{"id":456002,"date":"2026-02-08T08:07:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T08:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/456002\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T08:07:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T08:07:09","slug":"starfleet-academy-accidentally-recreated-the-worst-part-of-star-trek-deep-space-nine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/456002\/","title":{"rendered":"Starfleet Academy Accidentally Recreated The Worst Part Of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Chris Snellgrove<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t | Published 1 minute ago\t\t<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When it comes to NuTrek, a common refrain from critics (myself included) is that Star Trek no longer feels like it did back in the golden days of shows like Deep Space Nine. However, a recent episode of Starfleet Academy, \u201cSeries Acclimation Mil,\u201d proved that we cynics should be careful what we wish for. That\u2019s because it recreated by accident the worst part of Deep Space Nine: combining an important, character-centric A Plot with one of the stupidest B Plots ever written.<\/p>\n

First, a little context: back during the Golden Age of Star Trek, the writers generally included two main stories in any given episode. The most important story was designated the A Plot, while the less important story was designated the B Plot. This storytelling structure generally worked because it gave more of the ensemble cast something to do while giving viewers an additional story, one they might very well find more enjoyable than the main plot.<\/p>\n

That Face When You See A Mistmatched B Plot<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

However, this storytelling method falls apart when the A Plot and the B Plot are completely mismatched, resulting in an episode that feels weirdly disjointed. Deep Space Nine had plenty of examples of this: in \u201cLife Support,\u201d the A Plot about Bashir\u2019s attempt to revive one of Bajor\u2019s most important spiritual leaders after his death is paired with a B Plot where Jake has to explain to Nog that he\u2019s scaring the hoes with his constant Ferengi misogyny. <\/p>\n

In \u201cA Call To Arms,\u201d the A Plot is the long-awaited invasion of the Dominion. The B Plot is about Rom and Leeta\u2019s cringe-inducing, Casablanca-quoting wedding.<\/p>\n

For me, the most mismatched Deep Space Nine episode of all time is \u201cDoctor Bashir, I Presume?,\u201d whose A Plot focuses on the revelation that Dr. Bashir is estranged from his parents because they \u201cfixed\u201d him with genetic engineering at a young age. It\u2019s a powerfully moving episode about family trauma that completely changes our understanding of the main character. Unfortunately, it\u2019s also an episode where the guy who created the Emergency Medical Hologram is desperate to get laid, and he\u2019s set his sights on Leeta, who is written to be almost comically stupid.<\/p>\n

Star Trek\u2019s Most Ambitious New A Plot<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So, what does all of this have to do with Starfleet Academy<\/a>? The recent episode \u201cSeries Acclimation Mil\u201d had an ambitious A plot about cadet SAM investigating Sisko\u2019s final fate; her research helps her (and viewers) learn more about Sisko\u2019s accomplishments, his personality, and the titanic<\/a> legacy he left behind. Along the way, we get cameos from big names like Jake Sisko and the latest incarnation of Dax, all while SAM learns more about what it means to be an emissary from her holographic homeworld to the Federation.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately (and somewhat inexplicably), it\u2019s paired with a B plot about Chancellor Ake trying to help Commander Nelrec prepare to host a visiting dignitary. To do this, she throws a rehearsal dinner, which is mostly an excuse for everyone but Nelrec to crack bizarre jokes and engage in prop comedy (no, really). The climax to this scene is a fish suddenly deflating, and the three other officers (who have about 1500 years of combined wisdom between them all) start uncontrollably laughing about the fish making prolonged farting noises.<\/p>\n

Shaka, When The Rest Of The Episode Is Silly<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It\u2019s wildly unfunny and almost distractingly weird, but the bonkers B Plot is of a piece with the rest of the episode. After all, in between hugely important lore drops about Sisko, we\u2019ve got cadets vomiting glitter and the ship\u2019s digital dean making jokes about morning wood. As a viewer who was more or less enjoying all of the Sisko-related fan service, I was a bit shocked that the episode kept dipping into humor that would be more in line with a show like Beavis and Butt-Head.<\/p>\n

However, in a bit of almost certainly unintentional irony, \u201cSeries Acclimation Mill\u201d managed to honor the worst part of Deep Space Nine, and that\u2019s pairing a powerful A Plot with the stupidest B Plot the writers could come up with. This makes for frustrating storytelling, of course, but this practice was absolutely rampant during the Golden Age of Star Trek<\/a>. Starfleet Academy has now proven it knows how to do what DS9 did so poorly; with any luck, these newer writers will eventually be able to channel what DS9 did so well, which was to tell great stories without the absolutely embarrassing crutch of d*ck and fart jokes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Chris Snellgrove | Published 1 minute ago When it comes to NuTrek, a common refrain from critics…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":456003,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[88,11878,197805,32228,92],"class_list":{"0":"post-456002","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-star-trek","10":"tag-star-trek-deep-space-nine","11":"tag-star-trek-starfleet-academy","12":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456002","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=456002"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456002\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/456003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=456002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=456002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=456002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}