Starfleet Academy is one of the upcoming Star Trek shows on the way, and I'm excited to see this talented cast in action. Unfortunately, we still have a solid wait ahead of us until we can binge it with a Paramount Plus subscription, but there is one upside to that. We're free to speculate to our heart's desire, and for whatever reason, I was thinking about how the upcoming show could take a page from the Harry Potter franchise.
While there are flaws when it comes to the Harry Potter franchise, there is a specific note for Starfleet Academy to take from it as they get to work on these episodes. Specifically, I think it's a great idea to see how Hogwarts was such a fascinating location across the stretch of several movies that people are ready to see it all again in an HBO series. Here are some easy ways the Trek series could replicate that formula and ensure it also has a long run.
Seeing Starfleet Academy Should Be Like Unveiling The Hogwarts Of Star Trek
I don't necessarily want to tie the Harry Potter franchise to Star Trek, but it's hard not to liken Starfleet Academy to Hogwarts. This mega campus is home to the young, promising cadets of Starfleet, and yet we've hardly seen any of it. Our latest look happened in Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2, which is available with a Netflix subscription, and even then, it was a fleeting glimpse.
We need Starfleet Academy to treat the school like it's Hogwarts. Unlike a spaceship, there's going to be more than sanitized rooms and Jefferies tubes to explore. We need to be exploring every nook and cranny of these halls, both those accessible to students and ones that are off-limits. By the end of this series, I want there to be enough references to create a floor plan of this facility and all the intricacies involved in it.
I'm not saying that it has to be whimsical, but considering the backdrop is in the 32nd century, I'm sure there will be some next-level technology we aren't used to in Star Trek that will pop up. At least, I really hope that's the case, though I can understand how technology might've taken a step backward in light of all the chaos caused after "The Burn."
The Instructors Should Be Just As Interesting As The Cadets
We don't know every instructor who will be teaching at Starfleet Academy, but we've already been tipped off about quite a few legacy actors that will come from previous shows. Similar to the colorful and personality-filled professors we saw in the Harry Potter series, we have The Doctor/EMH, Sylvia Tilly, Admiral Vance and Jett Reno. Come to think of it, even if there are boring professors, these four have enough charisma to cancel it all out.
Even so, Academy instructors are often presented as Starfleet officers themselves, so I don't think it's going to be too difficult to come up with some creative backstories for the staff. We already have some battle-tested people who will be a part of the mix, and maybe even some of the best Starfleet officers we still have yet to meet. If only the teachers that I had in school could've been nearly as interesting.
I'd Love To See Clubs And Sporting Events
Starfleet Academy is about learning how to be a multi-talented officer capable of helping out planets across the galaxy, but it's not like cadets spend each waking hour hitting the books. We know, for example, that Picard and Sisko were both on the Starfleet wrestling team. Imagine what other sports are alive and well in the 32nd century?
Maybe it's the red-blooded American in me who craves the Friday Night Lights of school sporting events. Surely there has to be some sport that all the Federation member institutions can compete in for bragging rights? I'm struggling to think about what that could be, though I have full faith in the Starfleet Academy writing staff and their creativity to make it happen.
It could even be a club that's a little more on the geeky side. Imagine a dorm of Starfleet cadets doing a round-robin Kal-Toh tournament or some role-playing adventure inside a holodeck simulation. When I think of it, I would love to see what a 32nd-century holodeck experience would be like. How could that get any more realistic than it already did in the previous shows? In any case, let's get some club and sport-based storylines to answer some of these burning questions.
These Activities And Classes Can Provide Context To Life In The 32nd Century
Starfleet Academy has a great opportunity that, I believe, is part of the reason it was put in the 32nd century. We still don't know a lot about this era besides the events described in Star Trek: Discovery, but they only just scratched the surface.
There are so many cultural shifts and species that could've emerged in the nearly-thousand-year gap between where Discovery took off and where it ended up. With Starfleet Academy welcoming in any and all species that can qualify, chances are we'll learn a lot about those cultures and how well they do or don't mix with each other when under the same roof.
In terms of tension and conflict, I fully expect some sparks to fly. Sure, these types of outbursts don't happen nearly as often on a starship, but all of these cadets aren't exactly their fully realized selves yet. I'm sure there are limits to what the administration will tolerate, but suffice it to say they may have a little more runway to act out of line than someone of a higher rank. We might even see someone end up getting thrown out of the Academy, which honestly, I think would be important to illustrate just how hard it can be to succeed in.
We just got word that Starfleet Academy has started production, so it's going to be a while before we are watching it on Paramount+. Fortunately, there's no shortage of other Star Trek shows to enjoy in the meantime, so take a look at what's available on the platform and make a night out of enjoying some great space adventures while creating your own wish list for the upcoming series.
