Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is almost done with Season 1, and with Season 2 recently wrapping filming, fans have questions about its future. People want answers on whether the show will be renewed for Season 3, and they want to know before the first season ends its run on the 2026 TV schedule.
While we don't have an official answer yet, TrekMovie.com gave us some insight into what showrunner Noga Landau and series creator Gaia Violo may be thinking. Rather than ask straight up if the series would return for Season 3 and not get an answer, they opted on asking whether the Season 2 finale was written in a way it could serve as a series finale, if need be. Landau's response seems to indicate what the team's mindset is in regard to the show's future:
Absolutely not. We have so much story to tell. If anything – yeah, it is not the end.
I've heard more than once in the past few years that when a Star Trek show is at risk of cancellation, the creators are given a heads-up by executives so they can prepare a season finale that can double as a series finale if need be. If someone told that to the team at Starfleet Academy, it doesn't seem as though Landau and crew listened. Either that, or they have it on good authority that they're getting another season.
Truthfully, I'm not sure the latter is true, especially in the wake of Paramount's big decision to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery. I would say there could be some significant shakeups in programming while that merger goes through, but I do hope Paramount Skydance holds on to Starfleet Academy. That's especially after Gaia Violo dropped a not-so-subtle hint that Season 2 will bring back cliffhanger endings once again:
It’s such a shocking ending, you do not want it to [end] – no, no!
Ugh, I'm not so ready for another cliffhanger after what happened with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. That series also ended Season 2 with lingering plot threads during a period of uncertainty, and thanks to various Hollywood strikes, it took a while for us to see Season 3.
Is there a chance Star Trek: Starfleet Academy ends without getting to have a definitive ending after two seasons? Absolutely, and we saw what happens when shows like Prodigy are dropped despite acclaim. That said, I'd much rather see any show that lasts two seasons swing for the fences and hope it gets more episodes rather than try to put a bow on a premise after a short run.
And, of course, we always have to remember there's really no sense dwelling on what's potentially on the way years from now. Season 1 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is still going on, and we still have another season to get through before thinking about Season 3. That gives us plenty of time to see more adventures with The Doctor, Captain Ake and the talented young cast that really makes this show stand out amongst other Star Trek shows.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy continues on Paramount+ with new episodes on Thursdays. We're just a couple episodes away from the Season 1 finale, and hopefully there will be some answers on where these young cadets are headed in Season 2.
