Star Trek: Starfleet Academy S1E3 Recap: Prank War Victory & Character Growth

Warning: SPOILERS For Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 3 - "Vitus Reflux"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's cadets gain something more important than a victory in a prank war with the War College. Directed by Doug Aarniokoski, and written by Alex Taub & Kiley Rossetter, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 3 is an electric hour of deep character work, humor, warmth, and team bonding between Starfleet Academy's young heroes.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 2 introduced the War College, but the black-clad cadets of Starfleet Academy's sister university aren't friendly rivals. There's constant competition and one-upsmanship between the two sets of cadets. Starfleet Academy keeps finding itself on the back heel, losing to the War College in pranks and intense games of Calica.

Meanwhile, Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta) seeks answers from Tarima Sadal (Zoë Steiner) about why she enrolled in the War College instead of Starfleet Academy, and alphas Darem Reymi (George Hawkins) and Genesis Lythe (Bella Shepard) butt heads about whom most deserves to be Captain.

Here's how Starfleet Academy pulled together and became champions in their prank war with the War College:

Starfleet Academy Wins Prank War By Listening To Captain Ake

Starfleet Academy's cadets realized that, in her unusual way, where she helped despite not being allowed to interfere, Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) gave them everything they needed to win the prank war with the War College. Chancellor Kenrec (Raoul Bhaneja) helped his War College students, and Chancellor Ake did the same without appearing to.

Following Captain Ake's hints, Starfleet Academy's core cadets, Genesis, Darem, Caleb, SAM (Kerrice Brooks), and Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diané) combined their talents to literally plant the Vitus Reflux plant in the War College's dorm. Darem snatched Kenrec's DNA so that Jay-Den could clone his eyeball, which allowed Caleb, dressed as a Mugato, to lower the War College's security grid. Finally, SAM sprayed the Vitus Reflex into the dorm rooms.

Just like in Little Shop of Horrors, the Vitus Reflex quickly grew all over the War College dorms, forcing the cadets to flee. Chancellor Kenrec knew when his school was beaten and yielded to Chancellor Ake and Starfleet Academy. Despite losing to the War College in Calica and several humiliations in the prank war, Starfleet Academy got the last laugh.

Starfleet University's prank war with the War College also revealed something about Captain Ake: Nahla is a lifelong and expert prankster. When the 422-year-old half-Lanthanite was a cadet in the 28th century, Ake was part of a legendary prank where first-year students were beamed to the roof of Alcatraz.

The most important result of Starfleet Academy's prank war victory was that it bonded Genesis, Darem, Jay-Den, SAM, and Caleb as true friends. The cadets joined forces to save the USS Athena in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's series premiere, but winning episode 3's prank war heartwarmingly solidified the cadets as a found family in true Star Trek fashion.

Genesis Is A Better Captain Than Darem

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 3 pitted Genesis Lythe and Darem Reymi against each other as competing potential Captains. Darem was frustrated by Genesis somehow always being up earlier and accomplishing more, and Reymi was also bereft at how his absentee parents aren't interested in his progress at Starfleet Academy, when everything he does is to win their attention and favor.

Darem knew Genesis harbors issues with trying to impress her own father, who is a Starfleet Admiral, and used it against her to become team Captain in Calica. However, Darem flamed out as a Captain, lacking the creativity to adapt, whereas Genesis smartly used their training to allow Starfleet Academy to score their only point against the War College.

At Commander Jett Reno's (Tig Notaro) urging, Darem apologized to Genesis and confessed his mommy and daddy issues, which Genesis found "impressive." Darem admitted that Genesis is a better Captain than he is, and Genesis running point on their Vitus Reflux prank led to them gaining their ultimate win by humiliating the War College.

Why Tarima Joined The War College Instead Of Starfleet Academy

Caleb Mir sought answers from Tarima Sadal about why she joined the War College and didn't tell him. The answer partly involved Caleb, but he's not the entire reason. Caleb learned in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 2 that Tarima wears a neural inhibitor on her neck to control her Betazoid psychic abilities.

Tarima confessed that she picked the War College because they pride themselves on discipline, which the Betazoid needs to control her powers. Tarima spent her whole life in the safety of Betazed's psionic wall, but now that she has the freedom to see the galaxy, she finds keeping her abilities in check is becoming more problematic.

However, Caleb does have something to do with Tarima choosing the War College. Tarima is attracted to Caleb, and he does cause her powers to surge. Meanwhile, Tarima didn't need her Betazoid abilities to see that Caleb is in conflict with himself over how much he likes Starfleet Academy and having friends.

While Caleb and Tarima seem destined for a full-blown romance, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is wisely and pleasingly taking its time, and allowing the potential couple to get to know and trust each other.

Caleb Accepts That He Wants To Be In Starfleet Academy

Caleb Mir still feels resentment towards Starfleet Academy, which he equates to "prison" since he still has to do community service and isn't allowed to leave the campus. Caleb's primary motivation is still to find his missing mother, Anisha Mir (Tatiana Maslany).

However, for as much as Caleb fought the idea of joining, including taking part in organized sports, the young Mir also finds himself enjoying being part of Starfleet Academy, and especially having friends. Caleb spent 15 years of his life on the run, never trusting anyone, but Starfleet Academy offers a better life and something he never had: a found family.

Tarima Sadal made Caleb see, and more importantly, accept, that it's okay to trust his new friends and to want to be part of Starfleet Academy. When the cadets received their Starfleet Academy letterman jackets, Caleb gladly accepted his from Genesis and proudly put it on.

For Caleb Mir, Starfleet Academy fits like a glove. Caleb is starting to believe it for himself and trust that Chancellor Ake has the best intentions for him at heart. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 3 showed Caleb the uplifting lesson that Star Trek Beyond taught: There's strength in unity.