Spoilers Star Trek: Starfleet Academy 1x01 – “Kids These Days”

[Bad Thoughts]

Given the problems I had with DSC and its YA tone, as well as the 32nd century setting, AND the fact that I hate(!) the Pelia character and Ake was announced as being somewhat like her, species- and behavior-wise, I was dreading this new show. But at least the premiere was a super-pleasant surprise. I found it exciting and fun and in the right ST spirit.

Then I watched episode two and now my doubts are back.

However, I still hold out hope that on balance, this will be a fun, if slight, Trek. The Jem'Hadar officer is a pure delight; if they feature her a lot, I'm gonna love this. Many characters indeed have a potentially interesting set-up (the pacifist Klingon, the photonic cadet, and some others), even if the dynamics so far seem a rather trite collection of teen drama tropes.

Sharing some of the same concerns, I feel that the older actors who play instructors have so much experience and gravitas, that they should be able to command the attention of the screen above the younger cast. Indeed, I think that Holly Hunter keeps the focus on her character, not just through the teen drama, but also through the character's own quirks. The casting on this side was impeccable.

 

[Magistos]

I think I've rewatched the San Francisco arrival scene 5 times now lmao

Oh, same.

 

[Paul755]

4) The Cheronian: The TOS ep only really established that there was no one left alive on their homeworld and that their civilization destroyed itself. Doesn't mean there were no Cheronians travelers, exiles, or refuges who left sometime before the final apocalyptic war. (I mean, Vulcan was destroyed in the Kelvin movies, but that doesn't mean that the Vulcans went extinct.) So let's assume that the Cheronians were an endangered species in Kirk's time, but may have rebounded by the 32nd century . . . .

I think people forgot there was at least 1 Cheronian in the Section 31 movie…Georgiou’s assistant at the night club. So clearly the society was still somewhat “around” as far back as the lost era.

Then how come they had a live-action version of one of the characters enrolled at the Academy this week?

And referenced two PRO characters directly by name?

I hadn’t watched episode 2 when I posted so I hadn’t seen the live action Brikar. But still cameos/references inserted by writers/production are different than the official 60th anniversary intro. But hey, I’ll admit when I’m wrong. It’s probably just them skipping the animated Trek. No biggie.

 

[Tuskin38]

Yeah, that version of the song was terrible.

Pfft, no.

 

[Michael]

For those statistic fans out there: I know it’s still early and we only have 130+ people (or 50% of the average amount of people) who voted in the poll so far, but it’s interesting comparing and contrasting the reception of the Starfleet Academy premiere to the other Kurtzman era Trek shows and how people on the board rated them. With an average rating of 7.7 it sits comfortably above the premieres for Discovery (7.0) and Lower Decks (7.6), but below Prodigy (8.2), Strange New Worlds (8.3) and Picard (adjusted to an average of 8.4). There appears to be a much broader consensus on “Kids These Days” compared to “The Vulcan Hello” and the polarization seems to be similar to Lower Decks and Prodigy, but it’s not as unanimously approved as Strange New Worlds and Picard were with their first episodes. If we define votes of 1–3 as something like “backlash” votes, then Discovery had the highest backlash (≈14%), followed by Lower Decks (≈7%) and Starfleet Academy (≈6%), while Strange New Worlds (≈3%), Prodigy (≈2%), and Picard (≈2%) experienced very little backlash.

 

[Farscape One]

I have to say, I’m surprised how much Colbert’s voice was in those first two episodes. I wonder if they made an effort to heavily feature him early in the season to capitalize on his fame, and that he will be heard less and less the further we go. We’ll see, I guess. Some gags he's reading sounded like ad-libs to me, so I’m wondering if they just let him riff in a recording booth somewhere and randomly placed the best recordings whenever we have an establishing shot of an Academy location.


I admit I’m kinda surprised by just how divisive the use of the Rufus Wainwright cover in the episode is. Some seem to love it, while others either didn’t like the use of any song in that sequence or just think they should have used the original. Personally I thought it was a neat idea and I think it works much better with the cover version, which feels more monumental, serious and triumphant, which fits the pivotal and historical moment of Starfleet Academy returning to Earth/San Francisco after a century. I love the original Scott McKenzie classic, and it is a very celebratory tune, but it lacks the grandeur they were going for.

I’ve seen people say a song that’s a counterculture hymn is an odd choice for celebrating what’s basically a military establishment institution, and I get that argument. But I think at the same time it fits the ideals of what Starfleet Academy is supposed to stand for: A melting pot of young people from disparate backgrounds and walks of life, coming together out of a shared value for ethical responsibility, cooperation across differences and personal growth over competition, wealth or domination.


Agreed. There is some disconnect between episode one and two. “Beta Test” begins by showing how they have their first course and only then do they get their quarters assigned. Are we meant to believe they didn’t get sleeping accommodations between the end of “Kids These Days” and their first time having a course?

Regarding the song...

I have to agree with whoever said that it would have been better NOT to use a cover song at all. Something more orchestral, more space operatic (for lack of a better term). Not a cover a song, like ENT's theme.

Pfft, no.

In my view, it's definitely a terrible cover.

 

[Uhura's Song]

While I am mot a big fan of the angsty teen angle stuff, nor Number One, I thought the biggest problems were the plotholes. I mean, they just let Giamati drift away in an escape pod after all that? Come ON.

I love Holly Hunter and she was good. I like the setup stuff. I went with a kind 6. Thought E2 was better. But not horrible and has some potential.

 

[Galaxy]

For those statistic fans out there: I know it’s still early and we only have 130+ people (or 50% of the average amount of people) who voted in the poll so far, but it’s interesting comparing and contrasting the reception of the Starfleet Academy premiere to the other Kurtzman era Trek shows and how people on the board rated them. With an average rating of 7.7 it sits comfortably above the premieres for Discovery (7.0) and Lower Decks (7.6), but below Prodigy (8.2), Strange New Worlds (8.3) and Picard (adjusted to an average of 8.4). There appears to be a much broader consensus on “Kids These Days” compared to “The Vulcan Hello” and the polarization seems to be similar to Lower Decks and Prodigy, but it’s not as unanimously approved as Strange New Worlds and Picard were with their first episodes. If we define votes of 1–3 as something like “backlash” votes, then Discovery had the highest backlash (≈14%), followed by Lower Decks (≈7%) and Starfleet Academy (≈6%), while Strange New Worlds (≈3%), Prodigy (≈2%), and Picard (≈2%) experienced very little backlash.

Interesting.

I gave STA an 8, DIS a 7. Frankly I - probably a lot of us actually - was a tad generous with DIS, especially in season 1.

I guess we do view it with a bit to much emotionally clouded judgments.

I think the guy who runs the Ex Astris Scientia website has it right. For him most episodes are 5s - but will still praise what he thinks they got right - and only hands out the 8, and 9 for what he views as some of the best episodes of Star Trek ever.

 

[Elaise]

It wouldn't have been Picard.

It would literally have just been the same thing as we got with a few minor background differences.

Honestly, I can barely tell what century this takes place in most of the time.

 

[Elaise]

Well, looks like the naysayers were correct, episode one is a total flop.

/S

(it's up to 56k on Youtube in less than 24 hours)

It did make it to #8 in the viewing charts.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Honestly, I can barely tell what century this takes place in most of the time.

I would recommend not watching with a blindfold on then.

 

[Charles Phipps]

I'm calling it now that I think Caleb's:

Spoiler

mom murdered the pilot and Braka took the heat for her. Given they escaped together, I'm definitely of the mind the relationship was far closer and more intimate than she alluded to her son. Basically, you don't hire Tatiana for a minor role of the perfect mother.

 

[Elaise]

It was self defence, not murder.

Its self defence to blow up a out gunned ship? The Athena was a much more powerful ship that only got disabled because of a gimmick the other ship used, they mention that several times in the episode. Hell the captain wanted to beam them right into space instead of a jail.

 

[Uhura's Song]

More thoughts.

A gdod chunk of the writing was cringeworthy. The "I'm Kolhonioan, bitch" was awful.

Disappointed in the Doctor. What is up there? Picardo should be kore than a punchline.

But it wasn't awful. 2nd episode was better.

For me, I'd rank it as a bottom Tier debut, along with "Man Trap," "Beyond The Farthest Star," "Encounter at Farpoint" and "Second Contact."

Maybe middle tier with "Vulcan Hello/Battle at the Binary Stars" and "Lost and Found."

Top tier for me is "Emissary," "Broken Bow," "Remembrance," "Strange New Worlds," and "Caretaker."

If you include episode 2, it rises a bit. Not really a true 2 parter, however.

1. Emissary, DS9, 2 part
2. Broken Bow, ENT, 2 part
3. Remembrance, PIC
4. Strange New Worlds, SNW
5. Caretaker, VOY, 2 part
------------------
6. Vulcan Hello/Battle at the Binary Stars, DISCO, 2 episodes
7. Lost and Found, PRO, 2 part
--------------
8. Beyond the Farthest Star, TAS
9. Encounter at Farpoint, TNG, 2 part
10. Kids These Days, SA
11. The Man Trap, TOS
12. Second Contact, LD

YMMV, of course. For the record, my favorite shows are TNG, TOS, DS9, SNW, and LD.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I wonder how often they're gonna have to make excuses for why Discovery can't come to help.

It's a looooong refit

 

[JoeZhang]

I cannot be bothered to read 26 pages, so this might have been covered, but it is interesting to me that, as a Klingon-tellarite hybrid, Nus Braka self-referred to himself as "Klingarite" (sp?).

 

[Fateor]

I think people forgot there was at least 1 Cheronian in the Section 31 movie…Georgiou’s assistant at the night club. So clearly the society was still somewhat “around” as far back as the lost era.

I think it's far more likely given the numbers that it's just that almost nobody watched Section 31.

And of those that did, most wiped the movie from their memory.

 

[cooleddie74]

It's a looooong refit

It's the only refit in the quadrant.

 

[Set Harth]

I cannot be bothered to read 26 pages, so this might have been covered, but it is interesting to me that, as a Klingon-tellarite hybrid, Nus Braka self-referred to himself as "Klingarite" (sp?).

I'm not really seeing the Tellarite part.

 

[TRON JA307020]

Its self defence to blow up a out gunned ship? The Athena was a much more powerful ship that only got disabled because of a gimmick the other ship used, they mention that several times in the episode. Hell the captain wanted to beam them right into space instead of a jail.

Yeah. They could have taken the crew prisoner. In the 32nd century it seems things are really no better. Maybe even worse.