“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” is intended to be “Star Trek” for the young adult crowd, following a group of cadets who are a part of the first Starfleet Academy class since the cataclysmic galactic event known as “the Burn.” That means there’s quite a bit more romance than the average “Star Trek” series (though some “Star Trek” shows are definitely sexier than others), with the young cadets working through their feelings and hormones, all while suddenly being surrounded by a bunch of other hotties in uniform. So, while “Star Trek” has pretty much always been a place where fanfic and shipping (the romance kind, not the transport vessel kind) have been welcomed, it makes even more sense on “Starfleet Academy.” The only problem? The hot Khionian fish prince Darem (George Hawkins) is almost always in his human form!
There have been some incredible interspecies romances across the “Star Trek” franchise, like Bajoran Chief of Security Shaxs (Fred Tatasciore) and Caitian Chief of Medicine Dr. T’Ana (Gillian Vigman) on “Star Trek: Lower Decks” or even Trill Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) and Klingon Worf (Michael Dorn) on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” As “Starfleet Academy” continues onward and fans begin dreaming about their perfect romantic pairings, it makes me wonder why a “Star Trek” series, of all things, is denying the people what they want: hot fish man romance.
Let Darem be his handsome fish man self on Starfleet Academy!
In the very first episode of “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” “Kids These Days,” Darem shifts into his aquatic form in order to walk on the hull of the U.S.S. Athena without a spacesuit. The only person who gets to see him like that is his classmate Genesis (Bella Shepard), and he even makes her turn around while he’s changing. “I don’t want you falling in love with me,” he tells her, and when she turns back around she’s stunned (in a positive way) by his appearance.
Darem in his natural Khionian form is still well within the bounds of hot by “Star Trek” standards, and besides, we as a society are more than ready for hot fish men! “The Shape of Water” and its sexy fish guy won Academy Awards, and King Shark was the surprise breakout hottie of “The Suicide Squad,” so audiences are clearly cool with hot aquatic dudes. Unfortunately, Darem has so far only appeared in his human form since “Kids These Days,” even when he and a whole bunch of other Khionians in human form are at a Khionian wedding! What gives?
Why include Khionians if they’re all going to look human, anyway?
In “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” episode 7, “Ko’Zeine,” Darem and his Klingon classmate Jay-Den (Karim Diané) are transported against their will to a part of the Khionian realm for Darem’s wedding. There, we get to meet Darem’s best friend since childhood (and betrothed princess) Kaira, played by Jaelynn Thora Brooks, along with Darem’s parents, Kaira’s parents, and a whole bunch of other Khionians. They wear some aquatic-inspired outfits with scales, seaweed, and coral, but, for some reason, they are all in human form. Darem even makes a joke about how they’ll all “have gills” in case Jay-Den starts sweating from nerves, but, again, we never see those gills. It seems a little silly to have a whole aquatic species on one of the most diverse “Star Trek” shows to date and then always make them look human.
While it’s understandable that the makeup process might be rather intensive (and expensive) and the fully-fledged fish man version of Darem just isn’t feasible for every episode, maybe he deserves to get fishy with it every so often? The fans can handle it, I promise, and it’ll give the Darem/Jay-Den shippers some truly incredible visuals for their fan art. There might be a few Trekkie purists who can’t handle sexiness outside of their comfort zone (see also: the reactions to the controversial orgy scene in “Lower Decks”), but for the rest of us, bring on the Khionian/Klingon romance!
“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” is available to stream on Paramount+.
