Holly Hunter’s portrayal of Captain Nahla Ake in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has drawn both praise and criticism from across the galaxy. Her quirky behavior, from lounging in the captain’s chair to walking around barefoot, along with her unconventional command style, has become a major topic of online discussion. And as with most internet debates, not all of it has been kind.
In a Facebook post highlighting the latest episode of Starfleet Academy, “Come, Let’s Away,” one user crudely suggested that Voyager’s Captain Janeway time travel and “bi*chslap Captain Mumbles” for “lounging in the captain’s chair like she’s getting ready to watch the Hallmark Channel instead of commanding a starship.”
Kate Mulgrew, who played Captain Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager, didn’t take kindly to the comment, firing back at the online troll:
on the contrary, sending you and every other disrespectful troglodyte who insults my fellow Captain & Starfleet officer to the brig where you belong. Keep Janeway's good name out of it.
Dismissed.
Holly Hunter has previously addressed her character's preference to walk around barefoot, explaining that the direction came from co-showrunner Alex Kurtzman, who wrote the character with Hunter in mind.
"Alex had written that my character was barefoot, and I loved that,” Hunter told members of the Television Critics Association (TCA) back in January. “That kind of opened up this whole idea of what she might be like, physically, for me.”
Hunter went on to expand on her approach to Nahla, explaining to Reactor Mag, "It had to do with her being [part-Lanthanite], and it also had to do with my name, which is ‘water in the desert.’”
“Wherever I am, whatever environment that I’m in, I’m going to explore it with my body,” she said. “It gave every scene, many scenes, a whole different vibe, a different texture, and it put me in a different place.”
Not everyone may embrace Captain Ake’s demeanor, but it’s hard not to appreciate Holly Hunter’s commitment to the role. In any case, it's nice to see a fellow Star Trek alum come to her defense.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy has drawn increased criticism, especially from right-wing activists who describe the show as "woke." Much of this backlash seems tied to the series’ emphasis on diversity, inclusivity, and challenging traditional authority structures, which some critics perceive as pushing a political agenda. There's no doubt that Starfleet Academy is a different kind of Star Trek, but much of the criticism has focused less on storytelling or production quality and more on the show’s progressive social themes.
How would you rank Captain Ake among Star Trek characters?