What starts out as a fun rivalry episode gives us some of the best Star Trek I’ve seen in ages. The hits just keep on coming in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 episode 6 “Come, Let’s Away!” And I don’t mean just in the sense that it’s a powerful episode. Massive spoilers are ahead, so be advised. This is a tearjerker and a heartbreaker. Grab your besties and probably a box of tissues. Let’s talk Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 episode 6 “Come, Let’s Away.”
Vulnerability as Strength
Being vulnerable with another person is difficult. Even more than that, it can be one of the most terrifying things a person can do. When you are vulnerable with another person, it is a great act of trust because it gives that person emotional ammunition. That emotional ammunition could be used to devastate you. However, vulnerability is the only way to have real relationships, be that with a partner or even a friend. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 episode 6 “Come, Let’s Away” is an object lesson in emotional vulnerability. Caleb is absolutely terrified of any kind of vulnerability, and let’s be real, you see how he got there. He’s had a lifetime of only being able to count on himself. Letting Tarima in, even inadvertently, terrifies him, but that connection, only built through their mutual vulnerability, is what saves his life. That’s a lesson for us all.
Also, can I just say Tarima going full Jean Gray as Phoenix on the Furies is absolutely incredible and terrifying? Tarima’s inhibitor is doing a lot of heavy lifting, and now, there’s a question mark about whether or not she’ll recover. The inhibitor is giving me tons of Captain Marvel vibes, and frankly, I’m shocked that I didn’t think of it earlier. Also, I can understand why Tarima is afraid Caleb won’t want to be with her after he sees what she can do. She wields a terrible amount of power that may or may not be within her ability to fully control. And now, she’s in shock and fighting for her life after utilizing that much power. I hope she recovers soon; I need answers!
Check out our reviews of Starfleet Academy episode 1and episode 2!
Art That Inspires
One big theme in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 episode 6 “Come, Let’s Away” is the ability of art to inspire action. Cadet B’Avi took his inspiration from a comic book and from one real-life Vulcan that we all know and love, but more on that later. First of all, as a lifelong comics reader and someone with a large quantity of Star Trek comics, I sincerely hope we get a physical copy of “Tales From the Frontier.” Please and thank you. Second, there is a bif of meta-commentary here. Star Trek has inspired so many people across its 60-year history to reach higher, boldly go, and make a difference in society.
So many astronauts, particularly women and people of color, were inspired by Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series. EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg pursued acting because of Nichelle, and asked to be in Star Trek: The Next Generation in a time when film actors didn’t do television. Lawyer and politician Stacey Abrams was so inspired by the landscape of equality and justice in Star Trek growing up that she has spent her political career fighting against voter suppression. She would eventually portray the President of United Earth in a cameo in season 4 episode 13 of Star Trek: Discovery.
These are but a few of the people I could name. Countless Trek fans have seen what the world could be if we all took steps to create equality and justice, and support causes that work to make that ideal reality, like the Trek Talks telethon and PanCan. As Cadet B’avi was inspired by stories of Starfleet, so we, as Star Trek fans, are inspired.
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The Needs of the Many
All that aside, B’avi sees and assesses the situation and acts in a “logical” way. But that logic turns into self-sacrifice, done willingly. In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 episode 6 “Come, Let’s Away,” B’avi takes the bullet for Caleb and is shot point-blank through the chest. B’avi pointed out earlier in the episode that Commander Tomov did the same thing. He saw the mission objectively and saw what he needed to do to get them to safety. It was a bold move, and Cadet B’avi learned well from his Commander.
Up until they pulled the Federation Standard over his body, I truly believed that we were going to somehow magically fix it. After all, we’re in the 32nd century, and this is Starfleet Academy. This is the fun, young adult Star Trek series, right?! But it’s not all fun and games here. It is truly a horrifying scene, and we are meant to feel the full weight of it. Earlier in the episode, B’avi quotes everyone’s favorite Vulcan, Spock, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one,” his most famous line from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. B’avi saw the need and took action, sacrificing himself for Caleb and his crew. We raise a glass to you, Cadet B’avi. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.
Read our review of Starfleet Academy episode 4!
The Return of Nus Baraka
“The enemy of an enemy…is usually just another enemy,” says Captain Nahla in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 episode 6 “Come, Let’s Away.” She’s definitely right about that. The deal with the devil that is Nus Baraka is basically “the devil you know vs. the devil you don’t.” But even so, making any deal with any devil is ill-advised. Paul Giamatti continues to leave teeth marks on every single scene he’s in, clearly relishing this role. Also, his full name is Nustepher? That’s funny.
But what really blows me away in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 episode 6 “Come, Let’s Away” is just how much Paul Giamatti has taken Nus Baraka from a slightly comical, mustache-twirling villain to a downright sinister and ruthless bad guy. His cruelty is made worse by his words, throwing the death of Nahla’s son in her face. Nus vs. Nahla seems like it could really be a Star Trek rivalry for the ages. It could be on par with Kirk and Khan, Picard and Q, Janeway and The Borg Queen, etc. Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti are at the top of their game here, and I can’t wait to see more of it.
See what we had to say about Starfleet Academy episode 5!
Final Thoughts
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 episode 6 “Come, Let’s Away” is the 6th in a line of straight bangers. There’s been good stuff in every episode of the season, and this episode really upped the stakes dramatically and devastatingly. There is a great bit of dialogue in this episode from Captain Nahla: “A conversation is a fair exchange of ideas between equals.”
No one wants to be on the receiving end of condescension. As our cadets grow up, their adults need to learn how to have a real conversation with them, as Nahla described. It’s also important for the cadets to remember this when speaking to each other. This episode is about learning to have that exchange. From the War College and Starfleet Academy learning to cooperate together, to the adults still trusting the Cadets to learn and work through this difficult scenario, it’s a one-two punch for clear and open communication.
Star Trek at the Movies
Finally, there are a number of visual film references in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 episode 6 “Come, Let’s Away.” As the Furies try to melt their way through the door, I couldn’t help but think of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon doing the same in Star Wars – Episode I. For another Star Wars visual cue, but perhaps also a little cyberpunk, SAM inserts her hand into the ship’s computer to get it working again, giving big R2-D2 vibes. Teaching the ship’s computer that the original crew is dead and they are now the new crew via the “Tales From the Frontier” comic book brought WarGames to mind, but to further put the icing on the cake with that reference, Nus Baraka has a Tic-Tac-Toe game shaved into the side of his head.
Additionally, Nus requesting loads of high-end tequila and offering “tasting notes” must be a reference to Giamatti’s Oscar-nominated film, Sideways. Clearly, writers Kenneth Lin and Kiley Rossetter know their stuff. These references provided me with a bit of levity in an otherwise heavy episode. I hope next week offers us some good news.
What do you think of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 episode 6 “Come, Let’s Away”? Leave me a comment and let’s talk Trek.
The next episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will air on February 19, 2026, on Paramount+.
