Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 5
"Series Acclimation Mil"
Writers: Kirsten Beyer, Tawny Newsome
Director: Larry Geng
Cast: Holly Hunter, Sandro Rosta, Karim Diané, Kerrice Brooks, George Hawkins, Bella Shepard, Zoë Steiner, Robert Picardo, Tig Notaro, Oded Fehr
Despite my somewhat critical severity towards Starfleet Academy, it might surprise you to learn that one of the characters who intrigued me most heading into this first season was SAM. Yeah, I know. Her overly optimistic demeanor can sometimes be a bit much, but, like pacifist Klingon Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diané), I find the notion of a photonic cadet utterly fascinating. There’s just something inherently compelling about a hologram walking the halls of Starfleet while actively trying to figure out what it means to be human. It’s a fine line between programming and personality that has always been fertile ground for Star Trek, and SAM feels like the next logical step in that progression.
Continuing to follow the same character-of-the-week format that has defined the series thus far, “Series Acclimation Mil” serves as a tidy little love letter to Deep Space Nine. In this outing, SAM (Kerrice Brooks) is instructed to ramp up her study of mankind at the request of her makers back on Kasq — holographic shut-ins with some major trust issues when it comes to organics. So eager are these beings to determine whether or not they can once again successfully reintegrate with humans — not to mention come to a fuller understanding of such foreign concepts as food, love, and sleep — that they demand their shiny new emissary forgo every non-essential activity. Socialization, music, extracurricular exploration ... all of it is deemed a distraction in the face of “the mission.”
SAM even takes to learning the theremin this week, which is such a wonderfully wacky and specific nod to six decades worth of Star Trek. It’s a small detail, but one that underscores what she stands to lose. Her makers demand a full and unwavering commitment to gathering data, but in doing so, they begin stripping away the very experiences that make that data meaningful in the first place.
As part of this assignment, SAM, who soon begins to feel the weight of her role, is required to join a new course titled “Confronting The Unexplainable.” Her makers believe it will not only provide her with the answers she needs, but speed up their demand for knowledge in record time. Of course, with the semester almost over (conveniently aligning with this episode marking the halfway point of the season), the instructor is none too eager to bring a new student onboard so late in the year.
In an effort to appease her creators and prove her worth, SAM proposes a bold thesis project: solving the mysterious fate of Benjamin Sisko — the famed commander of Deep Space Nine and a Bajoran emissary with whom she feels a deep connection. It’s an ambitious choice to be sure, and one that ultimately signals the episode’s intent to lean heavily into nostalgia.
After receiving some assistance from Nahla Aké (Holly Hunter), who spends much of the episode alongside The Doctor (Robert Picardo) and the delightfully sarcastic Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) helping a rather sweaty Chancellor Kelrec (Raoul Bhaneja) prepare for an elaborate dinner, SAM begins her deep dive into Sisko’s life. Delving into the achieves at the Sisko Museum, she explores everything from his culinary talents to his love of baseball, and even shares a bit of time with a holographic representation of his son, Jake (Cirroc Lofton). Fortunately, this sequence feels a lot less like gratuitous fan service and more like a genuine attempt to reconnect with the heart of Deep Space Nine.
Benjamin Sisko has always occupied a unique place in Star Trek history. Unlike some of his contemporaries, he wasn’t simply a captain navigating the stars. He was a reluctant religious figure, a father first and foremost, and a man forced to balance Starfleet pragmatism with Bajoran prophecy. His ultimate fate left most of us with more questions than answers. “Series Acclimation Mil” doesn’t attempt to undo that ambiguity. Instead, it redefines it through SAM’s perspective, allowing the character some much-needed growth while confronting the realization that not everything in life can simply be reduced to a series of bullet points.
While I could have done without the cutesy Lizzie McGuire-style graphics and glitter puking, “Series Acclimation Mil” ultimately does a commendable job of tying up some lingering threads from Deep Space Nine while also making SAM a far more compelling and likable character. As for the dinner subplot, it’s fun, if somewhat forgettable. However, an interesting final revelation courtesy of Chancellor Kelrec adds just enough narrative weight to make the detour feel worthwhile.
No, this episode isn’t going to be for everyone. It leans into nostalgia, indulges in a bit of fourth-wall-breaking silliness, and occasionally overplays its stylistic hand. But if you’re willing to sit back and let a decades-long mystery breathe while a photonic cadet searches for her own sense of purpose, there’s something quietly satisfying here. In the end, it’s less about definitively solving Benjamin Sisko’s fate and more about honoring a legacy built on faith, family, and the enduring belief that humanity, in all its vast complexity, is worth understanding.
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