‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’: Sandro Rosta Discusses Caleb Warming to Nahla

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1 Episode 3 “Vitus Reflux.”]

It’s Starfleet Academy vs. War College in the Thursday, January 22, episode of this Star Trek series. And in the course of their pranks, we learn that the academy’s chancellor, Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter), was quite the prankster.

It’s Caleb (Sandro Rosta), who was separated from his mother (Tatiana Maslany) years ago by Nahla, who realizes the half-Lanthanite was the one to, as a cadet, transport first-years to the roof and had given this year’s cadets hints as to how to strike back against the war college. She explains why, as he sees it, everything is a lesson, and then offers him advice when he asks for help for a friend (really). It’s moments like this that make us wonder how Caleb feels about warming up to Nahla and if he worries what his mom might think of that given the aforementioned history.

“That was the conversation I was having a lot of the time off-camera with the directors,” Rosta tells TV Insider. “‘What is this conflict? How does this manifest in this moment?’ But the priority of those scenes is the connection with Holly and between Nahla and Caleb. And I think that what happens is this kind of very poignant surrender to the warmth and the care because it’s genuine that comes from Nahla. And it’s something that Caleb is desperate for and has such a deficit of in his life. And so when that gets offered to him, it’s almost impossible for him to not receive that. That builds to something.”

After all, Nahla hated that she had to separate mother and son — she quit after she did — and she only came back now because Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr) told her where Caleb was and she promised the now-cadet that she’d help him find his mom.

Meanwhile, the cadets in the academy and college face off in a game, and to say that Genesis (Bella Shepard) and Darem (George Hawkins) get competitive as both go for captain is an understatement. Genesis enjoys that competition more than she lets on, agrees Shepard.

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“Genesis thrives off competition. It gives her a reason to do better, work smarter, work harder, all of the above,” she explains. “That was such a fun episode to film. And we actually shot a lot of Episode 3 before the other episodes. It gave me a chance to really just let Genesis loose and let her rip.”

While Darem is named captain after bringing up her father, it becomes clear during the late-night game between the two groups of cadets that she’s the better choice, which he eventually sees. And so by the end of the episode, Genesis is captain of their team and Darem leaves a message for his parents about what he’s learned about leading, that it can be done with empathy and patience for other and for oneself. It’s a lesson that he’s learning because he’s at Starfleet Academy and with this specific group of people, Hawkins tells TV Insider.

“A massive part of his arc is realizing a good leader is someone that realizes other people’s strengths and humility is not lowering yourself or cowering, it’s being honest and truthful with what you can give and provide and what others are better at and stronger at. And I think it’s a really hard,” he admits. “I think Darem’s one of those people that need a harsh reality check. He’s like me. I need a slap in the face and to be like, ‘This is life.’ And I think that’s what Episode 3 is to him: Genesis is better at this certain thing, give it to her. Not necessarily about letting people in, but bringing them in. There’s an action, there’s a proactiveness to leadership. And I think that’s what he learns so immediately in Episode 3, for sure.”

What did you think of the latest episode? Let us know in the comments section below.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Thursdays, Paramount+