When an old enemy resurfaces as an existential threat to the Federation, Nahla must outwit a vengeful foe with a personal vendetta against her — as our cadets and instructors undertake a dangerous, seemingly impossible, mission to save everyone and everything they hold dear.
Teleplay by: Alex Kurtzman & Kirsten Beyer
Story by: Noga Landau & Gaia Violo
Directed by: Olatunde Osunsanmi
There is no spoiler protection in the episode discussion threads, and spoiler tags are not necessary!
Had to come back and just say… This message is 🔥
“So, the question I’d ask to all these people watching - is this the person you want to follow into the future? An angry child with his finger on the trigger whose entire worldview…is based on a lie?”
Yes, good call. I can’t believe I forgot to mention it, too!
Incredibly well done episode. Not sure others have mentioned these, but I really really liked these things in particular:
- Reno has great presence and delivery. And the sharpest uniform.
- I’m glad the announcer from Children’s Hospital fell through an anomaly and arrived in Starfleet Academy.
- English graffiti and open flames everywhere! J/k how could they get everything else so right but then fumble this so poorly. You’re telling me the venari ral are space romans, but not romulans?
A great first season, I feel like they know what they’re doing and I want more.
Well, that was worth all the narrative setup mechanics from last episode! Everybody else here has already mentioned the highlights of the finale, I will only applaud the resolution to Braka’s staged court drama.
That felt so arch Trek, reasoning their way out of an impossible pinch, by listening to the adversary first. It was clever, but not contrived writing, and it fit the overall themes of the season perfectly.
This show really pulled the rug from under me from day one, and it hasn’t let up much since the pilot. Now, how long do we have to wait for s2? New Short Treks release to fill the gap when?
Great episode, great finale, really strong first season. I had issues with some episodes trying to do too much in too little time, but for the last two episodes the writers focused on one story and did a damn good job tying up the season arc. Can’t wait to see where the show goes next season.
The one criticism I have of the finale, and literally everywhere else it comes up in new era Trek is: Stop moving the camera so fucking much! It’s unnecessary and really takes me out of it when the camera is wiggling back and forth, or spinning around in an arc, or acting like an unstable drone during the trial portion (particularly at the end). I want to drink in what’s going on, not be trying to puzzle out WTF I’m looking at, especially when stream compression turns a lot of motion into blurry pixels.
A little shaky cam when things are intense or exploding, sure, but overall I wish it was shot in a more conventional style.
I’m not sure I can agree on the camera work. This show has come a long way from the JJ Abrams directorial tricks embraced by Discovery and other shows of this production era.
I actually thought that Producing Director Osunsamni was restraining himself noticeably in his use of whipping cameras as compared to his directing style in previous shows.
Kurtzman set a directorial mandate for the show in the opening episodes with longer pans and more close ups on the characters. He even commissioned special amorphic lenses that enable close ups within the large sets. Jonathan Frakes mentioned that the directional norms for SFA are quite different and that he enjoyed the opportunity on his episode to rely more on shots where he closed in on the characters.
For this episode, the choice of using a shifting drone view for a remote news audience made sense in the context of an otherwise static scene of Nus’ theatrical show trial.
So this season has definitely had its downs and weird choices, but this was an excellent episode. I want to especially call out the music - it was stirring in a way that very little of other TV Trek’s ‘musical wallpaper’ is.
My only hiccup was a weird undercurrent I picked up on in the trial that is admittedly my own projection. With everything going on in the world I totally get Nus Braka’s anger and desire to just burn it all down, which probably says more about me than I’d care to admit lol. What I really don’t like is the ‘haves’ (the Federation; the billionaires; the wealthy countries) essentially lecturing the ‘have nots’ (the worlds failed by the Federation; us normal people; the struggling countries that have been abused by the wealthy countries) that they can’t be angry at them and the situation; they just don’t understand the burden they carry. Even with Nahle’s reframing of Braka’s situation, we know there are worlds that the Federation has failed badly, and they need to understand that for every Braka, there will be more angry people with legitimate grievances and you can’t just tell to ‘calm down’. I’m not talking about what Nahle said to Alisha, more about her lecture toward Braka at the end.
I know that wasn’t their intention but I can’t get it out of my head and it leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Oh those end credits were awesome though!
I agree, I felt like the trial should have gone harder on the Federation’s inability to handle the burn. I like that backstory of failure. It means the SFA generation has to feel a greater weight of responsibility to be build something better.
Like, okay, humanitarian triage was needed, but why? Surely every planetary system should be minimally self-sufficient, not relying on a disruptable interstellar supply chain. Even if it never intentionally violated its core principles, I’d like it reinforced that the Federation was complacent before the burn, and holds responsibility for that.
I understand the drama of the scene meant it had to circle around Ake’s decisions regarding Caleb, but I thought the balance could have been pulled off slightly better.
Incredible season and exceptional finale, and awesome acting from everyone!
Those who are snubbing STA are truly missing something.
My only little disappointment is not seeing Discovery blipping first right as the blockade is lifted, at least a few seconds or a minute before all other ships warping in. I understand why they didn’t and how it would have stolen the show, but still, I can only imagine Burnham and Action Saru teleporting right next to Nus Braka to arrest him only a second after Discovery arrives… and to find out there is another heavy lot of history as well between the three! I’d just love a one-episode team up of the Athena with Discovery and its crew in season 2 or 3 !!
not seeing Discovery blipping first right as the blockade is lifted, at least a few seconds or a minute before all other ships warping in.
I had the same thought - let the first responders be the first responders!
Hopefully we’ll see Stamets or someone show up as a guest lecturer at some point.
Only thing that didn’t work for me was the Caleb/Tarima telepathy working like a psychic airtag for Anisha. Needed more explanation than ‘They have a connection,’ IMO.
It’s definitely a smaller distance, but there is precedent there with Troi honing in on Shinzon on his cloaked ship in Nemesis.
I’m hoping we’ll get more later.
The Imzadi bond between Tarima and Caleb is an order of magnitude stronger than Troi and Riker’s. Likely more.
I’m willing to go with a head cannon for now that Caleb has to have some native psychic abilities, if latent, that sparked the attraction and connection even with Tarima’s inhibitor in place.
Something like finding the her pattern taking it from his memories. After all, there’s telepathy, warp jumps, … so why not.
Yeah, I can just about fill in the handwaving myself, but it still felt a bit too vague for me. I guess I’ve never really been sold on telepathy as part of the Star Trek universe, so the more they use it (and the more powerful and plot crucial it gets), the less I like it. Still, I can’t deny that it is part of the universe, so maybe I should get over it.
I enjoyed the season more than I anticipated.
I have a small problem with the fleet warping instantly at the end, warp speed 900 I guess, but still a good dramatic effect
Time passed. It wasn’t instant.
I assumed that the Starfleet ships were prepositioned near the barrier/wall ready to cross. We were shown in the previous episode that there were old remnants of Borg Transwarp conduits in the region.
Reno could have messaged Vance even if full holographic communications weren’t available.
The episode makes clear that hours had passed while the Reno and the cadets on Athena were repairing the ship and working out the solution, then another 30 minutes to get to the star system at a limping warp speed and more to find Brakka.
I must say, I enjoyed this season of SFA more than any season of SNW so far and I thought this particular episode was excellent. I was kind of bummed by the explanation of why Discovery couldn’t jump with the spore drive, but was ecstatic to see her in the last few minutes of the episode (when the kids are standing by the window overlooking the fleet).
I can not wait until season 2.
I was kind of bummed by the explanation of why Discovery couldn’t jump with the spore drive
I loved this episode and the season in general , but I must disagree.
I felt like they respected their audience too much to leave us with freezer thoughts like “what about disco’s magic mushroom warp?”
Let me rephrase that, the explanation was solid. I was just sad they weren’t able to show up. If I remember correctly they even mentioned in discovery that the mycelial network was connected to subspace.
unfortunately they need to make sure they explain why discovery is not there every single time because if not a bunch of losers would review bomb it
Yeah, I can believe that. I was sad that we didn’t get a Burnham/Discovery cameo that was a part of the action, but I also understand that Academy is its own show and doesn’t need that to be good. Just a Discovery fan here dreaming of seeing them in action again.
I need to see this Talaxian Fur Fly
It’s going to continue to gather strength, and will eventually be the villain of season four.
Well according to the season finale it’s now… Duplicated itself in the replicator and is mating with itself? (If I caught that right)
Perfect vilain setup against a Moopsy!!
I could go on a whole rant about how that should be impossible, but I think I’m happy to let a gag be a gag in this case.
I got drunk on wine during this episode.
Everything was awesome! I flipped out seeing the 27th century mobile emitter. The things this episode expressed about Starfleet and the Federation are how I feel about this community (the fandom). I started attending STLV recently in 2024. Being in Las Vegas, getting to be surrounded by this community is one of the reasons I love this community. Trekkies are awesome! I love everyone here. This episode did a lot to express what a found family is, something the heart of this series.
This episode was soooooooooooooooooooooooo good!!!
A pretty solid finale to a pretty excellent season.
I liked a lot of it - Reno and the cadets having to solve the problem using their wits alone, Nus Braka’s ridiculous show trial, and the ultimate resolution of de-weaponizing the minefield (which one would think has long-term implications, if they’ve truly found a way to permanently stabilize Omega). The cast was stellar, which we’ve come to expect at this point.
I’m not completely satisfied with the resolution of the individual story arcs. I don’t think we got enough of Sam 2.0 for her inner conflict to really land, and while I assume ther and Genesis’ made-up language is a callback to something, but I honestly don’t remember it clearly. And I thought Anisha came around to Nala and the Federation too quickly at the end - I would have liked to have seen her a little angstier in that final scene.
The overall theme of the season has been identity, and choosing who you want to be. The cadets all went through that coming-of-age process, but so did the Doctor, and arguably Ake as well. I do hope we get to know Genesis better in season two, and Darem deserves more as well.
And I do hope they find Ocam - I assume he wandered off into the woods or something after episode 8.
de-weaponizing the minefield (which one would think has long-term implications, if they’ve truly found a way to permanently stabilize Omega)
I had the impression that it was only an option because of the composition of this synthetic type of Omega. Could be wrong, I’d need to rewatch the scene.
I also wonder if a completely stabilized Omega molecule would even be viable as a power source - the original VOY episode doesn’t seem to really touch on that, but it does seem like its energy potential comes from it being destabilized.
I’m feeling the same way.
This is the most coherently plotted live action Trek of the current era. The showrunners and writers room knew what they wanted and laid down all the pieces to get there.
I’m going to say that while Anisha’s punch of Brakka’s (as they say in comics) most punchable face seemed logical and a necessary catharsis, I don’t like that Ake stooped to that herself, however understandable the motivation.
I still feel, based on how much difference an extra two episodes per season makes to a low budget show like The Ark, that SFA would be stronger and better able to serve its large cast with 12 episode seasons.
I hope we get more on SAM’s development and integration of her two memories in season two.
Likewise, there definitely feels that there’s unfinished business between Anisha and Ake. I am going with Anisha being resigned to accept who her son has become but unsure of her own future.
_I still feel, based on how much difference an extra two episodes per season makes to a low budget show like The Ark, that SFA would be stronger and better able to serve its large cast with 12 episode seasons.
I hope we get more on SAM’s development and integration of her two memories in season two._
I’ve always been against the modern short season system. SFA is a classic example in my mind. SFA really needed another couple of episodes to breathe. I’d have been quite happy to have a few less SFX heavy episodes to have just more episodes.
I always thought that the insistence on every Paramount+ show having 10 episode seasons — which was mandated by the executives in charge of streaming when the ViacomCBS merger happened — was weird.
Other streamers are not that rigid and vary season structures depending on what the show is. While 12 episode seasons are rare, I can’t see the streamer that merges HBO Max and Paramount+ being quite so rigid.
The newly merged conglomerate has a myriad of practical decisions to make in merging Paramount and WBDiscovery. It will take time for all of the parameters of their streaming model to be fully established and implemented but we can expect some significant rethinking.
Anisha won’t be in season 2 so maybe in season 3.
And I do hope they find Ocam - I assume he wandered off into the woods or something after episode 8.
I suspect he actually followed orders and went down to Betazed last episode like he was supposed to.
I just forgot it but the subtitles gave a name to the language Genesis was speaking with Sam.
Tamza. Supposed to be a dead language by the 32nd century.
Sam was using it to say hi to people on her first day (SFA: “Kids These Days”) and Genesis was the only one who knew the language, so that’s how they became friends.
Okay yeah, I knew it was ringing a bell. I think they probably should have called that back at least once during the season. I can barely remember things for one week, let alone nine.
Oh shit, that was fun. I hate having to wait now. Also, the end credits are sublime and must be paused and read in their entirely. This is non-negotiable.
Annotations for 1x10 are up at: https://startrek.website/post/36717083
