“So proud to be a part of this noble addition to Gene Roddenberry's vision…”
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s cancellation back in March is obviously not what creator Gaia Violo was hoping for, nor were many of the cast members ready to say goodbye to their intriguing characters so quickly. However, veteran actor Robert Picardo, who played The Doctor in SFA, recently returned to the studio for some Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR), which he shared an image of publicly on social media.
In the post (below), which features Picardo doing some post-production audio work on the second and final season of Starfleet Academy, the actor reveals that he “was knocked out” by the show’s “powerful storytelling.” Picardo wrote via his official Instagram account:
“Had a production sound session @skylinestudios today for season 2 of @startrek #starfleetacademy, recently canceled by the new owners of @paramountplus. I was knocked out by the powerful storytelling, gorgeous visuals and incredible talent of @team_karim, @lilkerriceb and the rest of our young actors playing #Starfleet cadets. So proud to be a part of this noble addition to Gene Roddenberry's vision of humanity's diverse and inclusive future in space. May that vision survive!”
Picardo shined in Starfleet Academy, particularly in the season 1 episode “The Life of the Stars,” which gave the actor the opportunity to flex his acting muscles. Tired of watching those he cares about die off over the last 800 years, The Doctor distances himself from a fellow photonic cadet, SAM (Kerrice Brooks), who sees him as a father figure and mentor.
Only when SAM’s life is threatened, and she is near death’s door in “The Life of the Stars,” does The Doctor finally reveal why he’s been keeping the young photonic at arm’s length. Picardo breaks down crying as his character relives the heartache of losing the daughter he created in Voyager, and then the EMH finally steps up and becomes the nurturing parent SAM so desperately needed.
Indeed, The Doctor’s character growth in opening up is ultimately what saved SAM’s life, as she needed to be reprogrammed, but someone had to make the commitment to spend 17 years on Kasq (the equivalent of only two weeks on Earth) raising her. And that’s when The Doctor became a father again.
I also agree that Starfleet Academy presented fans with some powerful storytelling and even more unforgettable characters. My personal favorites, outside of The Doctor, were the cadet Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diane), who wanted to become a medical officer, rather than the stereotypical Klingon warrior. And then Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta) had the most interesting character arc, which is only right since he was the primary protagonist.
In my eyes, Caleb is one of the best live-action characters presented onscreen since (Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). Caleb had a Captain Kirk-like physicality to him, yet he also possessed the intelligence of Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton). And I find it hard to believe that this character, in particular, won’t resurface again in another iteration of Star Trek. Caleb simply has too much potential not to return.
Do you agree with Robert Picardo’s assessment of the show’s “powerful storytelling?” Share your thoughts and comments with us on the matter via the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. And Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 is now streaming on Paramount+.
Live long and prosper, Trekkies!
Add us as a preferred source on Google