Star Trek’s Returning Star Hits Back at Criticism of New Show With Excellent Point

In true fandom fashion, some select Star Trek fans have been riding the hate train where the franchise’s newest show is concerned, claiming that the series is too “woke” or too geared toward modern audiences. While criticism of media is one thing, targeted review bombing is an entirely different ballgame. And one star isn’t having any of it, defending the series with an accurate callback to the original days of Star Trek. 

Regarding criticisms about Star Trek: Starfleet Academy being too woke, Robert Picardo made his stance clear in a single tweet, deftly reminding the haters that most good things appear ahead of their time when they first air. Beneath a comment where a fan attempted to argue that Star Trek had never attempted to be overtly progressive, and was instead at its best when it tried to blend a level of conservatism into its storylines, Picardo says, “And you are perfectly entitled to feel differently than I do. I remember refusing to see THE GODFATHER. Being 100% Italian American, I thought it promoted negative stereotypes. I prejudged it and refused to watch it for years. Now it is my favorite movie. I learned a lesson about a young age about hating something in advance without actually watching it. I enjoy a good story, well told, even if the characters have very different goals, ideals, and worldview than I do. But that’s just me.”

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Star Trek Has Always Stood for Diversity

And Picardo isn’t wrong. Star Trek has always been a bastion of inclusivity, spotlighting stories and narratives that celebrate both the differences and similarities between people. In response to someone calling Starfleet Academy “a hamfisted allegory,” the actor responded with, “Here it is, simply. 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. This isn’t a football game. This isn’t a zero-sum battle to the death. This is freedom of choice in entertainment. Aren’t there more positive ways to spend your energy than simply trying to destroy someone else’s creative effort? If you are certain you can do better, write a pitch and take it to CBS-Paramount. You have writing talent and credentials. Invest all of the time spent in trying to tear something down into trying to build something new. I promise you I’ll watch it.”

Despite some fans doing their best to review bomb the series, the first season currently sits at an 87% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, with critics saying that it’s a refreshing change of pace that promises to explore new themes within the universe. “Take the wild frontier vibe of Star Trek: Enterprise, the idealism of Star Trek: Prodigy, the darker and serious storytelling from Star Trek: Discovery, and you truly get a new show that imbues qualities from the best of all Trek,” says Shah Shahid. 

What is your favorite moment from Starfleet Academy so far? Let us know in the comments! And then head over to the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.