Starfleet Academy was gearing up to be, at best, a new hate watch. The 90210 style posters, the trailers featuring tubby female Jem’Hadar girl bossing, and Paul Giamatti chewing on scenery. None of the signs looked good.
So when the reviews started to land, it was going to be a bloodbath… right? Well, not quite. The Star Trek: Starfleet Academy reviews have landed, and the feedback is surprising, to say the least.
Rotten Tomatoes has it at 83%. So what are they saying? To the summary pages!
“Does this blend of old and new — at least, new to Star Trek — actually work? At times, almost shockingly well. At others, there are as many growing pains and awkward interactions for Starfleet Academy itself as there are for its students.”
Alan Sepinwall, Who’s Alan Watching
“It may end up scrutinising the boldly going space adventurers more than any other series in the franchise. This fact means that although SFA may not be the show hardcore Trekkies were expecting, it is certainly and undeniably new.”
Ryan Britt, Inverse
“Starfleet Academy is the best example of what Star Trek can and should be doing in this modern era – effortlessly inclusive, compelling, and innovative.”
Samantha Coley, Collider
“Star Trek endures because it keeps returning to the radical idea that hope is something you build patiently over time. Whether this series can live up to that legacy remains an open question, but it’s planting some of the right seeds.”
Zaki Hasan, SF Chronicle
“This is a new, exciting frontier for Star Trek that breaks up the formula and is definitely worth tuning into.”
Michael Graham, The Wrap
“Starfleet Academy clearly has a lot of love for what has come before it, and how that history will shape this next generation. But it also loves Star Trek enough to keep trying to push it forward, too.”
James Whitbrook, io9
“The show gets better as it goes on, especially in its thoughtful and joyous fourth episode and its hilarious, canon-rattling fifth entry.”
Jacob Hall, Slashfilm
It’s not all good, though. Character posters have also landed for the various cadets and, well…
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy beams down in just a few days – January 15th.
