Rob Reviews – Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 6 “Come, Let’s Away”

After the 1-2 punch of the last two episodes, I had to dive back in for this week’s installment of Starfleet Academy.

The official trailer on Facebook teased: “Some lessons can’t be taught, only survived.” That turned out to be an understatement.

A Joint Mission Gone Wrong

In this week’s episode, students from the Academy and the War College engage in a joint training mission. They head to a “starship graveyard” to carry out a simulated salvage operation on a derelict Federation ship. However, things go south when a group of aliens known as The Furies arrive. Captain Ake is forced to reluctantly seek advice from the only person she knows who has held The Furies at bay: her old rival, Nus Braka (Paul Giamatti).

The Return of the USS Athena

It’s great to see the USS Athena back in action. This episode evolves into a classic starship-based battle of wits—the kind of Trek fans know and love. Through some typical “techno-wizardry,” the crew must find a way to track the Furies’ ship while simultaneously powering up the derelict Miyazaki to rescue the cadets stranded aboard.

As a longtime fan, there are certain tropes I’ve come to expect from any incarnation of this franchise. At the 30-minute mark, I expected a fairly mediocre, run-of-the-mill story. But the last 20 minutes delivered more than one unexpected swerve.

The “Nustopher” Factor

Once again, Paul Giamatti absolutely steals the show as Nus—or as he calls himself here, “Nustopher.” He isn’t quite as over-the-top as he was in “Kids These Days,” but his performance in the finale is a perfect confluence of scene-chewing, charm, and diabolical intent. He and Captain Ake have quickly established themselves as top-tier rivals.

A Shocking Final Act (Spoiler Warning)

Halfway through, I thought we were in for the typical Trek gamut: complication, technobabble solution, and a last-minute escape. Instead, the final act gave us several surprises, including a character death that came as a genuine shock. It wasn’t as jarring as Tasha Yar’s death in TNG, but it certainly wasn’t as predictable as a TOS Redshirt.

The Verdict

I highly recommend this episode. While it might not be the series’ absolute best, it’s “darn good” Trek. (the previous two episodes are going to be very difficult to top this season ) Between the return of the Athena, some vintage starship action, and the twists in the final act, it’s a winner.

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