An Existential Crisis Threatens the Federation in Our Star Trek: Starfleet Academy S1:E4 Episode Preview
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Phil Roberts 
The fate of a beloved Trek species hangs in the balance in the official image gallery from Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Season 1, Episode 4.
We are just days away from another new episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season One, and the stakes are getting higher. After last week’s escalating pranks and blossoming romances, Stafleet Academy is about to be rocked by an existential crisis that threatens to wipe out an infamous Star Trek species. So, can Nahla save this species from extinction, or is Starfleet’s response too little too late?
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!
VOX IN EXCELSO
Episode 4 of Season 1 of Starfleet Academy is titled “Vox in Excelso.” The installment, written by Gaia Violo and Eric Anthony Glover and directed by Doug Aarniokoski, will debut on Paramount+ on Thursday, January 29.
Synopsis: When an existential crisis threatens to wipe out a beloved but infamous Star Trek species, a cadet is forced to confront his past and strained relationship with his family. As he pursues an unexpected method of coping, Nahla races against time to save this species from extinction.
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 29, 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!
