The Star Trek universe continues to expand, with a series set at Starfleet Academy in development at Paramount+. Starfleet Academy trains cadets in all eras of the franchise, from Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 3, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," to the 32nd century in Star Trek: Discovery, season 4. It's been in several series and films from both timelines. The new show's creators can set it in any time period of the sprawling Star Trek canon.
The early 25th century of Star Trek: Picard makes a better setting for the new series than the 32nd century of Star Trek: Discovery. Both series set part of their most recent seasons at the Academy. Discovery season 4 set up some of its strongest characters, Sylvia Tilly and Dr. Kovich, to play significant parts at the Academy. While many viewers might welcome more significant roles for these characters, the earlier Picard era has far richer storytelling and casting potential.
Discovery Restarted The 32nd Century's Starfleet Academy
The season 4 premiere of Star Trek: Discovery reopens Starfleet Academy for the first time since The Burn, albeit at Starfleet's off-world headquarters instead of the familiar San Francisco campus. Tilly's season 4 arc sees her leave Discovery to accept an Academy post. Tilly's scenes with the cadets in season 4, episode 4, "All is Possible," pave the way for the confident instructor Tilly who field-promotes her cadets in season 4, episode 13, "Coming Home." These sequences, along with Tilly's scenes with Kovich and iral Vance, paint a promising picture of a 32nd-century Star Trek: Discovery-era Starfleet Academy show.
Star Trek: Discovery season 5, however, can develop Tilly's story within the show's own narrative, just as season 4 followed Saru through his own leave of absence. Discovery still has vast parts of its new era to explore with few canonical constraints, and season 5 should build out its 32nd-century world a bit more. The far future doesn't seem ready for a second show quite yet.
Why Picard's 25th Century Starfleet Academy Would Be A Better Show
A Starfleet Academy series set in the early 25th century of Star Trek: Picard, on the other hand, can draw on the hugely popular legacies of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager. Picard's first two seasons are at their best when they bring back Riker, Troi, Seven of Nine, and other characters from those classic shows. Callbacks to classic stories are well-handled, too, like the Romulan crisis and Gary Seven's protective organization from Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 26, "Assignment: Earth." Many actors are available, and audience interest seems to be there, so a 25th-century Starfleet Academy series can welcome back Quark, Janeway, Kira, and others for years without running out of popular characters.
In addition, a 25th-century Starfleet Academy series can build on the new canon established in Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and even Star Trek: Prodigy. The Fenris Rangers, the newly-benevolent Borg, and the new generation of synths can all figure into Academy stories. A Star Trek: Starfleet Academy show set in the 25th century can also provide a home for appealing characters like Elnor, Laris, and Kestra Troi-Riker, introduced in Star Trek: Picard but reportedly written out of the show's much-anticipated final season. There's no word yet on when audiences will see the new Starfleet Academy show, but with a new season of each of the five current series on the way, it's probably a year or more away.
Star Trek: Picard season 3 debuts February 16, 2023, on Paramount+.