When it comes to Roddenberry’s Star Trek, there was so much to admire about it. The bright outlook when it came to the future of humanity, how we overcame our darker natures, we pursued knowledge for the sake of knowledge, and that it made us think among other positive points. In essence, a shining example of science fiction. Meanwhile, Kurtzman’s NuTrek/Jar Trek, is a far cry from that. It is dark and depressing, the “best and brightest” of this entity are nothing more than drug and alcohol-imbibing thugs who belong more in 2023 than they do in a futuristic setting while the show is more akin to Sci-fi fantasy. Kurtzman’s Star Trek already has the maturity equivalent of college frat boys so I don’t see the need to see this repeated in a show about cadets titled Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
Star Trek: Discovery is the perfect example for the lack of mental maturity that is nowhere to be found in these shows. From Burnham’s emotional equivalent to a three-year-old (even though she was raised on Vulcan), to literally having frat parties on the ship, to everyone constantly having emotional outbursts. STD feels like you are watching college kids bumbling from one situation to another. So I guess it makes sense that the new Starfleet Academy show is set in this era.
If only it was limited to that era. But that is not the case.
Star Trek Picard certainly picks up on this trend. Characters that were once admired for their maturity, level-headedness, strong character, and lofty ideals have regressed to purveyors of corny jokes, inability to think properly, reason logically, to the point that they are nothing more than shadowy caricatures of beloved sci-fi characters.
Of course, when you have horrible writers behind these shows, I guess it is the obvious outcome. How else do you explain in Star Trek: Picard Season three episode two when SPOILERS ABOUT JACK’S FATHER, Picard is wondering if Jack Crusher is his child. But rather than finding out immediately, a ridiculous amount of time is spent hemming and hawing about this when the whole “mystery” could have been solved within 30 seconds in the medical bay. Or comparing their DNA via the information collected by the transporter. Or what about consulting records since there would have to be records of Jack’s birth?
The shows are extremely formulaic and trite. Everyone in NuTrek has to make a joke, there has to be humor all the time, drinking, smoking, snorting, putting each other down, complaining about everything. It’s so tiring to watch. Finally hoping from one logical fallacy to another logical fallacy.
So imagine a show where the writers have an excuse to multiply these behaviors tenfold. Just thinking about Star Trek: Starfleet Academy being written by these people is a horrifying prospect.
“Hey cadet! I see you were just in the sonic showers! You got a boner!!!”
I especially cringe to think about romantic relationships and the growing pangs of college life being handled by these talentless writers who don’t seem to live in the real world. The majority of “romances” within these shows have been pretty cringe to this point. There hasn’t been any such budding romances that really grab viewers’ attention or leave them cheering those characters on (certainly not in my opinion). Instead, we get a memberberry relationship between Riker and Troi which seems to be on the rocks anyways.
So no, there really isn’t a need for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Kurtzman’s NuTrek/Jar Trek more than adequately fits the mold already.
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I recently designed a shirt that boils down my issues for this show. Though there are plenty of other problems with each one.
Jar Trek is… – https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/143224939
NuTrek is… – https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/143225579
