There are fewer upcoming Star Trek shows on the board than there were around this time a few years ago, but I'm still excited for the future all the same. Strange New Worlds' latest trailer was a joy, and Robert Picardo's latest comments about The EMH's live-action return have me optimistic for more classic episodes similar to Voyager's best uses of his character.
I consider The EMH/Doctor one of the best Star Trek characters of all time, so when news first circulated that his return in Starfleet Academy would be as the same iteration who served on the Voyager with Janeway & Co., I wasn't too surprised. That said, after watching his panel with Kate Mulgrew for Trek Talks 4, where he addressed what fans can expect, I was thrilled to hear just how much thought is being put into this new chapter. In his words:
I would say that The Doctor is as we remember him, but deeper. The way he was, but more so if that makes sense. He still certainly has his sense of humor, but there’s a depth to him now from that incredible sense of immortality. I think we would all agree it would be a blessing and a curse.
How does living for 800+ years impact a hologram? How is his memory sustained of the past? Does he have full knowledge of past events, or is it fragmented and corrupted? What does living for that amount of time do to a sentient being? These are just some of the questions zooming through my head, and I love that Starfleet Academy will get a chance to answer some of them.
Of course, the series is likely more about the young cadets joining Starfleet Academy, played by a young cast headed up by past Star Trek actors and stars like Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti. While Voyager had plenty of Doctor-centric episodes, him being an instructor and the lack of filler episodes in modern Trek may prevent us from getting a ton of standalone episodes with him.
At the same time, I think a lot of Star Trek: Voyager fans, myself included, would say The Doctor earned a bigger spotlight than many others because of how enjoyable the character was. As such, I could see Robert Picardo getting a fair bit of screentime on Starfleet Academy, especially if his scenes are as entertaining as they were when he reprised the role of his character for Prodigy Season 2.
Whatever the case may be, I like hearing how much Robert Picardo put into thinking about The Doctor/EMH, and I am eager to see how he puts that into play when this series finally premieres. Hopefully, a firm release date will be announced here before summer starts, though I think it'll likely be 2026 before we see any of these characters in action in the 32nd century.
Until then, we know that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 is coming to Paramount+ this summer. After a year that has felt light on sci-fi adventures so far, I'm excited for both this and Starfleet Academy, and I'm watching whatever else I can in the genre in the meantime to help pass the time!
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