“I really hope we get to dive deeper into the Khionian culture.”
Star Trek actor George Hawkins got his opportunity to take the spotlight in the latest installment of Starfleet Academy, “Ko'Zeine.” And, while answering questions about the Darem Reymi (Hawkins)-heavy seventh episode, the actor successfully managed not to give up any juicy spoilers, despite the interviewer’s efforts. However, he did offer up that season 2 of the new streaming series will wrap filming this weekend. Hawkins said via Collider:
“We wrap on Saturday […] We're almost there.”
Warning! The following contains minor SPOILERS from episode 7 “Ko'Zeine.”
The news that season 2 of Starfleet Academy wraps on Saturday comes on the heels of recurring guest star Paul Giamatti revealing on The D-Con Chamber podcast that he wasn’t around for filming during season 2, but he’s open to returning if season 3 is greenlit.
Back to the latest episode, though, “Ko'Zeine” essentially means “best man” and “maid of honor” in Darem’s Khionian language, and it was a thrill to see Klingon cadet Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diane) filling that role and standing by his friend.
However, when the topic of returning to the Khionian Realm in future episodes came up, Hawkins remained tight-lipped and avoided giving away any spoilers. The actor responded during the same sit-down by saying, “I can't say anything about season 2, because I'll get sniped. Man, Khionia is such a beautiful place.”
Hawkins continued by saying:
“And it's such a perfect opportunity to show a different culture. So, I hope so. I really, really hope so. I really hope we get to dive deeper into the Khionian culture, because it's a beautiful thing to be a part of. And it's a beautiful thing to play. I really hope so.”
I loved this episode. Not only did it showcase four of the five primary cadets (all except SAM), but it also gave Darem and Jay-Den’s relationship much more weight. What started out as Darem trying to bully Jay-Den in the series premiere, "Kids These Days," has blossomed into a full-blown friendship with definite romantic tones indicating a love triangle including the two Starfleet cadets and the War College’s Kyle (Dale Whibley).
Have you watched the latest episode of Starfleet Academy? Did you enjoy seeing more of Darem’s backstory unfold? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.
Live long and prosper, Trekkies!