Paul Giamatti traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil earlier in the month to attend one of the country's most popular conventions, the CCXP, where he discussed his role in the upcoming Star Trek series, Starfleet Academy. While there, Giamatti teased the show's "amazingly well written" sixth episode in an interview with Collider. The actor said:
"The sixth episode is amazingly well written, the stuff I have with Holly [Hunter]. So, I think it was a combination of both things. I think I had in my head lots of these kinds of old-school Star Trek villains and stuff like that, and probably that was coming out, too, because a lot of those guys were pretty big, too, at times."
If the episode's script was indeed that good, the sixth installment of Starfleet Academy's first season should be amazing. An excellent teleplay will only make the streaming experience that much better. Plus, featuring the Oscar-winning Hunter and the Golden Globe winner, Giamatti, trading lines of dialogue will elevate the experience for fans.
In a separate interview, Giamatti named some of the Star Trek villains who partially inspired his character, Nus Braka, including Khan Noonien Singh, General Chang, and Gul Dukat. Drawing from classic Star Trek villains to build character personality is an interesting idea, especially when you consider antagonists like Khan and ruthless Klingon commanders who would rather blow a starship into dust than compromise or engage in Federation discourse.
When it comes to the Tellarites, all you have to do is recall Ambassador Gav from the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Journey to Babel." A Klingon/Tellarite isn't going to have much softness in his heart, so I'm looking forward to Giamatti's Nus Braka and his scenes with Hunter's Nahla Ake, the chancellor of Starfleet Academy and captain of the USS Athena.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy drops Jan. 15, 2026, on Paramount+ with two episodes. Will you be streaming the series? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.