Divisive Star Trek TV Show Defies the Backlash To Re-Enter Paramount+ Streaming Charts (but There’s a Catch)

After a rocky start, the newest entry into the Star Trek universe has defied the odds and clawed its way back into better numbers, re-earning its spot in the Top 10 according to the FlixPatrol Top 10 Streaming chart. But is that good enough for the major release in one of Paramount’s flagship franchises? It depends on who you ask and which side of the fandom you consider yourself a part of.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has been fighting an uphill battle since its premise was announced. The official summary feels about as true to the spirit of Star Trek as one can get, especially considering that the new characters grew up in the shadow of a horrifying disaster referred to as “the Burn”—which led to the collapse of galactic civilization as they knew it: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy introduces viewers to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves, and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself. The first season, which seems to bring a bit more hope and youthful humor to the franchise, holds an impressive 89% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, a score very at odds with the dismal 42% on the viewer-driven Popcornmeter—the outcome of review bombing.

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Did Starfleet Academy Actually Misstep?

Some fans would say yes, with a chorus of “The series is so full of cringe moments and seemingly is geared toward a niche audience instead of Star Trek fans” and “Truly awful, by far the worst thing in the entire Star Trek universe. Gene Roddenberry must be turning in his grave,” flooding Rotten Tomatoes and Reddit.

Other fans strongly disagree, with one on Reddit calling Starfleet Academy “a story about generational shift, post-apocalyptic recovery, and how trauma isolates us and creates maladaptive habits, but healing is done through reconnection with others. We see this with Caleb learning to bond with others, as well as the Betazoid plot, where a culture that’s always been about interpersonal connection has become withdrawn and isolationist, and how they are reopening themselves in an effort to recover. And I love that. The themes really resonate with me and, I believe, the current times. Our world as it is right now is extraordinarily divided and polarized, and a series about building bridges across those fissures feels so important right now.”

The answer to the above question is also a resounding “no” if you ask Robert Picardo of Voyager fame. Defending Starfleet Academy’s choices to honor the spirit of inclusion and diversity inherent to Star Trek as a whole, the actor said on X, “I miss the days when, if you didn’t like a TV show, you simply didn’t watch it. What I find sad about this present moment is that people who don’t like a television show make it their mission to keep others from watching it, to attack it round the clock, to destroy it.”

It seems the answer to whether or not Starfleet Academy deserves its place in the Star Trek universe comes down to what it is in that franchise that you value. But, for now, it’s made its way back into Paramount’s Top 10. 

What’s been your favorite moment from Starfleet Academy? Let us know in the comments, and then check out the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.