Star Trek Starfleet Academy

 The rumours where true, this wasn't bad, it was awful!

 

Well, not Section 31 awful, but it's getting there, only saved by some shiny performances.

 

And I'm not going into the whole "woke" debate, because at it's core, Star Trek has ALWAYS been woke, even back in the 60s with the Kirk / Uhura kiss.  No, this is bad for a couple of reasons, and even not the "Beverly Hills 90210" vibe for those that remember that.  Aka are old enough to see captain Picard actually debut on screen...

 

But, there are some saving graces, which I will come to later.  The problem I had with this series, which ran for 10 episodes, is that I liked a single one (the finale with how Jett Reno ran the ship in a crisis), and two or three in between (basically, all those that featured Nus Braka, the highlight of the series).  But there where so many "meugh" moments though: the lack of a strong captain (granted, she is actually a teacher and not a full captain), the bad use of The Doctor who we know from Voyager can be so much more but they only use his cliches like opera in the series, and then that whole explanation during the trial in the finale.  Which was good upon the moment "wonder boy Caleb" explains the whole of Nus's trauma... by a colouring book!  "Starfleet weapons are blue, enemy weapons are red"... and let's just ignore the fact this has always been done to distinguish special effects of battles on screen, and nothing with any specific technology.  The Federation has had red coloured phasers as well.  But I guess Kurtzman never saw the Enterprise E or the Defiant in action, which wouldn't amaze me as he has no clue how Star Trek "works"...

 

That said, there where highlights.  Nus Braka was just an awesome villain, misguided and piratey, manipulative, yet somehow you rooted for him.   Jett reno was her own sarcastic self, always a joy on screen, and the whole "dressing up" and special effects where of a very high quality.  

 

But I can't say I "enjoyed" the series, as frustrations at times took the upper hand.  Am I sad it will be cancelled?  No, not at all to be honest, but I don't think that some of the critiques (gay Klingons, Jem'Hadar / Klingon hybrids,...) are correct, a lot can happen and evolve in those 600+ years between the end of the Picard era and the Discovery era.

 

But just to point out the colouring book BS: