Starfleet Academy’s “Rubincon” in Review
This first season finale sees the return of an antagonist introduced in the pilot episode, “Kids These Days”. It continues the story started in the show’s ninth episode, “300th Night”. How does this all fit together to bring the cadets’ first year at Starfleet Academy to a close?
Log Entry
The story begins with a flashback to the sentencing of Anisha Mir and Nus Braka, as seen in the pilot episode. Now, Anisha is aboard the Athena, panicking and desperate to leave. Nahla Ake persuades Anisha to accompany her to the bridge.
In a briefing with Lura Thok and Charles Vance via the holographic communications system, Ake and Jett Reno are informed about Nus Braka’s barricade, consisting of super-destructive Omega-47 mines. Any interference could detonate them.
Six Venari Ral ships attack, causing the Athena’s shields to be reduced and eventually eliminated. Accompanied by guards, Nus Braka beams aboard and gives a long speech, ordering the bridge crew to laugh.
Taking Nahla Ake and Anisha Mir with them, Nus Braka and the guards beam off the ship. The Doctor, removing his mobile emitter, has Reno download his program into the ship’s computer to holographically fool the Venari Ral that the Athena has been destroyed. This works and they soon leave.
Aboard the Athena, SAM expresses concern about her “dad.” When The Doctor’s program is retrieved, he starts talking in nonsensical statements, so SAM takes him to Ake’s office to run a diagnostic. Jay-Den Kraag covers medical while The Doctor is incapacitated. In Ake’s absence, Reno takes command of the Athena, with cadets manning the bridge stations.
Using the wrecked Sato Atrium as a courtroom, Nus Braka puts Ake and the Federation on trial. He recalls his family’s deaths on a mining colony, blaming the Federation. Nus appoints Anisha Mir as judge.
Momentarily, the Athena encounters a gravitational eddy and, on the bridge, Tarima feels overwhelmed. Reno then asks Caleb to go to engineering with her, leaving Genesis Lythe in command.
Back in the Atrium, Ake claims the Federation planned to use Omega-47 as a fuel source. She and Braka debate the Federation’s treatment of Caleb Mir, making Anisha evidently feel uneasy. Braka reveals his colony was mining strontium, which Ake describes as a valuable commodity. While Caleb begins to express self-doubt despite Reno reassuring him, Anisha cross-examines Ake.
Jay-Den calls Genesis to Ake’s office, where The Doctor is continuing to speak gibberish. Concerned about him, Genesis, Jay-Den and SAM converse with each other. When The Doctor refers to the Rubicon, Jay-Den realises he’s trying to tell them how to neutralise Omega-47.
Commanded by Jett Reno, the cadets work together. Caleb and Tarima manage to psychically locate the ship’s Atrium.
Ake argues for her innocence. However, Anisha Mir and Nus Braka declare she and the Federation are guilty.
Before the sentence can be declared, Caleb distracts the “trial” by arriving and speaking in defense of Starfleet and, in particular, Ake. Prompting Caleb to deliver exposition, she explains that the death of Braka’s family was accidental and self-inflicted.
Braka is abandoned by his followers. He tries to detonate the minefield, only to find he can’t, thanks to the Athena’s intervention.
A Starfleet armada arrives and Admiral Vance orders Braka to be arrested. This achieved, the class of 3196 is dismissed from the Athena at Betazed, having completed their first year at Starfleet Academy.
Status Report
In many ways, this is a story focused on Nus Braka. It fleshes out his backstory and the history of his family, helping explain a lot about why he hates the Federation so much. The episode could have worked without him but his presence raises it to a much higher level, elevating Braka to join the ranks of some of the best villains in the Star Trek franchise. After hearing what happened to his family, it’s easy to feel sorry for him. His past represents both his Achilles heel and a rationale behind his hateful obsession with the Federation. Paul Giamatti’s performance in the role is a masterclass in how to portray a complex antagonist with a sympathetic backstory as opposed to a caricaturish villain.
The use of “Breaking News” captions on screen during the scenes in the Atrium convey a sense of realism. Reminiscent of televised live news channels, they believably establish the atmosphere of an ongoing news story being broadcast to the galaxy.
The Doctor’s aphasia is a subtle callback to the Deep Space Nine episode “Babel”, where the DS9 crew is affected by a virus that mimics aphasia. As caused by The Doctor downloading his program into the Athena’s computer, the aphasia is a neat plot point that helps the cadets figure out how to neutralize the Omega-47 mines.
Another standout performance in this episode is that of Tatiana Maslany as Anisha Mir. She injects a lot of emotional vulnerability into her performance, resulting in a realistic portrayal of a mother who’s willing to do whatever she thinks is necessary to protect her son.
Seeing Jett Reno take charge of the students then give the conn to Genesis demonstrates her pragmatic personality well. Reno doesn’t often give praise but, when she does, she shows she’s impressed. Through much of this episode, she portrays pride in the performance of the cadets, noting they perform better in this story than in the episode “Come, Let’s Away”. This seems like almost maternal pride in her students and she provides, in her own unique way, a mother figure for Caleb in the absence of his biological mother.
This high-stakes episode takes the viewer on a thrilling ride which showcases rising tension. With Nus Braka defeated and taken into Starfleet custody, the story ends on a satisfying note. There’s an interesting credits sequence at the end of the episode, which establishes the period in which these students complete their first year. All bodes well for the class of 3196 as they move into their second year at Starfleet Academy.
