Finally Some Plot… And An Omega Call-back Done Almost Right
After two episodes that felt like filler — long on teen drama and staring, short on storytelling — Starfleet Academy finally remembers that Star Trek can involve things like actual plot progression, space travel, and the occasional danger to the fabric of the universe.
Episode nine is not suddenly great Star Trek. Let’s not get carried away.
But compared to the last few weeks, this one at least feels like the writers remembered they’re making a science-fiction adventure show, not just a teen therapy session set in dim corridors.
And it helps that the episode leans on one of the more fascinating concepts Star Trek ever introduced: Omega.
Before we get there though, let’s talk about how the episode opens.
The Athena Nightclub
The episode begins with something we haven’t seen much of this season: happiness.
After weeks of sad faces, rain, whisky, and grief, the tone suddenly shifts.
Cadets are dancing. They’re smiling.
The colours are brighter. The locations are full of energy.
For a moment it’s refreshing. It’s not all glum and depressing.
Except the setting is… the Athena again.
They’re essentially partying in the corridors like it’s a nightclub.
And this raises a question I’ve been asking myself all season:
Why is Starfleet Academy a ship?
The Athena has spent most of the season parked at Earth, yet we almost never see Earth itself. We don’t see San Francisco. We don’t see the classic Starfleet Academy campus. We don’t see training grounds, lecture halls, or any of the locations that defined Academy life in previous Trek appearances.
Instead we’re trapped on a ship where most cadet training happens via bridge simulations.
Simulations that could easily happen in any holodeck anywhere.
So why is the Academy a transforming spaceship that occasionally unfolds like Optimus Prime turning into a basketball hoop with warp wings?
If the idea was to have a training ship, Trek has already done that perfectly.
In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the USS Valiant is a cadet training vessel crewed entirely by students during wartime. That concept worked because it had purpose and narrative stakes.
It was also a single episode, which was all it ever needed to be.
Here, the Athena mostly sits around waiting for the plot to remember space and boldly going exists.
A Klingon Bonding Ritual (And Yet Another Assault On The Language)
One of the more interesting moments in the opening involves Jay Den performing a Klingon bonding ritual with his fellow cadets.
This is actually a nice nod to Trek history, and it doesn’t require homework for new viewers either.
In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Worf performs a similar ceremony in the episode “The Bonding.” The ritual symbolises bringing someone into your House — recognising them as kin, bound by loyalty and honour.
In this Academy version, Jay Den is effectively inviting his fellow cadets into his Klingon house. It’s about chosen family, trust, and solidarity.
Which is a genuinely Trek-ish idea.
Unfortunately, the show continues its long-running habit of absolutely butchering Klingon pronunciation.
The Klingon language — developed by linguist Marc Okrand — has a very specific sound structure. It’s harsh, precise, and deliberate. When actors like Michael Dorn and J G Hertzler delivered Klingon dialogue, every syllable carried weight.
Here? The pronunciation sounds like someone read the phonetics once, hoped for the best, and coughed up a furball.
Still, the theme of chosen family is clear.
Jay Den invites Caleb to join.
And Caleb… walks away.
Because Caleb’s defining trait all season has been running.
Running from loss. Running from attachments. Running from the possibility of belonging somewhere.
It’s pretty obvious where this arc is heading.
By the finale, he’ll likely realise the family he’s been searching for was right in front of him all along and will accept Jay Den’s invitation.
Predictable? Yes.
But thematically, it’s at least coherent.
The Turbolift And The Return Of Awkward Dialogue
Of course, the episode can’t resist slipping back into its usual annoying habits at times.
Caleb and Tarima have another painfully awkward emotional conversation, this time in a turbolift.
The dialogue continues to feel like two teenagers reading text messages aloud.
And then the lift or computer voice — voiced by Stephen Colbert — makes a joke about cadets using closets for… activities other than storage.
Once again we’re back to the show’s strange reliance on innuendo humour.
Look, Trek has always been funny. But it was funny because of characters.
From Spock’s deadpan logic.
From Quark’s opportunism.
From Data’s attempts to understand humanity.
It didn’t rely on computer voices making jokes about cupboard-based romance.
This kind of humour feels like Trek trying too hard. Trying to be cheeky rather than clever. This show just isn’t funny.
Caleb’s Mum (The Plot Finally Moves)
This episode finally pushes forward the long-running missing mother storyline.
Sam, the now “changed because she had a childhood” hologram, quickly figures out why Caleb hasn’t heard from her.
Which leads Caleb to call himself “dumb.”
Which is funny, because the show has spent the entire season portraying him as a Gary Stu that’s capable of fixing or doing anything instantly.
Suddenly he’s oblivious.
Once again, characters behave however the plot needs them to behave that week.
It just isn’t good writing.
Omega Returns To Star Trek
Now this is where the episode becomes a bit more interesting.
The villain Braka is deploying Omega mines.
And if you’re a long-time Trek fan, hearing the word Omega immediately brings back one of the more fascinating episodes of Star Trek: Voyager: The Omega Directive.
That episode introduced the Omega molecule — a particle capable of producing immense energy output.
But it comes with a catastrophic side effect.
When Omega destabilises, it destroys subspace permanently in the surrounding area.
Subspace damage means warp travel becomes impossible in that region, almost forever.
For a civilisation built on faster-than-light travel, that’s an existential threat.
In the Voyager episode, Janeway receives a classified command code activating the Omega Directive, a secret Starfleet protocol that overrides all other orders.
Her mission becomes singular:
Destroy Omega at all costs.
Not study it. Not harness it. Destroy it.
The episode works because it creates a philosophical conflict.
Seven of Nine sees Omega as perfection — the Borg believed it represented ultimate order in the universe.
Janeway sees it as an unacceptable risk.
It’s classic Trek: science, ethics, and existential danger wrapped into one story.
Omega Mines: A Clever Weapon
Using Omega fragments as mines is actually a clever idea, even if the Federation storing Omega on a space station goes against the protocol setup in Voyager.
Any ship entering the field setup by Braka risks destabilising the molecule and destroying subspace.
Which means even the threat of detonation becomes a strategic weapon.
It’s a neat twist on the concept. Even if the Omega minefield somehow spanning huge regions of space feels… optimistic.
And, Braka appears to be the only person in the Alpha Quadrant capable of recognising the trap he’s laying.
The Federation keeps falling into his traps or back exactly where he wants them.
Which makes Starfleet look… not particularly bright.
Cadets Steal A Shuttle (Because Security Is Still Optional)
A group of cadets chase Caleb’s mum to a planet after stealing a shuttlecraft.
This is explained by Sam duplicating the Doctor’s command codes.
Fine.
But it once again highlights a recurring problem with this show:
Security on the Athena is terrible.
Chaos In The Shuttle
Once aboard the shuttle, the cadets start screaming, shouting, and panicking.
Which is frustrating.
Yes, they’re young and they’re cadets.
But Starfleet training is supposed to instil professionalism under pressure.
Instead it feels like a group project at school going wrong.
Also, Darem is drunk, from the afore mentioned nightclub, trying to be funny. And, again due to his enzyme deficiency, he vomits glitter.
It’s so dumb. It distracts from the concept behind the episode.
The Athena Saves The Day
Eventually the Athena swoops in to rescue everyone, as this planet is being taken over by Braka’s forces.
Visually, the episode looks great.
The ship may not look particularly Starfleet to my eyes — the design feels more like modern sci-fi than classic Federation aesthetics — but the CGI work is undeniably strong.
Space looks good. The ship manoeuvres convincingly.
Production value isn’t the show’s problem.
Jonathan Frakes: Trek’s Secret Weapon
This episode also benefits from being directed by Jonathan Frakes.
Frakes has quietly become one of the most reliable directors in the Star Trek universe. Since his time as Riker on The Next Generation, he’s directed dozens of Trek episodes across multiple series.
And you can usually feel it.
Even weaker scripts tend to flow better under his direction. Scenes breathe. Action sequences feel clearer. Character moments land more naturally.
Outside Trek, Frakes has also directed films, TV, and of course hosted the wonderful “Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction?” — with him often using “Fact or Fiction?” in his interview responses. Love it.
Recently he launched a podcast with fellow Trek legend Brent Spiner called Dropping Names.
The show is essentially two longtime friends sharing stories from decades in Hollywood — Trek behind-the-scenes tales, encounters with actors and directors, and plenty of dry humour. What makes it work is their chemistry: Spiner’s dry wit paired with Frakes’ relaxed storytelling style.
If you’re a Trek fan, it’s an absolute joy — the kind of conversation that reminds you why the people behind classic Trek cared so much about the work.
And frankly, listening to that podcast sometimes feels more like Star Trek than watching Starfleet Academy.
The Cliffhanger
The episode ends with the Athena performing a saucer separation while the rest of the ship falls into Braka’s control.
Apparently the saucer can go to warp.
Traditionally, warp travel requires nacelles, warp coils, and proper field geometry.
But it’s the 32nd century. Maybe they figured something out.
Still… it raised an eyebrow.
The Athena is now stuck outside of the Braka field, and we get them delivering a mayday as the curtains close on the episode.
It’s alright, even if the size of the field is a bit ridiculous. The concept or idea is there.
Also, the logistics of setting up a field of that size so quickly is also impossible. But again, it’s the 32nd century, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Modern trek does often forget space, time, and distance though.
Final Verdict
Episode nine is a slight improvement, only seen one other time in this series so far.
The episode has:
- A plot
- A Trek-ish concept
- A visit to another world
- A semi-decent cliffhanger
- Less teen drama than usual
It still borrows heavily from earlier Trek, doesn’t set it’s own course, and still suffers from clunky dialogue and awkward humour.
But compared to the recent episodes?
This one actually moves.
Which is why this week’s score climbs slightly up the scale.
Reshoots Required Score:
Minor Reshoots Required
Better. But still far from the level Star Trek should be operating at.
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