Starfleet Academy’s solution to the Klingon problem, explained

Shut up! This article contains spoilers for episode 4 of “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy”.

“Star Trek” has always had a Klingon “problem,” but never really. This extent. Once upon a time, the ridged-forehead alien species were an allegory for the most terrifying of geopolitical conflicts: the Soviet Union confronting the United States during the Cold War. But over the decades, The narrative purpose of the Klingons in the “Star Trek” franchise has evolved almost as much as their physical appearance.. By the time shows like “The Next Generation,” “Deep Space Nine,” “Voyager” and especially “Discovery” arrived, the role the Klingons had come to play seemed downright unrecognizable from Gene Roddenberry’s original vision. The fourth episode of “Starfleet Academy” has now thrust the “Star Trek” species into the distant future, and the results are understandably complicated.

The most controversial choice in this young adult series might be the new status quo surrounding the Klingons – now an endangered species on the brink of total extinction – and Starfleet’s efforts to find a solution. When a refugee ship carrying the last remnants of the Klingon great houses is feared to be destroyed, the Federation attempts to move the survivors to a new homeworld… something the proud aliens refuse to accept. Episode 4, titled “Vox in Excelso,” begins with Klingon cadet Jay-Den (Karim Diané) struggling to speak publicly during debate and ends with him grappling with the very real possibility that his entire family (and species) will cease to exist in a post-Burn galaxy.

“Starfleet Academy” takes the opportunity to approach this subject exactly as you would expect: with serious, emotional debate for the ages and a final diplomatic touch as vintage as “Star Trek” can get.

Maybe Klingons aren’t as outdated a concept as some “Star Trek” fans have feared lately. While obviously a fan-favorite feature of the franchise, do the Klingons still offer anything new? “Starfleet Academy” answers in the affirmative. Jay-Den’s addition to ‘Starfleet Academy’ is newas he represents the only Klingon cadet after their devastation during the Burn – which apparently took countless lives, both on their homeworld, Qo’noS, and in the galaxy at large. When his own family seems lost, Jay-Den buries his anxiety by preparing for the next Academy debate…and, unexpectedly, insists on chatting. against Starfleet’s response position and relocation of the remaining Klingons to the newly discovered planet Faan Alpha.

Jay-Den’s anxious journey toward discovering his own voice is the emotional backbone of the hour, while the arrival of Actually Klingon leader Obel Wocak (David Keeley) and his stubbornness in accepting the Federation’s “charity” constitute the philosophical dilemma to be resolved. Just as Jay-Den is constantly criticized and rejected by his classmates before the big debate, including his well-meaning friend Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta), the disgruntled Klingon survivors remain at odds with the Federation deciding their fate on their behalf. Offering the planet as a gift might as well spit in the face of the honorable warriors, although refusing Starfleet’s offer would almost certainly result in their own destruction.

Naturally, Jay-Den finds a compromise to allow both parties to save face. On paper, Starfleet engaging in a fake battle against the Klingon fleet and losing — that is, meeting another culture on their own level and accepting what makes them who they are — is quintessential “Trek.” The execution, however, turns out to be delicate.

Throughout this week’s “Starfleet Academy,” the nature of communication and the idea of ​​fighting with words rather than weapons remains at the forefront. As we’ve seen previously this season, Starfleet has successfully brought the Betazed into the fold through passionate debate and supporting it with action. Before that, Chancellor Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) convinced Caleb to join her at the Academy simply by meeting him where he was. “Vox in Excelso” continues this to its ultimate conclusion, as Jay-Den’s speech inspires him to have Starfleet gracefully lose a “battle” against the Klingon warships and cede ownership of Faan Alpha as a war prize.

But what better way to discuss this conclusion than through our own debate? Although presented as a happy medium, did anyone else find it somewhat condescending towards Klingons? One reading of this episode is that Starfleet takes on a role similar to that of the United States today, perpetually deciding for others how to behave. In this case, the Federation forces the Klingons to comply by playing with their traditions and tricking them into doing what Starfleet wanted all along. But here’s a crucial counterpoint: the episode makes a point of validating the Klingon way of life through Jay-Den, who seeks to reconcile his Starfleet ambitions with his cultural roots both in the present and in various flashbacks. It is he who proposes this radical solution, and Obel knowingly accepts it, as a sign of good faith. It is diplomacy.

Anyway, ‘Starfleet Academy’ continues to embody the ideals for which the ‘Star Trek’ franchise is known. In this case, cultural exchange and mutual understanding bring two difficult allies closer together. This is as “Trek” as it gets, folks.

“Starfleet Academy” is streaming on Paramount+.