But interestingly, in the 21st century, whenever a new Star Trek thing comes along, there’s always a tension between both goals: Is this a crowd-pleasing action Star Trek designed to bring in everyone, or is this a contemplative social issues show? If you don’t know anything about Star Trek, Starfleet Academy is fairly accessible, though it’s also stuffed with Easter eggs, and some very unexpected cameos as the show goes on. All of this has been unpacked before, notably in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and nearly all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Paramount+For decades, we’ve wondered if actually going to Starfleet Academy was more like a military school or a liberal arts college. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy debuts with two episodes on Thursday, January 15.