Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 7 Missing Crucial Scene With Darem's Parents

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 7 - "Ko'Zeine"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 7 was missing what would seem to be a crucial scene. Written by Alex Taub and Eric Anthony Glover, and directed by Andi Armaganian, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 7 brings Darem Reymi (George Hawkins) back to Khionia for a sudden marriage to his betrothed, Kaira (Jaelynn Thora Brooks).

Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diané) followed Darem to the Khionian Sunset Moon during his 'marital abduction' to learn that Darem is to be sealed (married) to Kaira and become the new rulers of Khionia. However, Jay-Den, Darem's ko'zeine (best man) knows the person Darem has become since joining Starfleet Academy as a cadet.

Jay-Den's best man speech made Kaira see that Darem set aside what he truly wants to do his duty to Khionia, and she released him from their marriage pact so that he could return to Starfleet Academy. However, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's first glimpse at the Khionian culture didn't include a scene between Darem and his parents.

George Hawkins Explains Why Darem Didn't Speak To His Parents In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 7

Darem Reymi's parents were in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 7, credited as Darem's Father (Chris Lightfoot) and Darem's Mother (Carla Devenish). Yet they never had a moment with Darem or even spoke in the episode.

George Hawkins told ScreenRant in our exclusive interview that there was no scene between Darem and his parents in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 7's script, and he explains what that missing moment says about the Reymis and their son:

George Hawkins: Well, it was just a distance. I think it was a really nice thing to play, just the distance. There was nothing in the script of dialogue between the parents and Darem. I hope, in the future, we might see something. That would be really cool, that'd be really nice, but I think it really is an extreme thing. It's an extreme choice to make where we just see them from a distance, and that's so bittersweet as well.

Darem was introduced as an "asshole" alpha male, but Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 3 revealed that cadet Reymi's unrelenting drive for excellence is all to please, or at least be acknowledged, by his distant parents. Agreeing to be sealed to Kaira was also because Darem was trying to please his parents and fulfill his duty to Khionia.

While it seems odd that the Reymis didn't even speak to their son on-camera during Darem's sealing to Kaira, which (briefly) made him Khionia's king, it does suit their cold disregard for him. Sadly, Darem's parents will likely continue to shun him after he chose to return to Starfleet Academy.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Didn't Really Show Khionians Or Their Homeworld

Another unusual missed opportunity was Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 7 not really showing Khionia. Instead, Darem and Kaira's sealing took place on Khionia's Sunset Moon, which looks so much like Vulcan that Star Trek fans could be forgiven if they thought they were looking at Spock's (Leonard Nimoy) homeworld, at first.

Jay-Den Kraag spoke for the audience when he was surprised that they weren't on Khionia. Perhaps the fact that Khionia is a water world was beyond Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's capacity to depict. Darem being married on Khionia would likely have required underwater scenes, which would skyrocket the episode's budget.

Similarly, it seems strange that while in the Khionian Realm, Darem and his people all appeared as humans instead of their blue, fish-like forms. The explanation for that is likely also that it wasn't in the budget or necessary to have multiple characters in prosthetics. Setting Darem's sealing on a dry but freezing moon is a tacit reason why the Khionans took human form.

Perhaps Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will fully depict Khionia in a future episode. After all, Darem hasn't taken on his natural blue Khionian form since Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's premiere. Maybe Darem's parents will also speak to him in the future, because it would be sad if they never acknowledged their son.