Noga Landau and Gaia Violo, the creative team behind Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, share insights into how episode 8, “The Life of the Stars,” used theatrical elements and genuine emotion to help the cadets heal and offer a fresh start for The Doctor (played by Robert Picardo). Landau co-showruns the series with Alex Kurtzman, while Violo created Starfleet Academy and co-wrote this particular episode with Jane Maggs.
The eighth episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, titled “The Life of the Stars” and directed by Andi Armaganian, features a guest appearance by Mary Wiseman as Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly from Star Trek: Discovery. Tilly helps the cadets cope with trauma using Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Our Town, while Doctor and Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) work to bring Series Acclimation Mil, or SAM (Kerrice Brooks), home to Kasq as she nears the end of her life.
ScreenRant recently spoke with Noga Landau and Gaia Violo about the emotional core of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 8, Mary Wiseman’s return as Tilly, and references to Star Trek: Voyager. They also shared some potential news about a third season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s EPs On Season 2 Wrap & Season 3 Hopes
ScreenRant congratulated the team on finishing season two, mentioning seeing photos from the wrap party on Instagram. They then asked if everyone is now waiting to hear about whether the show will be renewed for season three, and potentially even a fourth season.
Gaia Violo: Yes, yes, for sure.
Absolutely. We’re still deep in post-production for season two, finishing up all the work after wrapping filming. We actually made both seasons one right after the other, which was a huge effort, but really exciting because we kept the energy going. Everyone was thrilled last night and celebrated finishing up!
We’re finally starting to recover after a really long filming season. We began in August and finished early Tuesday morning, and we just had our wrap party yesterday. It’s always a little sad, though. The cast and crew become like a family – I actually spend more time with them than my own family! I’m excited to go home and rest, but we’re all a bit sad to be parting ways. It feels like we want to keep living and working together, almost like we want to stay in space!
Why Tilly Returns In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 8
Mary Wiseman is back as Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly in the eighth episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. In this episode, Tilly uses theatrical techniques to help cadets cope with past trauma. However, her appearance also highlights fans’ hopes that she would be a regular cast member, considering Tilly’s important role in the initial relaunch of the series within Star Trek: Discovery.
Noga Landau, a big fan of Mary Wiseman, explains why Tilly was introduced later in the season. She says they wanted Tilly’s arrival to feel impactful, believing a gradual introduction was best. Like building anticipation for something special, they waited eight episodes before bringing her on screen. They felt starting her alongside the established characters from the beginning wouldn’t have had the same effect, so they made a deliberate choice to have her join later in the season to give her the spotlight she deserves.
Gaia Violo explained they were determined to create a story that resonated with Mary Wiseman. She shared that “Our Town,” featured in episode 8, held personal significance for Mary, as it was deeply connected to her upbringing and development as an actor. This connection felt essential to the emotional arcs of the characters following the events with Miyazaki, making it the only fitting choice for that episode.
The eighth episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy shows Tilly is now teaching third-year cadets in the Beta Quadrant, clarifying why she hasn’t been seen at the San Francisco campus. Noga Landau suggests this detail could hint at the direction the show might take if it gets a third season.
We really enjoy exploring the Beta Quadrant. We haven’t spent a lot of time there yet, mainly because we’ve been concentrating on the Alpha Quadrant – it’s closest to Earth. The first two seasons were particularly focused on San Francisco. But Tilly’s work since leaving the Discovery has been about preparing the group of cadets we originally met on that ship. They’re no longer freshmen; they’re about to graduate and are gaining real-world experience in the field. Starfleet Academy is all about that practical, hands-on learning, and the Beta Quadrant offers a lot of great opportunities for these cadets to train.
Using Theater & “Our Town” To Heal Starfleet Academy’s Cadets From Their Trauma
Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly helps Starfleet Academy cadets cope with trauma by having them participate in a production of “Our Town,” essentially turning them into theater students. Gaia Violo explores why this particular play proved to be an effective method for the cadets to confront their experiences.
As a critic, I’ve seen a lot of shows stumble when they don’t fully process the emotional fallout of big events, and it sounds like the writers of this show were keenly aware of that. They were initially brainstorming a sprawling, adventure-focused episode, but then they realized something crucial: neither they, nor any of their characters, had truly dealt with what happened in the previous episode. It was a smart move to step back and focus on the internal consequences before launching into another big plotline. It’s a sign of strong writing when they prioritize emotional resonance over simply escalating the action.
That’s how I started exploring theater as a way to heal. Using stories like “Our Town,” with its simple yet powerful message, really resonated with me. It beautifully captures the essence of being human – those small, everyday moments that unexpectedly become meaningful and last forever.
Sam, as a holographic projection, embodies the essence of starlight – she’s essentially an immortal being. The character Tarima reflects our shared human experience, and throughout the episode, Sam and Tarima come to represent both the vastness of space and the close-knit community of the cadets. Working with co-writer Jane Magg, we aimed to create a moving story about healing, particularly for these two characters, and explore what it means to be part of something larger than oneself.
Starfleet Academy Makes SAM The Doctor’s New Daughter
During interviews for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Robert Picardo explained to Liam Crowley at ScreenRant that he agreed to return as The Doctor because the new story promised to show a side of the character audiences hadn’t seen in his 800 years of existence. The Doctor’s decision to become a father figure to SAM provides a sense of resolution for the EMH, following the loss of his holographic daughter in the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Real Life.”
Gaia Violo shared that the show intentionally built towards The Doctor becoming a father figure to SAM throughout the season. From the very beginning, the writers showed The Doctor distancing himself from SAM, hinting at a deeper connection to come. As the only two holographic characters at Starfleet Academy, their stories were always meant to converge, though the exact details weren’t planned from the start. The creative team knew it was an important narrative to explore.
The episode draws a parallel to the play Our Town, with The Doctor acting as the stage manager and narrator, initially guiding the story before passing that role to Nahla. This allowed the writers to delve deeper into The Doctor’s past, particularly his experiences on Voyager. They focused on the emotionally powerful episode “Real Life” (season 3, episode 22), feeling it deserved a resolution and a chance for The Doctor to experience fatherhood again, which ultimately led to his relationship with SAM.
The Future Of The War College In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
So, Tarima is now at Starfleet Academy, but sadly, B’Avi has passed away. This makes me wonder if the War College will become less important. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Calica and the rivalry, especially the playful pranks. Will the two schools still compete with each other in the future?
We created jackets featuring both Starfleet Academy and the War College, and they look fantastic! I wish I could send one to you and all of our fans, but don’t worry, the War College storyline isn’t going anywhere. Also, just to confirm, Kyle will continue to be a character on the show after season one.
We’re all big fans of Raoul Bhaneja, the actor who plays Kelrec! He’s just a fantastic person and a really talented actor.
Check out our other Star Trek: Starfleet Academy interviews:
- George Hawkins
- Bella Shepard
- Zoë Steiner and Sandro Rosta
- Tawny Newsome and Cirroc Lofton
- Kerrice Brooks
- Noga Landau and Karim Diané
- Oded Fehr
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2026-02-28 04:41