Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's George Hawkins Confirms Khionian Darem And Klingon Jay-Den's Relationship Is Romantic

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 7 - "Ko'Zeine"George Hawkins deep dives into the burgeoning relationship between Darem Reymi and Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diané) in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Written by Alex Taub and Eric Anthony Glover, and directed by Andi Armaganian, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 7, "Ko'Zeine," deepens the connection between Darem and Jay-Den.

In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 7, Jay-Den becomes Darem's 'Ko'Zeine' (best man) at his wedding. However, Jay-Den knows the truth that Darem truly wants to return to Starfleet Academy but feels obligated to fulfill his role as the future ruler of Khionia. Thanks to Jay-Den, Darem's bride, Kaira (Jaelynn Thora Brooks), decides to let Darem go to pursue his new destiny in Starfleet.

In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant, George Hawkins offers his insight about Darem and Jay-Den growing closer in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Hawkins confirms that Darem's interest in Jay-Den is romantic and explains what role the Klingon plays in the Khionian aristocrat's life. Read George's quote below:

George Hawkins: The relationship between Jay-Den and Darem is really interesting because Jay-Den plays a mirror to Darem. Jay-Den is a really sobering person and character in Darem’s story because he calls him out. He's the first person at the Academy to actually tell him the truth about who he is, that he is sort of a coward, really, and he has a mask. Jay-Den sees behind that mask, and it's a really beautiful thing to witness in this episode, especially.

Kaira is probably the only person in his Khionian upbringing who has the same effect on Darem. I think both of those people are very sobering. And I think that's who Jay-Den plays. Jay-Den’s place in that role is obviously romantic. There's romantic interest there. But deeper than that, not just attraction, but the reason why these two people sort of get closer and closer, I think, is because they bring something out of each other, and that thing that they bring out is the truth. And I think that's what we're all searching for.

Starting in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's series premiere, Darem Reymi has instigated interactions with Jay-Den Kraag. Darem met Jay-Den by swiping his prized binoculars to get a reaction from the Klingon.

Darem and Jay-Den started to become friends in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 4 when Reymi taught the Klingon Khionian breathing exercises to help Jay-Den overcome his fear of public speaking.

A wrench in the works for Darem is Kyle (Dale Whibley), the affable War College cadet who is now Jay-Den's partner. Darem's dislike for Kyle clearly goes beyond Starfleet Academy's rivalry with the War College and centers on his jealousy over Kyle dating Jay-Den.

Darem styles himself as a cocky alpha male and future Starfleet Captain, but this front hides Reymi's insecurities about trying to please his parents, who are distant and uninterested in their son. As George Hawkins points out, Jay-Den can see the truths Darem hides from others and holds up a mirror to Reymi.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is set in the 32nd century and explores many forms of relationships, including between genders and alien species. Darem and Jay-Den is a gradual story as the relationship between the Khionian and Klingon develops. Whether Darem and Jay-Den will act on their mutual feelings to become a full-blown romance remains to be seen.