Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 6
"Come, Let's Away"
Writers: Kenneth Lin, Kiley Rosseter
Director: Larry Teng
Cast: Holly Hunter, Sandro Rosta, Karim Diané, Kerrice Brooks, George Hawkins, Bella Shepard, Zoë Steiner, Robert Picardo, Tig Notaro, Oded Fehr
They took the bait. Or, perhaps more accurately, I did. After six weeks of hemming and hawing—not to mention enduring the torment of my inner critic duking it out with my internal Trekker—I am finally hungry, dare I say ravenous, for more Starfleet Academy.
That appetite comes thanks in no small part to this week’s all-new episode, “Come, Let’s Away,” an action-packed hour that steps away from its cookie-cutter character-of-the-week format to deliver something that finally feels like Star Trek. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate the show. In fact, I’ve been genuinely intrigued by the backstories surrounding some of the core cadets like Jay-Den (Karim Diané) and SAM (Kerrice Brooks). Star Trek certainly knows a thing or two about tackling big issues through thoughtful conversation. But for me, this 60-year franchise is still at its best when the boots are on the ground seeking out new life ... even if that life happens to find them first.
Looking to teach a lesson in teamwork, Chancellors Aké (Holly Hunter) and Kelrec (Raoul Bhaneja) schlep the cadets of the USS Athena, along with their colleagues from the War College, out to the ruins of the USS Miyazaki. Splitting into two teams, the students are tasked with simulating a rescue mission: half remain on the bridge of the Athena, while the others head to the derelict dreadnought to play the role of its trapped crew. It should be a straightforward exercise. Naturally, it isn’t.
Things quickly go off the rails when a band of scavenging Furies descends upon the Miyazaki and takes the team hostage. Trapped aboard the crippled vessel, injured, and unable to raise the Athena, Caleb (Sandro Rosta), B’Avi (Alexander Eling), and the rest of the stranded cadets find themselves in a desperate race against time to bring the singularity drive back online so they can be beamed back home. What was meant to be a routine exercise instantly becomes a fight for survival, and the episode wastes no time cranking up the tension.
In a bid to bring the cadets home safely, the higher-ups make the reluctant decision to reach out to the notorious Nus Braka (Paul Giamatti). As one of the only individuals known to have successfully dealt with the feral Furies, this cynical corsair may be the ace in the hole needed to resolve the crisis. After brokering a tense deal and extracting the necessary intel, Starfleet calls in reinforcements from the USS Sargasso, an experimental vessel equipped with a unique sonic weapon designed to scatter the Furies. It’s a classic Trek maneuver—science saving the day.
Except this time, it doesn’t.
Upon arrival, the Sargasso is swiftly destroyed by Nus Braka and the Venari Ral, who’ve been cloaked and working alongside the Furies all along. The rug gets pulled out from under both Starfleet and the audience, and suddenly the stakes escalate in a way the series has been hesitant to embrace until now.
Back on the Miyazaki, matters go from bad to worse. Security protocols fail. One cadet pays the ultimate price. And Tarima (Zoe Steiner) is forced to transcend her limits in a risky final move to save the remaining survivors. Bringing the singularity drive online at the eleventh hour, the cadets are finally beamed back to the Athena — but the victory is bittersweet. They return with heavy hearts, not only mourning one of their own but also discovering that the Fury attack was part of an elaborate scheme orchestrated to gain control of a Starfleet stronghold — resulting in a catastrophic loss of life, and turning Nus Braka into the most wanted man in the galaxy.
Without a doubt, “Come, Let’s Away” is the best episode of Starfleet Academy thus far. It’s fast, fun, and loaded with action — while still delivering some of the mandatory sap and soap we’ve come to expect over the past six weeks. Paul Giamatti once again brings his A-game to Nus Braka, and his on-screen chemistry with Holly Hunter’s Nahla Aké, capped off by a rather jaw-dropping revelation that left me reeling, is particularly noteworthy. Their scenes seethe with tension and distrust, grounding the larger spectacle in compelling character work.
The episode is full of twists and turns, a few genuine edge-of-your-seat moments, and strong thematic ticks about teamwork and trust. There’s even a clever meta twist that’s sure not to go unnoticed by the ink-and-paper crowd. Simply put, this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for.
Again, there has been quite a bit to like about this show — last week’s DS9 nod was definitely a high point — but “Come, Let’s Away” forced me to stop nibbling at the fringes of Starfleet Academy and finally sit up and take a nice, big bite out of this latest foray into the final frontier. And you know what? I’m really glad I did.
While there are undoubtedly plenty of folks ready to relegate this series to the scrap heap, if we get more episodes like this heading into the back half of Season 1, I think fans may finally start to see just how strong Starfleet Academy really is.
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