The 2026 TV schedule is starting strong for Star Trek fans, with the new Starfleet Academy series coming their way on January 15th if they have a Paramount+ subscription. My hype for the series post-trailer release has only grown, especially after seeing one of my favorite wrestlers, Becky Lynch, all suited up as her character on the show.
“The Man” is coming from the WWE to the 32nd century, and Collider shared the first look at her character rocking a bob cut and a yellow uniform. We learned she’ll be part of the bridge crew, and while Lynch (real name Rebecca Quin) didn’t claim to be one of the biggest of Star Trek fans, she did note there was one Irish-born actor on the show she always watched:
I grew up when Star Trek was one of the two shows that was on TV in Ireland, on whatever four channels we had, so it was always on in the background. I can’t say that I sat down and watched, but I did love the movies. And Colm Meaney. We all love Colm Meaney, any time he was on, you sit down and watch that.
Colm Meaney’s Miles O’Brien is one of the most beloved characters of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and in his more limited appearances in The Next Generation. While he’s said he isn’t interested in returning to the franchise, it’s my hope that Becky Lynch channeled the grumpy engineer whom Lower Decks credited as the “most important person in Starfleet history.” If any of her acting is just mimicry of what she saw Meaney do as Miles, then she’s going to crush it.
It’ll be beneficial for Becky Lynch to have paid attention to Miles O’Brien, considering she’s wearing a yellow uniform in the image released for her character. In Discovery, that color is secured for engineering, and was worn by returning franchise character Jett Reno. I would love to see Lynch share a scene with Tig Notaro and just toss sarcastic remarks back and forth.
For those scratching their heads and wondering why Star Trek: Starfleet Academy needs a bridge crew, the facility is both an institution of learning and a starship in the 32nd century. I do wonder just how much we’ll be seeing of the bridge crew of the ship, though, given that this series is primarily about students attending the academy.
I suspect we’ll spend more time with the students in the classroom, which is likely why Robert Picardo is back as the EMH from Star Trek: Voyager. I’m hoping he’ll be the conduit to bringing other guest stars from the past into the futuristic series, as he can always make up a “hologram” version of just about anybody. Let’s hope some of his programming glitches that contributed to some of Voyager‘s WTF adventures don’t make the journey with him.
I’m excited to see more of Becky Lynch on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which premieres on Paramount+ January 15th. I’m so happy to see a new series get underway, especially one that’s set in the Discovery timeline!
