Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1 Episode 5 Review: Series Acclimation Mil

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1 Episode 5, “Series Acclimation Mil,” is a touching love letter to the iconic Captain Benjamin Sisko and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as a whole. It’s even better that Star Trek: Lower Decks star Tawny Newsome co-wrote the episode and debuted Illa Dax, the latest Dax symbiont, whose connection with Sisko runs deep. Cirroc Lofton also makes his franchise return as Sisko’s son, Jake.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, “Series Acclimation Mil”

It’s a lot from a narrative perspective, at least on paper, but “Series Acclimation Mil” deftly weaves this homage into the story while developing SAM as a character. In true Trek fashion, the outing has its finger on the pulse of the future while honoring what came before. At its core, there’s a thought-provoking meditation on the nature of stories as SAM tries to solve the mystery of Sisko’s fate.

SAM also learns to live life by her own rules (pretty impressive for a roughly 217-day-old photonic). Ultimately, Sisko’s fate isn’t important here, and this writer is glad SAM didn’t “solve” it, as it were. The point of this story is SAM’s growth, and learning the outcome of a character from centuries before would take attention away from her. 

Initially, SAM relishes being one in a million — the only one of her kind in the universe. However, upon learning about Sisko being an emissary for the Prophets, much like she’s an emissary for Kasq, SAM instinctively longs for a connection. She wants to feel less alone. The mission from her Makers weighs heavily on her. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is as much a coming-of-age story as it is a chronicling of the future of Starfleet and the Federation. 

SAM has a standard college-student experience (drinking at a bar) thanks to Caleb altering her programming. While asking questions about Sisko to better understand “organics,” SAM is on her own journey of self-discovery.

Slow and Loud

Kerrice Brooks knocks it out of the park as SAM. She injects a non-organic character with such depth of feeling and humanity. There’s an endearing awkwardness to SAM that never borders on over-the-top, too. Her scene with Lofton, where Jake offers words of wisdom and shares how he feels about his father’s fate. It tugs at the heartstrings, giving us much-needed closure for Jake while impelling SAM to give her Makers the figurative middle finger. 

Meanwhile, the adult arc isn’t quite as impactful as the A-plot. There’s no deeper meaning beyond a dash of frivolity to balance out the main storyline. These actors are so fun together, and it’s nice to see Nahla and Kelrec’s rivalry transform into the seeds of tenuous respect. The War College/Starfleet Academy rivalry is fun for what it is, but Nahla’s right: the adults should know better. It’s all about coexisting harmoniously. 

That said, the dinner scene’s manufactured drama feels, well, manufactured. And forced. It also simply peters out, with a rushed conclusion in the lift as Nahla and Kelrec patch things up. It’s certainly the beginning of a shift in their bond, though.

Move On 

If anything, the highlight of the adult scenes is The Doctor’s interaction with SAM. When he tells her that the only way to cope with loss is to “get over it and move on,” we see his rage. It’s a welcome change from his usually chipper demeanor. Of course, The Doctor has lost countless friends over the centuries. Perhaps we’ll see some development from him on that front (and maybe something in relation to Star Trek: Prodigy). 

Hearing Avery Brooks’ voice delivering that brief but lovely button to the outing is tear-inducing. It’s a moving tribute to an incredible character who left an indelible impression on the franchise. Newsome and co-writer Kirsten Beyer have penned a beautiful homage to Sisko and Deep Space Nine while giving SAM the push needed to move forward.

Love and Tomatoes 

It asks us, “If our choices determine who we are, what determines our choices?” Is it love? Is it tomatoes? And for SAM, perhaps she doesn’t have to do what she’s told. Maybe it’s time to rage against a machine that’s hellbent on misunderstanding other species. After all, this franchise is no stranger to subverting the status quo. 

Stray Observations: 

• I would love to vomit glitter instead of … you know. Khionians are so cool. 
• If only my Eat, Pray, Love journey involved the Captain Benjamin Sisko. Lucky SAM. 
• As a Lower Decks fan, it took me way too long to realize that Tawny Newsome was playing Illa Dax. 
• Nahla’s response to Kelrec’s flute playing is such a backhanded compliment — “slow and loud.” It got a laugh out of me. 
• SAM just got the 20-something club experience without actually damaging her liver. That’s a win. 
• The Orion cadet had to lean in for those prime Caleb Mir pheromones.
• I loved the theremin solo of the TOS theme song. 

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What did you think of this episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!

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Star Trek: Starfleet Academy drops new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+. 

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