Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Brings Back Another Discovery Veteran (And She's A Great Fit)

In the "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" episode "The Life of the Stars," the student body is still smarting from the events of "Come, Let's Away" from two weeks ago. That episode saw the cadets in a crisis with space-faring, murderous pirates called the Furies, and several students were traumatized by all the violence and, yes, death from that situation. The show's main characters, partly as a therapeutic exercise, are assigned to a new class that has nothing to do with starship operations, command, or medical emergencies: They are required to take a theater course. 

Very few of the cadets have any interest in theater, however. The photonic character Sam (Kerrice Brooks) is the only one who appears to be excited, and she is keen to read the Earth play "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder — a play that, in the timeline of "Starfleet Academy" is over a millennium old. Throughout the episode, the themes and dialogue of "Our Town" keep resurfacing as the students weather the assignment (and, by extension, their trauma) in various ways. 

The Academy's theater professor is none other than Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman), a regular character carried over from "Star Trek: Discovery." 

Tilly was first introduced as a cadet herself on "Discovery," but her role evolved a lot over the course of the series. In the fourth season episode "All is Possible," Tilly found that she was especially adept at mentoring students, and that she would like to keep doing that in a professional capacity. She was recommended for a teaching position at Starfleet Academy, which she nervously accepted. It's been a few years, but Tilly is now back at the Academy, fully formed, and ready to teach. Her arc feels weirdly complete now. Wiseman once even talked to /Film about Tilly's future.

The tease for "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" was dropped many times throughout "Star Trek: Discovery." The new show takes place after the galaxy had been fundamentally altered by a widespread cataclysm called the Burn. The Federation was kind of over, and Starfleet was a modest collection of vessels that operated in secret. The galaxy had fallen into violence, slavery, and isolationism. Part of the stated mission of the U.S.S. Discovery suddenly became to find old Federation worlds and try to kickstart the galaxy back into the "Star Trek" utopia of togetherness.

"Starfleet Academy" is the first series that sees the post-Burn reconstruction in earnest. Students are welcome from all over the galaxy to learn about each other and to unite as part of a vast, benevolent exploratory force. The utopia can be started again, the show states. We just need a new generation to lead the charge. 

This world of rebuilding and academic positivity is in keeping with Sylvia Tilly's character, so it makes perfect sense that she be tasked with teaching students at the Academy. Tilly was initially a nervous and timid character, afraid to talk to people. She began the series as a teenager without much agency. Her adventures on the U.S.S. Discovery forced her to grow up quickly, but also taught her how important it was to assert herself, while also maintaining her gentle, teacher-like personality traits. 

Seeing Tilly stride into a classroom and announce that she's going to be teaching theater feels rather natural. Tilly gives off "theater class" vibes, and I have no trouble believing that she is familiar with "Our Town" or any other ancient Earth play. It's comforting to see her back, and her presence is weirdly comforting. Even if you didn't like "Discovery," Tilly's return is welcome.