Star Trek: Starfleet Academy S1E3 Recap: Prank War Victory & Character Growth

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Be warned, this review contains spoilers for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 3, “Vitus Reflux.” The latest episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy delivers more than just a resolution to the prank war with the War College. Directed by Doug Aarniokoski and written by Alex Taub & Kiley Rossetter, the episode is a compelling hour filled with strong character development, humor, heart, and a growing sense of camaraderie among the young cadets.

The second episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy revealed the existence of the War College, a sister school to Starfleet Academy. However, these aren’t friendly competitors; the War College cadets, dressed in black, are constantly trying to outdo Starfleet Academy. Starfleet cadets often find themselves losing, whether it’s through pranks or challenging games of Calica.

I’m really enjoying the character work in this episode. We see Caleb Mir digging into Tarima Sadal’s past, trying to understand why she chose the War College over the more traditional path of Starfleet. And the tension between Darem Reymi and Genesis Lythe is fantastic – they’re both so convinced they should be the one in command, leading to some great clashes of personality. It’s a classic power struggle, and I’m eager to see how it plays out.

This is the story of how Starfleet Academy won its epic prank war against the War College.

Starfleet Academy Wins Prank War By Listening To Captain Ake

The cadets at Starfleet Academy figured out that Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter), despite seemingly staying out of it, actually gave them everything they needed to win their prank war against the War College. Both Chancellors – Kenrec (Raoul Bhaneja) for the War College and Ake for Starfleet – quietly supported their students.

Acting on clues from Captain Ake, a group of Starfleet Academy cadets – Genesis, Darem, Caleb, SAM (Kerrice Brooks), and Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diané) – worked together to sneak a Vitus Reflux plant into the War College’s dorm. Darem obtained Kenrec’s DNA so Jay-Den could create a clone of his eye, which Caleb, disguised as a Mugato, used to disable the dorm’s security system. Finally, SAM released the Vitus Reflux throughout the dorm rooms.

Similar to the rapidly growing plant in Little Shop of Horrors, the Vitus Reflex spread quickly throughout the War College dormitories, causing the cadets to evacuate. Realizing his school had been defeated, Chancellor Kenrec conceded to Chancellor Ake and Starfleet Academy. Even though Starfleet Academy had lost to the War College in Calica and suffered through a series of embarrassing pranks, they ultimately had the final victory.

The ongoing rivalry between Starfleet University and the War College uncovered a surprising fact about Captain Ake: she’s been pulling pranks her whole life and is incredibly good at it. Back when Ake was a cadet in the 28th century, over 400 years ago, she helped orchestrate a famous prank where new students were unexpectedly transported to the roof of Alcatraz.

The prank war at Starfleet Academy didn’t just result in a win for Genesis, Darem, Jay-Den, SAM, and Caleb – it truly brought them together as close friends. While they initially teamed up to rescue the USS Athena in the first episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, winning the prank war in episode three cemented their bond, creating a strong sense of family, much like the best stories in Star Trek.

Genesis Is A Better Captain Than Darem

The third episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy focused on the rivalry between Genesis Lythe and Darem Reymi, both vying to become future Captains. Darem felt discouraged because Genesis consistently seemed to get a head start and achieve more. He was also upset that his parents weren’t interested in his training at the Academy, especially since he was motivated by a desire to earn their approval.

Darem understood that Genesis was motivated by a need to please her father, a Starfleet Admiral, and had exploited that to gain the Captaincy in Calica. However, Darem proved to be an ineffective Captain, unable to think outside the box. Genesis, on the other hand, cleverly leveraged her skills, enabling Starfleet Academy to achieve their sole victory against the War College.

Following Commander Jett Reno’s advice, Darem apologized to Genesis and opened up about his difficult upbringing, which Genesis surprisingly found admirable. Darem acknowledged that Genesis is a more capable captain, and with Genesis leading their elaborate prank on the Vitus Reflux, they finally succeeded in embarrassing the War College.

Why Tarima Joined The War College Instead Of Starfleet Academy

I was really intrigued by the dynamic between Caleb Mir and Tarima Sadal, especially after learning she’d gone to the War College without telling him. When he finally asked her why, it turned out he was part of the reason, but not the whole story. It was cool to find out, in the second episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, that she actually wears a neural inhibitor to manage her Betazoid psychic abilities – that explained a lot about her behavior!

Tarima admitted she chose the War College specifically for its strict discipline, as she needs to learn to control her Betazoid abilities. Having grown up protected by Betazed’s psychic defenses, she’s now finding it harder to manage her powers with the newfound freedom of exploring the galaxy.

Caleb played a role in Tarima’s decision to attend the War College. She’s drawn to him, and being around him actually amplifies her powers. Beyond that, Tarima could tell, even without using her Betazoid abilities, that Caleb is struggling with his feelings about Starfleet Academy and enjoying making friends.

Caleb and Tarima clearly have a connection, and it’s good that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is letting their relationship develop slowly. This allows them to build a strong foundation of trust and really get to know each other before becoming a couple.

Caleb Accepts That He Wants To Be In Starfleet Academy

Caleb Mir remains upset with Starfleet Academy, feeling as though it’s a “prison” because he’s required to perform community service and can’t leave the grounds. His main goal is still to locate his mother, Anisha Mir, played by Tatiana Maslany.

Despite initially resisting the idea of joining Starfleet Academy – and even participating in team sports – Caleb is surprisingly enjoying his time there, especially the friendships he’s made. After fifteen years spent constantly on the move and distrusting others, the Academy offers Caleb a chance at a better life, and something he’s always lacked: a sense of belonging and a family he’s chosen.

Tarima Sadal helped Caleb realize and understand that it was alright to trust his new friends and embrace his desire to attend Starfleet Academy. When the cadets received their letterman jackets, Caleb happily accepted his from Genesis and wore it with pride.

Caleb Mir feels right at home at Starfleet Academy. He’s beginning to trust that Chancellor Ake wants what’s best for him. The third episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy reinforced a valuable lesson Caleb learned from Star Trek Beyond: working together makes you stronger.

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2026-01-22 14:30