Starfleet Academy review: Star Trek's school days spin-off needs some work

This review is based on episodes 1-6 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

Get your exercise books ready – it's time to head back to school in Star Trek's latest spin-off, Starfleet Academy.

Set in the far-flung 32nd century, after the events of Discovery, we're introduced to a new competitive cohort of Starfleet cadets who grew up in the aftermath of The Burn (a rather on the nose comment about the world today's kids are facing), now training to become the new generation of officers.

Among them is Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta), a disillusioned youngster who joins the academy as an outsider. Haunted by a devastating event that upended his childhood completely, Caleb falls into a life of crime before a very familiar figure, Holly Hunter's Nahla Ake, stages an intervention and makes it her mission to whip him into shape as a Starfleet cadet.

As for the other cadets and teachers, the show takes advantage of its school setting to throw together a wide array of characters from different species and cultures, from Kerrice Brooks's Kasqian character Sam, who's only actually a few weeks old, to Zoë Steiner's Betazoid Tarima Sadal, to Gina Yashere's Klingon/Jem'Hadar hybrid, whose existence has already baffled some fans.

So, does the latest entry in Alex Kurtzman's controversial era of Star Trek actually work? Yes and no. The setup of Caleb's story, which is supported by a fabulous guest star, is intriguing, and it's not difficult to root for him after we're shown the harsh reality of what happened to him as a child, and the trauma he's having to grapple with. Plus, he has a complex shared history with Hunter's Nahla that doesn't go to waste in their interactions.

But, once we get beyond that, into school rivalry, teenage pranks and angsty drama, it becomes a little difficult to care. Some episodes feel full of filler and take an age to get to the point (if they ever do).

With so many new characters being introduced, it's of course important to do each of them justice, with a full episode being dedicated to us getting to know a fair few of the main players and their inner conflicts. But doing that massively slows things down, and by episode 6, it feels like we're only just getting to the meat of the series. Unfortunately, some of the characters just aren't that interesting, and it feels like a waste spending so much energy on them.

In what might be a very British criticism of an American school-age show, the tone also feels rather too sickly sweet, verging on cringey at times, with even Caleb getting into the whole school spirit malarkey unbelievably quickly. Would it have been too much to ask for our wrong 'un to remain a wrong 'un for a little longer?!

Speaking of wrong 'uns, though, Paul Giamatti steals the show whenever he's on screen as the villainous Klingon/Tellarite Nus Braka and his few scenes with Hunter are a highlight so far. It's also a delight to see Hunter back in action as no-nonsense Nahla, balancing the Lathanite's sometimes conflicting jobs as captain and teacher – and not always getting it right.

Meanwhile, of course there are plenty of nods to the history of Star Trek that can be enjoyed along the way, including with the welcome returns of the likes of Tig Notaro's Jett Reno, whose dry wit massively cuts through the saccharine, and Robert Picardo's Doctor.

You'll also want to keep an eye out for Easter eggs, which start out more subtle, but lead up to an unapologetic all-out celebration of one particular moment in Star Trek history mid-way through the season that makes for quite emotional viewing and is worth waiting for.

By the end of episode 6, things seem to be heating up in a big way. So, here's hoping that the latter half of the season will amp up the action to improve its grade.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is coming to Paramount+ on 15th January.

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