The newest series in the Star Trek franchise has received largely positive reviews from critics ahead of its launch on Paramount+. Thanks to these reviews, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has garnered a robust score on Rotten Tomatoes. The action-adventure science fiction series serves as the latest in Alex Kurtzman’s expanded Star Trek universe, which also includes sister shows Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds, as well as the television film, Section 31.
What Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s reviews are saying
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s reviews are primarily positive, with critics praising the show’s handling of its story and themes while also recognizing its efforts to build on previous installments. However, some of the critics have unfavorable views regarding the show.
Collider‘s Samantha Coley wrote in her review, “Starfleet Academy is the best example of what Star Trek can and should be doing in this modern era — effortlessly inclusive, compelling, and innovative.” She added that the series maintains “the core tenets of the franchise” but approaches its place in the wider Star Trek universe in innovative ways. She further stated that fans who enjoyed Star Trek’s recent animated shows’ attempts to do something unique would love the series, as it “[pushes] the boundaries of this universe for the better and [builds] a world worth returning to.”
Meanwhile, Slashfilm‘s Jacob Hall, who labeled the series “weird” and “funky,” shared that the show “gets better as it goes on.” He particularly highlighted the fourth and fifth episodes, calling the former “thoughtful and joyous,” and the latter “hilarious, canon-rattling.”
Samantha Nelson of Polygon called Star Trek: Starfleet Academy “a worthy entry in [Star Trek’s] legacy,” adding that it uses “established characters to connect it to previous shows while being free to push the Federation’s story far beyond Kirk and Picard’s adventures.”
Meanwhile, Jean Henegan of Pop Culture Maniacs had a negative view of the show, which she deemed “frustrating with some serious tonal issues.” She wrote, “Starfleet Academy isn’t a miss, but it is a mess. One that has a chance to figure itself out in the back half of the season and become a compelling story about working together to try to protect those who need protection.”
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s Rotten Tomatoes score is in
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has a solid 86% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. Elsewhere, on Metacritic, the show boasts a decent Metascore of 65, which denotes “Generally Favorable” reviews.
Gaia Violo created Starfleet Academy while Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau serve as showrunners. The cast includes Holly Hunter, Bella Shepard, Kerrice Brooks, George Hawkins, Karim Diane, and Sandro Rosta, among many others.
