Yep. Sounds like a good policy.

And good to distinguish between someone just not liking something and someone who's just determined to hate something regardless of the content. Easy to overshoot and just start weeding out all "negativity," which can stifle healthy conversation almost as much as dealing with the hate-posters can. I don't envy the responsibility you mods have trying to strike a good balance on that.

I've been editing the above comment to include more as I've been finding them.

There are several YouTube reviews too (in addition to the TrekCulture video above and the Jessie Gender one linked elsewhere), mostly from people who at a glance don't seem like they've seen it or who have been pre-hating it for months (Dave Cullen, Critical Drinker, and downhill from there.)

Just to not exclude them entirely, here's one from a guy I'm not familiar with who didn't like it much but at least doesn't seem to broadly hate modern Star Trek:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jssKA2oz3Lk (Nater Tot)

But for most of the channels that are just screaming blind outrage in their thumbnails, I've been blocking them as I spot them, so I'll leave that as an exercise to someone else should they care to round them up for some reason.

Have to admit I'm curious what would drive someone to downvote you for thanking someone for the links.

Mostly strong-to-glowing reviews. Comic Book Club, Looper, Radio Times, and TV Guide are the most negative (or at least least positive). Comic Book Club and Original Cin (both which I'd never heard of before) are the only ones I've seen that seems to hate it. ComicBook.com, ScreenRant, and TV Line give middling reviews.

(NOTE: I made that note before adding a bunch of others. I've updated it a bit since then, but I'm more focused on updating the list below than the list of negative-to-middling reviews; Rotten Tomatoes can do that for you instead at this point.)

https://www.avclub.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review-tv-paramount-plus

https://awardsbuzz.com/paramount-review-star-trek-starfleet-academy-is-a-fun-look-at-the-next-generation/

https://bsky.app/profile/weatherkatie.bsky.social/post/3mbxglw3jtc26 (Meteorologist Katie Nickolaou)

https://collider.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review/

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/review/starfleet-academy-is-star-trek-hogwarts-its-definitely-not-for-everyone-review/

https://comicbookclublive.com/2026/01/08/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review-spinoff-doesnt-get-passing-marks/

https://www.comicsbeat.com/tv-review-what-grade-does-star-trek-starfleet-academy-deserve/

https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/star-trek-starfleet-academy-deftly-balances-teen-drama-with-intergalactic-intrigue-170253808.html

https://fenixnests.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review-s1-e1-6/

https://www.joblo.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-tv-review-an-introduction-to-the-next-generation-of-the-franchise/

https://www.ksitetv.com/starfleet-academy/starfleet-academy-review-star-trek-for-a-new-audience-premieres-1-15/260214/

https://www.looper.com/2070574/star-trek-starfleet-academy-paramount-plus-review/

https://lytrules.substack.com/p/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review

https://www.moviefone.com/news/tv-review-star-trek-starfleet-academy-season-1/

https://nerdspin.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review/

https://www.original-cin.ca/posts/2026/1/8/star-trek-starfleet-academy-boldly-going-nowhere-but-so-very-youthful

https://nerdist.com/article/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review/

https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review-tj8ikchx

https://www.polygon.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review/

https://popculturemaniacs.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review/

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review/

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-season-1-tv-review/

https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/movies-tv/article/starfleet-academy-star-trek-review-21242248.php

https://www.slashfilm.com/2069394/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review/

https://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/star-trek-starfleet-academy/

https://www.strangenewpod.com/blog/star-trek-starfleet-academy-feels-undeclared/

https://www.thathashtagshow.com/latest-news/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review-new-cadets-returning-legends-and-a-bold-future/

https://www.thetvcave.com/post/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review

https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/reviews/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review-holly-hunter-paramount-plus/

TrekCore's WeeklyTrek podcast, which has a review by Alex Perry distinct from the TrekCore review by Jenn Tifft posted by @ValueSubtracted@startrek.website https://blog.trekcore.com/2026/01/weeklytrek-podcast-294-more-spoiler-free-thoughts-on-star-trek-starfleet-academy/

TrekCulture YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7PzOd1GstI

TrekMovie’s podcast, which is distinct from their article review: https://trekmovie.com/podcast/star-trek-starfleet-academy-first-impressions-and-report-from-blue-carpet-premiere/

https://treknews.net/2026/01/08/preview-star-trek-starfleet-academy/

https://www.tvline.com/2068610/star-trek-starfleet-academy-review-season-1-paramount-plus/

https://www.whatsalanwatching.com/review-in-starfleet-academy-star-trek-meets-the-o-c/

https://winteriscoming.net/starfleet-academy-spoiler-free-review-surprised-by-star-trek-new-discovery-spinoff

Aggregators:

https://www.metacritic.com/tv/star-trek-starfleet-academy/

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/star_trek_starfleet_academy/s01

Here's the transcript for those who prefer that over video:

https://collider.com/star-trek-starfleet-academy-paul-giamatti-ranks-star-trek-shows-ds9-next-generation-tos/

Bat'leth-man.

She's definitely missed.

Incidentally, sounds like you might appreciate this podcast if you aren't into it already. I've heard it mentioned a few times, though to be honest I haven't given it a listen myself yet. (I'm behind on too many podcasts already to add another one at the moment.)

https://www.alltheasiansonstartrek.com/

Not sure your country of origin, but in the U.S. it has all 13 theatrical films + Section 31, as well as Woman in Motion and Building Star Trek.

https://www.paramountplus.com/collections/star-trek/

It's the same dumb cycle that's happened with every new Trek show since TNG (and probably TAS). It's tiresome, but at least it's predicable, I guess? Just ignore the obligatory backlash and see how it turns out.

Great notes, as always.

In addition to the already-cited references, the Beagle could additionally be a sly reference to Archer's pal Porthos.

Interestingly, Jolene Blalock is credited simply as "Jolene". EDIT: Mike McMahan says this was at her request. https://bsky.app/profile/mikemcmahan.bsky.social/post/3ld3v4usznc2i

Our T'Pol also had some indirect experience with the concept of katra transference when Archer briefly carried Surak's katra.

I'd probably just start the PIC era in 2399. We only see the 2380's in a handful of flashbacks. Prodigy definitely has some PIC connections, but it's far more a continuation of Voyager, and it starts like a year after season 5 of Lower Decks.

Not only do you not need to catch up with Disco, but the end of season 2 of Disco doesn't dovetail to the beginning of Strange New Worlds super-well when you watch them back-to-back; if anything, they feel like they lightly contradict each other.

Though if I were to recommend a single episode it would be "Through the Valley of Shadows" from season 2, which is probably the only "important" episode as far as Strange New Worlds goes, though the key stuff gets recapped in SNW.

The Short Treks episode Q&A gets some references in the series too, though if you don't watch it you likely won't realize you missed anything.