After directing the latest episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, franchise veteran Jonathan Frakes has revealedhe’ll be stepping back from the Star Trek universe, at least for now. The break isn’t entirely by choice, but largely due to scheduling conflicts.
Both Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Seasons 4 and 5 filmed in 2025, wrapping the series finale in December, while Starfleet Academy Season 2 ran from August 2025 through February 2026. The overlapping schedules made it impossible for Frakes to take on more directing work across the franchise last year.
When asked if Starfleet Academy’s Episode 9, “300th Night," would be his final Star Trek directing effort for the time being, Frakes confirmed: “At least for the time being. Yes. I wouldn’t have been able to make the schedule [for the other shows].”
Though widely recognized for playing Commander William Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Frakes has had a prolific directing career. He made his directorial debut while still acting on The Next Generation, helming the Season 4 episode “The Offspring,” which explored Data’s creation of an android child.
Since then, he’s become a fan-favorite behind the camera in the Star Trek universe, directing multiple episodes of Deep Space Nine and Voyager, as well as the feature films Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection.
Frakes’ work extends beyond Star Trek. He has directed over 100 episodes of television, including series such as Leverage, The Orville, Castle, and NCIS: New Orleans, showing his versatility across genres.
Speaking with TrekMovie.com, Frakes reflected on his future with the franchise: “At least for the time being. Yes. I wouldn’t have been able to make the schedule [for the other shows].”
He remains optimistic about returning: “Absolutely, of course, I am an eternal optimist. I’m not ready to start looking back.” When asked if he might return in front of the camera, he simply said, “Why not.”
The Starfleet Academy Season 1 finale is directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, with Frakes setting the stage: “I did this with Tunde [Osunsanmi] on Discovery, where I did the first half of the finale and he did the second. The same thing here. I teed it up, and the finale is… phenomenal. He’s an amazing visual director, and we’ve teamed up before on these finales. It’s a treat to be part of it.”
If “300th Night” is indeed Frakes’ last Star Trek directing effort for a while, he goes out in style. The penultimate episode of Season 1 is one of the best of the season, showcasing the intricate plans of space pirate Nus Braka and reuniting Caleb with his mother. With Braka confirmed not to return in Season 2, it will be fascinating to see how his plot unfolds and how Chancellor Ake plans to stop him.