Despite a gulf of several centuries between Starfleet Academy and a good chunk of the established Star Trek canon, there are always tricky ways to bring characters from the past into the future. And although 23rd-century folks like Tilly (Mary Wiseman) and Reno (Tig Notaro) jumped into this future back when Discovery came to the 32nd century, there are other sci-fi methods, outside of time travel, to get folks from one era to another. Maybe you’re quasi-immortal, or a Trill with various host bodies. Or, in the case of Voyager’s cranky physician known only as “the Doctor,” perhaps you’re a long-lived holographic AI.
By now, Trek fans are well aware that Robert Picardo’s Doctor from Voyager is a major character in Starfleet Academy, living well beyond his initial activation in 2371; he now teaches at the titular space school in the 3190s. And in Starfleet Academy Episode 8, “The Life of the Stars,” the Doctor’s journey from the era of Voyager to the present is touched upon in a surprising way. For the second time in Trek canon history, the Doctor has a holographic family, and this time, it doesn’t end in tragedy.
