Class has been dismissed rather earlier than planned, following the premature cancellation of "Starfleet Academy". A second season has already wrapped shooting — and will presumably beam onto Paramount+ early next year — but "Star Trek"'s paymasters clearly decided it wasn't worth persisting any longer with the final frontier's newest show.

The teen-oriented spin-off becomes the shortest-lived live-action series in the franchise's 60-year history, and — given the extensive and largely unjustified criticism the show's faced online — many will say its demise is no surprise. But whatever your feelings on "Academy", its unfortunate fate suggests that all is not well at Starfleet Headquarters.

The only other 'active' "Trek" on the Paramount+ roster is "Strange New Worlds", whose fourth and fifth seasons are already in the can. But with the fifth already confirmed to be the last outing for Captain Christopher Pike and co, we could easily find ourselves with no new "Treks" on the horizon by the end of 2027.

It's a scenario that would have seemed implausible just three years ago when "Discovery", "Picard", "Lower Decks", "Prodigy" and "Strange New Worlds" were all on active duty. Indeed, Gene Roddenbery's space saga was in better health than it had been since the glory days of "The Next Generation", "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager".

But this potential slowdown isn't unique to "Star Trek". With "The Mandalorian and Grogu" about to relocate (maybe temporarily?) to movie theaters, "Ahsoka" season 2 is currently the only small-screen "Star Wars" adventure waiting on the launchpad. And in the UK, "Doctor Who" is currently trapped in a kind of Time Lord limbo. We know the BBC is bringing it back for a Christmas special — maybe with Billie Piper in the lead role — but beyond that, its future is a mystery now that Disney+ has decided to end its involvement in Britain's most famous sci-fi export.

Could it be that the biggest streamers are getting cold feet about some of their biggest legacy franchises?

It's worth pointing out that the last decade has been the historical outlier, a period in which armchair sci-fi fans have never had it so good.

From the cancellation of "Enterprise" in 2005 to "Discovery"'s debut 12 years later, there was no "Star Trek" on TV. "Star Wars" had never had a live action TV show before Din Djarin met Baby Yoda in 2019. Since then, we've had more separate "Trek" shows in nine years (albeit with shorter seasons) than the franchise managed during its entire Rick Berman-marshalled 1987-2005 heyday. Disney+, meanwhile, has become our primary source of action from a galaxy far, far away, with "Star Wars" movies on hiatus since "The Rise of Skywalker".

Both franchises have been regarded as consistent earners for their respective owners, so much so that Disney famously decided to pay $4 billion for the keys to George Lucas's Empire. They've also thrown a lot at money at making sure these TV shows looked like movies, investing in production values that would have been unimaginable in the pre-streaming age. But the impending pauses suggest they might not be as bankable as they used to be. So what's gone wrong?

For starters, there is a limit to how much "content" even the most passionate fans can consume, especially in a market that's more saturated than ever. "Doctor Who" has been on air more or less continuously since Russell T Davies brought it back in 2005 — nearly as long as the show's original 26-year run — while "Star Wars" has evolved from a once-every-few-years movie factory to an always-on TV machine. Even the mighty Marvel Studios, which seemed unstoppable in the wake of the mighty "Avengers: Endgame", had to concede there wasn't an appetite for everything it was making. It subsequently reduced its output.

Also, Hollywood tends to remember its perceived failures more than its successes, and the big legacy franchises have all had a misstep somewhere along the way. In the "Star Wars" camp, "The Acolyte" and "Skeleton Crew" both failed to get second seasons, feeling the grim reaper's scythe just as "Starfleet Academy" has a year or so later. When you're spending tens of millions of dollars on a season of TV, failure is no longer an option. And in the current TV climate, there's no time to find your feet, the way that bona fide classics such as "The Office", "Parks and Recreation" and "Fringe" all did in their second seasons.

One thing those aforementioned cancelled shows have in common is the fact they tried to step away from established norms, whether it's visiting a whole new time period ("The Acolyte"), or targeting a younger audience ("Skeleton Crew", "Starfleet Academy"). But it turns out that embracing the new can be surprisingly controversial when you're dealing with a long-standing franchise. Remake "A New Hope", as JJ Abrams essentially did with "The Force Awakens", and everybody's happy; try to shake things up, as Rian Johnson did with "The Last Jedi", and risk splitting the fanbase in two as if they're Darth Maul on the wrong end of a lightsaber.

"You’ve got a very, very small percentage of the fan base that has enormous expectations and basically they want to continue to see pretty much the same thing," former Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in her "exit interview" with Deadline. "And if you’re not going to do that, then you know going in that you’re going to disappoint them. I’m not sure there’s anything you can do about that, because you can’t please everybody."

"Star Trek" overseer Alex Kurtzman (who's currently in discussions with Paramount about the franchise's TV future) admitted similar ahead of "Starfleet Academy"'s debut, telling SFX magazine: "I don't believe that it's really possible to create a one-size-fits-all 'Star Trek' show. The goal, over time, is you have to plan different shows for different people, with the assumption they're all a gateway drug in some way. We've discovered there's a whole audience of younger kids who've found 'Star Trek' through 'Lower Decks', and that's led them to the other shows and movies."

This is undeniably a noble ideal, and classic franchises need to evolve if they're going to stay relevant — the same way that Davies made "Doctor Who" feel so vibrant and fresh when the Ninth Doctor first told Rose Tyler to "Run!".

But with the eyeballs of Gen Z and Gen Alpha also trapped in the tractor beams of "Stranger Things", "Wednesday" and, er, "Friends", the likes of "Star Wars", "Star Trek" and "Doctor Who" maybe can't afford to neglect the older fans who already have the franchises in their blood — even if some are a little too resistant to change.

That would be a shame, because great TV and movies should be more than nostalgia exercises — "Andor" is up there with the best "Star Wars" ever made because it pushed the envelope of what "Star Wars" could be. The crucial difference with "Skeleton Crew" and "Starfleet Academy", perhaps, is that it did so in an adult-friendly way, taking old-school fans along for the ride.

Then again, a bit of a break could be what each of these franchises needs. Absence usually makes the heart grow fonder, and stepping off the conveyor belt could give each of these sci-fi institutions a chance to rediscover what it wants to be.

Maybe "The Mandalorian and Grogu" and next year's "Starfighter" will remind us all how much we love seeing "Star Wars" on the big screen. Perhaps a new Doctor will recapture that David Tennant era mojo, or a new Starfleet crew will win over hearts and minds like Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise-D gang did with "The Next Generation".

It's worth remembering, too, that the best franchises always find a way back, however long they're away. And besides, "Star Trek" has a 60th birthday coming up — and Paramount would be utterly mad to let the occasion pass without marking it in pretty spectacular fashion.

This past weekend's CCXP Mexico was the location for the riveting reveal of the new "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" season 4 sneak peek and it definitely did not disappoint as you can clearly see in this action-packed summertime appetizer.

On hand at the gala Mexico City pop culture and comic book convention were "Strange New Worlds" stars Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Celia Rose Gooding and Paul Wesley to announce the season 4 premiere date of July 23, 2026.

"We're so proud of this show, and we're really proud of season four — and season five," Romijn told the attending crowd. "We really think it's our best season yet."

"The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise – led by Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) – embark on a series of thrilling and emotional adventures across the stars," states the official Paramount+ synopsis.

"As they journey to strange new worlds, they will battle inner demons and external threats, encounter colorful new characters, reunite with familiar faces and confront terrifying aliens. Through it all, they strive to embrace a bright, hopeful future."

"Star Trek" has always had a love for classic literature, especially the works of William Shakespeare, and this teaser taps into that legacy with Pike reciting a slightly altered line from Edgar Rice Burroughs' sci-fi novel, "A Princess of Mars."

"I have ever been prone to seek adventure and to investigate where wiser men would have left well enough alone," Pike states in the intro.

There's some exhilarating footage here inside the brief preview that highlights the more serious nature of the series with dramatic imagery of prehistoric lands, a shimmering black hole, lots of interstellar anguish, exploding planets, galloping horses, horror moments, a touching “Spirk” hug, and even a bellowing T-rex.

But if you think season 4 is going to be tearful bonding instances and sad, somber missions, don’t forget that we’re also getting a hilarious all-Muppet episode that was teased at last year's San Diego Comic Con!

Sadly, this will be the last time the series offers up a full 10-episode season as season 5 will actually be a condensed 6-chapter series finale.

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" season 4 launches exclusively on Paramount + on July 23, 2026 courtesy of executive producers and co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers. Avid fans can currently catch up with "Strange New Worlds"' first three seasons on the Paramount+ streaming platform.

There was a time when things ended. When the stories on our screens had a beginning, middle, and end. A time when a trilogy was the longest series of films you could hope for, and when a show aired its final season, it was actually its final season.

That time is gone. Star Trek, Star Wars, Marvel, Godzilla, Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, DC, Doctor Who… the list goes on and on. These franchises are no longer vehicles for structured stories, but instead sprawling universes in which stories build and collide and ramble on ad infinitum. If a successful film or show does end, the result is more of that thing, especially if it already has an established fan base.

This is hardly a new observation. We’ve all, at one time or another, discussed the fact that franchises and cinematic universes are out of control. The very fact that we now refer to these things as franchises should illuminate what they’ve become. We're not here to bemoan that again.

Instead, we want to talk about what happens to something when it’s never allowed to end; the consequences of this endless treadmill of content. What happens to us, the audience (and maybe even society) when we’re no longer allowed to finish a story?

It’s the end of the world as we know it

Expanded universes are nothing new. Among the litany of sci-fi movies turning into sprawling franchises/universes, you probably have one that’s especially important to you, and most of them have a litany of comic books, novels, and video games under their umbrella. But these were always niche and hidden away from the main canon. Now, they're multi-million dollar streaming shows and theatrical releases.

These worlds are now cultural touchpoints. They are the modern myths we tell, like Odysseus, but no one ever makes it home, because the franchise must continue. The footprint of film and television is just that much bigger than books or comics. Those previous expanded universes let beloved stories live on, but didn’t define the zeitgeist as franchises do now.

And perhaps most importantly, the internet wasn’t around for every aspect to be picked apart, and discussions of ever-expanding lore sat in friend groups, cons, or limited forums. When a series of Trek ended, that was the end of it (barring a few cameos), not the chance to spin off a closely related show or bring it back decades down the road.

By contrast, the last two live-action Star Trek shows — Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy — were both spun off from Discovery, because everything needs to be connected. And don't even get us started on the mess that is the MCU, with its infinite roster of shows and movies that only make sense if you've seen the preceding five entries.

To be clear, the end result isn’t always — or even usually — bad. Releases like Andor, Lower Decks, and even Thunderbolts have shown that exploring lesser-known corners of established universes can be a gold mine. The problem is that these franchises are now living in an eternal nostalgia loop, with fans both wanting the past and constantly asking what is next. But without a chance to say goodbye to our heroes, we're missing out on a core part of stories; their endings.

And the worst thing is, if we're looking for someone to blame for this, we need only look into a mirror. We asked for this — sometimes directly, but often by voting with our wallets — and the corporations delivered, and delivered, and delivered, so that our modern-day myths never end.

But in the end, it doesn't even matter

For many of us, watching that final poker game in Star Trek: The Next Generation’s now ironically titled “All Good Things” was a moment of profound reflection. Seeing Luke, Han, and Leia party with the Ewoks (sans digitally included Anakin Skywalker) brought the ground-breaking space opera to a culturally significant end, and watching or reading the ending(s) of The Return of the King was a tear-filled gut punch. These were stories that gave us closure.

Now Picard is zipping around the cosmos again, The Lord of the Rings is waylaid with prequels and spin-offs, and somehow, Palpatine returned. Those closures are no longer available to us. We never know when any story might be brought back, continued, redone, or retconned. There’s no end in sight, no closing lesson for us to learn, leaving everyone with ambiguity in what we’re supposed to take away from anything. On a sociological and philosophical level, we’re simply never allowed to stop caring.

That, counterintuitively, makes it all the harder to care. As our stories don’t give us the catharsis we’re psychologically built to need, we stop investing in them. We turn to those stories that did give us closure and wonder why we don’t feel the same way about the continuations. Without knowing anything will end, we’re stuck waiting for what’s next – be that prequel, sequel, or spin-off.

There’s also just too much of it. Eternal franchises require eternal, ever-expanding content. When stories ended, you could relive them over and over, experience them in different ways, and discover new things. Part of the incredible staying power of the original Star Wars movies was that they were the only Star Wars movies (apologies to the Christmas special).

That story wasn't just important to the fandom, but society as a whole, as we watched, rewatched, referenced, and relived. It is nigh impossible for anything to do that now. Instead, our cinematic universes sprawl meanderingly, and so too does a franchise's cultural impact. We’re spread too thin, needing to connect complex infrastructures of storytelling instead of engaging in-depth with a single tale.

We're reaching a point, not just as individuals but as a whole, where we can’t let go, but we can’t keep up. Our stories must end somehow. And for many, the answer has just been to give up.

It’s something unpredictable, but in the end, it’s right

This all may sound a bit dramatic for some silly sci-fi movies and TV shows, but stories are how human beings learn, reflect, and advance. They're cultural touchstones that give us hope and guidance, and help define who we are as a society. Our stories turning into never-ending content mills is no small thing, and the impact may not be understood for decades to come. This is important.

Now that we’re all thoroughly depressed (or confused), maybe there is some hope. While we may be suffering from a current inability to let anything end, it shouldn’t be said that an eternal story is always a bad thing. For a long time, Star Trek was very much a functioning never-ending story.

The answer is to embrace the new and stop clamoring for what was. It’s also for studios to experiment with new ideas instead of building everything off the old ones. Deep Space Nine worked because it was so drastically different from TNG. Godzilla’s best outing in decades was a full reimagining of his lore. Andor succeeds because it is so incredibly not a space opera, and there isn't a Jedi within 12 parsecs. It's fine to dip into the warm waters of nostalgia every now and then, but it can't be the foundation that our future is built on.

Same universe, different story, new endings. Our favorite franchises don’t need to die; they just need to be built around stories that actually end.

Where do you go after Star Trek: Starfleet Academy? Season 2, the show's final season, likely won't arrive till 2027, which may leave you craving your next Trek fix. However, thanks to this Paramount Plus deal, you can watch all five seasons of Star Trek: Lower Decks, just $2.99 a month for two months.

Save up to 79% on a Paramount+ and stream all five seasons of Star Trek: Lower Decks, along with the entire Star Trek back catalog.

Star Trek: Lower Decks is an animated take on Next Generation-era Trek, following the minor(ish) crew of one of Starfleet's lesser-known vessels, the USS Cerritos. It's knowingly silly, lampooning Trek tropes and even featuring cameos from some famous Star Trek characters but, like the best Trek, it's got heart.

Now, thanks to this Paramount Plus deal, you can watch it with or without ads for just $2.99 a month for two months. We rank Paramount Plus as one of the best streaming services for sci-fi fans and, Lower Decks aside, you can stream virtually every Star Trek show and movie ever.

• We've also got you covered with reviews and rankings of the best telescopes, binoculars, star projectors, cameras, drones, Lego, streaming and more.

Ever wanted to know what life is like for Starfleet's unsung other guys? Not the red shirts, whose career life expectancy can be counted on a salt vampire's fingers, but the staff that turns up after the Enterprise has saved the day? That's where animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks comes in, introducing us to the also-rans for whom the bridge is undiscovered country.

This show is gloriously tongue-in-cheek, while still remaining canon, and has just concluded its run after five well-deserved seasons. That's fifty episodes of Ensigns Boimler and Mariner and their equally overlooked crewmates getting into all sorts of Star Trek scrapes. Star Trek: Lower Decks is loaded with gags and call-backs; even Q and the Borg Queen get a look in.

From cute, bone-drinking alien lifeforms through to homicide-heavy holodeck simulations, there's nowhere Lower Decks is afraid to go. The show proved so popular that the pair even time-travelled (in live action) to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. We interviewed the Lower Decks cast about what they'd miss about it now that it's over, and it shows how much heart went into Lower Decks

This Paramount Plus offer allows you to binge the whole series for just $2.99 a month for two months, after which time the price rises to $8.99 and $13.99 for the ad-supported and ad-free tiers. You can also watch every other Star Trek movie and show from the original series through to Star Trek: Picard, Starfleet Academy and non-Trek shows and movies like CSI and Tulsa King.

Key features: Almost every single Star Trek series and film can be found on Paramount Plus. From the original series through to Picard to the Section 31 movie, it's there. You also get access to the whole of Paramount Plus's catalogue, which includes historical dramas, crime shows and more.

Price history: Paramount Plus previously offered a variety of deals, some yearly, some monthly. At $2.99 a month lets you enjoy a host of Star Trek content without locking yourself in.

Consensus: If you're a Trekkie, you need Paramount Plus. While Star Trek: Prodigy is in the hands of Netflix, every other Star Trek show, movie and animation can be watched on Paramount Plus. There are also more down-to-earth shows like 1883 and Tulsa King.

Featured in guides: Best streaming services for sci-fi fans

✅ Buy it if: You have an interest in Star Trek. Paramount has the rights to Star Trek and, so, you'll find virtually every single Star Trek movie and show on Plus.

❌ Don't buy it if: You're a Paramount Plus subscriber already. This deal only applies to new subscribers or those who've cancelled in the past.

Check out our other guides to the best telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, lego and much more.

Has Season 1 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy left you craving more Trek? Then you'll be happy to hear you can binge the first three seasons of the superb Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. And, with this Paramount Plus deal, it'll cost you just $2.99 a month for the first two months.

Get a monthly Paramount Plus subscription for up to 79% off, all you need to watch Strange New Worlds and the entire Star Trek back catalog.

If you've not seen Strange New Worlds, you're in for a treat. Anson Mount's Captain Christopher Pike was introduced in Star Trek: Discovery, before it went all timey-wimey. Strange New Worlds, set aboard the original Enterprise, is a little lighter and more humor-packed than that show. Fans of original Trek will also be happy to see Spock, Uhura and, later, Scotty, on the show, beaming down with their old-school flip communicators.

That's not all you'll find on Paramount Plus, which we rank as one of the best streaming services for sci-fi fans. With the exception of Star Trek: Prodigy, every single Star Trek show and movie is available on the service, and there's a host of non-sci-fi content too. This deal makes it just $2.99 a month for two months ($8.99 and $11.99 for ad-supported and ad-free), a real steal for all the Star Trek you could ever want.

• We've also got you covered with reviews and rankings of the best telescopes, binoculars, star projectors, cameras, drones, Lego, streaming and more.

Love old Trek? Star Trek: Strange New Worlds succeeds in honoring TOS, as Pike, Uhura, Scotty, Spock and a host of new characters set out to boldly go where no one has gone before. Set before original Trek, it has the Enterprise's crew meeting new alien races, battling cosmic menaces and even (in an absolutely brilliant episode) crossing over with Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Featuring a healthy dose of humor, Strange New Worlds is sure to raise a grin. That's not to say that Strange New Worlds is short on drama; however, far from it. As wry and personable as Pike can be, he's living with a vision of his future fate, something long-time Trek fans will be only too aware of. And as any sci-fi or fantasy fan knows, prophecies can be hell.

In our review of Star Trek New Worlds' first episode, we said it could "Very easily become the best 'Trek' on TV,' and it's yet to let us down. The first three seasons are available on Paramount Plus right now, a fourth series is just around the corner, and a fifth, albeit shorter, season is likely to land in 2027.

That's 40 episodes of pure Trek you can binge this year on Paramount Plus, as well as other Trek content like Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: The Original Series and more.

Key features: Virtually every single Star Trek series and film can be found on Paramount Plus, from the original series through to the Section 31 movie. On top of that, there's a host of other non-sci-fi content, from historical dramas through to crime shows.

Price history: Paramount Plus has offered several different deals, including savings on a full year of the service. At $2.99 a month this is a great offer if you want a taste of what's on offer without locking yourself in.

Consensus: Paramount Plus is the essential streaming service if you're a Trekkie. Prodigy aside, every movie, live-action shows and animations can be found on Plus. Plus has it all. As for the rest of the family, they're spoilt for choice too, with more grounded shows like 1883 and Tulsa King.

Featured in guides: Best streaming services for sci-fi fans

✅ Buy it if: You're a Star Trek fan. Paramount owns the rights to Star Trek and, so, Plus boasts virtually every single Star Trek movie and show.

❌ Don't buy it if: You're already a Paramount Plus subscriber. This deal is only for new or lapsed subscribers.

Check out our other guides to the best telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, lego and much more.

William Shatner is a man who needs no introduction as one of the most beloved and distinguished movie stars Hollywood has ever created.

To help blow out the candles on this legendary 'Star Trek' actor's birthday cake, we’ve rounded up ten memorable moments from three decades of Captain James T. Kirk performances from "Star Trek's" "The Original Series" and feature films.

While this is a purely subjective list, we sincerely hope that you discover some of your all-time favorites here; please don’t deliver us a painful Vulcan nerve pinch or full phaser stun if we've missed a defining Kirk spotlight or classic speech you love.

Born on March 22, 1931, in Montreal, Canada, Shatner recently underwent surgery for a shoulder injury he sustained while competing in the equine discipline known as reining. We do hope he's recovering well at home for his birthday with loved ones and his ever-present Doberman Pinschers.

Let's raise a toast to the greatest starship captain in the known universe, who helmed Starfleet's noble USS Enterprise with courage, character, and charisma on the launch of his 95th triumphant trip around the sun!

1. "1,771,561 Tribbles"

• Episode/Movie: "Star Trek: The Original Series" - Season 2 - "The Trouble With Tribbles"
• Screenplay: David Gerrold
• Original Air Date: Dec. 29, 1967

Ah, those pesky spheres of alien fur! Tribbles! Shatner deftly presents Kirk's delicate handling of interstellar trader Cyrano Jones's multiplying annoyances with a gentle humor and relaxed resignation as to the absurdity of the situation aboard the Enterprise.

Buried deep in a mound of tribbles and emerging from the hairy pile of creatures, Kirk handles himself admirably, embracing the unfortunate situation with a sense of comedic calm that adds yet another humanistic dimension to the iconic captain's character.

2. "Of All The Souls I've Encountered In My Travels, His Was The Most Human"

• Episode/Movie: "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"
• Screenplay: Jack B. Sowards
• Release Date: June 4, 1982

There wasn't a dry eye in the house when audiences first watched Kirk preside over the funeral of his cherished friend and stalwart officer Spock, and it's still an indelible moment that continues to resonate with fans over the decades.

In delivering this touching eulogy to his departed friend, Shatner gives the moment the full impact of emotional weight in his lip-trembling speech before the draped coffin capsule containing Spock's body is ejected into space.

This is method acting at its very best!

3. "Flesh and blood, afloat in a universe without end"

• Episode/Movie: "Star Trek: The Original Series" - Season 2 - "Who Mourns For Adonais?"
• Screenplay: Gene L. Coon, Gilbert Ralston
• Original Air Date: Sep. 22, 1967

Kirk gets deep into some existential territory here in this poignant scene where he's trying to effectively convince Lieutenant Palamas — who's been recruited into Apollo's plan to become his queen and help spawn a new race of super beings — to remember her unbreakable shared ties to humanity and reject Apollo's amorous advances.

If he fails, the landing party will be stranded on Pollax IV to worship the gods and goddesses. We all know he's going to succeed, but watching it happen is still a sight to behold.

4. "Have We Not Heard The Chimes At Midnight?"

• Episode/Movie: "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country"
• Screenplay: Nicholas Meyer, Denny Martin Flinn
• Release Date: Dec. 6, 1991

Christopher Plummer's gritty antagonist, General Chang, makes for a formidable opponent in their tense dinner party evening aboard the USS Enterprise while the Klingon diplomatic envoy is en route to the Camp Khitomer peace conference.

The deliberate sparring during mealtime hides a palpable contempt the two warriors have for each other, further displayed as a seething hatred conveyed on Kirk's face as Chang departs back to Kronos One. It's a perfect fusion of clashing wills in the cold void of space that Shatner and Plummer must have had a blast shooting.

5. "Risk is our business"

• Episode/Movie: "Star Trek: The Original Series" - Season 2 - "Return To Tomorrow"
• Screenplay: John T. Dugan
• Original Air Date: Feb. 9, 1968

One of Kirk's finest moments in "The Original Series" is a somber reminder of the extreme mortal dangers they all face in their exploration of the final frontier.

It serves not only to galvanize the crew's resolve at a pivotal moment and define his personal philosophy and tenets of Starfleet, but also to lay out the core values and meaning of Gene Roddenberry's "Wagon Train To The Stars."

Rooted in America's ongoing space race of the late '60s, this is superb writing by John T. Dugan, who gives the scene a heroic gravitas that defines Kirk's solid leadership skills.

6. "First Man That Fires Is Dead!"

• Episode/Movie: "Star Trek: The Original Series" - Season 1 - "The Devil In The Dark"
• Screenplay: Gene L. Coon
• Original Air Date: March 9, 1967

Captain Kirk's compassion and negotiating acumen are presented here in one of "Star Trek: The Original Series'" few forays into horror, and it's a fan favorite episode with a beautiful tonal balance.

Here Kirk reveals the Horta mother (the lasagne monster!) isn't simply killing pergium miners indiscriminately, but is merely protecting her eggs that are being threatened by the miners' drilling.

Kirk's quick thinking compromise that's proposed offers a chance for a unique inter-species cooperation that is one of Starfleet's profound hopes as they venture into the stars.

7. "I need my pain"

• Episode/Movie: "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier"
• Screenplay: David Loughery
• Release Date: June 9, 1989

In their forced trek across the galaxy to the Great Barrier, an alien entity pretending to be God himself tries to trick Spock's half-brother, Sybok, into bringing the Enterprise closer so he can escape.

Kirk questions this deity's "benevolent" intentions and shows a healthy skepticism towards its promise of removing their burden of emotional pain. Kirk responds vehemently on the necessity of these complex memories and how those pains have formed and shaped his humanity, for better and for worse.

8. "I Said, Gimme The Brandy!"

• Episode/Movie: "Star Trek: The Original Series" - Season 1 - "The Enemy Within"
• Screenplay: Richard Matheson
• Original Air Date: Oct. 6, 1966

The full scope of William Shatner's impressive range is revealed here in this episode. It's a master class of acting prowess, as Kirk's nefarious duplicate beams aboard to cause extreme havoc and confusion aboard the Enterprise.

In this sort of Jekyll and Hyde sci-fi story, Kirk is divided into a Positive and Negative version of himself due to a transporter error. Evil Kirk is a frightening, primal menace, skulking around the corridors like a feral beast, chugging brandy and assaulting Yeoman Rand with no conscience.

The final reintegration of the two halves is compelling stuff!

9. "I've Given You Back The Horrors Of War"

• Episode/Movie: "Star Trek: The Original Series" - Season 1 - "A Taste Of Armageddon"
• Screenplay: Robert Hamner, Gene L. Coon
• Original Air Date: Feb. 23, 1967

Kirk and Co. try to negotiate a peace treaty between the military commands of Iminiar VII and Vendikar, only to discover that it's a simulated war engaged via computers, with "casualties" voluntarily exterminating themselves while the planets' infrastructures remain intact.

When the computers running the 500-year conflict are destroyed, the prospect of real war and destruction brings both sides to the bargaining table. Kirk lays out the true horrors of war and the necessity of its avoidance, especially when simulated battle becomes bloody chaos.

10. "Dammit Bones, I need you!"

• Episode/Movie: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture"
• Screenplay: Harold Livingston
• Release Date: Dec. 7, 1979

The essential bond between Kirk and McCoy is further strengthened here in this first "Star Trek" feature film released in 1979 in the aftermath of two sci-fi giants, "Star Wars" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

Kirk unveils a sense of humility and vulnerability here in his admission that he desperately requires "Bones" McCoy's companionship, friendship, and common sense as they embark on a perilous mission. It's exactly this level of intimate character dynamics and cast chemistry that forged such a relationship between the franchise and its legion of fans.

Season 1 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has just dropped its dynamite final episode, and if you've missed out on this all-new show, this fantastic Paramount+ deal will let you catch up on it for just $2.99 a month for two months.

Save up to 79% on a monthly subscription to Paramount Plus, and watch virtually every Star Trek show and movie at home or on the go.

Starfleet Academy delves into an aspect of the Trekiverse that's been regularly referenced but infrequently explored on-screen: The institute that trains up new Star Trek crew. This show, which takes place in the 32nd century, sees a group of cadets tackling everything from galactic diplomacy to edge-of-your-captain's-chair space battles.

Now, thanks to this Paramount Plus deal, you can watch Season 1 of the show for $2.99 a month, a saving of 79%. When you're done, there's a whole world of Trek to explore, including Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Voyager, both of which tie into this show. We think Paramount Plus is one of the best streaming services for sci-fi fans.

• We've also got you covered with reviews and rankings of the best telescopes, binoculars, star projectors, cameras, drones, Lego, streaming and more.

From the original series to Starfleet Academy, and Season 4 of Strange New Worlds when it arrives later this year, Paramount Plus is the best place to watch Star Trek, full stop. I'm old enough to remember when the franchise was scattered across multiple streaming services but now, with the exception of Star Trek: Prodigy, it's all on Paramount Plus.

If you've missed out on Starfleet Academy, now's the time to take advantage of this offer. Aside from a new, younger cast, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy features some familiar faces from Star Trek: Discovery and the return of Star Trek: Voyager's holographic doctor.

Will it take you a month to binge-watch the ten-episode first season? No, but that's where Paramount Plus's vast back-catalogue of Star Trek comes in. You can stream virtually every Trek show and episode ever made, including Star Trek: Lower Decks and the animated version of the original series. Both seasons of Paramount's Halo series are on there too and, for your less sci-fi inclined family members, you've got shows like Sylvester Stallone's Tulsa King and Yellowstone spin-off 1883.

Key features: Nearly every single Star Trek show and movie, including the new Starfleet Academy Show, ready to stream. Paramount Plus also boasts a huge catalog of other shows and films, viewable on a wide variety of devices.

Price history: We've seen Paramount Plus offer a range of deals in the past, but you sometimes have to lock in for a year. $2.99 a month for ad-free Paramount Plus Premium is a real steal (and the ad-supported tier is a good deal too), saving $6 a month and $11 a month for the first two months, respectively.

Consensus: If you're a Trekkie, Paramount Plus is an absolute must-have. From movies to shows, live-action and animated, you'll find hours and hours of Star Trek content on the service. Whether it's old or new Trek you crave, you're absolutely spoilt for choice. There's a wealth of non-sci-fi content too, from 1883 to Tulsa King.

Featured in guides: Best streaming services for sci-fi fans

✅ Buy it if: You love Star Trek. Paramount is your one-stop for everything from the Star Trek universe to shows to movies. Plus, there's a galaxy of additional content.

❌ Don't buy it if: You already have a current subscription to Paramount Plus, as this deal is for new or lapsed subscribers.

Check out our other guides to the best telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, lego and much more.

The end of any grand adventure is always bittersweet, as it was for the intrepid cadets of "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" by completing their first stage of training aboard the teaching vessel USS Athena, commanded by quirky Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter).

With Episode 10, "Rubincon," our promising officer candidates were put through another trial by fire as they contended with the vengeful Nus Braka (Paul Giamatti) and his rowdy band of Venari Ral space pirates, who installed a ring of Omega 47 mines around Federation space to orchestrate a potentially devastating showdown.

This was the second half of a two-part season finale, directed by "Star Trek" veteran Olatunde Osunsanmi ("Star Trek: Discovery," "Star Trek: Section 31"). The acclaimed filmmaker took the baton from the legendary Jonathan Frakes, who helmed the penultimate "300th Night." Many plot threads were wrapped up neatly after some intense interstellar bonding, and our young crew of astro-students can now relax a bit and enjoy some deserved rest and relaxation after a harrowing year.

We connected with series executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau to hear their thoughts on the accomplishments of "Starfleet Academy's" inaugural season, this climactic chapter, and what's to come in the upcoming second season.

"I love that the final episode is a really happy ending for the season," Landau tells Space. "It promises that this is just the beginning of the story for these characters. There's so much more to tell. Caleb is fully committed to Starfleet in every chamber of his heart. And he finally is reconciled with his mom, and his mom is at peace with him becoming a Starfleet officer one day. It really feels like a satisfying meal that ended right when and how it was supposed to.

This debut season has only just wrapped, but Landau is already teasing what's ahead.

"These characters are barely figuring themselves out and have barely begun the journey of figuring out who they're going to be in Starfleet," says Landau. "Something that's really cool in season 2 that's coming is that the characters are starting to realize that everything they thought they wanted, they're surprised to learn they actually want something even more."

Kurtzman concurs that although it all ended well, there were obstacles to hurdle, and this premiere season felt extremely gratifying due to the efforts of everyone involved.

"We're all so proud of the season," he notes. "I love the show. I love the cast. I love the writers. I love the crew. Everybody had such a good time. It was hard as hell, but season 1 of anything always is.

"I reminded Noga that we threw the finale out two-and-a-half weeks before we started shooting it," reveals Kurtzman. "I'm really proud of that because we'd built such a solid start to the show, and part of our job was recognizing we weren't quite sticking the landing from a structural storytelling place, and we needed to reconceive how we were getting there. It’s one of those scary things when you're so close to production, and you have to make that kind of command decision.

"Those are the moments where you need to step up to it, and it had a huge ripple effect. Noga felt like it was important that we pay off all the things we set up so meticulously and emotionally. We did it, and our incredible protection team managed to keep up. Being able to make it work under that kind of pressure, those are the moments where you feel you've earned your keep."

One brave aspect of "Star Trek" is its willingness to take a hard look at the Federation or Starfleet to interrogate mistakes made in the past and to hold them both accountable for decisions that cost lives, careers, and entire worlds. Nus Braka, revealing his tragic backstory and severe hatred for the Federation during the final episode's mock trial, leans heavily into that longstanding tradition.

"Any institution has to hold up to scrutiny," Landau adds. "If you can’t debate and put up on trial the actions of any governmental body, peacekeeping forces, military force, and have it hold, then it doesn't deserve to exist. We shouldn’t be scared to question our institutions in the real world, and in turn, we should allow them to speak their truth about the complexity of why certain decisions are made.

"Villains are the heroes of their own movie, and Nus Braka justified what he did and the brutality with which he did it because of what happened to him. It would be boring to have a villain that was evil for evil’s sake. Any good 'Trek'-worthy villain does what they do for a reason."

All episodes of "Starfleet Academy" season 1 are now streaming on Paramount+.

When Jean-Luc Picard was appointed captain of the USS Enterprise-D in 1987, there was a lot of head-scratching among followers of Starfleet. Who was this bald French guy with a distractingly English accent? Why did he talk like a Shakespearean actor, leave most of the planetary excursions and womanizing to his first officer, and have a penchant for classical music, archaeology and tea (preferably of the Earl Grey, hot variety)?

Those questions were asked because Picard seemed galaxies away from his predecessor in "Star Trek"'s big chair, James Tiberius Kirk. But even though Kirk's reputation as a gung-ho, macho ladies' man is somewhat exaggerated — he's also intelligent, calm under pressure and one hell of a leader — the contrast is intentional and important.

The second "Trek" out of Spacedock was quick to establish the notion that every commanding officer could be different, making it acceptable for each captain to do things their own way. In short, Picard proved that you don't have to be a mini-Kirk to earn a place in Starfleet's hall of fame. "Starfleet Academy"'s Nahla Ake is the latest to pass the famous Kobayashi Maru command test, and an all-new type of CO — even though she shares many of the attributes of those who've boldly gone before her. She's also shown enough promise throughout the first season of the school-set spin-off to suggest she's already worthy of a place at the captains' table with the Federation's MVPs.

Of course, you don't recruit an actor of Holly Hunter's Oscar-winning calibre, and then ask her to play some go-through-the-motions Federation jobsworth. Showrunner and franchise overseer Alex Kurtzman has described Ake as "almost like a space hippy", and her casual approach to command is clear in the way she walks the halls of the Academy barefoot. She also takes a deeply unconventional approach to sitting in the captain's chair — not even Will Riker's famously eccentric relationship with seating can compete with the almost yoga-like poses she adopts on the bridge.

Being the captain of a starship is hard enough, but Ake's job description also includes the additional role of "chancellor" of the Academy. Given her seemingly relaxed approach to education, it would be easy for her to fall into the trap of becoming one of those teachers who tries a little too hard to be friends with the students. But Ake's way too smart and experienced to make that kind of error.

That she's so comfortable with kids — in a way that Jean-Luc Picard never was, particularly during his early days on the Enterprise bridge — is particularly impressive seeing as she's centuries old, courtesy of her Lanthanite heritage. She's capable of putting a reassuring arm round the shoulder — an echo of Kathryn Janeway's management style — but also knows when to keep her distance. Indeed, she has the uncanny knack of being approachable without diminishing her authority.

As a result, you get the impression that her lessons would be fun, even if she has the unfortunate habit — à la Albus Dumbledore at Hogwarts — of putting her students in harm's way. The failed mission to the USS Miyazaki in "Come, Let's Away" turned out to be the sort of learning experience that's usually best avoided.

That said, breaking the odd rule is part of what makes Ake tick. There's a long tradition of Starfleet commanders defying orders, whether it's a pre-captaincy Michael Burnham accidentally kickstarting a war with the Klingon Empire in "Discovery", or Kirk stealing the Enterprise to rescue his late BFF in "The Search for Spock". But most of them save playing fast-and-loose with regulations for a bona fide life-or-death situation.

Not so much Ake, who unashamedly does what she can to get one over Commander Kelrec — her counterpart at the rival War College — when the respective student bodies get themselves caught up in an extremely low-stakes feud. Is it professional to help your young charges unleash an aggressive species of emotionally sensitive fungus (vitus reflux) in the pursuit of victory? Possibly not, but it's good for them to know she has their back.

Besides, she's crossed enough neutral zones and mediated enough disputes to recognize when the consequences of not breaking the rules are much greater than breaking them. She's subsequently developed an extremely productive working relationship with her boss, Admiral Charles Vance — even when she takes the USS Athena on an off-the-books mission to rescue her kids in penultimate episode "300th Night", he's smart enough to give her some latitude to be, well, Nahla. He knows he's not going to stop her doing her own thing, and simply reminds her that, if she strays into Venari Ral territory, she's on her own. No Kirk-style court martial for her.

But it's arguably when the chips are at their downest, when Nahla's being held captive by her nemesis Nus Braka (played by another Hollywood heavyweight in Paul Giamatti), that the captain really earns that fourth pip on her uniform. Even when the Federation is in danger of being cut off from the rest of the galaxy by an excess of Omega 47 — and the Venari Ral crimelord is taunting her about the death of her son as part of his anti-Federation show trial — she has the presence of mind to deliver a rousing speech and buy enough time for her friends on board the Athena to unleash their countermeasures.

"There is so much anger in the universe," she points out. "So much atrocity. All of it started with some guy saying what Nus is saying right now: 'It's us or them. Your hate will set you free.'"

She's channeling Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, Pike and every other heroic captain since via one of the most "Trek" messages imaginable — the idea that we're stronger together. Her words even win over the Academy's most cynical student, Caleb Mir: "She believes that we can make a difference. She listens."

So while her style is different to all her predecessors — none of whom would ever have been caught stepping into a turbolift without their shoes on — she's carrying their legacy into the 32nd century. And even after a mere 10 episodes in her company, it's clear that Nahla Ake is capable of becoming one of the greats.

Every episode of "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" is now available to stream on Paramount+.

Things are certainly heating up for the final chapters of Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy". After a brief respite in Episode 8, "The Life of the Stars," the YA sci-fi series zooms into its last pair of episodes that form a two-part arc, starting with director Jonathan Frakes' "300th Night."

Frakes is "Star Trek" royalty and an accomplished director with a career spanning over 35 years. He's helmed dozens of episodes and films in the franchise, beginning back in 1990 with "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and since then, his work has been seen in nearly every "Star Trek" show. He even took command for two Hollywood outings, sitting in the director's chair for "Star Trek: First Contact" and "Star Trek: Insurrection."

We sat down with Frakes to talk about his impressive legacy behind the camera on "Star Trek" and how it feels to be finishing up with "Starfleet Academy". Minor spoilers for "Starfleet Academy" Episode 9, “300th Night” ahead!

"I think the major goal was to make the reunion of the mother and son resonate because it's complicated, it's loaded, it's dense, and it's confusing," Frakes tells Space regarding his tense episode.

"For both Tatiana's [Maslany] and Sandro's [Rosta] character and for his cadet friends. So that's at the core of the episode, and I loved that. The motif of shooting this show, as Alex [Kurtzman] established in the pilot, were these tight moving close-ups with these new anamorphic spherical lenses that are up in people's faces. The emotional stuff in my episodes lends itself to that shooting style."

One of the keys to making "Star Trek" feel believable is the impressive set dressing, and technology has come a long way since the days of "TNG."

"It is the coolest Volume set that I've ever had the privilege of working on for any of the 'Star Trek' stuff there at Toronto," Frakes enthusiastically explains. "Some of the Ukek salespeople and some of the gak and the food is literally on the set, but all the extensions, all the depth, and the things that are flying in the air is all in the Volume. It's a really incredible creation. Digitally. Artistically. We learn more and more about how valuable it is.

"It's complicated to shoot on, but when it works as well as it did there, it heightens the show. In the old days, we were staring at a f ***ing green screen with tape marks on it, and would say, 'There's a Romulan ship coming,' while holding a stick with a tennis ball to move their eyeline. It was so primitive compared to what we have now."

By directing a total of 31 "Star Trek" TV installments, many of them all-time classics, Frakes has cultivated a particular process and preparation style as a filmmaker to extract the very best from his given screenwriters.

"I have two things that I look for in each script when I'm assigned it," Frakes reveals. "One is: Is there any levity, where is it, and can I heighten it and make sure I don’t miss it? The other is the emotional connection of the characters. Because the action and the movement of the show defines itself."

"Starfleet Academy" has certainly led with this philosophy, focusing on characters and the emotional connections between characters over flashy CGI space battles, and it's something that Frakes is clearly passionate about, too.

"The sets are always going to be spectacular, the costumes are only there to help you," explains Frakes. "A lot of things are in place already on 'Star Trek.' The real success is when you care about the people who’re doing these wonderful things. The shows are huge, and they've gotten huger.

"Look, the scope of 'Starfleet Academy' in terms of design, art direction, visual effects, practical effects, and graphics is massive. It's very cinematic. In my particular episode, if you don’t care about the reunion of the mother and son who haven’t seen each other for 15 years, who have a very complicated relationship with each other and with Holly's character, you have nothing. There's a lot to mine there."

Robert Picardo (The Doctor) and Frakes have a longstanding relationship, and the director considers it fortunate to have him involved with "Starfleet Academy," as well as Oscar-winner Holly Hunter (Captain Nahla Ake).

"Holly is one of our finest actors," he adds. "I got to know her a little bit before we shot, and we had the privilege of rehearsal time. Her process involves finding herself in space in a really creative way. The character is a wonderful leader. She's smart and tough and funny."

With only one episode in the director's chair, Frakes sadly didn't get to work with everyone in this season. "I met Giamatti, who I did not have the privilege of having on my show," he notes. "Picardo introduced us, and we had a couple of wonderful conversations. I said, 'How do you like it?' And he said, 'You know, Frakes, I'm having fun. I might be having too much fun.'"

Frakes and his capable crew steered the penultimate episode of this debut season, only to hand over the finale to accomplished "Star Trek" director Olatunde Osunsanmi, a team-up that they’ve experienced in the past.

"I did this with Tunde before on 'Discovery,'" Frakes notes. "We did the last two episodes, and there’s something about working with him. I’m passing the baton, and he gets the grand orchestral finale, but if it’s not set up properly, then it's not going to have the same oomph. We don't shoot in tandem, but we have very similar styles, very similar passion, and we’re very competitive.”

"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" Episode 9 is streaming exclusively on Paramount+ now, with the season finale warping into homes on March 12.

Hoping to settle the cadets' nerves after the trauma of the USS Miyazaki training incident in Episode 6, "Come, Let's Away," that left the fledgling Federation officers mentally shaken, "Starfleet Academy" downshifted to Episode 8, “The Life of the Stars.” This meditative chapter served to reset the students' psyches via the most unlikely of methods… by the reading of a classic 20th-century American stage play.

We connected with "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" co-executive producer Noga Landau and series creator/ Episode 8 co-writer Gaia Violo to learn more about this throttled-back interlude before the season’s final two installments drop.

"For me on, a personal level, I’ve been wanting to bring literature into the show,” Violo tells Space.com. "I know we talk a lot about science. But my background is classics, Ancient Greek and Latin. You become a writer, hopefully, because you love reading and because it changed your life in some shape or form. That experience is always present. For 'Our Town' specifically, the writers' room was brainstorming ideas for the episode. We went from wondering if we’d just have an episode of the week structure where we’d go on an adventure, and then that will launch us into the last two episodes."

Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" was written in 1938 and centers around the lives of the residents of Grover’s Corner, a typical pre-war community in New Hampshire, representing small town life at its most intimate.

Those themes of community, harmony, love, mortality, and finding value and meaning in the simplest of things are used as a teaching device by a surprise drama educator in the form of "Star Trek: Discovery's" Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman).

"But we started to realize that all of us had not truly dealt with the aftermath of the Miyazaki and neither had the characters," Violo adds. "It was a big deal for us to lose one of our own, even as writers. While all these characters have experienced loss, definitely Caleb and Jay-Den, losing one of their own in a place that's supposed to be safe, really felt like it needed its space and time to breathe. And to do that through literature in the vein of the great classics felt right.

"'Our Town' in its simplicity — and looking at the human experience as this collection of small ordinary moments that become essential, placed against the backdrop of infinity and the eternal — felt perfect as a way to not just to explore our cadets, but also to look at Nala and The Doctor under a different lens. We’d been wanting to have those two connect for a long time. Just the two of them in a quiet space talking about their existence and how lonely it can feel to live seemingly forever and to see so many eras pass as you're still standing."

Landau furthers those sentiments regarding this reflective episode by reaching back to growing up watching classic "Star Trek" episodes, injected with the distinctive flair of theater.

"When I close my eyes, some of my earliest memories are these episodes specifically of 'The Next Generation' where people would be doing theater,” she recalls. "I remember Beverly Crusher doing theater. I remember Data doing theater, and everything Patrick Stewart does is basically theater because that's who he is as a Shakespearean actor. An unfortunate reality of people on planet Earth nowadays is that they go to school and study Shakespeare and they study these plays, but they don't really get what they're about.

"We're funneled through the system where we‘re taught how to write essays about the work, but we're not taught how to feel the work. Taking everything we love so much about 'Star Trek,' that makes us feel nostalgic, and a huge part of that is how 'Star Trek' has incorporated theater into the canon, and then being able to say, 'Okay, we're about to have an insanely adrenalized ride these last two episodes. This is going to be 'Star Trek' action at its best. Before we do that, what is the downbeat? What are the emotions? How do we remind the audience of why we make 'Star Trek' in the first place?'

“And reminding a group of kids in the 32nd century that something was written hundreds and hundreds of years earlier, something small called 'Our Town,' that's actually about the universal things of life and the reason why we go to the stars.

The message of the play, that life has a meaning no matter whether you look at it or not that way, is amazing and healing. It was definitely that downbeat we need before we’re about to go on a wild ride at the season's end."

You've all seen it dozens of times, in banners, posters, trailers, and intro title sequences, that vivid rainbow-like warp field spectrum used in some capacity in nearly every "Star Trek" movie and TV series since it was first adopted for 1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."

The latest iteration of this prismatic display appears in episode intros of "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy." In this new 60th Anniversary tribute to the trademark visual, a parade of notable Federation hero starships is seen blazing new interstellar trails toward new worlds and new civilizations.

This all-star ship lineup includes the original Enterprise, the Enterprise-A, the Enterprise-D, the Defiant, the Voyager, the Enterprise NX-01, the Discovery, the "Strange New Worlds" Enterprise, and the weirdly-winged USS Athena from "Starfleet Academy" now on Paramount+.

Sure, this nostalgic birthday animation sequence might be missing a few favorite ships — the USS Cerritos from "Star Trek: Lower Decks", USS Protostar from "Star Trek: Prodigy", and USS Enterprise-E from "Star Trek: First Contact" are all absent — but it's a fantastic way to embrace the franchise’s enduring legacy in an exhilarating manner by lining up this legendary armada.

But what was the origin of this eye-catching, faster-than-light aesthetic, what does it represent, and how has it evolved to become an instantly recognizable part of the "Star Trek" universe? How did Star Trek become synonymous with the rainbow?

The initial use of what’s now become known as the "rainbow warp effect" was boldly seen in Paramount's ad campaign and one-sheet movie poster for director Robert Wise's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."

That Christmastime 1979 release, executive produced by "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, resurrected the live-action "Star Trek" universe after a decade of neglect.

Award-winning American movie illustrator Bob Peak designed the iconic rainbow poster for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," as well as the stunning one-sheets for "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," and "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier."

Quite simply, it was a way to represent the visible light spectrum shift that occurred anytime the Enterprise made a warp jump. That warp rainbow caught on and became a trademark element for future "Star Trek" films.

But while the rainbow effect was meant to indicate a warp field, it was also a deliberate design choice to latch onto the popularity of rainbows in pop culture in the later part of the decade. Whether it was Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon," the Apple logo, Mork's suspenders, or the rising use of the rainbow as a symbol for LGBT pride, the '70s were all about rainbows.

The flashy visuals are a convenient way to remind viewers of the fact that these starships are going super fast and stretching out the visible light as they zoom off into infinity. We're drifting into speculation now, but it could also have been a calculated choice to show up "Star Wars" with a more striking way to signify a starship entering faster-than-light travel.

While the more recent films neglected to use that full shimmering prismatic effect, it's been formally adopted by Paramount+ for their streaming posters, banners, and thumbnails for each of the six original "Star Trek" films released from 1979 to 1991.

As a final note, it's worth wondering if the dynamic, multi-hued visual cue isn't also a respectful nod to the Stargate that Dave Bowman travels through near the end of director Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Whatever the exact reasons for the "Star Trek" optical “rainbow warp effect”, its instant, immersive rush of pure speed visualized remains an integral part of the seminal sci-fi franchise that will continue to live long and prosper.

"Star Trek" used to be very horny.

Since its very inception, sex has been used in Trek both gratuitously and purposefully, but the relaunched franchise on Paramount+ seemed to leave this behind, avoiding blatant excuses to show actors in skimpy clothing and overt sexualization of its characters. That is, until "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" arrived a few, very horny, weeks ago.

Often, when sex is mentioned in relation to any TV show or series that isn't specifically dramatic or focused on the subject, it carries a negative connotation. The thought is that sex is being used crassly to "sell" the show, pulling in viewers by arousing them with pretty people in skimpy outfits. That is, admittedly, very grounded in fact. Sex sells, and for much of television's history, it sold really well.

Captain's Log

Trek is no different, even if we want to pretend it was. While Gene Roddenberry fought to have women on the bridge of the Enterprise in "The Original Series" and put them in positions of power (despite his own misogynistic leanings), they were clad in skirts so short that one had to wonder if there was a fabric shortage in the future.

At least this overt sexualization wasn't only applied to women (kind of). Let's not forget the numerous times James T. Kirk was shirtless or sweaty, fencing with Sulu. "TOS" wanted you to look. Since then, sex has been used in Trek to draw in eyeballs, purposefully objectifying people to draw viewers.

It was a trend that boldly continued in "The Next Generation", which debuted with Troi in a skintight bodysuit and a plunging neckline. Pleasure planets with scantily clad aliens were visited (multiple times). Sexually liberated aliens who get really angry when you step on their flowers were confronted. Horny diseases run rampant.

An entire generation of young nerds went through instant puberty when Seven-of-Nine debuted in her skintight, sparkly uniform in "Star Trek: Voyager". An entire evil mirror universe exists where you know the characters are evil because they dress sexy and seem glued to each other's faces. Anything involving a green alien. Fan dances, the holodeck, decontamination gel, and stripping down to our underwear in shuttle pods. Need I go on?

Trek has always been horny, and it's honestly never been very subtle about it.

Let's Talk About Sex

The overt sexualization and objectification of women (and men to a lesser extent) in Trek is obvious, but Trek's horniness isn't confined to that. When used contextually and thoughtfully, sex in Trek can be a remarkable tool for progressive storytelling, discussing societal taboos, and addressing the very objectification the franchise also revels in.

The aforementioned mini-skirt uniform? While it was definitely sexy, it was also, at the time, seen as part of the women's liberation movement. "TNG" then played with "TOS"'s short-skirt sexualization in surprisingly progressive ways for the time by allowing male crew members to wear the newly designed "skant" uniform, dressing both male and female crew members in leg-showing skirts before phasing the costume out after the first season.

The Vulcan mating ritual of pon farr is probably the most obvious and literal example of Trek's use of sex as a storytelling device, in which Vulcans become incredibly aggressive and sexual every seven years. Here, however, sex isn't played for arousal but to drive the story, leading to episodes that address sexual repression and identity.

Many of the stories, clearly written to draw eyeballs with scantily clad aliens or steamy holodeck stories, were also written to provoke thought around the very topics of sexual liberation and arousal. Littered throughout Trek's history are examples where being horny is not just contextual to the story, but integral to Trek's ability to tell stories that make us ask questions and reflect on our own society.

In fact, Trek's most famously progressive moment in history was a sexy one when the show broadcast the first scripted black/white interracial kiss in television history* — an especially meta moment as the sexual act was performed in front of an audience for their viewing pleasure.

*There was an earlier, unscripted kiss in "Movin' with Nancy" that is often forgotten by history.

There's also the simple fact that, you know, looking at pretty people in revealing clothing isn't a bad time. When handled well, it's OK for a show to be overtly sexual. Seven of Nine is a key example of this, as her initial introduction may have been to pull in young, male viewers, but her character became one of the more beloved and complex of the franchise. There is a hazy line somewhere between sexualization and objectification, and when a show can walk that line, it makes for thoroughly enjoyable viewing.

A bunch of horny students

This is all something that newer Trek has avoided. While not asexual in any way, "Discovery", "Picard", and "Strange New Worlds" are not nearly as overtly sexual (unless we count Anson Mount's hair) as older Trek. The new shows aren't selling sex like the old ones are. Taken with the misguided understanding that the sex was just in there to objectify and sell, that makes sense to do. Newer Trek wanted to treat its shows without all that crassness, but it lost something in doing that.

That is wholly untrue about "Academy", a show that came ripping out of the gates with horny energy in its first two episodes, and has not let up. Since its launch, the show has featured such classic horny scenes as "Sweaty mine worker with massive biceps," "Collection of young, attractive people changing in a locker room," "Collection of young, attractive people getting soaking wet in underwear," and "sexually attractive woman in very revealing 'formal' dress." This all culminated with episode 6, 'Come, Let's Away,' delivering the rarest of rare: a full-blown sex scene.

"Academy" has absolutely no qualm about being horny, and it really shouldn't. Aside from the aforementioned fact that it's OK to want to watch sexy people do sexy things on our TV screens and for a show to capitalize on that, "Academy"'s sex is entirely contextually appropriate.

We're literally watching a bunch of horny college students do horny college student things within the context of the Trek universe. This show should be horny. It is the perfect vehicle for Trek to ramp the horny up to eleven and both deliver the overt sexuality the franchise has always had and dive into what that sexuality means.

Importantly, the series has been doing that. Caleb and Tarim's relationship is both incredibly sexy in very overt ways, but wraps that into the concept of Betazed's open sexuality and empathic ability. Jay-Den's budding relationship with a Military Academy student is oozing awkward sexuality and helps construct his character.

Even the incredible confrontations between Chancellor Nahla and Nus Braka are tinged with hints of sexual domination as Paul Giamatti oozes sexual predator vibes looming over the diminutive Holly Hunter, using the show's undercurrent of sexuality to play with power dynamics in sometimes uncomfortable ways.

"Academy" has rediscovered something that many fans of Trek have shunned themselves: that the series and sex are intertwined in both good and bad ways. It seems, for now, however, that this newest entry into the franchise is not just horny for horny's sake, but is using its often half-naked characters to deliver full-throated Trek.

You can watch Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, along with almost every other Star Trek show and movie, on Paramount+.

To say that "Star Trek: Voyager"'s Emergency Medical Hologram evolved beyond his programming would be an understatement.

He was developed as part of a job lot (the Enterprise-E had its own identical EMH in "First Contact"), and only came online because the USS Voyager's original doctor was killed en route to the Delta Quadrant. And yet this photonic physician quickly established himself in the waiting room of "Trek"'s greatest doctors — in fact, there's little more than a laser scalpel between him and the similarly irascible Dr McCoy.

Of course, his exceptional medical expertise — pre-programmed by his creator, Dr Lewis Zimmerman, to whom he bears an uncanny resemblance — is rather less noteworthy than his unique bedside manner. From the moment of his first activation, he was effortlessly (if not always intentionally) funny, a welcome distraction from the serious business of his crew's epic voyage home. "I'm a doctor, not a peeping tom/battery/dragonslayer [and many more; delete as appropriate]," became a familiar, McCoy-homaging refrain.

It was also clear from the off that the EMH is descended from the same lineage as Spock, Data, and Odo, outsiders who see humanity from a different perspective, and subsequently grow over the course of their respective series.

Ironically, actor Robert Picardo had initially been sceptical about the role before he set foot in Voyager's Sickbay. "I turned down the audition for the Doctor, because it just didn't sound interesting," he told StarTrek.com. "It sounded like an automaton. I asked to read for [Talaxian chef/morale officer] Neelix instead."

That part ultimately went to Ethan Phillips, but Picardo was invited back to audition for the Emergency Medical Hologram, beating a reported 900 other wannabe holographic doctors to the role. And despite those initial reservations, Picardo came to realize he had arguably the best role in "Voyager".

"I got the part without understanding that the character would be the Spock-like character," he said. "The character who initially inherited that was Data, who had no emotion and longed to be a real boy in the same way as Pinocchio. I thought that, because Tuvok was a Vulcan character, he would deal with those issues. Once I realized that I had gotten the plum role, it was a delightful surprise. I went from thinking I had the dullest role in the show to believing I may have the best role in the show."

Few characters in "Star Trek" history have had a more satisfying story arc than the Doctor did across seven seasons of "Voyager". He developed a passion for opera (something that's continued in "Starfleet Academy"), and wrote a hit polemical holo-novel called "Photons be Free".

He became so popular with the "Trek" fanbase that the writers crowbarred in a futuristic holo-emitter from the 29th century — effectively Arnold Rimmer's hard light drive from "Red Dwarf" — that allowed the Doc to set foot outside the confines of Sickbay and go on away missions. He was also given agency to deactivate himself when not required, and the opportunity to give himself a name. After a few early efforts failed to stick, he eventually settled on "Joe".

But the Doctor wasn't just pretending to be "a real boy". On Voyager, he lived the whole human experience, to the extent he seemed totally qualified to act as a mentor to Seven of Nine while she rediscovered her own humanity following her de-assimilation from the Borg. Indeed, being a teacher came to feel like his most natural calling, when he got a job instructing cadets in both "Star Trek: Prodigy" and now the distant future of "Starfleet Academy".

But the eight centuries that have passed since Voyager made it home have left a mark on the Doctor. The wrinkles on his face may be artificial — he introduced an ageing subroutine to his holomatrix to make his peers feel more comfortable — but the trauma of watching generations of friends live and die is very real.

"That’s 800 years of digital memory, where the memory of a beloved colleague from 793 years ago is as fresh and clear as someone you saw yesterday," Picardo told SFX magazine. "Only science fiction can give an actor a challenge like that to try to wrap your mind around! For a human actor who is certainly as concerned with the issues of mortality as anyone else my age, it’s a funny leap of faith to try to put those personal concerns aside and imagine what this must be like to have generations of organic colleagues grow old and die around you. It’s got to influence your interest in developing interpersonal relationships in future."

In "Starfleet Academy"'s latest episode, "The Life of the Stars", we see how being immortal has prompted the EMH to build emotional barriers around himself. While entire centuries have passed, the pain of watching his child die in a holographic simulation ("Voyager" episode "Real Life") is still too much to bear — even with holographic cadet SAM's (Kerrice Brooks) life in the balance (prompting a mission back to her photonic homeworld of Kasq to save her) he finds it impossible to open up. He's been doing everything he can to prevent her seeing him as a mentor, and now — as she's lying on her deathbed — he can't even bring himself to hold her hand.

"The only thing that allows me to bear my infinity is not having to love anyone," he admits to Captain Nahla Ake, a long-lived Lanthanite character who also has some experience of losing the people she loves most.

But even when you're nearly as old as Yoda, it's possible to surprise yourself — and the viewing public.

The unconventional configuration of spacetime in Kasq's neck of the woods offers a unique opportunity. In an echo of the Doctor's experiences on Gotana in "Voyager" episode "Blink of an Eye" — during which he watched centuries of development on an alien world — three days on Earth is equivalent to five years on the holographic homeworld. This time dilation gives the Doctor the chance to spend 17 years (or just over a week, depending on your point of view) giving SAM a childhood. This ready-made father figure is exactly what she needs to anchor her glitching holomatrix.

And so, some 30 years after the Doctor first asked us to state the nature of the medical emergency in Voyager", a character who started out as comic relief thousands of light years from home has well and truly grown up.

Some sci-fi icons are immovable constants, and we often love them for it. But the Doctor's ability to evolve — and exceed that original programming — makes him truly timeless.

New episodes of "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" debut on Paramount+ on Thursdays.

There are two main types of antagonists in Star Trek. Sometimes an entire alien race, such as the Borg, the Romulans or the Dominion, becomes the sworn enemy of the United Federation of Planets, kept at a distance via treaties, neutral zones or wormholes. Occasional descents into all-out war are a clear and present danger.

The other flavor is the solo villain, a species of independent combatants who've generally developed some kind of beef with Starfleet, and will stop at nothing to ensure their destructive schemes — which may or may not have galactic significance — come to fruition. These grandstanding lone wolves often have a penchant for supervillain-style monologues, and are more traditionally associated with the Trek movies than the TV shows.

The original Khan is the most famous villain — and the baddie against which every member of "Trek"'s rogue's gallery shall forever be judged — but Commander Kruge ("The Search for Spock"), Vadic ("Picard" season 3) and Krall ("…Beyond") are all worthy of a mention. The less said about Sybok ("The Final Frontier"), Ru'afo ("Insurrection"), Shinzon ("Nemesis") and Khan 2.0 ("…Into Darkness") the better.

Paul Giamatti's Nus Braka is clearly making a bid to join "Star Trek"'s legion of doom in "Starfleet Academy" but he got off to such an inauspicious start in premiere episode "Kids These Days" that it felt like a waste of the Oscar-nominated guest star's considerable talents. In the latest episode "Come, Let's Away", however, Giamatti's barnstorming performance does enough to suggest that Braka's going to be an extremely disruptive influence on the students' ongoing education.

Up to this point, "Starfleet Academy" hasn't gone overboard on peril. As we've said before, the high school hijinks of "Vitus Reflux" may be the lowest stakes "Star Trek" episode of all time, while the "save the Klingons" "Vox in Excelso" and unexpected "Deep Space Nine" sequel "Series Acclimation Mil" also kept the fireworks at a minimum. At no point did we feel any of the cadets — or even the faculty members — were in danger.

That all changed this week, and it's mostly thanks to Nus, the Klingon/Tellarite face of pirate cabal the Venari Ral — an organization that seems remarkably similar to "Discovery"'s Emerald Chain, and wouldn't feel out of place in "Star Wars"' galaxy far, far away.

Admittedly, the cannibalistic Furies initially appear to be the more significant threat here, especially when they launch an unprovoked attack on the drifting USS Miyazaki (an abandoned vessel powered by a prototype "singularity drive"). Caleb (Sandro Rosta), SAM (Kerrice Brooks), Jay-Den (Karim Diané) and several of their War College counterparts — on the ship as part of a training exercise — are subsequently lined up as the Furies' next meal. (Although strangely reminiscent of "Serenity"'s Reavers, the Furies actually predate "Firefly", having originally appeared in "Star Trek: Invasion!", a non-canonical series of books from the mid-'90s.)

But as the episode plays out, we learn that the Furies are essentially just space-faring attack dogs, and that Nus Braka is the guy holding the leash.

In hindsight, making the character so toothless in the debut episode was a masterstroke. There Braka really was all talk, a criminal with a conveyor belt of cruel insults — "Malnutrition really brings out your cheekbones" — but little sustained threat. There's clearly no shortage of history with school principal Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) and Caleb — expect the mystery surrounding the fate of his mom to come to the fore before the end of the season — but in the moment, he proved remarkably easy to defeat. Incapacitating a state-of-the-art Starfleet vessel like the USS Athena is one thing, but it turns out that holding onto it is quite another.

This previous failure, however, ensures that nobody sees the real Nus coming. Despite Nahla's skepticism, recruiting the pirate to save the hostage kids is an entirely reasonable play, a Hannibal Lecter-esque, quid pro quo transaction from which both sides stand to gain. We have no reason to question the idea that our enemy (the Furies) is also the enemy of our enemy (Nus Braka) — even when Nus goes hardball in negotiations by demanding that the Federation stop supplying dilithium to a planet he's doing his best to extort.

But Nus is a bad guy through and through. First off, he capitalizes on his newfound "consultant" status as an opportunity to belittle Nahla, going on and on about her decision to sacrifice her son to protect the ship under her command — and how the guilt for her actions now manifests in her protectiveness towards Caleb. But really this is just a game, a chance to taunt an opponent before his real plan kicks into gear.

Because telling Starfleet that the Furies are part Lynar, and particularly susceptible to high sonic frequencies, is just an ingenious ruse. He knows that when the USS Sargasso arrives to clear out the Furies with a sonic weapon, it will leave the experimental Starbase J19 Alpha entirely unprotected. He doesn't need much time to board and ransack the station to recover everything he was after. "They took the bait," he tells the Furies in an encoded text message. "Bon appetit."

The lives of the kids on the Miyazaki mean nothing to a man who's played Nahla and Admiral Vance brilliantly, using his understanding of Starfleet protocols — and the psyches of his opponents — to get exactly what he wants. Far from the snarling clown he initially appeared to be, he's a "Trek" villain with teeth, a bad guy now in possession of some experimental technology that's unlikely to be good news for the Federation he despises with all his heart. Sound anything like the vengeance-obsessed Khan, relishing the power granted by the Genesis device sitting in the bowels of his ship?

"I still owe you something," he tells Nahla in his cutting parting message, "and believe me. It is coming with a big red bow, a special gift just for you."

On the evidence of "Come, Let's Away" — not to mention Giamattii's gleeful performance — suggest that Nus Braka's return to "Starfleet Academy" will be something worth waiting for. He may not be Khan, but Star Trek's newest show may have just found a worthy descendant of the franchise's greatest ever villain.

New episodes of "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" debut on Paramount+ on Thursdays.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has a serious appetite for science fiction films in February, as it launches its "To Infinity: Space Travel In The Movies" series just as Artemis 2 is about to take four astronauts for a trip around the moon and back sometime next month (hopefully).

Their month-long screening lineup runs from Jan. 30 to Feb. 28 and spotlights "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," "The Right Stuff," "Solaris," "High Life," "Sunshine," "Apollo 13," "Contact," and "Interstellar." Academy Award-winning actress Jodie Foster and astrophysicist Nivedita Mahesh will attend the 35mm screening of "Contact" on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.

This out-of-this-world film series kicked off with a 40th anniversary showing of 1986's "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home", complete with an honored guest, the USS Enterprise's Lt. Hikaru Sulu himself, George Takei, and we connected with the legend just before showtime.

"Well, Leonard [Nimoy] directed it, but we have a long history of working together,” Takei tells Space.com on opening night.

“Three seasons with the TV series and we had three movies in the can before 'Star Trek IV.' So we knew each other, and Leonard was a very competent director. He knew all of us well enough to have a way of communicating based on our long professional lives together."

Speaking on Nimoy's directing style, Takei reminisces that "Where there were tweaks that he wanted, he would talk to you. He trusted all of us for what we could do. It was the whispered conversation of suggesting 'look over there' or 'think of such and such.' Leonard was a sensitive and diplomatic director, respecting the actors to bring their unique experiences and talent to the scene."

In addition to his honorary role in this Academy Museum event, Takei was also a VIP riding the 'Star Trek' 60th Anniversary float "Space For Everyone" during last month’s rainy Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day.

"I'll tell you, I'm an energetic and athletic guy, but that rain and the cold was intolerable," he notes. "They gave us a plastic transparent umbrella to hold and protect us from the rain. So I was holding that light umbrella and making the Vulcan greeting for fans. But it was so cold that halfway through, the umbrella felt like it was about fifteen pounds. It was a float built for flowers, of course, and they had me in this big wooden throne that was very wide and very deep and freshly painted.

"So it got very slippery and also had a pile of plastic cushions on it. Here I am holding this umbrella and slipping further down. By the time we were partly along the route, I was almost lying on my back. This became so heavy that I was exhausted holding it up."

On this night celebrating sci-fi cinema, we wondered what the intrepid man who steered starships to strange new worlds, and where he thought the genre's next frontier lies, as we head into the future.

"Science fiction is all about the imagination," Takei notes. "And it can be exploring space or exploring that mysterious organism called our bodies. Like Raquel Welch in that movie Fantastic Voyage, where she’s shrunk down to a tiny size. There is an incredible journey going on every day, all day in our bodies. My grandniece is a graduate of Brown University and spent two years at Mass. General working in their emergency ward. Now she’s going to the University of California in San Francisco, and she’s going to be an explorer inside our body and our mind.

"Space is a fascinating challenge as well as a dangerous one. But sometimes our most destructive adversary is within us. We see the excitement of our genius, but we also see the failure and danger within this incredible organism that we inhabit."

"To Infinity: Space Travel in the Movies" is a film screening series that showcases films and creators who "have looked outside the scope of our earthbound existence to imagine a place beyond the stars". It began on January 30 with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and will run through to Feb 28. Check out the trailer below:

For a complete schedule of "To Infinity: Space Travel In The Movies," visit the Academy Museum’s official site.

It is time for Star Trek to boldly go where no streaming series has gone before: back to the 20+ episode seasons of old!

Star Trek's ongoing mission into the streaming era has been a bumpy ride, often missing the mark with fans and critics alike, while struggling to capture the magic that makes Star Trek special. Don't get us wrong, there have been some great stories and characters in shows like Discovery and Strange New Worlds, and especially in the deeply underappreciated Prodigy, but none of them have managed to trigger the Trekkie renaissance that's surely due.

Starfleet Academy is a bold move, and while we were initially skeptical of it, it seems to be paying off for Paramount, but this is still Paramount moving at impulse. We need a warp speed change to ensure that Star Trek lives long and prospers. And that change is more. Star Trek needs to return to a 20+episode broadcast season, and now is the time to do it.

The Next Next Next Generation

Since streaming took over our viewing habits, TV seasons have become something new. The binge has become king, with shows no longer giving us 24-episodes of episodic TV over the span of several months. Instead, the norm has become 8-12 episodes, usually telling a singular story that's meant to be watched in a few days. It has produced some truly fantastic television, but it has not produced fantastic Star Trek. Despite bigger budgets, better special effects, a cinematic look, and splash casting, the franchise has struggled in this new format.

The reality is that with this setup, the franchise has received mostly tepid responses from fans and critics alike. One of the main sticking points is the lack of episodic content within the show's two launch series, Star Trek: Discovery and Picard. To his credit, Kurtzman attempted to pivot. SNW, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Academy all deliver more episodic storytelling, though they are still focused around season-long story arcs delivered in 8-10 episodes.

It is, in fact, SNW that most easily proves the point that Star Trek needs more room to breathe, despite being the one live-action show specifically marketed as a return to form for the franchise. The ten-episode episodic season leaves absolutely no room for error, experiment, or its own season-long stories. Instead, the show crams everything into a space that can't hold it, culminating in this past third season that exploded with too much of practically everything.

With only 10 episodes per season, every episode feels like it needs to be a banger, but that's not possible. SNW's quality was so up and down, it felt like we were in a malfunctioning turbolift. The show was all over the place. While it took some big swings with stylistic choices ("What is Starfleet?"), character focus ("Terrarium"), and comedy ("Four-and-a-Half Vulcans), those swings didn't all hit.

With ten episodes, every single failure felt prolific or, at the least, a waste of time. Crew members seemed shoved to the side, storylines dangled, and the good moments felt drowned out by the bad.

With a 24-episode season, you get room to breathe. No one is going to argue that every episode of Star Trek is a winner. There was some really bad Trek out there long before we ever heard the name Michael Burnham. The difference is that with more episodes, the bad merges with the good.

A show can try out new ideas and not have to nail each and every one. There's room to delve into a character for an episode without feeling like you also have to drive the overall plot along. You can make an episode about big, important things one week and then a comedy another week, and not have the audience feel like they've gotten warp speed tonal whiplash.

And you can still tell a coherent big story throughout that season. It was, in fact, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that pioneered this concept on broadcast TV. Star Trek, with its large casts, wide variety of themes, and ability to pretty much tell any story (thank you holodecks), needs to be episodic to truly work. And episodic shows need episodes.

What Trek needs now is a new generation of shows that allow it to grow again, and now is the time for it.

Strange New Ownership

With the recent, surprisingly well-received (we were wary, but it's growing on us) of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and two seasons still left in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (SNW), this may seem like bad timing for such a bold shift, but thanks to Paramount's recent buyout, it may not just be the best timing; it might be necessary. The new ownership, which clearly wants costs down and profits up, brought in Chris Parnell as EVP of Originals at Paramount+ specifically because of his genre work at Apple TV+, and he immediately started working alongside Kurtzman. However, Kurtzman's contract is up soon, and his future with the franchise is nebulous at best. What isn't nebulous is that there's new blood coming to Trek, and that makes this the right time to relaunch yet again.

Maybe Academy will turn out to be a hit, but the show was planned before Parnell's arrival and, while appearing to be somewhat episodic, is far more in the vein of the current style of Trek presented by SNW. If Parnell is looking to keep Trek alive, he'll want something that drives subscriptions and keeps them. 22 episodes of Trek will do that better than 10, even if they only have one series running at a time. Of course, "it will make more money" is a cynical reason to double the episode count, but it wouldn't be a bad thing for fans either.

And it really would save Paramount money.

Rule Number 175 of Acquisition: Spend Less, Make More

Since the launch of Discovery, one thing is clear: a bigger budget doesn't mean better shows. Discovery's budget for one season reportedly eclipsed $125 million. The two shows that have been best received over the course of this new era - Lower Decks and Prodigy – are the two least expensive series to produce, with the obvious caveat that they're both animated. Still, it's proof that quality doesn't come from what you spend but from how you spend it.

Given that a single season of TNG at the height of its popularity kicked out 26 episodes for an estimated $75 million (adjusted for inflation) and this past season of SNW cost more than $100 million, it's clear that more great Trek can be made for less.

Would there be a dip in quality for special effects and visual panache? Sure. Could you probably not land bigger actors with busier schedules? Of course, but necessity has always been the mother of invention for Trek.

The idea of a show having low-budget bottle episodes – made with existing sets and smaller casts – was practically born out of TOS episodes, which were built around whatever set they could film on that was already built on Paramount's lot. Series classics like TNG's "Clues," Voyager's "Living Witness," and DS9's "In the Pale Moonlight" were all made to cut costs.

More episodes on a tighter budget actually makes better Trek, and even when it doesn't, it's way easier to forget those bad episodes over the course of 24 weeks. Creatively, financially, and fandomly (totally a word), it's clearly time for Star Trek to return to its roots and give everyone what they've been clamoring for: more Star Trek.

Representing a stellar alignment of epic proportions, celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and "Star Trek" legend William Shatner have a new audio book release titled "Cosmos Confidential" landing on Earth starting Feb. 3, 2026 that brings together two of our humble Milky Way galaxy's most entertaining personalities.

The project was an offshoot of Tyson and Shatner's captivating chats aboard a space-based Antarctica cruise in 2024 and last year's "The Universe is Absurd" one-night show in Seattle. This five-hour, humor-fed discourse, which was recorded at Shatner’s own Los Angeles home, takes on such weighty topics such as life, love, mortality, career paths, childhood, spirituality, and animal companionship

It's a rare opportunity to hear two kindred spirits discuss myriad subjects in an informal setting, plunging deep into astrophysics, theology, and black holes.

"We go back a few years," Tyson tells Space.com on his connections with Shatner.

"He was kind enough, when coming through New York, to appear as a guest on my podcast. He's not the first 'Star Trek' actor to be on StarTalk. We had Nichelle Nichols and George Takei. So this was fun to round that out. Around the same time he'd invited me to appear on his show. I think it was 'The Unexplained,' one of these shows he’s hosted over the years."

From there, Tyson explained that the relationship blossomed, noting that "We’d known each other but we weren’t beer drinking buddies until this small luxury cruise to Antarctica where we were separate featured guests. Anytime we were in conversation, crowds gathered. Everything he said and everything I said in reaction, and vice-versa, was of great interest to passersby. So the two of us had a conversation for the ship and it triggered so much interest that the cruise organizer said, 'We've got to take this show on the road.' That’s what lead to the Seattle show."

Shatner jokingly thinks everything about the universe is absurd, so Tyson admits to spending half the time talking him off the ledge, but also probing his life and times, and his thinking about the world.

"He's wise and very well educated and so every turn of conversation is rich. It's deep, it's insightful, it's informative." notes Tyson. "So then we said we've got to record this as an audio original and we created 'Cosmos Confidential.' It's basically five hours of our conversation inspired by these times on the ship and held in his backyard.

"There's stories that he and I tell each other that neither of us have ever told anyone publicly. What it was like for him to grow up as a Jewish kid in a place where there were hardly any Jews. He tells a story where he was observing one of the high holidays on a Friday and there was football practice that day and he couldn't make it and they kicked him off the team. He was devastated by that."

Personal storytelling is highlighted here in this engaging audio release, as Tyson shares details with Shatner of his '60s upbringing, which was still a hotbed of civil rights activity and turbulent responses to it.

"We discuss exploration as a native thing to do, just being human," he adds. "The people who explored the oceans. Who explored space. He’s been in space and he talked about coming back from the rocket and dropping into tears and how he felt looking at Earth from so high up and then coming back to terra firma. So we just thought this could be something the public would embrace.

"Depending on how successful it is, or even not, we might go back into theaters and do a few more of these and offer it to a streamer. He’s pretty entertaining in person when you see him so I think it could work. Right now this audio conversation is obviously a different marketplace. It's for people who are stuck in traffic and need something to do."

Exclusively from Blackstone Publishing, "Cosmos Confidential: Bill and Neil's Excellent Bromance" is available on MP3 and audio CD beginning Feb. 3, 2026.

Not many fictional alien species get namechecked in number one records. So when a stop-motion animated incarnation of Lt Uhura started singing about "Klingons on the starboard bow" in The Firm's 1987 novelty hit "Star Trekkin'" ("scrape them off, Jim!"), it was clear that the residents of Qo'noS (pronounced something like Kronos) had long since attained celebrity status. Besides, you can't learn Wookiee on Duolingo.

The Klingons had made their debut 20 years earlier in Original Series episode "Errand of Mercy", and — although the Romulans debuted before them — it was the honor-obsessed warriors who'd become renowned as arch-enemies of the Federation. (That may owe something to the fact they turned up in another six "TOS" episodes, including a famously furry close encounter in "The Trouble with Tribbles".)

They've remained a mainstay of the franchise ever since, a go-to for writers in every era of "Trek", whether they're Starfleet's enemies, allies, or — most likely — somewhere in between. And now, in the 32nd century of the new "Starfleet Academy" episode "Vox in Excelso", we see how the proudest civilization in the Beta Quadrant has been left battling for its very survival. It's compelling proof that the Klingons are the most enduring of all "Star Trek"'s alien races, and rather more nuanced than their cartoonish, highly spoofable persona can sometimes suggest.

They're certainly more versatile than the Vulcans, whose logical, somewhat know-it-all attitude to life can limit their appeal. Just three years after a rogue Klingon commander instigated the execution of James T Kirk's son in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock", Lt Worf was serving on the bridge of the USS Enterprise-D in "The Next Generation". With the Federation and the Klingon Empire seemingly at peace — and the likes of the Ferengi, the Borg, and the Cardassians all drafted in to fill the Klingon-shaped antagonist void — the Klingons could have started to feel redundant, little more than angry Vulcans with more interesting foreheads.

That's not what happened, however. With regular writer and future "Battlestar Galactica" creator Ronald D Moore taking the lead (he'd later become known as "the Klingon guy"), "TNG" crafted a complex, layered society whose obsession with honor and settling scores via combat provided a welcome contrast to life on the more touchy-feely Enterprise. Bring out the Gagh and the Bloodwine! Worf acted as the bridge between two cultures, both before and after his transfer to "Deep Space Nine", where the Klingons would play a pivotal role — not always in helpful ways — in the Dominion War.

Wisely, the "Next Generation" era never felt particularly beholden to the Klingons of the Original Series. The OG versions were rather less inclined to lead with their bat'leths, quieter, more cerebral warriors created as an analogue for the Soviet Union in the Cold War — a metaphor that continued into the original Enterprise crew's final mission in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country". The "TNG" era shows also benefited from the reinvention the species had undergone for 1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (the first, and most significant, of the Klingons' many makeovers), with the now-familiar ridged foreheads replacing the crude Asian stereotypes of the Original Series.

On that front, the "Affliction"/"Divergence" two-parter in the prequel series "Enterprise" was a clunky attempt to acknowledge the Klingons' change of appearance in canon. When Worf had been asked about the inconsistency in "DS9"/"TOS" crossover episode "Trials and Tribble-ations", he played the straightest of straight bats: "We do not discuss it with outsiders".

In the years since, "Star Trek: Discovery", "Star Trek: Lower Decks" and — to a lesser extent — the parallel universe excursion to Qo'noS in "Star Trek into Darkness" have all left their own mark on evolving Klingon lore.

But "Starfleet Academy"'s developments may be the biggest thing to happen to the Klingons since Worf battled to restore his honor all those decades ago. We probably shouldn't be surprised, seeing as the 800-ish years that have passed in Trek continuity are roughly equivalent to the distance between ourselves and the signing of the Magna Carta — there'd be something wrong if something hadn't changed.

Crucially, when "the Burn" hit a century earlier, it caused catastrophic dilithium reactor explosions on Qo'noS that left the Klingons without a home. The eight remaining Houses are now refugees, their diaspora spread across the galaxy looking for a more permanent home — a truly tragic fate. They're still, however, fundamentally Klingon, refusing Starfleet's offers of aid — and possession of Fa'an Alpha, a new, spookily Qo'noS-like planet of their own — in the name of pride, preferring to die than "take Starfleet charity".

"I would have dishonored my people to spare them," admits veteran warlord Obel Wochak (David Keeley). "Now we have nothing left but our traditions."

It would be easy to dismiss this stance as stubbornness — and, indeed, most of Starfleet do. But it takes a cadet who, like Worf before him, has a foot in both the Klingon Empire and the Federation to see that there's another way. Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diané) had already established himself as one of the standouts in "Starfleet Academy"'s new ensemble, and an intriguing counterpart to our previous experience of his species — that rare Klingon who wants to be a doctor. But this episode also proves that he's as much a warrior as any of his brethren, using his newly discovered debating smarts to come up with a "Klingon solution to a Klingon problem".

Jay-Den's plan to instigate a fake war for Fa'an Alpha is an ingenious piece of diplomacy, giving the Klingons the homeworld they need without them having to lose face in front of the Federation — he knows how to act like a Klingon without having to behave like a Klingon.

The fact that not every Klingon has to adhere to the armored, shouty, bad-mannered stereotype — along with the ability to evolve — is the reason they still feel relevant and essential six decades after they first crossed paths with the Enterprise. Songs will continue to be sung about "Star Trek"'s greatest warriors — and not just novelty ones from the 1980s.

New episodes of "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" debut on Paramount+ on Thursdays.

"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" has docked on Paramount+ as of Jan. 15 with a special two-episode premiere for its inaugural 10-chapter season. We're a few episodes in now, and the show seems to be hitting its stride.

Created by Gaia Violo and executive-produced by showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, it explores the lives, loves, and relationships of young officer cadets enrolled at the recently resurrected Starfleet Academy in the 32nd century, overseen by Chancellor Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) and her core instructors.

In our continuing conversations with the cast and creators of this latest "Star Trek" spinoff for the space fantasy franchise's 60th anniversary, we had the chance to chat with three more of the series' bright-eyed candidates — Sandro Rosta (Caleb Mir), Kerrice Brooks (Sam), and George Hawkins (Darem Reymi) — about their different associations with "Star Trek," and how they found their identities within Gene Roddenberry's final frontier.

"The first things that I watched 'Star Trek'-related were the 2009 movie and the films in that universe," Rosta tells Space.com.

"That was my introduction to it. I was aware of the legacy, I just hadn't stepped into it personally. Those movies obviously draw from so much of the huge plethora of 'Star Trek.' It feels so deep, and I remember watching those movies and feeling the weight of it. It's like when you watch 'The Lord of the Rings.' It feels like it's drawing from such a deep well of history. Becoming an insider, you have to know.

"So I went back, and that's when my eyes were opened, not just the wealth of content, but how it makes people feel and how it makes the world around us better. That's where I am now. Being in reverence that I'm part of something that’s been around for so long and carries so much emotional weight."

Brooks' brush with "Star Trek" came with an even more personal reaction, rooted in her upbringing. "I didn’t really have a personal one [connection] because of rebellious reasons from my family,” she reveals. "I didn’t know if I would see myself in it. I think it was really important for me to see myself in something, and I saw it in a lot of cartoons."

"When I started watching it when I was cast, I saw that everyone could exist in this world. And that makes me feel safe enough to let down whatever wall I had up and fall into it. It's like when you're skydiving and falling backwards, unable to see what’s in front of you. I don't know necessarily what’s to come, but I’m in for the ride right now."

Proving that it's never too late to find yourself in the treasures and pleasures of "Star Trek," Hawkins discovered his connection through direct on-set observation.

"I didn’t really grow up a 'Star Trek' fan,” Hawkins notes. "But I think I had a really authentic way of falling in love with 'Star Trek,' and that was through our actual production and through meeting those who are creating this universe and this story."

"Not just from a viewer [perspective], but from a creator. There's so much that goes into creating the show and this franchise and keeping it alive. So I've fallen in love with it by watching people turn up every day on a 16-hour day and committing themselves to something that they truly believe in.”

Now that they're all bona-fide Trekkies, our trio of cadets should head over to our Star Trek movies in order guide and watch through the whole franchise. And maybe you should, too... once you've finished watching Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, that is.

The latest episode of “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” opens its doors today (Jan. 29) on Paramount+.

Ah, the nostalgic nineties, that notorious decade that's now being strip-mined for its influential music, funky fashion, dance moves, comics, movies, and television. Now officially branded as “classic,” this colorful time period is often remembered for some embarrassing pop culture touchstones like flannel shirts, fanny packs, and that blonde-maned man-model, Fabio.

But Hollywood also had a serious appetite for science fiction in the ‘90s, and imaginative TV projects surged onto the airwaves to satisfy discriminating audiences weaned on "Star Trek" and "Star Wars." The result was some of the best sci-fi shows ever created.

Don't believe us? Check out our list of the 10 best sci-fi TV shows of the 1990s below and tell us it isn't just non-stop bangers. There's a wealth of material available to viewers that still holds a cherished place in our geeky little hearts today.

10. Earth: Final Conflict

Original Air Dates: 1997-2002 | Seasons: 5 | Cast: Kevin Kilner, Lisa Howard, Von Flores

Didn't your mother tell you to be wary of extraterrestrials bearing benevolent gifts? Of course she did, and this sci-fi series posthumously conceived from creative material developed by "Star Trek's" Gene Roddenberry explains why that old adage is so vital to adhere to.

Set in the not-so-distant future, an alien race called the Taelons has integrated into Earthly life as a regular part of Earth culture. Welcomed by Humankind, the advanced visitors bring beneficial technologies to our planet that wipe out starvation, war, and disease.

But, as you might expect, these "Companions" have some devious motives behind their seemingly harmless arrival, and a resistance movement forms to reveal their true intentions. Its tonal trajectory might have wavered over the waning years, but the impressive worldbuilding kept the series running on ample creative juice thanks to major efforts by Roddenberry's surviving wife, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry.

9. Sliders

Original Air Dates: 1995-2000 | Seasons: 5 | Cast: Jerry O'Connell, Cleavant Derricks, Sabrina Lloyd

Sliders stars Jerry O'Connell as a scientific genius who creates a wormhole technology that allows him and his buddies to hop between parallel dimensions. The show ran for three seasons on Fox before it was dropped and picked up by the Sci-Fi Channel for its final two outings.

This likable gang of wayward explorers gets stuck in the multiverse and, in pure "Quantum Leap" fashion, jumps around fractured universes and alternative timelines. Each of these strange new existences is explored to its fullest, and while subsequent seasons had their share of hits and misses, there were some real highlights across the five-season run.

What highlights, you ask? How about "Doctor Who"-styled plots packed with dinosaurs, Egyptian America, Elvis alive, a doomsday asteroid, and many corporate spoofs. "Sliders" is a highly enjoyable series that seems to have “slid” under the radar for years, but it's still worth checking out to this day.

8. 3rd Rock From the Sun

Original Air Dates: 1996-2001 | Seasons: 6 | Cast: John Lithgow, Kristen Johnston, French Stewart

We just couldn't resist adding this to our list of the decade's best. Aliens marooned on Earth and trying to fit into American society is one of the most prevalent sci-fi tropes, and it’s executed perfectly here.

NBC’s "3rd Rock From the Sun" is equal parts "The Coneheads" and "Mork and Mindy" in its light tone and silly parody of Earth-bound life in suburban United States. This expeditionary group of four aliens masquerading as a human family is delivered to the fictional town of Rutherford, Ohio, to report back on day-to-day life as it exists on the third planet from the sun.

Fronted by memorable performances from John Lithgow, Jane Curtin, and French Stewart, the make-believe family experiences the crazy culture and customs of Earth in each episode, leading to a multitude of humorous situations. And who could forget "Star Trek" legend William Shatner's turn as the Big Giant Head!

7. Star Trek: Voyager

Original Air Dates: 1995-2001 | Seasons: 7 | Cast: Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson

This pioneering show gave us "Star Trek's" first female commander, Captain Kathryn Janeway, as played by Kate Mulgrew (and her epic rolling waves of hair).

As the fourth live-action show for the franchise, "Voyager" is beloved by an entire generation of fans who followed the deep space adventures aboard the USS Voyager, exploring the Delta Quadrant. Joined by Robert Picardo's Holographic Doctor and Jeri Ryan’s Human-Borg hybrid, Seven of Nine, it ran for a healthy 172 episodes spanning seven seasons on UPN.

"Voyager" also broke new ground in diversity as it featured the only Asian male co-starring as a series regular with Garrett Wang’s Ensign Kim. Not warmly welcomed at first, "Voyager" ventured into uncharted territory, and the show has aged rather gracefully. The "Trek" family is certainly far richer for it.

6. Babylon 5

Original Air Dates: 1994-1998 | Seasons: 5 | Cast: Michael O'Hare, Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian

This space-based series shares some similarities with "Deep Space Nine," but that's a good thing. It's often the source of heated Coke versus Pepsi-like debates, and rightfully gets confused with DS9 by innocent newcomers to the sci-fi entertainment sphere.

The five-mile-long Babylon 5 space station of the mid-23rd century was constructed by humans in the aftermath of the Earth-Minbari War to be used as a sort of intergalactic watering hole by extraterrestrial races for trade, peace, and diplomacy. Syndicated for its initial four seasons and picked up by TNT for its final chapters, "Babylon 5" is an interesting amalgam of a carefully plotted mythology composed by its prolific creator, producer, and writer, J. Michael Straczynski.

Acclaimed for its dedication to long-form storytelling, early CGI VFX attempts, and faithful depiction of spaceflight physics, its online fanbase remains massive and the show is remembered as a space opera operating on a sophisticated level.

5. Eerie, Indiana

Original Air Dates: 1991-1993 | Seasons: 1 | Cast: Omri Katz, Justin Shenkarow, Mary-Margaret Humes

Think your town is really odd? Believe us, it's got nothing on Eerie, Indiana, the "center of weirdness for the entire planet." This scary-fun series was a kinder, gentler version of "The X-Files" or "Twin Peaks" that remains suitable for families gathering around the TV.

Airing on NBC before it was seen in syndication on The Disney Channel, its plot follows Marshall Teller, a teen who relocates with his family to the bizarro burg of Eerie, Indiana. The freaky happenings in this seemingly antiseptic city include clashes with werewolves, bigfoot, aliens, ghosts, mummies, alternate dimensions, vengeful tornados, and Elvis!

Fans of "Goosebumps"' spirited stories flocked to this show that is the kind of thrilling kids' fare that you never see anymore, and that’s a shame. Several episodes were helmed by Joe "Gremlins" Dante so you can ascertain its tone from his involvement alone.

4. Farscape

Original Air Dates: 1999-2003 | Seasons: 4 (+1 miniseries) | Cast: Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Virginia Hey

Quirky, kooky, unexpectedly absorbing, and with a monster cult following, this Aussie import still holds up well today with its "Guardians of the Galaxy"-ish antics and memorable characters.

Fortified with a sentient spaceship named Moya and puppets courtesy of the Jim Henson Creature Shop, Farscape centers around American astronaut John Crichton, who falls into a wormhole and encounters a rag-tag crew of criminals who must band together to survive against the villainous Scorpius and the Peacekeepers in a remote corner of the galaxy.

It strikes a perfect tone of strangeness, comedic situations, and outer space adventure that somehow remains fresh and inviting for modern audiences. The brainchild of Rockne S. O'Bannon and Jim Henson's son, Brian Henson, its cancellation on the Sci-Fi Channel made it difficult to maintain fan loyalty, as it was plagued with constant scheduling delays, but it’s become a bona fide cult classic today.

3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Original Air Dates: 1993-1999 | Seasons: 7 | Cast: Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell

Remembered mostly for the titular space station’s bold, charismatic commander, Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), this syndicated "Star Trek" spinoff showcased some exemplary storytelling and has aged quite well in the intervening years.

"Deep Space Nine" takes place in the Alpha Quadrant on a former Cardassian outpost in orbit around the planet Bajor in the vicinity of an operational wormhole. Its integrated crew includes both Starfleet personnel and native Bajorans. With a darker, more serious tone than "The Next Generation" and classic segments from "The Original Series," this show delved into the longstanding Dominion War that encompassed a broad interstellar narrative arc.

It also introduced iconic "Star Trek" characters like Quark, Garak, Kira, Odo, Bashir, O’Brien, Nog, and countless others into the canon. Plus it's got "TNG's" Worf and Chief O'Brien! "DS9" is one of the best "Star Trek"-based shows and demands a close rewatch of its seven seasons in 2026!

2. Stargate SG-1

Original Air Dates: 1997-2007 | Seasons: 10 | Cast: Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge

With recent word that a new "Stargate" series is currently in development at Amazon, this might be the right one to start binging to catch up on all its legends and lore. This ambitious show is a huge favorite around the Space.com offices, and it was a project whose time was ripe when it appeared three years after the original "Stargate" theatrical film.

SG-1 revolved around the daring missions involving Stargate Command's scientists and soldiers who zip in and out of the gateway portal to other planets to guard Earth against potential alien threats.

Richard Dean Anderson's Colonel Jack O’Neill leads Dr. Daniel Jackson, Captain Samantha Carter, and an alien warrior named Teal’c through the Stargate on missions where they battle such antagonists as the Goa'uld, Replicators, and Ori, all while exploring ancient civilizations and discovering futuristic technologies. It's still effortlessly entertaining nearly 30 years after its original first season on Showtime.

1. The X-Files

Original Air Dates: 1993-2002, 2016-2018 | Seasons: 11 | Cast: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Robert Patrick

The truth was out there… well, sort of, and if this pivotal and highly influential sci-fi conspiracy series from creator Chris Carter often tried our patience and stretched the limits of credibility, it did so with a sublime sense of style and wit.

Although it occasionally deviated into a monster-of-the-week format, "The X-Files"'s intricate alien colonization storyline was led by exceptional performances of FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). They were the perfect pair, complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses as they endeavored to unravel the mysteries behind a mounting series of unexplained occurrences and paranormal events around the country.

Often imitated to great effect in later shows like "Fringe," this original sensation still holds your attention like no other. It spawned two theatrical films and a 2016 revival series, and now a new reboot from "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler is in the works for even more smart "X-Files" spookiness.

Stepping into the captain's chair isn't just about issuing orders, it's about instinct, diplomacy, courage, and knowing when to bend the rules for the greater good. Across the 'Star Trek' universe, each captain has carved out a distinct legacy, shaped by their values and the way they navigate impossible choices.

Some captains lead with unshakable idealism, others with tactical brilliance, and a few with a flair for improvisation that somehow always saves the day. Their personalities define their crews, their missions, and the stories fans return to again and again.

This quiz dives into the traits that make each captain unforgettable, translating their command philosophies into questions about how you think, react, and lead. Whether you're a strategist, a diplomat, a rebel, or a visionary, your answers will reveal the captain who mirrors your approach to the unknown.

So take a breath, steady your course, and prepare to discover the Starfleet leader who's been hiding in you all along. Engage.

A long-gestating effort to bring a Starfleet Academy TV series from concept to reality has finally manifested itself, as the "Discovery" spinoff series' Star Trek: Starfleet Academy debuted on Paramount+ with a two-episode launch on Jan. 15.

It chronicles the lives and loves of a fresh class of young Starfleet cadets in the 32nd century under the direction of school chancellor and USS Athena captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter). Executive producer and current "Star Trek" ringmaster Alex Kurtzman and series co-showrunner Noga Landau ("Tom Swift," "Nancy Drew") believe this was the ideal "Star Trek" show to bring fans to mark the venerable franchise's 60th anniversary.

"For every 'Trek' show, they all reflect the moment in which they were made," Kurtzman tells Space.com.

"They're saying something about society in its different phases. And right now — and I'm speaking both as the showrunner but also as a parent — I see our kids inheriting a very divided, fractured world. And I also see that they’re able to hold onto this optimism still, that anything is possible. It's probably the first generation that I've seen that's able to do both of those things. And that felt like a beautiful reinforcement of Roddenberry's essential vision.

"What a great reason to make a show, because right now they’re being bombarded with negativity all day long," explains Kurtzman. "We wanted to be a compass that guided them back toward hope and possibility and a brighter future."

Related: How to watch Starfleet Academy online and from anywhere

"We take on very real-world topics. All science fiction, but particularly 'Star Trek,' is always allegorical to something, and you get to read into it whatever you want. It felt like we got to talk about something very relevant now in this show. And that it's not possible to learn without legacy. You have to learn from the past in order to understand the future and the present. To have a brand new generation and then several members of older generations there, I think it speaks to the spectrum of what is possible with 'Star Trek.'”

With 'Star Trek' celebrating its milestone 60th birthday later this year, Landau is certain that there's really never a wrong time to do "Starfleet Academy."

"Our audience, some of them, have been waiting 60 years to be able to go to Starfleet Academy, and they finally get to do it now," she adds. "For the look of the Athena, our ship has wings, and that was very intentional. It was important that the ship looks like classic Trek, but also looks like something we've never seen before."

The design aesthetics and production logistics on "Starfleet Academy" were ambitious, and Kurtzman is excited for fans to experience this transformative moment in Federation history and the show's impressive USS Athena mega-sets.

"We're on the biggest stage in North America, it's the first two-story stage we've ever built," he explained. "We built it so that we could do long walk-and-talks that would start in the upper level, take you down the stairs, past the big time window to space, through the lobby, into a turbo-lift, down into a hallway, and keep it all continuous. That's a really exciting thing.

"We wanted it to feel consistent with the language we’ve established for the 32nd century, but we also wanted to harken back to East Coast collegiate vibes. So how do you sprinkle some Harvard in there? Our production designer, Matthew Davies, and his entire team came up with the idea of marrying dark wood with all of this future aesthetic. If you look at Nahla's office, as we're based in San Francisco, it's Frank Lloyd Wright-heavy. Very Mission furniture-heavy. And we lit the show differently and used different lenses than we’ve ever used on 'Star Trek' before.”

"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" is streaming exclusively on Paramount+. The two-episode premiere dropped on Jan. 15, with subsequent episodes releasing weekly on Wednesdays.

You can't save the universe every week. Sure, the Enterprise-D’s daring mission to rescue Jean-Luc Picard from the Borg, and Michael Burnham leading Discovery to the 32nd century are the kind of Alpha Quadrant-changing events that grab headlines, but even 60-year-old multimedia franchises need to take it easy from time to time.

"Starfleet Academy" is set in a school and, therefore, unlikely to put its students in situations of extreme peril every week — such educational negligence is more commonly found at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Even so, it's hard to think of an episode in "Trek"'s long history that lowers the stakes quite as much as "Vitus Reflux", the new show's third outing.

This is an utterly throwaway slice of college comedy, rather more concerned with sports, pranks, and teen/20-something romance than getting lost on the final frontier. But perhaps the most remarkable thing about these futuristic playground squabbles is that they're actually kind of fun. They also hint that this show might be starting to carve out its own unique sector within the "Star Trek" universe.

Ignore the transporters, futuristic sports, and extra-terrestrial classmates, and this episode could be set in any present-day educational establishment — even the sports hall where the students train will feel familiar to pretty much anyone who's attended school in the last four decades. And yes, it does have a squeaky wooden floor.

With her motivational speeches — "No blood will be shed on my court without my express permission!" — half-Klingon/half-Jem'Hadar first officer/drill sergeant Lura Thok descends from a long line of disciplinarian PE teachers on screen. Meanwhile, the Academy cadets' rivalry with the War College next door is the sort of petty feud that's easy for most of us to relate to. Forget the evolved ideals of Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise-D gang — this is much closer to real life, albeit filtered through the prism of fluffy mascots and the US high school movie. (That said, the radical notion of a "nerd/jock hybrid" like "Coach" Jett Reno is one innovation that particular genre has traditionally been reluctant to embrace.)

From the outset, it's clear that this Starfleet Academy v War College game of "Calica" — essentially futuristic laser tag with added transporter beams — is little more than a battle for inter-faculty bragging rights, and an ode to a training sequence in "Starship Troopers". Winners and losers won't be remembered for long, while the only thing in any danger is the participants' pride.

And it turns out that there really are no rules when it comes to making your enemies look stupid. Fancy beaming your barely clothed opponents from the shower room to other locations on campus, or reworking the Starfleet Academy promo video to make the current class look as stupid as possible? Pretty much anything is fair game here.

Especially when unconventional school principal Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) decides to reinvent this trivial student feud as a cross between an educational experience and an opportunity to get one over on her War College opposite number, Chancellor Kelrec (Raoul Bhaneja). Whether she's supplying her charges with fast-growing fungi with Furby-like voice-imitation properties (the "Vitus Reflux" of the title) or simply encouraging them to employ some out-of-the-box thinking — not too far removed from the questionable tactics that led to James T Kirk cheating on the Kobayashi Maru test — she has little interest in being impartial.

Nonetheless, with cadets Darem Reymi (George Hawkins), Genesis Lythe (Bella Shepard) and Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta) all learning a little bit about teamwork making the dream work by the end of the episode — as well as realizing that their holographic classmate, SAM (Kerrice Brooks), is permeable (but not porous) to laser fire — this can surely go down as a successful class.

Of course, when the final credits roll, little has actually changed. Like an episode of "The Simpsons", " Vitus Reflux" could suddenly disappear from Paramount+ and have little bearing on the future of the show and its characters — the stakes really are that low.

And in that regard, it definitely isn't alone in the "Star Trek" universe. Numerous holodeck/holosuite episodes have simply been diversions from day-to-day Starfleet life, perhaps the most extreme example being the "Deep Space Nine" crew battling Vulcans in a baseball match spawned by Benjamin Sisko's decades-old rivalry with Captain Solok in "Take Me Out to the Holosuite". There have also been numerous shore leave adventures and unashamed comedy outings where the protagonists' actions have little bearing on the universe beyond their starship hull.

But bearing in mind that even comedy series "Lower Decks" usually featured some kind of antagonist or threat to the USS Cerritos, it's hard to think of too many "Trek" missions quite as trivial as this frothy concoction. And that's absolutely fine for a show that's attempting to reveal another side of Starfleet, whose heroes' biggest adventures are almost definitely several years ahead of them.

These cadets may be seeking out some 32nd century adventure and excitement, but that doesn't mean all their missions have to be life-or-death. After all, sometimes being a student is more about having fun than making your mark on the wider universe.

New episodes of "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" debut on Paramount+ on Thursdays.

"Star Trek" is going back to school. The new Trek TV series "Starfleet Academy" is less about exploring the final frontier and more about educating the next generation of explorers, as a group of students from very different backgrounds make their way through the famous San Francisco educational establishment. But although it's taken the famous old franchise 60 years, 13 movies, 12 previous TV shows, and the dawn of the 32nd century to get here, the school is nearly as old as the franchise itself.

The Academy got its first mention in "Where No Man Has Gone Before", the second "Trek" pilot (but the third episode broadcast), when James T Kirk's old classmate, Gary Mitchell, recalled their college days. The Kobayashi Maru, the infamous no-win simulation used to test potential captains, also became a key theme in classic movie "The Wrath of Khan" (1982). But at the start of the 1990s, Starfleet Academy got remarkably close to headlining its own movie.

"Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" (1989) has long been considered one of the worst entries in the movie series, a poorly conceived tale of the USS Enterprise's mission to find God. Literally.

Its commercial and critical failure — combined with the advancing years of the famous bridge crew and the hefty salaries demanded by William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and the rest — became a good excuse to explore alternative potential avenues for the franchise.

So, with "Trek" due to celebrate its 25th birthday in 1991, Paramount executive Ned Tanen gave producer Harve Bennett (who'd overseen the four previous films) the okay to work on "The Academy Years", a project he already had in development with "Star Trek V" writer David Loughery. If successful, Bennett believed that "The Academy Years" (sometimes referred to as "The First Adventure") could become the launchpad for a new movie or TV franchise.

"'The Academy Years', like 'Star Trek IV', would have reached beyond the ['Star Trek'] cult," Bennett recalled in "The Fifty-Year Mission" by Edward Gross and Mark A Altman. "It would have interested people who had never seen a 'Star Trek' film, which did not exclude the regulars, but it simply said, 'If you don't understand what it's all about, come see how it all began."

This story would effectively be a reboot for the franchise, a coming-of-age story for Kirk, Spock (the first non-human ever to attend the Academy), and McCoy, revealing how the Original Series' holy trinity came to be friends. In other words, "The Academy Years" would have been "Trek"'s answer to "Young Sherlock Holmes" and "Young Indiana Jones".

"In outline form, it was the story of Kirk and Spock meeting for the first time as cadets here on Earth," Loughery explained. "We've got a young Jim Kirk, who's kind of cocky and wild. He's not exactly what you might think starship captain material might be. He's like one of these kids who would rather fly hot planes and chase girls. Spock is this brilliant, arrogant, aloof-to-the-point-of-obnoxiousness genius. It's the mask he's hiding behind to cover his own conflicting human emotions. He's an outcast, he left Vulcan in shame against his father's wishes, and like all adolescents, he's trying to find a place to fit in, but he keeps screwing it up."

McCoy, meanwhile, would have been an older 30-year-old coming to terms with the death of his father, a wound explored in "Star Trek V". Despite their initial (and dramatically inevitable) differences, the trio would have come together to free an alien planet from slavery. Along the way, Kirk would have had a tragic love affair with a woman whose death would go on to shape his attitude to future relationships, much as Vesper Lynd's demise in "Casino Royale" did for James Bond.

The filmmakers also planned to bookend the story with the reminiscences of the older Kirk and Spock — a cunning ruse to get the headline power of Shatner and Nimoy in the movie. Bennett wanted Ethan Hawke to play the young Kirk and John Cusack to play Spock.

"The Academy Years" may have been touted as a 23rd century answer to 1986 Paramount hit "Top Gun", but not everybody was enamored with the prospect of a movie that — seemingly the victim of a smear campaign — had come to be regarded as a spoof, a "Trek"-tinged cross between "Police Academy" and "The Jetsons".

Although Gene Roddenberry no longer had any official behind-the-scenes power, the "Star Trek" creator still held considerable sway with the fanbase. So when "the Great Bird of the Galaxy" made it clear he did not endorse the project, Bennett and co faced an uphill battle to get their movie greenlit. And even though Bennett later claimed that the door would have been left open for the original crew to return in "Star Trek VI" a year or two later, many of the veteran Original Series cast were sceptical.

The weight of opinion was enough to keep "The Academy Years" grounded in Spacedock, as Paramount opted instead to mark "Trek"'s silver anniversary with Kirk, Spock, and the gang's final adventure in "The Undiscovered Country" (1991). Bennett chose to walk away from the franchise.

But Kirk and Picard's alma mater has never really gone away. While a student, Wesley Crusher came perilously close to expulsion after a stunt-gone-wrong in "The Next Generation" episode "The First Duty" (1992), and William Shatner, Walter Koenig, and George Takei all reprised their roles in a 1997 "Starfleet Academy" PC game.

There was also a series of YA novels featuring various members of the Original Series, "Next Generation", and "Voyager" crews during their Academy days, and a Marvel Comics series featuring "Deep Space Nine"'s Nog studying at the school. In a 2010 interview with TrekMovie, Bennett recalled a mid-'90s meeting with then-Paramount head Sharry Lansing at which the prospect of resurrecting "The Academy Years" was discussed. The comeback was soon nixed, however, when a pilot for another prequel, "Enterprise", was given the nod.

Until now, the closest we've come to a bona fide Starfleet Academy movie or TV show has been JJ Abrams' 2009 "Star Trek", in which a rebellious James Tiberius Kirk enrolls at the school in an alternative timeline. In contrast to "The Academy Years" version, Spock is an instructor rather than one of Kirk's contemporaries, though our introduction to a young James T — where he steals a vintage car — seems remarkably similar to Loughery's opening scene, in which the future captain of the Enterprise would have crashed a crop duster. "Star Trek: Prodigy" could have sent its young heroes to the Academy, but the showrunners took a different path (via CinemaBlend) because they knew the new "Starfleet Academy" was already on the Paramount+ timetable.

The new 32nd-century-set TV show is, of course, very different from these previous iterations, featuring all-new characters who've grown up in the warp-free era of the Burn. That said, "Starfleet Academy" showrunner and "Trek" overseer Alex Kurtzman may just have put his finger on the reason for the Academy's ongoing appeal.

"These cadets are still figuring it out," he told SFX magazine, "and like all students in college, you go through a remarkable journey of self-discovery over the course of those four years. Oftentimes, what you enter into college thinking you want to do, and what you leave college wanting to do, are two very different things."

The first two episodes of 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' stream on Paramount+ from Thursday, January 15.

The blazing launch of Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" is now in the books this week, and avid fans can look forward to a galaxy of new characters as showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau take us into the far future of the "Trek" timeline for a 32nd-century education amid the stars.

Beginning with the two-episode premiere that just happened Jan. 15, creator Gaia Violo's 10-chapter "Starfleet Academy" series lifts off to chronicle the first new class of Starfleet cadets in 120 years after The Burn, a devastating cosmic event documented in the third season of "Star Trek: Discovery."

We recently connected with Bella Shepard (Genesis Lythe), Zoë Steiner (Tarima Sadal), and Karim Diané (Jay-Den Kraag) — part of this inspiring collection of prospective cadets — to hear what they're most excited about in this debut season, connecting with their characters, and the significance of forever being an official part of "Trek" history.

"There's so many gratifying aspects of it," Shepard tells Space.com. "The fans' reception of it is very gratifying. And also being able to work together with these guys has meant a lot to me. And also working with Holly [Hunter] and Paul [Giamatti] and Bob [Picardo] and Frakes [Jonathan] Tig [Notaro] and everyone we've met from just being in this world is a big deal for me.”

"And the writing that something like 'Star Trek' allows is so fleshed out," Steiner adds. “It's obviously otherworldly and outer space and larger than life in that sense, but it's very grounded in reality. And that's a really great combo to have as an actor."

Karim Diané, who portrays the young Klingon recruit Jay-Den Kraag, had a reality check moment when he first reclined in the USS Athena's honorary center seat.

"I think walking onto the bridge and sitting on the captain's chair blew my mind," he recalls. "I was like, 'This is crazy.'"

• Related: How to watch Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Regarding their "Starfleet Academy" roles, the cast offered views on their parts and pondered how alike or different in real life they are compared to the characters.

"I look nothing like Jay-Den in real life," admits Diané. "I wish I had them long dreads and piercing eyes and wrinkly forehead. Basically, we look different, but internally we're very much the same. I’m West African and Central African after my mother. So I'm half-Guinean and half-Congolese. My tribe is a Mandingo tribe. So I really do relate to being a part of this ancient tribal culture.

"As a Mandingo man, we were warriors of West Africa. Growing up, I've been expected to be a warrior in a modern way. To be a sports star and play basketball and football, and I have no interest in sports. I just want to be an artist. And that's very similar to Jay-Den, he doesn’t want to be a fighter, he wants to be a lover and a healer."

"Genesis and I are very similar in our drive and our ambition," Shepard notes. "Personally, there are many things I want to do with my life, and I want to do it all.

"Genesis has a lot of pressure on herself from her relationship with her father, and I relate to pressure in general. We're also dissimilar in that our insecurities are very different, and it's been so fun to play Genesis and create this raw human-like alien."

"Tarima and I share how strong our connection is to our emotional landscape," says Steiner. "Tarima is nicer, maybe, and she’s also very generous. I’d like to be as compassionate as her."

"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" streams on Paramount+ starting on Jan. 15.

"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" has officially docked on Paramount+. It's the latest expansion in a franchise that has more time hops than Doc Brown's delightful DeLorean, but this show might be the most puzzling addition yet.

At some point in time, every Trekkie has imagined what it must be like to be a cadet and learn all the various disciplines required to join the Starfleet. Writer Gaia Violo recognized this as well, envisioning a series following an influx of new cadets set after the events of the divisive "Star Trek: Discovery," while producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau put their names behind it as showrunners. In typical Hollywood fashion, though, a spin on the concept just had to be shoehorned in here.

The story starts innocently enough. Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) gets appointed as the chancellor for the Starfleet Academy. Disappointed by the actions from her past, she makes amends by offering orphan Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta) the chance to become a cadet and find his long-lost mother.

Caleb has never dreamed of joining Starfleet, but he reluctantly accepts the opportunity. While he's an outsider and rebel at heart, Caleb makes friends with the likes of Klingon Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diané) and Dar-Sha Genesis Lythe (Bella Shepard), and rubs a few others the wrong way. It also doesn't take too long for Caleb to demonstrate he might have what it takes to become a Starfleet officer after all, even though that wasn't on his initial bingo card.

Sounds harmless enough, right? Well, it was until someone decided this all needed to play out like a CW teen drama from the 2000s. Think Dawson's Creek in space. There are noticeable sparks between Genesis and Caleb from the get-go, but he kicks off a romance with the Betazoid Tarima Sadal (Zoë Steiner) to add more awkwardness to the proceedings. Blink twice if you're over love triangles on every show and want this trope to disappear for a decade at the very least.

Also, let's not forget the forced and telegraphed tensions between the cadets, because teenagers need to hate each other for arbitrary reasons before they become bosom buddies in the end. Seriously, is Greg Berlanti ghostwriting this?

While "Star Trek" boldly claims to go where no man has gone before, YA drama might be one frontier too far. It isn't like "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" is hiding its influences either, as a poster proves to be an unabashed tribute to "One Tree Hill."

Now, there's nothing wrong with watching 40 minutes of Chad Michael Murray brood and plod through a story that could have been an email, but the problem here is that Tree Hill and Starfleet mix like politics and unity. It's a real square peg in a round hole situation.

The teen drama influences don't stop there, though. While it's got a lot in common with the aforementioned 2000s era coming-of-age dramas, in practice, "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" plays out like Hogwarts in space, and this isn't a compliment.

Ake is the eccentric Dumbledore archetype who sometimes speaks in riddles but wants her cadets to succeed – especially Caleb, aka the Boy Who Lived (and Survived the Cosmos). Channeling their best imitations of Severus Snape, Rubeus Hagrid, and Minerva McGonagall, the faculty members love snark and to openly question if the cadets have what it takes, but while they're harsh and condescending in public, they root for the cadets behind the scenes and know talent when they see it. All that's missing is for Gina Yashere's Lura Thok to take Caleb aside and say, "Yer a wizard, Cally!"

Then consider the Big Bad of the series: Paul Giamatti's half-Klingon, half-Tellarite Nus Braka. The Voldemort practically hisses off him as he wants to divide and conquer, and he even has a special attachment to Caleb and his mother.

He's fuelled by pure hatred and is evil because… um, he's evil?! The way in which Ake speaks about Braka signifies that he's a major deal, and everyone needs to be wary of him. Well, at least he has a nose here, so there's that one difference.

"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" knows it's going to annoy the hardcore fans, and it overcompensates through various nods and winks to the franchise's history, as well as throwback characters from the past. It tries too hard to convince everyone that it is a "Star Trek" show at its core, but this is the hip, new "Star Trek" of 2026.

Instead, it comes off looking like Steve Buscemi's Lenny Wosniak from the much-memed "30 Rock" scene where he dresses like a teenager and says, "How do you do, fellow kids?" In an attempt to draw in a new generation of viewers, it feels like a show that will appeal to absolutely no one in the process.

Maybe "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" could have worked without the attachment to the famous franchise. By freeing it from expectations and legacy, it could have ventured into whichever direction it wanted and not had everyone befuddled by its bizarre decision to inject YA drama and borrow from the Wizarding World.

Unfortunately, by going down this pothole-ravaged journey, "Starfleet Academy" only gives more ammunition to those who believe all modern "Star Trek" shows – derogatorily known as NuTrek – need to suffer the wrath of Khan, or the Internet (it's the same thing, really). At least we'll always have Strange New Worlds.

"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" is available to stream on Paramount+.

Hit the holo-books and don’t get caught in the turbolift without a hall pass when Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" opens the semester to present its promising collection of bright, ambitious cadets all trying to become officers to serve the Federation’s “peacekeeping and humanitarian armada.”

Delivered by showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, this fresh spinoff of "Star Trek: Discovery" is set in the 32nd century and concerns the lives of six main candidates and the interstellar drama of their education aboard the teaching vessel USS Athena under the command of Captain Nahla Ake and her university staff.

Beyond being “Hogwarts Of The Stars” or “Beverly Hills 90210 In Space,” “Starfleet Academy” is poised to draw in a far younger audience than traditional 'Trek' fare, with compelling characters and a fully invested young cast. Let's get you briefed on how to watch "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" for its flashy debut!

What is the "Starfleet Academy" release date?

"Starfleet Academy" warps exclusively onto Paramount+, the official streaming port of "Star Trek," on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, with a two-episode premiere starting at 12:00 a.m. ET / 9:00 p.m. PT. The show is available worldwide, anywhere that you can subscribe to Paramount+.

Things will kick off with the installments, "Kids These Days" and "The Beta Test." Subsequent episodes, one per week, will drop each Thursday through Thursday, March 12, 2026.

Season 2 has already been greenlit by Paramount+ back in October of 2024.

How to watch "Starfleet Academy"

"Starfleet Academy" lifts off today from Paramount+ in its first 10-episode season that's sure to be loaded with plenty of sci-fi surprises and memorable moments.

If you’re on the fence and haven’t subscribed yet, Paramount has announced that the first episode, "Kids These Days," will also be available to watch for free for a limited time on their official YouTube channel starting Thursday, Jan. 15, one minute after the stated streaming launch.

Out of the country when the show debuts? Not a problem, as you can still watch it on your streaming service of choice using a VPN. You'll be able to connect to the service you've paid for, no matter where you are (on Earth, it won't work in space, sorry).

What is the plot of "Starfleet Academy?"

Rolling out of the 32nd century after the cataclysmic event in "Star Trek: Discovery" known as The Burn, we're introduced to the first new class of cadets to enter Starfleet Academy in over 120 years.

Instructed by Chancellor Nahla Ake, Lura Thok, Jett Reno, and other veteran Starfleet instructors aboard the USS Athena traveling campus spaceship, these collegiate candidates experience romantic entanglements, personal challenges, and heated rivalries to achieve technical mastery and become officer material as they resurrect a legendary institution while a villainous threat arises.

"Starfleet Academy" trailer and teasers

The initial "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" full trailer was unwrapped on Oct. 11, 2025, at the Star Trek Universe panel at New York Comic Con, following a fun first look teaser released July 26.

Then, on Jan. 5, 2026, to start the new year, a fresh legacy launch trailer landed showcasing the franchise's big 60th anniversary.

Who are the "Starfleet Academy" cast and creators?

"Starfleet Academy" was created by Gaia Violo, Alex Kurtzman, and Noga Landau, with Kurtzman and Landau serving as the series co-showrunners and executive producers.

Kurtzman is a "Star Trek" veteran, having executive produced 2009's "Star Trek" and its sequel, "Star Trek: Into Darkness," as well as Paramount+'s modern "Star Trek" TV shows including "Star Trek: Discovery," "Star Trek: Picard," "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," and "Star Trek: Section 31."

"Starfleet Academy's" faculty cast includes:

• Paul Giamatti as the Klingon/Tellarite space pirate Nus Braka
• Holly Hunter as USS Athena Captain Nahla Ake, Chancellor of Starfleet Academy
• Tig Notaro as Jett Reno, the engineering genius from "Star Trek: Discovery"
• Robert Picardo as The Doctor first appearing in "Star Trek: Voyager"
• Gina Yashere as Lura Thok, a Klingon/Jem’Hadar hybrid and Cadet Master
• Stephen Colbert as the voice of Starfleet Academy's Digital Dean of Students
• Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir, an orphan searching for his mother
• Karim Diané as Klingon Jay-Den Kraag
• Kerrice Brooks as SAM, a Series Acclimation Mil hologram
• George Hawkins as Darem Reymi, a proud upper-class Khionian
• Bella Sheppard as Genesis Lythe, a Dar-Sha alien studying command

Faces both new and returning will appear in Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" when it drops on Jan. 15. This young-adult "space university" drama focuses on the exploits of a group of 20-something cadets overseen by stern Starfleet veterans.

Robert Picardo has been a popular fixture in the "Star Trek" universe as the Emergency Medical Hologram, simply called The Doctor. The character was first introduced in "Star Trek: Voyager" in 1995, later seen in 1996's "Star Trek: First Contact," and then voiced by the actor in "Star Trek: Prodigy." Now, he finally makes a return to live-action "Star Trek" after three decades away.

Gina Yashere is making her "Trek" debut in "Starfleet Academy" after co-starring in the CBS comedy "Bob Hearts Abishola." She’ll portray the Klingon/Jem'Hadar hybrid Cadet Master Lura Thok, who serves as Captain Nahla Ake’s (Holly Hunter) Number One on the USS Athena.

"Initially, what attracted me was the sheer strength of the character," Yashere tells Space.com.

"When I did my audition, I didn't even know it was 'Star Trek.' They sent me a script without any reference on it. It was this 'Full Metal Jacket'- type drill sergeant screaming at some kids. Then I found out later that it was 'Star Trek' and thought, 'Wow, this is bigger than I thought.' My brother is a mad Trekkie, so he nearly had a heart attack when he discovered I was not only going up on 'Star Trek' but to be a Klingon/Jem'Hadar hybrid."

"The character is not just a screamy character," notes Yashere, "It's bringing together two massive legacy tribes. It’s a new hybrid that's never been seen before, so I'm the first of my kind."

Trek fans might be a little confused about Lura Thok's origins, given that the Jem'Hadar are a clone race, and, as a Jem'Hadar warrior famously says in Deep Space Nine, "There are no Jem'Hadar women." We'll have to wait and see how that came about, but it's safe to say that a lot has happened to the Jem'Hadar in the 800+ years since the Dominion War ended.

Picardo’s call back to the final frontier came in March of 2023 via an inquiry through his agents to join a new live-action "Star Trek" series.

"My response was, 'Really?,'" he recalls. "I had no idea what it was, whether it was playing a new character. Then I found out I was playing the same character in the 32nd century, so with 800 years of digital experience. When I had the first Zoom meeting with Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, they explained to me their vision for the show and specifically my character arc. It just sounded cool. What they wanted to do with me was something that hadn't been done with The Doctor before, later in the season, where he's pushed into a new area or feeling or experience. I said yes and haven’t regretted it for a moment.

"It's wonderful to work with such a young and vibrant, exuberant cast, as well as a few old pros like Gina and Holly Hunter. It's also been a wonderful circle of life experience to revisit this character, because it's the signature character of my career. There's no way around it, so I might as well embrace it again."

Picardo and Yashere are thrilled for viewers to tune in and welcome "Starfleet Academy" as a member of the 60-year-old "Star Trek" family.

"I hope the fans get a bit of everything," says Yashere. "You've got fresh blood coming into the series. You're attracting a younger audience, but there's still plenty in there for legacy fans of 'Star Trek.' It's still exciting. It's still full of action. It’s still epic. And it's really well written.”

"And it's hopeful about the future, and we need that optimistic enthusiasm right now," Picardo adds. "It's great entry-level 'Star Trek' for anyone, if you've never watched it before or if you're an old fan. It really has something for everyone, and lots of humor as well."

"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" beams onto Paramount+ starting Jan. 15.

Paul Giamatti ("Sideways," "John Adams") and Holly Hunter ("Raising Arizona," "The Piano") — two of the most acclaimed and award-winning actors of our generation — may seem like unlikely choices to be streaking across the final frontier in the 32nd century, but their roles in Paramount+'s new "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" offered myriad challenges and rewards for the esteemed Hollywood pair.

To find their "Starfleet Academy" characters' pulse, Giamatti’s Klingon/Tellarite space pirate Nus Braka and Hunter's USS Athena captain and Starfleet Academy chancellor, they both fearlessly plunged into the parts with unbridled enthusiasm.

"I felt pretty alive right away, it was right there on the page," Giamatti tells Space.com. "Certainly getting into all of that gear. The first time they put me in all of that gear, I thought, 'Ooh, I get this guy. This guy has had a life. Look at all the stuff I'm wearing. All the stuff of where he's been and who he is.' Getting myself fully suited up, I was really like, 'Oh, I see. I’m ready to go!'"

Hunter found her Captain Nahla Ake by leaning into the character’s calm humanity.

"What was really interesting, it was when I read the script and saw that Nahla has a lot of speeches, because she's captain, and so there’s orientation and exposition for the characters but also for the cadets and also for the audience," she explained.

"I wanted the first ship-wide speech I delivered on the bridge to have intimacy. I wanted it to be not a speech. I wanted it to be a conversation with the cadets, who are not in the room. So it was like a 32nd century thing that I wanted to figure out. How to make it not formal, how to bridge the gap between me, the crew, and the cadets who were not present. I just wanted no formality between me and them."

Giamatti and Hunter’s familiarity and personal connections with "Star Trek," especially in its 60th anniversary year, also helped ground them in the production for an enjoyable overall experience.

"I started watching as a child when 'The Original Series' was in syndication in the early '70s," Giamatti shares. "I began watching with my father, who thought it would be a good idea for me to watch this because I would enjoy it. So I've had a lifelong relationship to it. Being a part of this very special sort of world, being allowed into it felt like a lovely sort of privilege. But it didn't feel stodgy. It felt really warm and welcoming. It was a lovely atmosphere the whole time. Everything about it was wonderful for me."

Likewise, for Hunter, the absence of narrative restrictions in this legendary sci-fi universe allowed for a refreshing sense of ease while filming.

"There’s nothing punitive about the boundaries of 'Star Trek,'" she notes. "You can do this, you can't do this. No, that’s where we don't go. There was none of that. It felt like a playground, a little bit of a sandbox. 'Here we are, you guys go have some fun.' And it was really easy to have fun with Paul. The scripts just offered so many opportunities for mischief and good times."

"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" streams exclusively on Paramount+ starting Jan. 15.

2026 is a special year for creator Gene Roddenberry's iconic "Wagon Train To The Stars" sci-fi franchise as it celebrates its 60th anniversary seeking out new life and new civilizations!

Those of you who woke up early yesterday for New Year's Day after a night of champagne and fireworks to watch the 137th annual Tournament of Roses Parade in person, online, or on TV might have spotted Paramount's "Star Trek" 60th Anniversary float cruising along down rainy Colorado Boulevard amid the colorful flow of equestrian units and marching bands.

In addition to reminding fans of "Star Trek's" big birthday bash this coming fall, the fantastic float designed by artist John Ramirez and constructed by Artistic Entertainment Services (AES) also served to herald "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy," which premieres Jan. 15 on Paramount+.

Christened as "Star Trek 60: Space For Everybody," this aromatic Rose Parade creation was blanketed in flowers, seaweed, lettuce seeds, and white coconut lovingly applied by more than 100 "Star Trek" volunteers. It featured a partial starship bridge, a pair of transporters, San Francisco's Golden Gate, orbiting worlds, and the majestic USS Enterprise hovering above it all. Riding aboard the float and demonstrating their finest parade waves were "The Original Series'" George Takei, "Strange New Worlds'" Rebecca Romijn, and "Starfleet Academy's" Karim Diané and Tig Notaro (who also appears in "Star Trek: Discovery").

Here's Paramount's official description:

"As the year of 2026 marks a historic chapter for Star Trek, highlighting the legendary franchise's milestone of six decades, the anniversary emphasizes “Space for Everybody,” extending an open invitation to celebrate the future that Star Trek aspires to — a future of HOPE, a future of EXPLORATION and a future where we rise to the challenge to BE BOLD.

"From back to front, the float features the iconic starship U.S.S. Enterprise rising above an array of Star Trek planets. Local Los Angeles landmark Vasquez Rocks feature prominently at the back of the float, paying homage to its role as a frequent Star Trek filming location, with interactive transporters adorning the center of the float.

"In honor of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, their campus also rises above the float as the newest addition to both the Star Trek universe and the classic San Francisco cityscape. The side of the float boasts the Star Trek 60 logo in honor of the franchise’s 60th anniversary, while front and center is the renowned bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise, where Star Trek actors will be stationed for the parade."

It's hard to believe, but apparently this was also the first time that any "Star Trek" cast members had been seen riding on a Rose Parade Float. And in a bit of parade magic, the creatives at AES also crafted the float with a pair of transporter pods made from golden red millet and blue statice that simulated sci-fi tech using a set of twins dressed in red Starfleet uniforms.

Stay tuned all year for more news on "Star Trek's" 60th anniversary!

To own the best U.S.S. Enterprise model on the market is something every Star Trek fan would love to do. We've reviewed both the Playmobil Enterprise and the brand-new Lego Enterprise, so which is better? We'll get into that below.

If you're a fan of Star Trek — and let's be real, if you weren't, you probably wouldn't be on this page — you'll probably be interested in the best U.S.S. Enterprise models on the market. Playmobil has enjoyed the title of being the major toy manufacturer with a seriously impressive Enterprise model, but Lego has now released its first-ever Star Trek set. We'll look at design, the features, the extras, the price and everything in between to determine which is best.

It's worth noting that these two sets, despite being models of the same ship, are vastly different. However, if you want to watch the Star Trek movies and TV shows, as well as other sci-fi hits, or you want to check out other top model ships, we recommend reading through the best streaming deals, best Lego Star Wars sets and best Lego space sets. But, to answer the question of which is the best model, U.S.S. Enterprise, read on.

Design

When it comes to comparing the design of the two models, there are several things you can look at, despite the two models replicating the same ship. Firstly, the number of pieces that come with each set that you need to assemble. Lego's set offers you 3,600 pieces of building, while Playmobil offers a meager 150. That's simply because with Lego's set, the idea is to build the ship using lots of little plastic bricks, while the purpose of Playmobil's set is to assemble fewer, larger parts so you can get to playing with and displaying the set, along with the characters.

Naturally, Lego's new set is considerably more challenging and time-consuming to assemble. 3,600 pieces means you need to set aside several hours, if not a couple of days, to build this set. Large parts of it are mirrored, but it doesn't feel boring or repetitive. There are a couple of fiddly and flimsy parts towards the end, but overall it's an enjoyable build. Whereas Playmobil's Enterprise model has larger parts that clip together without any issue. The only fiddly details came from some smaller parts for the interior of the ship and plenty of stickers, but overall it was a relatively quick and enjoyable build.

Both sets are behemoths, although the Playmobil model dwarfs Lego's, measuring at 39.4 x 18.9 x 13.4 inches as opposed to 11 x 19 x 24 inches. Yes, Playmobil's model measures over a meter in length and can be hung from the ceiling, using the hanging wires included, whereas Lego's set comes on an angled stand to display.

Both can be played with, although they make for seriously impressive display items. The interior of the Playmobil can be accessed through a detachable roof, and it features LED lights and sound effects, too. Lego's set doesn't offer you anywhere near the same level of playability and really is designed as a display model for collectors and super-fans only.

Detail and Functionality

We touched on the playability of the Playmobil Enterprise and the lack of it in the Lego set. The Playmobil set does offer LED light effects as well as sound effects, so you can go boldly where no Playmobil set has gone in your own adventures, and you get an augmented reality app. The LEDs used are multicolor and the sound effects range from lines from fan-favorite characters to warning alerts and more. No such features appear in Lego's set.

That's not to badmouth Lego's set at all, it's an accurate and faithful recreation of the iconic ship. It comes with its own display stand and information plaque, which emblazons the back wall of the ship's bridge and features key facts about the Enterprise. While there are some stickers and printed parts (these include the ship's registration along with emblems and decor), these are great additions and not too much hassle to attach.

Both sets come with figures, or minifigures. In Playmobil's set, you get Captain Kirk, Spock, Uhura, McCoy, Sulu, Scotty and Chekov figures. Lego's differs though, as you get Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander William Riker, Lieutenant Worf, Lieutenant Commander Data, Dr. Beverly Crusher, Lieutenant Commander La Forge, Counselor Deanna Troi, Bartender Guinan and Wesley Crusher. They also come with accessories, which include a teacup, trombone with a stand, a phaser, tricorder, engineering case, PADD, bottle, portable tractor beam generator and a cat figure.

As mentioned in the section above, Playmobil's model also features some fine hanging wires, so your ship can hang from the ceiling and look as if it's venturing across the final frontier. While this isn't a feature of the Lego set, it probably wouldn't be a good idea, as a fall from any kind of height could put you back to square one with building it.

The key difference here is that one is so obviously a display piece and the other is a display piece with some cool playable features. The Lego set is aimed at those aged 18 and above, while the Playmobil set is for Trekkies over the age of 10. Yes, the Playmobil set is sturdier and has more playable features, but the Lego set has such great appeal.

Price

A key factor in deciding if something is worth it, or indeed whether or not you'll actually buy it, is the price. Now, it's worth noting that Playmobil's U.S.S. Enterprise model has been around for a few years now, so it's come down in price since it first hit store shelves.

Playmobil's model first cost $500, which is a lot. It now typically retails for between $250 and $350, going off its price history, which is considerably less.

Lego's brand-new U.S.S. Enterprise will set you back $399.99. This is steep, but you get more than just the joy of showing it off or imagining your own adventures — the experience of building the whole thing is great, and it's not just clipping together some large parts. It's a journey and an experience as opposed to a play and display model.

Verdict

It would be easy to sit on the fence and say they're both good. But that's not why you're here. It's also not why we wrote the article, as tempting as it is. In short, however, it depends on what you want from your set.

If you're looking for playable options and extra effects, the Playmobil model is the better option. There's far less hassle in the building process, it's (now) cheaper, and it features a removable roof along with light and sound effects, as well as an app.

However, if you're a collector, a Lego fan or if you want to proudly display your ship, it's the Lego U.S.S. Enterprise by a country mile. Yes, the Playmobil model is larger, but bigger isn't always better. The satisfaction of the build, the incredible detail on the finished model and it being displayed at an angle really sells the Lego Enterprise as the better model if you're looking for anything other than playability.

"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" is approaching at warp speed, with the first pair of episodes for its 10-chapter debut season due to arrive on Jan. 15, 2026.

Last week, Paramount+ released a new "people pile" poster to precede this dynamic clip, and it's got an overly-familiar "Friends" feeling to it, which isn't necessarily a bad thing... Is it?

We'll let you ruminate on that after you check out this sneak peek of "Starfleet Academy" recently revealed during the CCXP fanfest in São Paolo, Brazil, which shows the villainous Klingon/Tellarite Nus Braka (Paul Giamatti) mercilessly attacking Chancellor Nahla Ake's (Holly Hunter) school training vessel, the U.S.S Athena. It's a savage looking encounter, but it's the rest of the trailer that has us raising our shields.

Braka's transformable battlecruiser, the Venari Ral, is a formidable opponent, and the two spaceships face off in deep space. Batten down the hatches, forego any evasive maneuvers, and enjoy the sweet symphony of destruction, complete with.... if we're honest, some seriously hammy acting and awkward dialogue.

The young-adult-targeted series takes place in the post-Burn universe of the 32nd century, where the first new class of cadets in 120 years seeks to revive the storied institution aboard the teaching starship U.S.S. Athena, to restore Starfleet as a bright beacon of galactic hope. We're getting real "Star Trek" does "Dawson's Creek" vibes from this. Is that a good thing? No, probably not, but we're excited to be proven wrong.

In addition to Hunter and Giamatti, the young cast includes Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir, Karim Diané as Jay-Den Kraag, Kerrice Brooks as Sam, George Hawkins as Darem Reymi, and Bella Shepard as Genesis Lythe.

Executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" arrives on Paramount+ with a two-episode debut on January 15, 2026.

If you want to check out Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (or any of the other great shows on Paramount+) while you're abroad, you can also use a VPN to access your subscription from anywhere in the world.

For a limited time, you can save up to 77% on 24 months of NordVPN (+3 free months extra).

While Mars looms as the next destination for humanity's expansion into our solar system, there are significant hurdles, technological issues, financial concerns, and astrophysical logistics to overcome before placing boots on the Red Planet ever becomes a reality.

But that hasn't stopped Texas-based Celestis, Inc. from launching a new reservation list for customers to stake out coveted spots on the memorial spaceflight company's first planned journey to Mars. Celestis aims to send canisters containing cremated ashes and DNA samples of the deceased into orbit around the Red Planet.

However, it might be an endeavor several years in the making.

Since 1997, the Houston-headquartered firm has carried precious cargo of the remains of loved ones, pets, and luminaries beyond Earth on a number of missions employing a wide range of launch vehicles, most recently United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan Centaur rocket. Other services offered are liftoff and recovery options that are paired with ocean splashdowns in which clients can send memorial capsules into orbit that are then retrieved to be retained as heirlooms and keepsakes.

Now, Celestis has officially opened reservations for the first 300 participants aboard their ambitious Mars300 project. This mission aims to liftoff as a secondary payload for a future, yet-to-be-named Mars-bound cargo spacecraft.

Celestis says the service will cost $24,995, and is already taking 10% down payments for families to reserve a place among the first members of our species to reach Mars. According to a press release, "participant payments will be held in a dedicated, bank-maintained, federally-insured trust account under the client's control until the launch date and provider are confirmed."

According to Celestis Founder and CEO Charles Chafer, his company is looking at 2030 for the first mission. A reliable launcher is obviously still a detail to be determined as currently the only significant provider that might be offering cargo odysseys to Mars is SpaceX’s Starship.

"This mission represents humanity’s next responsible step toward the stars," said Chafer. "By sending cremated remains and human DNA to Mars, we unite science, exploration, and legacy in a way that speaks to our shared destiny beyond Earth."

Questions remain regarding this enterprise, but Celestis’ has stated that its primary goal is to honor loved ones while preserving Mars’ delicate ecosphere through strict adherence to COSPAR planetary protection protocols. Precisely how rigorous planetary protection standards will be enforced is also something to consider.

Longer missions into the great beyond have included cremated remains and/or DNA canisters of "Star Trek" legends like Nichelle Nichols, DeForest Kelley, Gene Roddenberry and his wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry and James "Scotty" Doohan. Celestis also carried symbolic remains belonging to "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" VFX legend Douglas Trumbull aboard the 2024 "Enterprise Flight."

This past summer, The Exploration Company's "Mission Possible" Nyx capsule and its Celestis Memorial Flights payload was sadly lost at sea during its Pacific Ocean splashdown phase when a parachute did not properly deploy.

You can explore strange new worlds from home using the forthcoming Lego model of the iconic Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise starship.

Enterprise is available as a hefty 3,600-piece set in version NCC-1701-D, which was used during Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-94) as well as the Star Trek: Generations movie of 1994 — as well as many spinoffs. The vehicle will warp into stores and online on Nov. 28, and retails for $399.99. It's recommended for fans who are 18+, although we're sure many grownups will be glad to construct this Trek icon alongside the kids.

If you hit warp speed on this purchase and buy before Dec. 1, you'll get a bonus: a Type 15 Federation Lego shuttlepod — Onizuka, named as a tribute to the real-life NASA astronaut Ellison Onizuka who died aboard space shuttle Challenger in 1986 — is available as a gift with purchase of the whole set.

Lego and partner Paramount Products & Experiences are planning some Black Friday events to celebrate, although you'll have to source your own Romulan ale. Lego insiders can enter a sweepstakes until Dec. 1 to win a signed set from Jonathan Frakes, a Star Trek actor and director best known for playing Commander William Riker (also known as "Number 2"). And on Nov. 28 between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. in London, Star Trek fans can meet designer Hans Burkhand Schlömer at the store in Leicester Square to get Schlömer's signature on their starship purchases.

"As Commander Riker, I spent a lot of time on the bridge of the Enterprise, and now fans can take the helm themselves in Lego brick form," Frakes said in a statement from Lego. "This set is a fantastic way to relive the adventures of the crew, piece by piece."

The interior of the Onizuka includes a display showing Stardate 45076.3, along with a schematic of a Romulan spacecraft. (TNG superfans will recognize the stardate from the Season 5 episode "Ensign Ro" in 1991, which is a nice Easter egg as the Bajornan ensign herself is a minifigure with the craft.)

The "highly detailed replica of Starfleet's legendary flagship", as Lego terms the set, comes with nine minifigures that comprise the main TNG crew and famous Enterprise members: Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Riker, Lieutenant Worf, Lieutenant Commander Data, Dr. Beverly Crusher, Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge, Counselor Deanna Troi, Bartender Guinan, and even Wesley Crusher (son of Beverly)—who was with TNG for about half its run.

The starship also includes "a detachable command saucer, secondary hull, warp nacelles with distinctive red and blue detailing, an opening shuttlebay, 2 mini shuttlepods and an angled display stand with a schematic and ship statistics," Lego stated. The set is sized for a bookshelf or a desk, with dimensions (including stand) of 10.5 inches (27 cm) high, 23.5 inches (60 cm) long and 18.5 inches (48 cm) wide.

Accessories include the inevitable tricorder, a teacup (in a nod to Picard's spare-time habits), a phaser (never leave the ship without one), as well as an engineering case, PADD, bottle, portable tractor beam generator and — for the Data fans — a cat figure.

Make sure to buy this set quickly to have some fun work to better yourself, as well as the rest of humanity who loves this series. It'll be sure to sell out quickly given TNG's enduring popularity among fans.

Star Trek isn't just a sci-fi franchise — it's a cultural phenomenon that's inspired generations to dream bigger, think deeper and embrace diversity across galaxies.

With its iconic captains, philosophical dilemmas and unforgettable alien encounters, the Trek universe is rich with lore, logic, and a whole lot of technobabble.

From the original series to the latest frontier, we're diving deep into decades of interstellar storytelling.

*Correction: Thank you to those who caught an error in the quiz! We've since fixed this.

Whether you're fluent in Klingon, know your warp factors by heart, or just enjoy the occasional holodeck adventure, this quiz is your chance to boldly go where few trivia masters have gone before.

Try it out below and see how well you score!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 just wrapped up, but we won't have long to wait for more Enterprise adventures as Paramount just dropped the first full "Strange New Worlds" Season 4 trailer at New York Comic Con.

This clip from the upcoming season 4 premiere episode finds the Enterprise crew observing a spectacular cosmic storm. When they receive an SOS message from a starship distress buoy inside that fiery interstellar maelstrom, Pike and his crew plunge directly into the churning plasma only to become marooned and drained of Iridium within a warp field. Their only hope of survival is to locate a high-grade source of the essential element to repair their ailing vessel.

"Well, Number One, you wanted a mission on a strange new world? Looks like you got one," Pike tells his loyal second in command (he said the line!) as they discover a nearby planet that just might save them.

As a spinoff of "Star Trek: Discovery" created by Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers, "Strange New Worlds" is a return to the classic "planet of the week" episodic formula seen in "Star Trek: The Original Series," with some amusing gimmicky genre episodes tossed in for variety and good old-fashioned fun.

Season 3's talent roster included Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), Ethan Peck (Spock), Celia Rose Gooding (Nyota Uhura), Rebecca Romijn (Number One), Jess Bush (Nurse Christine Chapel), Christina Chong (La’An Noonien-Singh), Melissa Navia (Erica Ortegas), and Babs Olusanmokun (Dr. M’Benga).

We also saw some returning stars in the wider lineup, including Paul Wesley (James T. Kirk), Melanie Scrofano (Marie Batel), Martin Quinn (Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott), and Carol Kane (Pelia), alongside newcomer Cillian O’Sullivan (Dr. Roger Korby).

Despite the clip being named a "first peek," that's not entirely accurate — fans were gifted a hilarious look at Season 4 this past summer at San Diego Comic Con when an all-puppet episode was teased starring a felt and cloth version of Captain Christopher Pike.

Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 4 arrives sometime in 2026.

School is officially in session here in the U.S. and abroad, and that also goes for the ambitious class of young starry-eyed candidates making their way in the 32nd century, as evidenced by this fresh "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" trailer that just launched at this weekend's New York Comic Con.

After "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 3 wrapped up its third successful season in September, there's a distinct absence of "Star Trek"-centric entertainment on our scanners. But not to worry, as Paramount+'s "Starfleet Academy" will arrive on January 15, 2026 to fill that dark void.

As reported when the first trailer dropped at San Diego Comic Con in July, "Starfleet Academy" hails from executive producers and showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, and revolves around Holly Hunter's Captain Nahla Ake, new chancellor of the withered institution that is Starfleet following 120 years of diminishing importance amid the post-Burn crisis seen in "Star Trek: Discovery."

Gathering a select group of promising interstellar adventurers, Captain Ake guides these dreamers aboard the teaching starship U.S.S. Athena to help resurrect the optimism and beliefs of Starfleet as a beacon of hope for the entire galaxy. When an enigmatic cosmic threat appears, these inexperienced students will be "forging unbreakable friendships, clashing in explosive rivalries, experiencing first loves, and stepping into their destiny as the next generation of Starfleet officers."

This latest trailer reveals much more (maybe too much!) of the relationships and histories of the characters, especially between Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti’s complicated pasts. But it also delivers some breathtaking interstellar action and the bright, spirited tone the series is evidently trying to project.

"Starfleet Academy's" eclectic coming-of-age cast also boasts the talents of Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir, Karim Diané as Jay-Den Kraag, Kerrice Brooks as Sam, George Hawkins as Darem Reymi, and Bella Shepard as Genesis Lythe. Season 1 also features special appearances by Gina Yashere as Commander Lura Thok and Paul Giamatti playing a Klingon/Tellarite hybrid called Nus Braka, whose backstory might be connected to one of the show's major cadets.

It was revealed as part of the NYCC Star Trek Universe show that Stephen Colbert will be joining the cast, voicing Starfleet Academy’s Digital Dean of Students. According to the press release, he'll be "giving daily announcements to the students and alerting them of anything that needs their immediate attention."

Added stars include Tig Notaro and Robert Picardo reprising their roles as Jett Reno and The Doctor, as well as guest stars Oded Fehr and Mary Wiseman, who play Admiral Vance and Sylvia Tilly.

"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" warps exclusively onto Paramount+ on January 15, 2026, for its 10-episode debut season.

Conceived from notes left by the late Gene Roddenberry and developed with his wife, Majel Roddenberry, and producer Robert Wolfe, "Andromeda" marks its milestone 25th anniversary today. "Andromeda" was one of the shining beacons of energetic space adventure shows of the early 21st century, not called "Star Trek", and it's remembered fondly by sci-fi enthusiasts for its charm, heart, ambition, and hopeful message.

"Andromeda" first hit the airwaves on October 2, 2000, as a Canadian and American production led by the dashing Systems Commonwealth starship Captain Dylan Hunt, played by Kevin Sorbo ("Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"), who wakes up 300 years into the future after being frozen in time near a black hole.

He's reborn into a different universe that's been taken over by dastardly forces of the Nietzscheans and Magog after a brutal civil war. Hunt hitches himself to a band of mercenaries, and together they roam the galaxies, trying to reform the Commonwealth while dodging enemies and bringing about peace.

This posthumous Roddenberry project, filmed mostly in Vancouver, British Columbia was just one of a pair of enterprising shows that appeared after the "Star Trek" creator's passing in 1991 while "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was still running, with the initial series to be resurrected being "Earth: Final Conflict," which launched in 1997 on the Great White North's CTV Network.

By the year 2000, when "Andromeda" took to the small screen, the competition for outer space-based entertainment was far less crowded due to the series conclusions of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." The only "Star Trek" TV show still operating at the time was "Star Trek: Voyager," which would run out of dilithium crystals and eventually end in 2001.

"Andromeda" had a distinctly welcoming tone that evolved in different creative directions over the course of five seasons spanning a total of 110 episodes. With today's sci-fi sagas such as Apple TV+'s "Foundation" or Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" capped at ten chapters per season, that's equivalent to enjoying a healthy ten-year shelf life. Compared with today's oversaturation of dystopian drudgery, "Andromeda" offered something a bit brighter.

Besides Sorbo, who'd just come off a five-year "Hercules" gig, "Andromeda's" capable cast also included Lisa Ryder as Beka Valentine, Gordon Michael Hewitt as Seamus Zelazny Harper, Laura Bertram as Trance Gemini, Keith Hamilton Cobb as Tyr Anasazi, Brent State as Rev Bem, and Lexa Doig as the Andromeda Ascendant ship's AI. The series boasted respectable special effects, cool early CGI spaceship design, and old-fashioned space escapades.

Despite some promising high-concept notions such as an intergalactic federation, mystic beings, parasitic species, a sentient interstellar craft, and Slipstream FTL quantum mechanics, seemingly inevitable creative differences arose as the show progressed. "Andromeda's" writing staff and story editors shuffled around following the second season, leading to some slightly diminishing returns for faithful viewers.

What "Andromeda" might lack in big budget, cutting-edge visual effects as seen in the previous year's "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" or 2005's "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones," it made up for with an easygoing idealism that emanated out of the cast chemistry and a genuine sense of goodwill generated from an honest attempt to coalesce Gene Roddenberry’s scattered notes and ideas.

It might have fallen short of an intended vision, but it was one helluva ride, and its optimistic outer space exploits still hold up today as a perfect excuse for rainy-day Saturday afternoon binge watching. You can find it on Peacock in the US and Amazon Prime Video in the UK.

Even with its shortcomings, "Andromeda's" space pirates, warlords, aliens, savages, and villains experienced as pure popcorn fare are worth a revisit for a rousing intergalactic time for all. And you have to love that opening theme music by Rush's guitar god, Alex Lifeson!

Warning: Spoilers for "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Ahead!

Even though we're all well aware that "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" will return for a fourth and fifth season before signing off forever, it was still a slightly somber affair when the Season 3 finale episode, "New Life and New Civilizations," aired on Sept. 11, 2025. For a deeper examination of the episode check out our breakdown.

After a few themed genre episodes, we were gifted a follow-up to the fifth chapter of the current season, "Through the Lens of Time," which dealt with an eldritch species known as the Vezda and its discovery by Dr. Roger Korby and Nurse Chapel. It was total old-school "Trek," stripped of musical dance numbers or dress-up affairs and instead presented an endcap injected with H. P. Lovecraft's cosmic horror and provocative themes of fate and destiny.

"Certainly there is this Lovecraftian idea in the finale of what's outside of our space and our time, and a little bit of the Old Ones in Lovecraft, the race that predates us," Goldsman tells Space.com on the high concept storyline.

For Pike and Batel's seasonal arc, it was a touching, bittersweet story of sacrifice that ended with her leaving her romantic partner to take her place as the sentinel protecting the universe from the insensate evil of the Vezda.

"I'm very compelled by, and I'm sure to everyone's annoyance, the idea of the kind of horror that can exist in space," he adds. "And I think there was some of that in 'The Original Series.' But it really starts in the '70s, and by the time we get to 'Alien' the two genres marry in a way that folks hadn't quite done before. Then Carpenter is doing the remake of 'The Thing' and we're seeing 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' again and you're really seeing sci-fi horror as its own object. I think that is a great color for us, one that was just touched on in the Robert Bloch episode ['What Are Little Girls Made Of?'] of 'TOS,' but it's not really in the firmament of it as much as it could be.

"So that was in the background, the idea of old, unspoken, unnamed things that were in conflict with each other and probably shouldn't be allowed back in."

Myers freely admits that he and Goldsman sometimes draw from different creative wellsprings.

"Episode 5 of Season 3 was a deep passion that came from Akiva because it has stories about mystery and darkness and it's as close to time travel as we deal with that season. In a weird way I think the finale is like part two. We set up a monster that's interesting and illustrated in a way we haven't seen before. And you can't just let them go! You need to follow through and show what's going to happen because of this monster. It's a crossover between that and the conclusion of the season's emotional story for Pike."

That melancholy reveal of Pike and Batel's domestic bliss as we skipped through the decades watching them have a family and grow old in Montana had viewers reaching for tissues to dab some well-earned tears.

"That's the outcome of that section, because fundamentally we didn’t have the opportunity, as we know Pike's timeline, to give him the love of his life," Goldsman notes. "We used, as Henry calls it, the 'Inner Light' mechanism, which is this 'The Next Generation' episode where it's the first time Picard really has a life outside the normal timeline. And it's long and he gets old, so we took that because all 'Star Trek' is all 'Star Trek' and we believe we can just crimp from ourselves.

"We wanted to give him true love and in order to do that we broke an objective timeline and then we snatched it away from him. It's a detour that took place in a heartbeat."

As Myers explains it, they're not altering the path that Pike is on, they're altering viewers' understanding of what happens inside of him. What we see in that sorrowful sequence perhaps has more depth and breadth than we may have considered having seen it before.

On the topic of Batel's connection to the Vezda and her ultimate role as a warden of these nefarious multidimensional creatures, Goldsman ties it back to sci-fi master Larry Niven.

"She's even referred to as a protector and that's a bit of an allusion to Larry Niven," he explains. "He wrote a bunch of great science fiction books, one of which is called 'Protector.' Niven is the only person whose universes intersected with the 'Star Trek' universe because of a 'TAS' episode where they collide. I think it's called 'The Slaver Weapon.' There's an idea here that she's having an epigenetic response to the ancient evil due to her blended genetics. These races at some point in their history all faced some ancient evil and they were imprinted with an ability to respond to it. The part that's less straightforward is the nullification of cause and effect. There's this weird 'I've been there, I've always been there, I'm going there' thing.

"It's a reach towards quantum entanglement but we sort of combine it with the idea of destiny, so it can jump out of physics into a leap of faith. Your job was to be made into this thing now, so that you could have been there then. I don't know the math for that, but it's a fun thing to say that resonates."

Warping into Season 4, "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'" creators can see the series conclusion just over the stellar horizon, but there's still plenty of time for more bold exploration of the final frontier.

"More than anything we were trying to set up the traditional understanding of 'Star Trek,'" Myers shares. "We're not saying this is a plot we're going to deal with or a plot we're going to track. It's going to be surprising and different every week. This is a show about going to strange new worlds and exploring a new thing each week. There's ten completely different movies that we go on next season and it's some of our best work."

All seasons of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" stream now on Paramount+.

Captain’s log, stardate -302123.44142127107… or November 16, 2020, 7:41 pm for those not in Starfleet just yet. Much of the world was in lockdown, shielding away from the COVID-19 pandemic, and so was I. But thanks to having an HTC VR headset and Star Trek Bridge Crew, it felt as though lockdown was light-years away.

It was during this particular evening that a friend and I decided to try out the game developed by Red Storm Entertainment (under Ubisoft), just to see how Star Trek: Bridge Crew worked. I’d heard promising things, and as the game had been released exclusively for VR headsets initially, we thought we’d just give it a go for five minutes. Five minutes turned into a whole evening of us becoming Captains, Engineers, and Pilots, trying to make sure the Starship Enterprise didn’t blow up for the thousandth time.

We hadn’t laughed so hard in months, and it was all because of this quirky little VR game. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 has just ended, and Star Trek fever is high, but there's no sign of a sequel to Bridge Crew in sight. And that's… well, it's a real shame, because Bridge Crew perfectly captured that Trek magic like few other games have.

Five years on, there's no sign of a sequel on the horizon, and that's a real shame, because we've got some great ideas for how to make it even better.

Bold new ideas

VR has come a long way in the five years since I played Bridge Crew, and so have co-op games, if we're honest. Titles like Sea of Thieves and Void Crew have nailed how players can work together as a crew for a greater reward, all the while having fun and laughs along the way.

As the Void Crew review over at our sister site, PC Gamer, notes, “The end result is basically the best Firefly game ever made, with you, and as many friends as you can cram into the ship, waging a guerilla war in every direction, jumping away into the void just as things start to turn against you.”

Bridge Crew did it a little differently by making teamwork the primary function, but also keeping things static. You didn’t walk around, nor did you fight enemies during a mission. You simply sat at your station and worked with up to four friends to complete objectives on the bridge of the Enterprise. If Void Crew is about managing the chaos, Bridge Crew was about maintaining order, which suits the franchise.

We'd love to see a sequel that doubles down on what made Bridge Crew great, while taking influence from newer titles like Void Crew, allowing players to move freely around the ship. You could have someone taking on the role of engineer, like Scotty or LaForge from classic Star Trek episodes, hammering away in engineering, keeping the warp core stable, while the weapons officer mans their station on the bridge, letting loose with phasers and photon torpedoes. You could even mount boarding actions, hopping into the teleporter to board an enemy ship and take out key systems.

Heck, you could even lean into another of Star Trek's strengths by using an episodic, mission-based structure. Part of what makes Star Trek great is the standalone episodes, "monster of the week" stories that are unbound by an overarching season-wide plot. A game where you and your friends feel like you’re actually in an episode of Star Trek, complete with dramatic music, cliffhanger fade-outs, and more, could amp up the immersiveness… and the potential for unintended comedy.

There is also a chance to make it accessible for players without VR headsets. Peripherals like a mouse and keyboard, and gamepads like a Sony DualSense, would work well when you’re in the role of the pilot on the Enterprise. Interestingly, Bridge Crew was patched in late 2017 to work without a VR headset, but this seems to have been swept under the Starfleet rug. But, whether Bridge Crew 2 is VR-exclusive or not, the freedom to roam the ship is a must-have for us.

United Federation of VR headsets

It's now the far-flung future of 2025, and VR headsets are more common and accessible than ever before. The Meta Quest 3 and 3S are some of the most affordable products in the category, able to run games like Resident Evil 4 VR, Batman: Arkham Shadow, and more for under $300.

There are pricier options, of course, such as the HTC Vive Pro 2 or the eye-wateringly expensive Apple Vision Pro headset, available for a cool $3,500, which come with better visuals and more advanced features.

Taking advantage of advanced features like spatial awareness, hand gestures, and more could give a Bridge Crew sequel new ways to interact with the controls on the bridge, as well as interact with crewmates. All these different feature sets and operating systems can make it difficult to build a community, though.

Ensuring crossplay between VR platforms would be a must. I remember playing Sea of Thieves with this feature for the first time during the pandemic, where I’d be playing the game on my gaming PC, and a friend would be on their Xbox, but the experience was ultimately the same… but I'd go one step further — have crossplay between VR and non-VR gamers too. This isn't some sci-fi technology like the holodeck; games like No Man's Sky, Elite Dangerous, and even Valheim have shown that it can be done, and opening Bridge Crew 2 up to the much-larger console and PC gaming audience would do wonders for its reach and playerbase..

Much like how the United Federation of Planets establishes itself as an interstellar union across the galaxy bound by one government, we want a Bridge Crew 2 that allows players on a Vision Pro, a Meta Quest, an Xbox — or whatever platform they want — to join the same starship with friends and others.

The next generation

For the original Bridge Crew, what worked was the camaraderie, the teamwork, and the feeling of chatting in the ready room with your friends about how to do the next mission. It mirrored a lot of Star Trek episodes, and Bridge Crew was one of the only VR games that justified the category.

There was also a lot of goofy, silly fun to be had, whether it's sending abusive hails or recreating dance moves to UK boy band 5ive (something we weren't alone in).

Since then, games like Void Crew have amped up the experience of what made Bridge Crew so good, but part of what made that evening of November 16 so memorable was the escapism. I was in a starship, light-years away from the horrible reality of what was going on at the time. It drew on the essence of what has made Star Trek so watchable since its debut in 1966, with teamwork that fights the big unknown, but making friends along the way. A sequel could build on those tropes and expand upon the excellent groundwork of the original.

Perhaps it was just a case of the right game at the right time, and maybe a sequel will never be able to live up to that memory — no matter how good it is — but there's only one way to find out. Make Star Trek: Bridge Crew 2, you cowards!

Star Trek: Bridge Crew is available on PC (playable in both VR and non-VR). Void Crew is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

"Star Wars" has always been a fantasy series draped in sci-fi cosplay. For all the spaceships, robots, and planet-smashing laser beams, George Lucas's galaxy far, far away is as much about magic and the people who wield it as "The Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter". Even a cynic like Han Solo eventually had to concede that Obi-Wan Kenobi's "mumbo jumbo" about the Force was true. The inner workings of the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive were never quite so important.

Star Trek is different; the resolutely sci-fi voyages of James T Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, and their successors on the final frontier are much more likely to be underpinned by science or, at least, the franchise's version of it. The technology — to paraphrase Arthur C Clarke — may be so advanced that it's more or less indistinguishable from magic, but faster-than-light travel, teleportation, and even Greek deities have all been given explanations that wouldn't seem out of place in a 23rd-century physics textbook.

Things get weird, however, when the lines between science fiction and fantasy start to blur. Using micro-organisms to justify the Force would have felt entirely appropriate in the Enterprise-D's Ready Room, but the notion of Midi-chlorians jars in "Star Wars", a setting where science rarely gets a look in.

On the flip side, the themes of destiny, telepathy, and ancient battles between good and evil explored in "Strange New Worlds" season 3 finale "New Life and New Civilizations" are straight out of Luke Skywalker's wheelhouse. So is "Star Trek" now as much a fantasy franchise as a sci-fi one?

This is an excellent episode on many levels. Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano) had been living on borrowed time ever since she became an unwitting host for Gorn embryos in "Hegemony". This finale completes her arc in a much more satisfying way than heading up Starfleet Legal ever could have.

Instead, we learn that — thanks to cause and effect being out of whack on Vadia IX — protecting the galaxy from the deeply unpleasant Vezda aliens has always been her calling. In a wonderful "life in five minutes" sequence (reminiscent of classic "The Next Generation" episode "The Inner Light"), she even gets to show boyfriend Christopher Pike the future they could have had if their lives had turned out differently. It's "Star Trek" at its most heartbreaking.

But the big themes here are all lifted from the fantasy playbook. The creature that possessed the unfortunate Ensign Gamble finds a way back from its permanent transporter buffer exile, and is able to exert a malign influence on a whole new generation of followers. Creepy new wrong 'uns, the Vezda — given a spectacular introduction a few weeks ago — are subsequently set up as the backstory for every myth about evil in the Alpha Quadrant.

Meanwhile, Batel's journey towards becoming the Beholder (the mystical statue living a double life as the Vezda's prison guard) is implied to be a fait accompli; her encounter with the Gorn and subsequent DNA-altering treatments (Illyrian blood, Chimera blossom) all part of the universe's grand plan.

And up in orbit, the Enterprise also embraces the fantasy vibe, deploying a Vulcan mind-meld to get Spock and Kirk piloting the Enterprise and Farragut, respectively, in telepathic unison. If you can think of a better way to get two starships firing their phasers in perfect synchronicity next time you need to open a portal to Vadia IX, we'd like to hear it.

That's this episode — and arguably "Star Trek" — in a nutshell. "Trek" has rarely been scared to venture into fantasy territory when it's needed (or wanted) to; it's just been very good at dressing things up in tachyon pulses (magic spells?) and non-corporeal lifeforms (ghosts?) when it does.

In most other franchises, for example, Vulcan "mysticism" (mind melds, katras, and the like) or Betazoid telepathy would be described as sorcery. The Klingon time crystal that gave Pike a premonition of his tragic fate could happily sit on a mantelpiece at Hogwarts. And the Borg would be easy to dismiss as Sauron-style pure evil if you didn't first stop to consider their "assimilate this" ideology.

As for gods, the "Star Trek" galaxy is crawling with them, whether it's Q finger-snapping his way through Picard's past, present, and future, or "Deep Space Nine"'s wormhole aliens using their non-linear perception of time to deliver on-the-money (albeit cryptic) prophecies. "The Next Generation" even provided "Trek"'s own version of a creation myth, when "The Chase" revealed that humans, Cardassians, Vulcans, Romulans, and Klingons all look alike because they were spawned by a single Progenitor species — a theme revisited in the fifth and final season of "Discovery". Whether they — and the Vezda — are deities or simply very, very, very old aliens is a matter of semantics.

As is that line between sci-fi and fantasy. Because just as "Doctor Who"'s sonic screwdriver is effectively a magic wand masquerading under a different name, "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" aren't quite as far apart as appearances would suggest — it's just that Starfleet officers are slightly better at showing off their sci-fi credentials than the Jedi.

Every episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" season 3 is now available on Paramount+.

Whether it's reimagining classic episodes of the Original Series or hanging out on dangerously faulty holodecks, "Strange New Worlds" has never been afraid to boldly go where someone has gone before. Continuing that long-running tradition, everything about this week's episode "Terrarium" feels like a throwback to previous "Treks". Even so, this derivative final frontier "Robinson Crusoe" is one of the most compelling instalments of the season.

It was a long-running joke that ace pilot Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) never got to leave the driving seat of the Enterprise. Since her dreams of away missions were belatedly realized in the season 2 finale "Hegemony, Part One", however, it's been a case of "be careful what you wish for". That close encounter with the Gorn nearly killed her, and now — just as she seems to be recovering from the physical and mental scars from her ill-fated mission to Parnassus Beta — she's piloting retrofitted shuttlecraft Archimedes into an area of extreme gravimetric volatility. What could possibly go wrong?

Being dragged into a wormhole is just the start of a very, very bad day for Ortegas. First, she crash-lands on a rather inhospitable moon, whose eccentric orbit passes through the atmosphere of a nearby gas giant. To make matters worse, she's lost contact with the Enterprise, which has an urgent appointment with the USS Constellation to deliver essential vaccines to 4,000 colonists on Epsilon Indi 3.

And, as if this nightmare scenario wasn't nightmarish enough, she's not alone on this lunar hellscape: the moon's very hungry indigenous invertebrate life would be very happy to turn her into a snack, while some mysterious lights in the sky appear to be following her around.

Then there's the small matter of the other crash survivor on the surface being an injured Gorn. All in all, it's fair to say that the only small blessing is that, this being "Star Trek", the air is "breathable-ish". All hail the gods of M-Class (or thereabouts) worlds!

It's no exaggeration to say that nothing about this episode is original. Whether it's James T Kirk fighting a Gorn to the death in "Arena" or Jean-Luc Picard completing a total immersion Duolingo course in "Darmok", finding yourself marooned on a strange new world has long been an occupational hazard if you enlist in Starfleet.

In the most blatant future echo of Ortegas's unlikely friendship with a Gorn, Geordi La Forge was forced to work with a mortal enemy (in this case, a Romulan) to survive "The Enemy". Meanwhile, Captain Pike's dilemma — how far do you go to rescue a lost crewmember? — was previously explored in another franchise, as Commander Adama pulled out all the stops to find Starbuck in "Battlestar Galactica" episode "You Can't Go Home Again".

But despite the excessive lashings of déjà vu, these are storytelling clichés that work. As an interstellar castaway, the funny, talkative, and resourceful Ortegas is engaging company, while the Gorn is a significantly more responsive (and, let's be honest, helpful) companion than Tom Hanks' famous volleyball chum, Wilson.

The evolution of their relationship from inevitable mistrust to mutual dependency — the Gorn needs company, Ortegas needs protection from the elements — to genuine friendship is beautifully played, both by Navia and some impressively emotive Gorn prosthetics. "Just a couple of girls at a slumber party," Ortegas jokes when she realizes her fellow strandee is also female.

Over the course of their exile, they teach other chess (and its Gorn equivalent), establish a rudimentary communication system, and eventually unleash a moon-wide explosion to attract the Enterprise's attention. This is an old-school two-hander in which one of the protagonists just happens to be a giant lizard with very sharp and pointy teeth.

Indeed, had this story been told 30 years ago, it would have been your quintessential bottle episode. Of course, it's debatable whether such things still exist in an era when TV sci-fi leans wholeheartedly towards cinematic scale. But — ignoring a sequence where the Enterprise jams itself into a wormhole — "Terrarium" has several unmistakable bottle hallmarks, such as its pared-back cast and the decision to confine most of the ship-based action to the bridge.

This is an episode that prioritizes solid writing and a brilliant lead performance over pyrotechnics, a story powerful enough to leave you mourning the Gorn when a rescue party led by La'An mows her down in a barrage of phaser fire. These are feelings you'd never have anticipated when the Archimedes first crash-landed.

Indeed, everything about this episode is great until "Strange New Worlds"' reveals a familiar Achilles heel, and the opportunity to prequelize an episode from the Original Series proves impossible to resist.

That the Enterprise is due to rendezvous with Captain Decker and the USS Constellation (as seen in classic episode "The Doomsday Machine") is fair enough, seeing as they're both leading lights in the Federation fleet. But when those snooping flashing lights reveal themselves as Metrons — y'know, the condescending aliens with a superiority complex from the aforementioned "Arena" — it devalues the previous hour of storytelling.

Yes, the "Terrarium" episode title hints at some kind of "Twilight Zone"-style interstellar zoo, but it feels like an unnecessary twist that Kirk's legendary skirmish with the Gorn was simply the second instalment of the snooty Metrons' experiment to work out whether two "barbaric species" are ready to join their exclusive club. Even if humanity never rises to meet their exacting standards, it doesn't feel like we'd be missing much.

The "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" season 3 finale debuts on Paramount+ on Thursday, September 11.

Klingons aren't exactly the most friendly bunch of battle-tested aliens inhabiting the "Star Trek" Universe, but seeing them in more casual domestic situations relaxing under mundane circumstances should bring a smile to all of our geeky faces.

As initially presented in the first season of Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek: The Original Series" in 1966, these warmongering humanoids were supposed to be a not-so-subtle sci-fi reflection of the Soviet-era, Cold War Russian adversaries residing on their home planet of Kronos and acting hostile to the Federation.

Now a whimsical new hardcover book from author Joey Spiotto titled, “Klingon Next Door: Off Duty the Warrior's Way” aims to show the lighter side of these aggressive beings, showing what they get up to when they’re not piloting their Birds of Prey, firing on innocent Starfleet vessels, and creating a turbulent political crisis or two.

It's definitely a must-grab book for any self-respecting "Star Trek" fan, sci-fi collector, or cartoon enthusiast. The amusing humorous attitude honors all things Klingon in a wild "what-if?" dimension.

Ever wonder exactly what Klingon soldiers are like in their downtime while not on duty? Which catchy tune would they pick at a karaoke bar? How does an appointment with the barber shop play out?

No normal task is ignored in this quirky surprise, whether they're doing a spot of cooking, playing competitive sports or just grocery shopping. Fans of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" will discover how an honorable warrior might take on the epic challenges of day-to-day home life in this funny collection of colorful vignettes.

Spiotto isn't a stranger to this corner of the literary galaxy and its esoteric jokes as he also composed 2015's "Alien Next Door: In Space, No One Can Hear You Clean," and 2018's "Jonesy: Nine Lives On The Nostromo." Here in his little 80-page grin-inducing edition published by Titan Books featuring those intimidating Klingons during their downtime, Spiotto lets his imagination run rampant in envisioning just what existence is like after the antagonism and combat plans are put away.

"Klingon Next Door: Off Duty the Warrior's Way" launches on Sept. 2, 2025.

Vulcans have been living long and prospering in "Star Trek" ever since the Enterprise took its maiden voyage in pilot episode "The Cage." As well as being founder members of the Federation, their pointed ears and logical worldview have become synonymous with the franchise. Legions of fans have tied their fingers in knots in an effort to imitate Mr. Spock's famous salute.

As recognizable as they are, it turns out that playing a Vulcan is rarely quite as easy as donning a pair of prosthetic ears, aggressively shaping your eyebrows, and adopting severe bangs. In the fun new "Strange New Worlds" episode "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans," Enterprise crew members Pike (Anson Mount), La'An (Christina Chong), Chapel (Jess Bush), and Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) experience the reverse of the procedure that briefly made Spock fully human in season 2's "Charades," as their genomes are resequenced to make them full- (and presumably green-) blooded members of the species.

Of course, Vulcans are not traditionally renowned for their sense of humor, so it's ironic that this unashamedly comedic outing — the latest illustration of "Strange New Worlds"' fondness for gimmick-heavy episodes — should play its new Vulcan crewmembers for laughs. The question is, would Surak, the legendary pioneer of Vulcan logic, approve?

The rearranged DNA manifests differently in each of the Vulcan newbies. Captain Pike turns into a very shouty, hygiene-obsessed boss from hell – his new-found passion for stand-up meetings and 42-minute shift patterns really is the stuff of nightmares. Nurse Chapel concludes that sleep, friends, and romantic entanglements have been hampering her productivity. And communications officer Uhura opts to embrace the improved efficiency of her Vulcan conversational skills, before deploying a morally questionable mind meld to turn Beto Ortegas into more suitable boyfriend material. La'An, meanwhile, starts to exhibit the dictatorial traits of the warmongering Romulans, who — unbeknown to most of the Federation — split off from the Vulcans to go their own way a few millennia previously.

The one thing that unites the quartet is that they're all cartoon versions of Vulcans, more caricatures than actual characters. Almost by default they talk in the slightly robotic voice that many assume to be a Vulcan trait (La'An being the notable exception). It's a mistake plenty of actors have made in the past, but looking back through "Trek" history, the most memorable Vulcans tend to be rather more nuanced and, dare we say it, human.

Ignoring original "Trek" pilot "The Cage" (where his line delivery is remarkably similar to Vulcan Pike's), Leonard Nimoy's OG Spock has more depth than pretty much any of the Vulcans who followed in his footsteps. Captain Kirk's first officer may not be prone to outward displays of emotion, but his wicked sense of comic timing (and a strategically raised eyebrow) are all he needs to shut down Dr. McCoy's barbs. Nimoy's successors in the role, Zachary Quinto and Ethan Peck, have also negotiated the two sides of Spock's human/Vulcan heritage with style — Peck has even turned him into something of an interstellar lothario.

Besides, when Spock tries to use the Kolinahr ritual to purge his last remaining emotions in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," there's no question he becomes a much duller character as a result. It's therefore a big relief when his more playful, and at times borderline sarcastic, self returns in "The Wrath of Khan." Admiral Kirk isn't joking when he says of his fallen comrade, "Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most… human."

Spock's protégée, the brilliant Lieutenant Saavik, also sidesteps Vulcan cliché. A deleted scene (and various non-canon spin-offs) have explained away her unconventional behavior as a consequence of her half-Romulan heritage. More importantly, however, Kirstie Alley's performance in "The Wrath of Khan" is loaded with personality, her Saavik admitting to being confused by human emotions while displaying plenty of her own — she even sheds a tear at Spock's funeral.

When Robin Curtis inherits the Saavik role in "The Search for Spock," her more stilted, more stereotypically Vulcan performance leaves you wondering if you're watching the same character or someone who just happens to have the same name.

As Spock notes in "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans," it's not that Vulcans don't have feelings, it's more that their emotions are so powerful that they need to deploy logic to protect themselves and the people around them. We have seen what can happen if those barriers break down, like when Captain Picard mind melds with Spock's ailing dad, Ambassador Sarek, in "The Next Generation" episode "Sarek."(Then again, Mark Lenard's long-running performance as Spock's dad is another that ensures emotion is always bubbling beneath that stoic Vulcan exterior. Maybe Sarek's connection with his feelings is one of the reasons he married a human woman…).

Yet, somewhere along the line, Vulcans have become the butt of the joke with their stiff, snobbish demeanor a source of ridicule for their (supposedly) more progressive human shipmates. Spock tries hard to adopt some "colorful metaphors" in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," and even harder to "comprehend the meaning" of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier." The Vulcan dignitaries in "First Contact" seem utterly flummoxed when Zefram Cochrane's plays Roy Orbison on the jukebox, while Captain Archer loves to moan about the Vulcans' big brother attitude in "Enterprise." In "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans," Spock is happy to admit that many Vulcans are "jerks."

Now, doesn't it feel a little odd that "Star Trek" has allowed so many Vulcans — one of the most iconic alien races in sci-fi, don't forget — to become so, well, one note? Surely boiling Vulcan culture down to a checklist of presumed character traits is rather too reductive, even in a comedy episode like this week's "Strange New Worlds"? Especially as said characteristics were never part of Spock's DNA in the first place.

Spock, "Lower Decks"' T'Lyn, and planet Earth fanboy Doug (a brilliant cameo from Patton Oswalt) have all shown that Vulcans can be funny without becoming jokes themselves. Indeed, from T'Pol to Tuvok, Saavik to Spock, Vulcans have repeatedly proved themselves to be among the brainiest, hardest-working members of Starfleet. Sure, they may not always be the first name on the list of invites for that party in Ten Forward, but there's more to being a Vulcan than pointy ears and pretending that every day is international talk like a robot day.

New episodes of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" debut on Paramount+ on Thursdays.

Every autumn, Ludwigsburg Castle in Germany transforms its grounds to host the world's largest pumpkin exhibition. Every year brings its own theme. For 2025, the focus was "Big Movies," which invited creators to reimagine cinematic icons using gourds as their medium.

What is it?

Among the many exhibits sprawled across the castle's lawn, the USS Enterprise from the popular sci-fi series 'Star Trek,' was particularly eye-catching. Using smaller, light-colored pumpkins, the artist created the main body of the ship, complementing this base color with brown pumpkins for the rim of the ship's saucer.

Where is it?

This photo was taken at Ludwigsburg Castle in Ludwigsburg, southern Germany.

Why is it amazing?

Hundreds of artists come together to be a part of this pumpkin exhibit every year. For the "Big Movies" theme, other exhibits included iconic images such as Harry Potter, dinosaurs from Jurassic Park and Superman.

The Enterprise sculpture display merges the futuristic inspirations of 'Star Trek' with the age-old tradition of pumpkin carving. It shows how influential science fiction content like 'Star Trek' can be throughout the decades as it resonates with fans and visitors alike.

Want to learn more?

You can read more about the history of 'Star Trek' and the iconic USS Enterprise.

Ah, the Eighties! A harrowing decade of rockin' hair metal bands, Reaganomics, aerobicizing, Walkmans, Cabbage Patch Kids, and video arcades. It was also an era when science fiction on television was still trying to find a solid footing.

Uncertain times breed unpredictable outcomes, and so it is with Hollywood and its uneasy relationship with the genre. Special effects were progressing with varying results, but intelligent storytelling was leading the charge as viewers became more discriminating.

Following our tough-to-beat lists of the best sci-fi TV shows of the 1950s, the 1960s, and the 1970s, let's delve into the next ten-year segment of provocative speculative fiction fare to see what enticing series sparkled!

10. Alien Nation

• Original air date: 1989

Buddy-cop movies in the '80s were a bona fide Hollywood staple with releases like "48 Hours," "Beverly Hills Cop," and "Lethal Weapon," so taking the sub-genre into sci-fi territory with the big screen's "Alien Nation" in 1988 was a no-brainer.

It starred James Caan as a human detective and Mandy Patinkin playing a humanoid alien cop in a near-future Los Angeles where the two species co-exist. The pair form an uneasy and sometimes humorous alliance while uncovering a drug ring revolving around a dangerous alien narcotic.

This 1989 TV show, based on the film, continues the police drama surrounding the original LAPD characters of Matthew Nikes (Gary Graham) and alien "Newcomer" Sam Francisco (Eric Pierpoint). Much more of the alien culture was explored here in the solo season aired on FOX during the network's infancy, including male pregnancy, but costs unfortunately caused its premature cancellation before it really had a chance to shine.

9. The Powers of Matthew Star

• Original air date: 1982-1983

It only lasted a single season on NBC in 1982, but "The Powers of Matthew Star" is remembered fondly by a certain generation of kids.

Quadris is a planet 12 light-years away from Earth that has been attacked and taken over by an alien armada, causing the crowned Prince (Peter Barton) to flee to Earth with his loyal royal guardian (Lou Gossett Jr.). There, he lives a secret life as a normal teenager, yet one under constant danger of being discovered by his extraterrestrial enemies and the fear of his uncanny abilities being exposed.

Episodes revolved around impromptu demonstrations of his telekinetic and telepathic skills, dealing with daily high school issues, and embarking on government missions. It had an easygoing, cheesy quality that fans enjoyed, and don’t forget his sweet glam rock spandex jumpsuit! A classic '80s paranormal program from an innocent era when adults and kids actually gathered around the television set for a shared bonding experience.

8. Quantum Leap

• Original air date: 1989-1993

Time traveling was never more fun in the late '80s than this innovative series starring Scott Bakula as Sam Beckett and Dean Stockwell as his hologram guide, Al Calavicci.

This pair of daring temporal adventurers makes hops, skips, and jumps along the time stream with Sam popping up randomly into different bodies throughout history. NBC, home to many of the sci-fi series on this list, was the broadcast host to this award-winning show that premiered in the spring of 1989 and ran for five seasons.

The constant change of settings and tones was refreshing, and the intrepid scientist would appear as everything from a test pilot, a young Stephen King, and Marilyn Monroe's bodyguard to young Buddy Holly, Lee Harvey Oswald, and even famed sex therapist Dr. Ruth!. An NBC sequel reboot lasted two seasons from 2022-2024, but it never captured the appeal of the original.

7. Amazing Stories

• Original air date: 1985-1987

Steve Spielberg ventured into live-action TV with this charming, imaginative weekly series that tapped into the same types of strange stories and fantastic tales seen in anthology shows like "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits", but with a lighter touch.

It launched in the fall of 1985 and ran for two seasons, encompassing a total of 45 episodes packed with that familiar sense of Spielbergian weirdness and wonder. "Amazing Stories" was an alluring temptation for TV-goers as Spielberg had just come off executive producing "Gremlins" and directing "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" in 1984, and NBC welcomed him with open arms, hoping to cash in on his fame.

The superstar creator brought a wealth of Hollywood talent to this project, including Kevin Costner, Mark Hamill, and Harvey Keitel, as well as directors Irvin Kershner, Clint Eastwood, Joe Dante, and Robert Zemeckis. A short-lived Apple TV+ revival happened in 2020 with just five episodes produced before the plug was pulled.

6. Red Dwarf

• Original air date: 1988-1999

This wacky British sci-fi sitcom concoction, created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, has developed a serious cult following in the last couple of decades since its inception on BBC 2 in 1988 and lasting 12 seasons and a feature-length special.

Its witty writing and quirky characters have aged well, telling the story of Dave Lister (Craig Charles), a lazy, curry-loving technician and the last human being alive. He emerges out of cryosleep aboard his deep-space mining ship, the Red Dwarf, three million years into the future.

The chicken soup machine repairman's collection of cosmic companions includes a pompous hologram crewmate named Rimmer (Chris Barrie), an "intelligent" humanoid-feline hybrid, imaginatively called Cat (Danny John-Jules), the ship's possibly senile computer, Holly (Norman Lovett & Hattie Hayridge), and a goofy butler-like mechanoid, named Kryten (Robert Llewellyn).

In 2024, it was rumored that "Red Dwarf" and its original cast would return for a 3-part special in 2025, but its future remains uncertain at this point due to the large production expenses required these days.

5. ALF

• Original air date: 1986-1990

Science fiction embraced its sillier side with "ALF" (Alien Life Form), which landed on NBC beginning in 1986 and ran for four seasons.

This fuzzy, snout-nosed, smart aleck extraterrestrial whose name was Gordon Shumway crashed in the suburban garage of the Tanner family in California after escaping from the doomed planet of Melmac, which was destroyed by nuclear war.

Created by writer Tom Patchett and puppeteer Paul Fusco, "ALF" was a popular TV diversion whose sarcastic star learned about Earth's customs and peculiarities while constantly trying to eat the family's cat.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's 2-foot-9 superstar Michu played ALF in the scenes requiring some form of ambulation for full-body scenes. A high-water mark for family-friendly corny jokes and merchandising that included trading cards, dolls, and even an ALF magazine!

4. The Martian Chronicles

• Original air date: 1980

Ray Bradbury's sci-fi masterwork was brought to life starring Rock Hudson in this absorbing 1980 miniseries that was broadcast on NBC in three parts.

The original collection of short stories was published in 1950 and centered on Earth colonizing the Red Planet in a series of devastating expeditions, and its interactions with the world's psychic native inhabitants.

Part cautionary tale and part historical travelogue, "The Martian Chronicles" miniseries was adapted by acclaimed sci-fi writer Richard Matheson ("The Twilight Zone," "I am Legend") and directed by Michael Anderson ("Logan’s Run"). It’s an immersive account of how Earth's culture clashes with telepathic, golden-eyed Martians upon first contact and brings a smart, single-narrative cohesion to Bradbury's timeless material.

Sure, the production is low budget and the visual effects seem dated, but its message remains clear. A curious 45-year-old relic that's especially timely with SpaceX's plans to land on Mars.

3. V

• Original air date: 1984-1985

Forget the dull 2009 remake; this 1984 doozy was one of the first major alien invasion event miniseries on television, and considering the technology available at the time, it was a proficiently entertaining political sci-fi thriller with a huge ensemble cast.

Written and directed by Kenneth Johnson, "V" stood for the Visitors, which were authoritarian extraterrestrials clad in signature red jumpsuits, dark sunglasses, and baseball caps that arrived on Earth in 50 motherships masquerading as benevolent beings. In actuality, they were a hostile green-skinned reptilian race that wasn't really interested in friendship.

Instead, the aliens were after water and human meat as a food source, as is eventually discovered by a group of resistance fighters and journalists. It was must-see TV in the early ‘80s and even spawned a second mini-series titled "V: The Final Battle," and an ongoing 1984-1985 weekly series that lasted for 19 episodes.

2. Star Trek: The Next Generation

• Original air date: 1987-1994

Engage! This was the first new live-action "Star Trek" in 18 years after "The Original Series" three-season run ended in 1969, and fans embraced creator Gene Roddenberry’s latest character-driven sci-fi fantasy with relish.

With a time jump into the 23rd century, almost a century after Kirk and Spock roamed the galaxy, it was fronted by the charismatic Patrick Stewart as the urbane starship captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise-D. He and his exceptional cast included crew members played by Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, Denise Crosby, LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, and Brent Spiner as the captivating android Data.

"The Next Generation's" interstellar exploits syndicated across the country starting in 1987 ignited a "Star Trek" revival that ran seven seasons and led to a series of TNG features and TV spinoffs like "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "Star Trek: Voyager," and eventually the more recent "Star Trek: Picard." Its legacy remains intact after nearly 40 years and is still beloved by "Star Trek" faithful.

1. Knight Rider

• Original air date: 1982-1986

It's all about that kickass black Firebird Trans-Am! Handsome David Hasselhoff starred as resurrected police officer Michael Knight in this immensely popular series that first premiered in the fall of 1982 and lasted for four seasons.

"The Hoff" might have been the human highlight here, but the real draw was the talking supercar named K.I.T.T. (voiced by actor William Daniels), which was an acronym for Knight Industries 2000. In true vigilante origin story fashion, billionaire Wilton Knight gives this fallen cop a new name, look, and identity to be the vanguard for his public justice organization, called the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG).

Michael Knight and his intelligent auto were armed with a grappling hook, lasers, rear-mounted boost rockets, a flamethrower, a bomb sniffer, ejection seats, a medical scanner, and much more. Michael and K.I.T.T. work together to take down rough criminals who operate above the law. Unfortunately, we still don't have talking cars quite as cool as K.I.T.T., but SIRI and Alexa will have to do.

"What is Starfleet?" asks the latest episode of "Strange New Worlds". It's a question the "Star Trek" franchise has been getting to grips with for the best part of 60 years.

The answer was simple back in "The Next Generation" era, because Jean-Luc Picard was never in it for the money. Instead, noble ideals such as exploration, self-improvement, and the general betterment of humanity tended to be more important than a steady paycheck. These values were generally shared by his employers at Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, organisations idealized as the polar opposite of Emperor Palpatine's authoritarian dictatorship from a galaxy far, far away.

But "Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry's utopian vision for the 24th century later came to feel like an anachronism, especially once the likes of "Breaking Bad", "Game of Thrones", and "Andor" had turned moral ambiguity into the norm in TV drama. The franchise's more recent voyages — from the JJ Abrams "Treks" to "Discovery", "Picard" and "Strange New Worlds" — have subsequently become much more cynical about the motivations of the suits back at Federation HQ.

In "What is Starfleet?", aspiring documentary maker Beto Ortegas even asks the question outright: "What separates a Federation from an Empire?" The episode may just be the writers' room's effort to work it out for themselves.

The United Federation of Planets and its quasi-military spacefaring branch, Starfleet, were first mentioned in the Original Series. As with so many elements of canon in veteran sci-fi franchises, however — see also "Star Wars" and "Doctor Who" — neither arrived fully formed. In fact, "Trek" didn't properly get around to explaining the Federation's origins until "Star Trek: Enterprise"'s fourth season, some four decades later.

But by the time the USS Enterprise-D began its ongoing mission in "The Next Generation", the Federation's raison d'être was clear. This was an elitist private members' club with strict conditions for entry. With mastery of warp flight, and the eradication of prejudice and war among the impossibly high bars applicants had to jump over. They also had to adhere to the so-called Prime Directive (also known as General Order One), a non-interference policy prohibiting any action that might alter the evolution of other species.

These official guidelines formed the cornerstone of much of the "TNG" era. Picard and the crew frequently found themselves caught in moral quandaries about upholding the Prime Directive, but had replicated so much of the Federation Kool-Aid that they usually obeyed the rules without question. The similarly idealistic Captain Janeway even sentenced her USS Voyager crew to decades adrift on the other side of the galaxy because she decided that taking an instant, easy route home in pilot episode "Caretaker" would have violated similar values. The producers would also have been left without a show.

Unfortunately, what's good for 24th-century society isn't always good for drama. Numerous writers from the "TNG" era have since expressed frustration over rules that — thanks to Roddenberry's long-standing decree that future humans had evolved beyond petty squabbles — made internal conflicts within Starfleet a big no-no.

Nonetheless, they gradually came up with ways to work with, rather than against, these utopian constraints, much as Iain M Banks did so memorably in his "Culture" novels. Omnipotent superbeing Q introduced the Enterprise to the Borg in order to shake Picard and his team out of their "we're ready for anything" complacency. "Voyager", meanwhile, forced the crew to integrate shipmates from the Maquis, a paramilitary group outlawed by the Federation. While the show rarely delivered on the threat of full-on disputes, there was, at least, an attempt to shake things up.

The idea that the Federation and Starfleet can't always be trusted started to appear in the late '90s. With the likes of "Babylon 5" and "The X-Files" ramping up the moral flexibility and conspiracy theories in sci-fi TV, "Deep Space Nine" followed suit. It did, however, make clear that the virus engineered to eliminate the Changelings was the work of Section 31, a covert, "any means necessary" organisation that's historically worked outside the usual Federation jurisdiction, and has since been thoroughly discredited by a very mediocre TV movie.

Then, in 1999's "Star Trek: Insurrection", the Federation Council used the ongoing Dominion War as an excuse to justify the forceful relocation of the peaceful Ba'ku in order to seize control of their planet's rejuvenating properties. Picard, of course, had no option but to go rogue to stop them.

Since returning from its post-"Enterprise" hiatus, the franchise has seemingly lost faith in the idea that Starfleet and the Federation are unquestionable forces for good. This may have been a response to the darker, grimier "Battlestar Galactica" reboot — itself the creation of former "Trek" writer Ronald D Moore — but these days, those ideals about exploration and becoming better people are a 'nice to have' rather than a necessity.

In the big-screen's Kelvin timeline, "Star Trek into Darkness" saw Admiral Alexander Marcus using Khan Noonien Singh as a black ops agent in a significantly beefed-up military, before turning the souped-up USS Vengeance on the Enterprise. And when "Discovery" brought "Trek" back to TV after 12 years away, a starship bridge was no longer a place of harmony, as the crew was led into a painful war with the Klingons with a renegade captain at the helm.

In "Picard", even the great Jean-Luc himself was forced to live in a less-than-ideal world, where the Federation was still reeling from an uprising by synthetic lifeforms years earlier. When the USS Discovery relocated to the distant future of the 32nd century, the Federation barely existed at all.

Much of modern "Trek" ponders whether Starfleet and the Federation remain fit for purpose. Organizations that once abided by the strictest moral codes can now be found sanctioning acts of torture (such as the experiments inflicted on "Picard" season 3's Changeling antagonist Vadic), or unashamedly discriminating against an entire race, the Illyrians, based on the supposed justification of a centuries-old edict against genetic modification ("Strange New Worlds" season 2).

Starfleet's also been guilty of some spectacular lapses of judgement, whether it was installing a Romulan spy as chief of security ("Picard" season 1), allowing a rogue AI to take control of a large chunk of the fleet ("Discovery" season 2), or remotely linking all of its starships together — you don't have to be Data to realize that such a move was likely to play into the Borg's hands ("Picard" season 3). Indeed, the Starfleet and Federation of the modern era seem so prone to error and/or questionable behaviour that it's increasingly difficult to believe that their most upstanding officers would pledge their allegiance to such broken institutions.

Nonetheless, "What is Starfleet?" suggests "Star Trek" hasn't entirely lost faith in its most famous institutions. Although Christopher Pike's redacted conversations with his superiors hint at some major disagreements over the management of stellar kaiju, the Jikaru, the captain's inherent decency shines through when he does the 'right thing' by allowing the tortured creature to fly into a star.

"What is Starfleet?" asks Uhura. "It's the people. All of us. We make Starfleet what it is. Not the other way around."

It's an acknowledgement that — while the belief that humanity will have fixed all its problems in the space of a few centuries is utter nonsense — "Star Trek"'s unwavering optimism about the future has always been what sets it apart from other sci-fi franchises. Big organizations will always have their flaws, but if we have good people inside them, the universe may not be quite as bleak as some stories like to make out.

New episodes of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" debut on Paramount+ on Thursdays.

We did not have a new Star Trek: Voyager game on our 2025 bingo card, but here one is nonetheless, and we couldn't be more excited.

"Star Trek: Voyager" left the airwaves back in 2001 after seven seasons, but left an indelible mark on the "Star Trek" Universe with its first-ever female captain, Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), taking the honored center seat. Over seven seasons, our intrepid captain guided her Intrepid-class Federation starship back to the Alpha Quadrant after being stuck out in the Delta Quadrant over 70,000 light-years from Earth.

Now, in a new teaser trailer released this week at gamescom 2025 in Germany, Voyager fans can relive the infamous journey of Janeway's vintage "Star Trek" adventure in a new video game, designated "Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown."

Conceived by gaming publisher Daedalic Entertainment and developer gameXcite, this unexpected spacefaring title will take Earthbound participants over to the remote Delta Quadrant for a single-player survival strategy odyssey on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S consoles.

Per the official press release, players will "shape both the fate of the crew and the configuration of the USS Voyager itself" as they take control of the starship's valiant crew while assuming full responsibility for the Voyager as you factor in resource management, make tough decisions, choose repairs, and navigate your way home to our solar system hopefully with all hands still on deck.

It looks like it's taking a lot of inspiration from games like FTL — one of our favorite space strategy games of all time — with rogue-like elements ensuring that no two runs will play out the same. Our hype levels have been set to maximum for this one.

"Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown" is available for pre-order on Steam. The game has no release date yet, but we’ll keep you informed! Since 2026 is the 60th anniversary of "Star Trek," that would seem a most appropriate unveiling moment.

In the meantime, it might be a good idea to rewatch some of the best Star Trek: Voyager episodes and get some tips from the coffee-swilling captain herself.

The "Star Trek" universe is filled with interstellar menaces prowling the spaceways: there's the cloaked Klingon Birds of Prey; that awesome Reman battlecruiser, the Scimitar; a weaponized Romulan mining ship named the Narada; and even those pesky, hive-minded Borg Cubes.

But nothing quite compares to the shock and awe of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds"' latest cosmic boogieman seen in this past week's new episode, "The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail."

Here, in this "Trekiest" chapter of the entire series so far, director Valerie Weiss pulls off a powerful entry in this third season by dispensing with the lighter genre episodes and plunging straight into the signature core of what has made the beloved franchise so special for nearly 60 years. The Sehlat in the title refers to a bipedal, bear-like mammal indigenous to Vulcan and a pet Spock once owned as a child (a fact explained in a sad episode from "Star Trek: The Animated Series").

Weiss has been aboard "Strange New Worlds" since 2022 and helmed the highly-praised courtroom drama episode from Season 2 titled, "Ad Astra Per Aspera." Her natural talent for extracting maximum dramatic tension balanced with dynamic action scenes made her the ideal choice for showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers.

"I think they were so happy with 'Ad Astra Per Aspera,'" she tells Space.com. "That was an episode all about empathy. And in this episode's final scene between Pike and Kirk, Pike has this great line where he says, 'Empathy isn't conditional.' You don’t get to pick and choose who you have it for. Akiva believes that stories are the ultimate empathy generators."

Warning: You are now entering the spoiler zone!

In this new gem, the USS Farragut is on a planetary survey of Helicon Gamma when a shark-like scavenger spaceship appears and obliterates the planet. The Farragut's Captain V'Rel is injured due to the resulting shockwave and second officer James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) takes command. The USS Enterprise arrives to assist but is swallowed whole by this parasitic machine that is the stuff of superstitious legend. La'an even refers to the deadly salvage craft in whispered tones as the "destroyer of worlds" and Lt. Mitchell recalls rumors of a nightmarish lurking craft often called the "monster past the edge of the map."

The plot unfolds as Spock, Chapel, Uhura, and Scotty beam aboard the Farragut to assist Kirk and the survivors. Then they must try to help rescue the USS Enterprise before this resource-sucking beast drains the life out of Pike’s flagship vessel. Kirk faces a crisis of conscience and doubts his leadership skills when Spock intervenes and slowly guides him back to baseline where his command skills begin to be forged under fire.

It's also the first time in "Star Trek" history that most of "The Original Series" crew is aboard a ship captained by James Kirk, creating a genuine never-seen moment. It's a compelling episode, wonderfully crafted by Weiss and her ace director of photography Benji Bakshi ("Bone Tomahawk") whom she worked with on "Ad Astra Per Aspera."

"We talked a lot to Akiva about 'The Original Series,'" she adds. "This is the first time the original crew is together on a ship, and it's the Farragut not the Enterprise, but this is historic, this is setting canon. He said the more you can reference the feel and vibe of "The Original Series," the better. For my director's cut I put in some music from "The Original Series" and I could tell that the amazing composer, Nami Melumad, updated it for the show. We were trying to harken back to that era. Even my split-screen when they're all on the phones has a retro quality. So I wanted it to feel fresh and modern, but really evoke the timelessness of the entire franchise.

"This question of leadership, which is at the heart of it, is important to me as a director, because you only learn on the job, just like being a captain. It’s an evolution of being able to learn to be in charge and to listen to your crew and experts around you, and that's Kirk's journey."

The mutant scavenger ship design is a fantastic creation several magnitudes larger than any Starfleet ship. It looks, in some ways, like those fearsome predator fish living in the deepest darkest corners of the ocean, with a massive maw studded with gleaming teeth and equipped with intimidating appendages and claws to grab its prey.

In a startling revelation, the crew members aboard this intergalactic garbage scow turn out to be the descendants of American astronauts launched 200 years earlier during humanity's pre-warp, post-World War III days. Those intrepid scientists gave up on Earth and blasted off into the stars in search of a more promising world. What happened to them on their long journey, how they de-evolved into weird cyborgian entities, and why they didn't recognize humans remains a mystery.

"The visual design of these guys was embedded in this idea of being scavengers and the theme of sustainability," says Weiss. "This idea that you leave and you're supposed to be the protectors of the Earth and you succumb to more consumption in a way that gets unhealthy instead of living by your principles, was really reflected not only in the ship, but also in their costumes. We didn't want to trick the audience. They still are bi-pedal and they carry weapons but we didn't want anyone to guess they were human until that specific moment.

"Something I love about 'Star Trek' is that it asks these essential questions. Kirk says to Pike and his crew, 'How did they go from that to whatever it is they became?' Which is really what the whole franchise is about. What makes us who we are? What is our place in the universe? I feel like those themes are very strong in this episode."

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 3 streams exclusively on Paramount+ with new episodes airing each Thursday.