As soon as “DEI Trek” began trending on social media, some people may have expected the new Star Trek series, Starfleet Academy, to have a short shelf life. Yet Paramount+ axing the series, as reported by Deadline, before the airing of the already-recorded second season might be something they didn’t expect.

According to OutKick, CBS Studios and Paramount+ released a statement that read in part, “We’re incredibly proud of the ambition, passion, and creativity that went into bringing ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ to life.” The publication then goes on to lambast the show, claiming that there may have been passion, but it was passion behind “the dumbest writing and worst acting we’ve ever seen in a major studio television show.”

The writers over at Outkick didn’t stop there. They continued to criticize the show for its inclusion of a male Klingon character who wore a dress and a lesbian power couple, which the studio flaunted in a public statement. “Not only is she the first openly gay Black actress to play an openly gay character in a ‘Trek’ series, but she’s also playing the franchise’s first female-presenting part-Klingon, part-Jem’Hadar character and the first of that particular combination that’s in a lesbian relationship.” The statement drew the ire of Outkick, who called it “some type of horrific PR speak from the show’s creative staff laundered through an industry publication.”

According to mxdwn, the show even drummed up backlash from the current administration, with White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller weighing in on the culture war. He claimed that the state of Star Trek in 2026 is “beyond parody” and went as far as to say that creative control should be given back to William Shatner (Rescue 911, Boston Legal). Shatner agreed that the current writing lacks the intelligence and craftsmanship of the past, yet maintains that Star Trek has always tackled social issues. It appears that Will Shat may be a bit too busy with his Raisin Bran commercials to bring the series back to its former glory.

Yet, according to The New York Post, actress Gina Yashere (Bob Hearts Abishola, The Daily Show), who plays Lura Thok in the series, is more than willing to fire back at the critics of the show. She claims that Star Trek has always been ‘woke,’ long before ‘woke’ was even a thing.

“Woke is a good word. It’s been given negative connotations. But woke just means you’re awake and aware of everything that’s going on in the world around you,” Thok said in a CNN interview via The New York Post.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season two has yet to air, but is said to be slated for later this year or early 2026.