like the worst impulses of Discovery honestly.
They also didn't bother looking for Paul Giamatti after he used an escape pod for some reason?
I don't think I'll ever get over the Avengers-style Whedon dialog. I'd rather they make up fake future slang than talk like people today. It'd maybe excusable if you had one character who was strangely obsessed with 21st century American English for some reason, but the entire cast? It's just a lot.
That said, I don't mind the set up and the 32nd century is probably the most exciting part of Trek now.
Also they canonized Prodigy, so even though you can't actually watch the show anywhere and most people won't, the characters and the EMH's time with them is definitely part of the lore without caveats anymore.
They also didn't bother looking for Paul Giamatti after he used an escape pod for some reason?
I don't think I'll ever get over the Avengers-style Whedon dialog. I'd rather they make up fake future slang than talk like people today. It'd maybe excusable if you had one character who was strangely obsessed with 21st century American English for some reason, but the entire cast? It's just a lot.
That said, I don't mind the set up and the 32nd century is probably the most exciting part of Trek now.
Also they canonized Prodigy, so even though you can't actually watch the show anywhere and most people won't, the characters and the EMH's time with them is definitely part of the lore without caveats anymore.
I really wanted to hate the show, but I failed. The pilot was actually pretty awesome—I genuinely enjoyed it.
I could still do without the modern language and the swearing. I also thought it was a little weird how Ake sat in the captain’s chair, and we’ll see how long it takes before Jay-Den’s artificially deep voice really starts to bother me. But overall, I liked it. Somehow, they won me over. Weirdly, those same flaws are part of what makes it endearing.
This feels like a well-conceived, fresh take on Star Trek.
On to episode two!
I could still do without the modern language and the swearing. I also thought it was a little weird how Ake sat in the captain’s chair, and we’ll see how long it takes before Jay-Den’s artificially deep voice really starts to bother me. But overall, I liked it. Somehow, they won me over. Weirdly, those same flaws are part of what makes it endearing.
This feels like a well-conceived, fresh take on Star Trek.
On to episode two!
Ake is so much like Pelia. Either they're related or Lanthanites as a people are just naturally quirky.
Because if someone writes an episode specifically about a species genociding itself it's bad taste to stick them in as a cheap Easter egg. It's not like there isn't a million more options you could use.There's dozens of aliens that look exactly like people from Earth. Why can't there be another race similar to the Cheron? (Besides, this one - like the one in Section 31 - has split color hair, which Bele and Lokai did not.)
Or there were offworlders. Simple.
I thought Captain Ake was a good fit for being Chancellor for StarFleet Academy.
She lived through the "Before 'The Burn' Times".
She knows the original spirit of StarFleet.
She's great with kids.
Holly Hunter's portrayal was perfect for what I think is a Good Chancellor of StarFleet Academy.
Somebody who's willing to take investment on Young Adults who need a little bit more parenting due to family situations.
She lived through the "Before 'The Burn' Times".
She knows the original spirit of StarFleet.
She's great with kids.
Holly Hunter's portrayal was perfect for what I think is a Good Chancellor of StarFleet Academy.
Somebody who's willing to take investment on Young Adults who need a little bit more parenting due to family situations.
OK, I'm impressed.
I was disappointed with Discovery, and absolutely howled at the screen when the cause of The Burn was revealed, but Discovery gave us Captain Pike, which gave us Strange New Worlds...and now Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which seems to have promise.
I do think that the writing could be better in some small areas, but then it's what I've come to expect from nu-Trek and I'm not 100% sold on Holly Hunter as Captain Nahla Ake, but it's early days. Did anyone else catch the in-joke from Red Dwarf - gazpacho soup? That made me smile. I agree with previous comments about the Doctor - he doesn't seem to have developed much but perhaps that's a limitation on his programming, maybe? Or, real-life idea - they've kept him as he was in Voyager to appease the fans.
I'm going to put my initial doubts and misgivings to one side and give this series a chance. It appears to be off to a good start.
I was disappointed with Discovery, and absolutely howled at the screen when the cause of The Burn was revealed, but Discovery gave us Captain Pike, which gave us Strange New Worlds...and now Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which seems to have promise.
I do think that the writing could be better in some small areas, but then it's what I've come to expect from nu-Trek and I'm not 100% sold on Holly Hunter as Captain Nahla Ake, but it's early days. Did anyone else catch the in-joke from Red Dwarf - gazpacho soup? That made me smile. I agree with previous comments about the Doctor - he doesn't seem to have developed much but perhaps that's a limitation on his programming, maybe? Or, real-life idea - they've kept him as he was in Voyager to appease the fans.
I'm going to put my initial doubts and misgivings to one side and give this series a chance. It appears to be off to a good start.
It's funny how They gave him his own 'Darth Vader - A New Hope' ending.
Drifting off into space...
(perhaps only to return at the end of the season and declare he's Caleb's father)
/S
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I adore Chancellor Ake. She has a fluidity of movement that samples every surface she comes in contact with. And she gets away with calling Admiral Vance, "Charlie".
And she simply blew the hologram of Nus Braka away...snuffing the image like a candle.
And she simply blew the hologram of Nus Braka away...snuffing the image like a candle.
I get it she's actually the mother he's looking for and he's the son she has a second chance in having I get it.
I dont mind the opening, a part of me would be happy with skipping all the backstory and starting with the school stuff, but nothing about it was bad. Not thrilled that it's turned into a mystery box though, where is his mom and why hasnt she reached out???? idc. And when the mystery box does turn out to be lame I will come back to this review and say I knew it would have been.
Not knowing every Star Trek species is making me struggle when everyone is sounding off what they are because I cant tell the new species from the niche ones I just dont know. Im very curious who are the last of their species and what that must feel like. But I will say all the characters are great, the banter between them is great, except the girl who swallowed her combadge who's basically a cartoon character and not the fun lower decks kind. Generic bully also sucked until they gave some interesting stuff to him, even if giving the bully depth is also generic. And I can see the love triangle being set up and will get preemptively be annoyed at that from now too.
"that is the school" "he's not my friend" some lines are a little hacky. Doesnt matter.
Shoutout to Captain Gwyndala.
I never thought this for a second but how on earth are they gonna write around Discovery not just popping in to save them every time now. That being said it will absolutely come at least once before the season is over.
Episode basically didnt do anything wrong, in terms of executing what it set out to do it's basically a 10/10. But for me, 7 or 8.
I dont mind the opening, a part of me would be happy with skipping all the backstory and starting with the school stuff, but nothing about it was bad. Not thrilled that it's turned into a mystery box though, where is his mom and why hasnt she reached out???? idc. And when the mystery box does turn out to be lame I will come back to this review and say I knew it would have been.
Not knowing every Star Trek species is making me struggle when everyone is sounding off what they are because I cant tell the new species from the niche ones I just dont know. Im very curious who are the last of their species and what that must feel like. But I will say all the characters are great, the banter between them is great, except the girl who swallowed her combadge who's basically a cartoon character and not the fun lower decks kind. Generic bully also sucked until they gave some interesting stuff to him, even if giving the bully depth is also generic. And I can see the love triangle being set up and will get preemptively be annoyed at that from now too.
"that is the school" "he's not my friend" some lines are a little hacky. Doesnt matter.
Shoutout to Captain Gwyndala.
I never thought this for a second but how on earth are they gonna write around Discovery not just popping in to save them every time now. That being said it will absolutely come at least once before the season is over.
Episode basically didnt do anything wrong, in terms of executing what it set out to do it's basically a 10/10. But for me, 7 or 8.
Is it me, or does Holly Hunter look great for 67 y/o?
I adore Chancellor Ake. She has a fluidity of movement that samples every surface she comes in contact with. And she gets away with calling Admiral Vance, "Charlie".
And she simply blew the hologram of Nus Braka away...snuffing the image like a candle.
My money is on Charlie being her former XO
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