Jonathan Frakes Directs Epic Starship Rescue In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 9

4 days ago 8

Published Mar 5, 2026, 1:00 PM EST

John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 9 - "300th Night"

Jonathan Frakes resurrected Star Trek: Picard's coolest starship flex in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 9. Frakes directed "300th Night," the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1, from a story by Kirsten Beyer and Kenneth Lin, with Beyer writing the teleplay.

Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta) goes rogue to reunite with his mother, Anisha Mir (Tatiana Maslany), in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 9. With Series Acclimation Mil aka SAM (Kerrice Brooks), Genesis Lythe (Bella Shepard), and Darem Reymi (George Hawkins) in tow, Caleb finds Anisha on the planet Ukeck outside of United Federation of Planets space.

When Ukeck is occupied and annexed by the Venari Ral, the Starfleet Academy cadets are captured and need rescue. Luckily, the cavalry arrives in the form of Captakin Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter), The Doctor (Robert Picardo), and Commander Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) aboard the USS Athena, which swoops in to save the kids.

Jonathan Frakes Resurrected Star Trek's Coolest Starship Flex In Starfleet Academy Episode 9

The USS Athena's rescue of Starfleet Academy's cadets is "a flex," as SAM called it in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 9. And it's a stunning callback to one of the coolest moments in Star Trek: Picard season 3's finale, directed by Terry Matalas, when the USS Enterprise-D performed a "Tokyo Drift."

In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant, Jonathan Frakes said the USS Athena's starship flex wasn't his idea, nor was it an ode to him as Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 9's director:

Jonathan Frakes: That was in the script. We did the same thing at the end of Discovery, where we flew over the top and had to beam Sonequa [Martin-Green] out. That's just the move now. That's the new move. Get close and pull it in, and save the heroes.

Piloted by Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) in Star Trek: Picard season 3's finale, the USS Enterprise-D penetrated a Borg Cube to rescue Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Captain Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Captain Worf (Michael Dorn), and Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers).

Although the USS Athena didn't do a "drift" move when it blasted into Ukeck's atmosphere to rescue the cadets in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 9, it was still a badass sight that is also becoming a standard move by starships in Star Trek on Paramount+'s era.

Star Trek Now Allows For Starship Moves That Weren't Possible Before

Starting with J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie trilogy, Star Trek received a much-needed 21st-century upgrade in visual effects. Star Trek on Paramount+'s live-action series now boasts blockbuster movie-quality visuals that allow for eye-popping sights, like starships performing a "Tokyo Drift" within a planet, that weren't possible before.

Star Trek in the 1960s and 1990s was hampered by budget limitations, even the Star Trek movies, which were, by and large, made as cheaply as possible by Paramount Pictures. Transporters beaming characters on and off planets was a cost-effective way to replace starships convincingly landing on planets, which wasn't possible on a 1960s budget in Star Trek: The Original Series.

A starship in a planet's atmosphere was a rare sight, although it happened in 1960s Star Trek. Star Trek: Voyager depicted the first time a starship landed and lifted off from a planet. However, those moments are blown away by what's possible today, like the USS Discovery and USS Atares side-by-side protecting a village in Q'Mau from an avalanche with their shields in Star Trek: Discovery season 5's premiere.

Captain Ake said she wanted to "pull a Q'Mau" when she ordered the USS Athena to enter Ukeck's atmosphere, in reference to Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Captain Rayner's (Callum Keith Rennie) stunt in Star Trek: Discovery.

Starships in Star Trek on Paramount+'s era are faster, more maneuverable, and capable of more astounding feats than ever before. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 9's USS Athena rescue is the latest flex that's becoming a common but always cool sight for starships.