Pranks and Romance Emerge in Our Star Trek: Starfleet Academy S1:E3 Episode Preview
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Phil Roberts 
Romance blooms and pranks galore sweep the Academy in the official image gallery from Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Season 1, Episode 3.
We are just days away from the newest episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season One, and we are ready for more. After the first crop of Starfleet cadets in over a century enrolled at Starfleet Academy last week, it’s time to settle into their new digs. But with escalating pranks and blossoming romances, their focus is on everything but Starfleet protocols. But fear not, viewers. We have a bunch of new episode stills and synopses to share. So grab your Tricorders and set a course for this huge episode. Maximum warp!
VITUS REFLUX
Episode 3 of Season 1 of Starfleet Academy is titled “Vitus Reflux.” Alex Taub, Kiley Rossetter, and Doug Aarniokoski directed it. It premieres on Paramount+ on Thursday, January 22.
Synopsis: While our cadets compete to join an elite team at the Academy, a battle of escalating pranks breaks out between Starfleet Academy and a rival school. Tensions rise fast, threatening their newly-emerging bonds and a blossoming romance.
RELEASE
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy stars Holly Hunter as Nahla Ake, captain and chancellor of Starfleet Academy. The series also features Sandro Rosta, Karim Diané, Kerrice Brooks, George Hawkins, Bella Shepard, and Zoë Steiner. The cast is rounded out by Tig Notaro as Jett Reno and Robert Picardo reprising the Doctor, with guest appearances from Oded Fehr as Admiral Vance and Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly, and recurring roles for Gina Yashere and Paul Giamatti.
Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau serve as co-showrunners and executive produce the series alongside executive producers Gaia Violo, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Jenny Lumet, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Frank Siracusa and John Weber. The series’ premiere episode is written by Gaia Violo and directed by Alex Kurtzman. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will be available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the U.K., Latin America, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Japan. The series is also available on Paramount+ in Canada. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
NEW EPISODES STREAMING
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy continues on Paramount+ on January 22, 2026, with new episodes releasing weekly through March 12. Check back next week for our preview of episode four. You’ll never miss a thing with Future of the Force.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
