Metascore
67

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 25
  2. Negative: 0 out of 25

Critic Reviews

  1. Reviewed by: Clint Worthington
    Jan 15, 2026
    60
    “Starfleet Academy” will certainly be an acquired taste, and it’s likely a lot of veteran Trekkies will turn their noses up at it on concept alone. Sometimes, it earns that reputation. .... If creator Giala Violo and showrunner Noga Landau keep sharpening their characters’ immature edges, they might just find exciting new frontiers to explore.
  2. Reviewed by: Graeme Virtue
    Jan 15, 2026
    60
    The result is earnest, formulaic and a little cheesy. In other words: classic Trek.
  3. Reviewed by: Louise Griffin
    Jan 8, 2026
    60
    Some episodes feel full of filler and take an age to get to the point (if they ever do). .... By the end of episode 6, things seem to be heating up in a big way. So, here's hoping that the latter half of the season will amp up the action to improve its grade.
  4. Reviewed by: Dave Nemetz
    Jan 8, 2026
    58
    "Star Trek" tries to get a fresh start with "Starfleet Academy," but it's dogged by the same pitfalls that have hampered recent "Trek."
  5. Reviewed by: Zaki Hasan
    Jan 8, 2026
    50
    Whether this series can live up to that legacy remains an open question, but it’s planting some of the right seeds.
  6. Reviewed by: Gregory Nussen
    Jan 8, 2026
    50
    Kurtzman knows that the best Trek is fought amidst the stars, and the series works well when it puts its characters, young and old alike, in situations which test the bounds of their abilities and the limits of their empathy. This is still Trek, but it lacks the political panache of its forebears.
  7. Reviewed by: Ben Travers
    Jan 15, 2026
    42
    Almost every aspect of the series’ YA side falls flat, from negligible cast chemistry to a lifeless central romance, but what really stings is the show’s disinterest in its young characters’ perspectives.
  8. Reviewed by: Brian Lowry
    Jan 16, 2026
    40
    An utterly indifferent Paramount+ series turns “Trek” into what plays like a CW drama (R.I.P.).
  9. Reviewed by: Alistair Ryder
    Jan 8, 2026
    40
    Unsure of whether to extend a hand to new fans and make a sprawling, centuries-spanning universe accessible, or to play the hits to a fanbase often frustrated at the show's continued direction, it will likely wind up satisfying nobody.