Amid the discourse over the cancellation of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and the backlash among some Trek fans against producer Alex Kurtzman, SFA actor Karim Diane, who plays Klingon student Jay-Den Kraag, posted an Instagram video (below) offering a lengthy defense of Kurtzman as a showrunner and a person.
Diane brought up that Kurtzman was among those who pushed for Jay-Den to be gay, and that it’s a way to continue expanding Trek’s message of tolerance to a new generation. He also countered the accusations of fans that Kurtzman didn’t care about Trek’s history by calling the man a “hardcore” Trekkie who has an incredibly hard job as the “captain” of the franchise.
One good point made by Diane is that, shocking as it sounds, there is at least an entire generation of fans who never watched a Trek show before Starfleet Academy. He brought up how many fans had told him that thanks to catching Academy, they would be checking out the older series and thus building the franchise rather than driving people away.
Diane's words illustrate that Kurtzman isn't just about putting out Star Trek projects for money, as some fans might claim. He simply recognizes that television and culture have changed and evolved. Star Trek has to do the same to be culturally relevant and continue to entertain and educate as it always has. That means not doing the same shows as the 1990s.
Diane’s words echo those of other Trek actors, that fans blame Kurtzman too much for what they see as the franchise’s failures, even though he is a Trekkie himself who wants the franchise to continue going boldly for a long time to come.
Do you agree with Karim Diane? Share your thoughts and comments on Alex Kurtzman via the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. And Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 is now streaming on Paramount+.