After months of anticipation, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has finally arrived on Paramount+ and the two-episode series premiere event leaves fans with a lot to unpack. The first two episodes of the series do a brilliant job of welcoming fans into the show in a way that is accessible to both longtime fans and newcomers alike.
There are many amazing characters introduced in the first episodes of the series, but fans are sure to be immediately drawn to the dynamic between Holly Hunter and Sandro Rosta’s characters. Hunter leads the cast as Captain Nahla Ake, who is brought back into the fold after leaving the Federation, to serve as the captain of the USS Athena and the chancellor of the academy. Her character shares a unique connection to Rosta’s character, Caleb Mir, whose path to the academy is unlike any of his fellow cadets.
The series begins with a flashback to a young Caleb, who is separated from his mother after she’s taken into custody for the role she played in an attack which claimed the life of a Federation officer. It’s Captain Nahla who is responsible for tearing Caleb away from his mother, which inadvertently sets him down a path toward crime.
When Caleb is located and brought in, we learn that Captain Nahla left the Federation after separating him from his mother in recognizing the catastrophic decision it was. She spent the last 15 years searching for Caleb and extends a second chance to change the direction of his future by welcoming him to Starfleet Academy.
Across the first two episodes, we see the pair challenge one another and begin to form a strong connection. While star Holly Hunter couldn’t reveal too much about how the dynamic will evolve through the season, Hunter assured Redshirts Always Die it’s a relationship which will continue to grow over the course of the season.
“Well, I don't know if I could say what I think might surprise fans, but I love the connection that she and Caleb have, and I like how it grows through the course of the season,” Hunter revealed when speaking with Redshirts Always Die ahead of the Starfleet Academy series premiere.
Hunter praised her costar Sandro Rosta for bringing a poise and grace to the role, and revealed she felt an instant connection working alongside the Hollywood newcomer.
“I felt like an instant connection and a real ease with Sandro Rosta, who plays Caleb, and I think it's an amazing thing that he's done with how much he can bring of himself. This is really his first role that he's ever done, outside of drama school and it's a heavy load, what he's doing. He brings such poise, such grace, beautiful common sense, and he's not forced. There's nothing forced about Sandro or Caleb, and I just think that he has a real innate humility that translates beautifully to the screen. I loved our relationship.”
Rosta indeed delivers a breakthrough performance, as does Hunter, whose Captain Nahla is truly unlike any captain who has come before her. She has the strategic mind and steely resolve we’ve come to expect from captains in the franchise, but she also has a warm and nurturing side that helps set her apart from those who have come before her. There are qualities that immediately capture viewers’ attention as do her unique quirks such as the way she almost curls catlike into her command seat or enjoys walking around barefoot to feel grounded.
She’s an incredible character and Hunter commends series creator Alex Kurtzman for giving her the space to explore the character through a true give and take partnership.
“I think Alex Kurtzman wrote a beautiful script and a beautiful series of scripts. The first season and the second season also are just gorgeous,” Hunter shared. “He's a major collaborator; he’s incredibly talented and he's incredibly confident. It was a real true discussion and collaboration. He wants people to feel, he wants to let people go and explore and he gives us these characters. He doesn't like make you earn the characters. The dialogue is fantastic and, ever flowing. I have loved this give and take with him.”
Kurtzman’s approach certainly paid off as the end result is a standout character who has quickly cemented her place within the Star Trek universe.