Star Trek: Starfleet Academy - Angry Review

Quick Overview

The reviewers rate the first episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy a 7/10, praising its high production value and casting diversity, while criticizing the reliance on tired sci-fi tropes like a

Key Points: The reviewers award the first episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy a 7/10 rating. The first episode features a plot where Caleb, a young hacker, sends a message to his mother, leading to a confrontation with the Captain and subsequent capture of the mother. The reviewer notes the show's diverse cast, including a Lanthanite character, but criticizes the use of outdated tropes like 'post-racism' and 'post-scarcity' settings. The second episode's main story appears to revolve around the captured mother and Caleb's attempts to rescue her, including a dramatic ship battle. The reviewer praises the visuals and action sequences, contrasting them with the more 'juvenile' character drama elements. A recurring element criticized is the reliance on the 'cute' subplot involving the holographic girl and the 'bully' characters, which the reviewer finds grating.

Context: This video is a reaction/review by three commentators (Angry Joe Show crew) watching the trailer and initial episodes of the new Paramount+ series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. The primary focus is on their immediate impressions of the show's quality, plot setup, and adherence (or lack thereof) to established Star Trek themes, especially concerning the 32nd-century setting and character dynamics.

Detailed Analysis

The reviewers discuss their mixed feelings after watching the first two episodes of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, ultimately scoring the first episode a 7/10, but noting the second episode drops to a 3/10. The main criticism centers on the writing feeling derivative, relying heavily on outdated sci-fi tropes like post-scarcity and post-racism settings, which they feel are inadequately explored. The reviewer (Joe) specifically calls out the plot points—like the young hacker Caleb sending a message that leads to his mother being captured—as being too simplistic or contrived. They found the action and visuals impressive, particularly the ship battles and futuristic setting (like the Federation base overlooking San Francisco), but felt the interpersonal drama, especially the romance/love triangle elements and the bully character arcs, felt like high school drama rather than mature storytelling. The reviewer praises actor Robert Picardo's appearance as the ship's doctor, noting his character is centuries old but still acts in ways that feel anachronistic to the setting. The overall sentiment is that while the show has high production value, the writing needs refinement to move past tropes and deliver compelling, mature narratives.