Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Reveals Picard's Tea Amateurism

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 3 - "Vitus Reflux"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's Chancellor Kelrec (Raoul Bhaneja) showed Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is an amateur at his favorite thing. Commander Kelrec is the Chancellor of the War College, the institution that replaced Starfleet Academy and trained officers to fight and defend the United Federation of Planets after The Burn.

Starfleet Academy and the War College are now sister schools that share the same campus in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Naturally, proximity bred competition between the two Starfleet colleges. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 3 plunged the War College and Starfleet Academy's cadets into an intense feud involving heated games of Calica and an all-out prank war.

The Chancellors of Starfleet Academy and the War College personally involved themselves in their cadets' prank war. Chancellor Kelec used his authority to enable his cadets to access and alter a recruitment ad meant to humiliate Starfleet Academy. When Chancellor Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) confronted Kelrec about it, she saw his particular quirk — an obsession with tea — firsthand.

Chancellor Kelrec's Tea Obsession In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Makes Picard Look Like An Amateur

Commander Lura Thok (Gina Yashere) decided she couldn't be Chancellor Kelrec's Number One, in part, because of his "tea fetish." When Captain Ake joined Kelrec in his quarters in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 3, she saw just how serious the War College's Chancellor is about tea. Kelrec's "tea fetish" is detailed and exacting:

It’s critical to use the proper tools. Fresh, dried leaves. Water heated to 864 degrees Celsius. If one step is handled carelessly, the result is a weak cup… You don’t ‘cheers’… Oh, if you must stir, place the spoon at 12 o’clock, then softly fold the liquid back and forth 12 times to 6 o’clock. 12 to 6…

Jean-Luc Picard is the most famous tea drinker in Star Trek, but compared to Commander Kelrec, the former Captain of the Enterprise knows relatively nothing about tea. Picard's order of "Tea, Earl Grey, hot," is legendary, but that seems to be the extent of Jean-Luc's tea expertise, despite enjoying the beverage all of his life.

Picard has always been content to drink tea brewed by replicators. It's already clear in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy that Commander Kelrec has far higher standards. Chancellor Ake saw his prized collection of antique teapots, while Kelrec uses storage specifically made for his teas. Kelrec simply makes Picard look like an amateur when it comes to tea.

Picard Was Starfleet Academy Chancellor, Like Holly Hunter's Captain

It's easy to forget that, like Captain Nahla Ake, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard was also Chancellor of Starfleet Academy at the dawn of the 25th century. Jean-Luc held the position of Chancellor from the beginning of Star Trek: Picard season 2 and throughout Star Trek: Picard season 3.

Perhaps it was nepotism by Chancellor Picard that allowed his son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), to graduate Starfleet Academy in only one year, and receive the assignment as an Ensign to the USS Enterprise-G at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3. Although, in Jack's opinion, there was no doubt nepotism was involved.

By the time he became Starfleet Academy's Chancellor, Admiral Picard was more relaxed among children and young people, though likely not to the extent that Chancellor Ake is in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Meanwhile, Chancellor Kelrec quickly proved that he is far more of a tea connoisseur than Picard. To Kelrec, "Tea, Earl grey, hot" is so 24th century.