Star Trek: Starfleet Academy S1-E02 "Beta Test" Spoilers Within

eadrom · 15-01-2026 09:11PM #1

Yeah, this is alright so far. Not classic Trek but it's not trying to be, and feels comfortable enough with it's own tone.

Betazoids were annoyingly human for a culture that's been isolated for a century. It's jarring enough that the human characters are throwing around 2020s zoomer phrases without the aliens doing it too, particularly thinking of the new roommate guy at the end of this one but I think it's a laziness in the writing of a lot of the alien species in these newer shows. Very little sense of these other races having a unique culture of their own, they might as well be X-Men style mutants. Just humans with a bit of a weird forehead and a super power.

Caleb is going to be that central character with the central arc that's the least interesting thing on screen. But at least it's not a Burnham-style single-character event.

I quite like Sam, the holographic cadet.

Cool to see a Rok-Thak-style alien walk by! Thought it was him for a minute; had to work out the timelines in my head.

Federation headquarters is going to be on Betazed, then? Fair enough. Never the most interesting species really, and I think that telepathy thing is a hard one to write around. Odd choice really.

fritzelly · 15-01-2026 09:33PM

Agree with all the above.

The script is quite hokey, hope the Doctor is not just some background character like this episode - demoted to background singer - why?

The forced comedy is annoying

But I'm not hating it which I kind of expected to, its Star Trek but not the Star Trek I'm used to (excluding Disco)

Tenzor07 · 15-01-2026 10:25PM

Not as bad as I thought it would be or as any of the pre-reviews had said.

STSA seems like Hogwarts for future Starfleet Captains, with Caleb Mir as Harry, Holly Hunter as Dumbledore , Genesis Lythe as Hermione….

fritzelly · 15-01-2026 10:40PM

One other thing - the robots everywhere are stupid and the one cleaning the window!?

Also hate the title sequence - bring back those sweeping shots of the ship but then this is not about the ship so…still hate it

eadrom · 15-01-2026 10:47PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124151004#Comment_124151004

And the "War Academy" as Slytherin.

breezy1985 · 15-01-2026 11:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124151059#Comment_124151059

The name is a bit on the nose. Even the uniform is a bit "are we the baddies"

Kurn · 15-01-2026 11:36PM

Thought it was good. The central character storyline, not bad, but was hoping it would not be the main story. He got the whole episode 2.

Tenzor07 · 16-01-2026 12:29PM

Is Holly Hunter supposed to act a bit nutty as she's part Lanthanite so walks around barefoot and sits in the Captain's chair like it's a favourite armchair back home in front of the fireplace?

breezy1985 · 16-01-2026 12:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124152111#Comment_124152111

I assume it's been decided that this is a feature of their race.

eadrom · 16-01-2026 12:55PM

I think a part of that barefoot and casual-dress thing was her attempt to be easy and open around the telepathic Betazoids? She says something to that effect to the 'War Academy' guy at one point, calling him out for being too stern and cagey in front of them. And in the end she changes her approach and puts on the uniform. Part of the 'learning from our mistakes' message of the episode overall.

And sitting sideways in the captain's chair, and her general attitude… yeah, I guess she's a Lanthanite and 500+ years old, you'd just run out of **** to give.

I think she's a real strong point in these episodes so far anyway. I'd expected it'd to be a much smaller role, like here's a famous face for the trailers and the posters – but she's just sitting at a desk for a minute or two every other episode. Actually she's much more front and centre. Nice counter-balance to the cadets.

Really hope it's not a 1-season-only deal for her, ala Jason Isaacs.

AMKC · 16-01-2026 02:27PM

Another ok episode.

eadrom · 16-01-2026 03:27PM

Was the use of sign-language just because that one guy was deaf, or was that supposed to be a whole Betazed thing?

Initially I thought they were going with the idea that Betazed had been isolated for so long, they just no longer bothered with spoken word at all – which might have been a cool idea – and therefor, for some reason, sign language was easier. Although not really sure why they'd have learned sign-language either, but whatever.

But as the episode went on, I think it was just that one guy? Which just felt like an odd choice. And again reinforced this feeling that all the "aliens" are just humans with human culture, plus an extra ability/super-power. I think if anything so far is shaping up to be an on-going annoyance with this series, it's that.

LambshankRedemption · 16-01-2026 06:40PM

Yeah I dont get the whole sign language thing either.

At times it feels more like a parody of a Star Trek show.

odyssey06 · 16-01-2026 10:42PM

The mucus thing was very Hogwarts.

The Caleb - Darem vibe is very The OC.

_Kaiser_ · 17-01-2026 10:29AM

So watched the second episode just there after turning it off last night when Caleb spun in his chair to give his rival the double-finger - but what the hell!

The title sequence is awful.
The 90210 teen drama continues.
This hippy-dippy Chancellor idea just doesn't sit right. Also Holly Hunter is wholly miscast with no presence that is constantly towered over by everyone else if the scene. Not great for a command level figure.
References - oh look it's an exocomp (and stupid humor), and one of rock people from Prodigy and one of the annoying characters from Discovery. Oh and hump back whales!
Wholly out of place references, slang and so on for what is supposedly the 32nd century (ever made a mix tape?!, make out, chew gum, all the "bro" stuff at the end etc).
Just as so much of this already feels like Star Wars (cutsey funny droids everywhere - including ones that look like they were lifted from Batteries Not Included), this week's subplot involves our main character trying to find a planet that doesn't seem to exist (anyone remember Obi-Wan trying to do the same in Attack of the Clones).
Did I mention the stupid STUPID humor?!
What's with the sign language? It's clearly not needed when the daughter can just speak just fine and never was a thing before.

But let's try and find some positives..

Visually it looks stunning but overdone - like "look at what we can do with CGI" such as the waiter at the reception with half her head missing/cybernetic.
Picardo is still good and falls back into the role easily, but seems more of a side character than a main one in this which is a shame.
Caleb and most of the cadet characters aren't bad to be fair. Likeable and with potential. Have to admit, I do like that element.

The question is whether I can get past the fact that it just is not Star Trek and watch it for what it is.

Need to let that sit a while.

LambshankRedemption · 17-01-2026 03:54PM

Wholly out of place references, slang and so on for what is supposedly the 32nd century (ever made a mix tape?!, make out, chew gum, all the "bro" stuff at the end etc).
Just as so much of this already feels like Star Wars (cutsey funny droids everywhere - including ones that look like they were lifted from Batteries Not Included), this week's subplot involves our main character trying to find a planet that doesn't seem to exist (anyone remember Obi-Wan trying to do the same in Attack of the Clones).
Did I mention the stupid STUPID humor?!
What's with the sign language? It's clearly not needed when the daughter can just speak just fine and never was a thing before.

The missing planet has been lifted straight out of Star Wars Episode 2, I did notice that.

Holly Hunter wearing reading glasses is a clear reference to Kirk in the later movies, but surely in the 31st there are other alternatives to failing long vision?

The attempts at humour made it seem more like a Trek parody that actual Trek. Caleb bumps into the holographic cadet and the lid of her toxic mucus pops off and covers him. It would have more place in one of the early Harry Potter movies.

CastorTroy · 17-01-2026 06:04PM

Both episodes watched and, surprisingly, I liked it.

We'll have to see going forward if they'll go into space more, especially since the ship is the school.

The teen drama isn't too prevalent yet so will see how it goes. Though that new character sounds like he could get annoying quickly.

And Prodigy acknowledgement. Thought it would just be forgotten about after it was cancelled.

So The Doctor has been just sitting around this whole time since he's apparently done nothing since the Prodigy kids that SAM could bring up?

How come they couldn't stop Paul Giamatti's pod?

Was thinking Becky Lynch was going to be O'Brien 2.0 with the way she was talking to her colleague.

gipi · 17-01-2026 06:25PM

2 episodes in, and I'm tired of the Captain Ake-Caleb dynamic.

We get it, she feels guilty, but she's the academy chancellor and a captain, who deserves respect, not a petulant child who walks into her quarters whenever he likes and mouths off at her.

LambshankRedemption · 17-01-2026 06:27PM

The teen drama isn't too prevalent yet so will see how it goes. Though that new character sounds like he could get annoying quickly.

It's not too obvious that it's a teen drama yet. In the intro, Caleb is shown as being 5 or 6, and then it shows "15 years later…" so he's 20-21 entering the Academy. There was one reference to "hooking up", so it's not like this is 14,15,16 year olds. They are older than Dawsons Creek, older than Buffy was in her first few seasons.I think it's going to be more along the lines of Grey's Anatomy in Space.

breezy1985 · 17-01-2026 06:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124156854#Comment_124156854

If this had multiple seasons we could assume it will settle in and drop this kind of shte but it probably won't make it more than 2 seasons judging by industry gossip.

expectationlost · 18-01-2026 11:18PM

Anthony Natale

President Emerin Sadal

is deaf

feelings · 19-01-2026 10:32PM

Awful stuff. They need more lights. 😆

~Rebel~ · 20-01-2026 09:20PM

I struggled with the first episode, but this lower key second episode showed a bit more promise. We need more of the mundanity of classes and subjects, and lower stakes issues. It really is built as the Hogwarts of Starfleet, which can work - though they really need to settle on tone, as many of them act like the teens in Hogwarts, but are in their early 20s. They should either actually be teenagers, or act a little less childish. That contrived drama between Caleb and Tarima in the little outdoor park was painful stuff. I'd have loved a little more edge and grit to it (like elements of Enders Game). And I hope they add more textured depth to the settings, as most settings feel very weightless and flat and a bit hollow, all just unblemished walls and surfaces and screens.

It very much is the CW version of Star Trek that we expected, but at least its setting and structure somewhat suit that, unlike Discovery. It is, for now at least, watchable.

TheValeyard · 21-01-2026 12:03AM

Better than the first episode

Its definitely aimed at a younger audience (the next generation of Trek lovers)

Still very cheesy, but some of the humour I like or character dynamics.

squonk · 10-02-2026 12:10AM

Finally caught up with episode 2. Didn’t like it as much as episode 1. Too much angst and silly teen stuff. These kids are late teens or older but act like they’re 14 or 15. I want nuts about the memberberries either. Booth by Memorial Garden was particularly on the nose. No need for it I felt.

It wasn’t desperate but also wasn’t great. I’ll still keep watching. Let’s see how it goes.

Rawr · 16-02-2026 07:31AM

Although I wasn't going to even attempt to watch Academy until the whole season was out (and not deemed a disaster at the end) I did jump into this one yesterday while skipping everything else.

My general opinion…not bad….but not very good either. It's not Discovery, the characters are actually alright, but there's something missing and I'm not sure what it is. The Adacemy sets themselves are kind of alright. Actually reminds me a lot of Balamb Garden in Final Fantasy 8…and since I loved that game it's a positive association in my mind.

The JemHadar drill instructor has potential, but if they're going for Gunnery Sargeant Hartman in that role they should commit to that. It feels a bit half-hearted.

What is kind of jarring is the bizzare deplomacy set-piece with Betazed within the Academy hall. I get that this is an important learning moment for any Starfleet officer but since so much is at stake is seems odd to air out all of that infront of newly minted cadets. Having everything facing the 4th Wall instead of eachother is also a bit jarring.

Would I watch more Academy after this? Maybe. I think it will still depend on the overall verdict of the season. That's a lot of potential here, but it's still Kurtzman Trek, which means he could find a way to ruin all of this by the end of the season. Rather than build up my hope, I'll be patient and wait.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy S1-E02 "Beta Test" ***Spoilers Within***

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Star Trek: Starfleet Academy S1-E02 "Beta Test" Spoilers Within