Sci-Fi/Fantasy
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin
‘The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin’ is DailyWire+’s most ambitious show yet—and it comes with a Christian bent. But the show itself feels pretty uneven.
“These kids are inheriting a broken world they didn’t create but have to clean up,” says a Federation official.
More than 120 years ago, a catastrophic event known as the Burn threatened the universe as everyone knew it. Countless people died. Criminal groups flourished. And as planet after planet seceded, the United Federation of Planets almost ceased to exist.
Captain Nahla Ake hopes the newly reopened Starfleet Academy will help build a better future.
And perhaps more importantly, Nahla hopes that her position as chancellor of the school will give her an opportunity to help a brilliant young man named Caleb Mir.
You see, 15 years before Starfleet Academy reopens, Nahla—acting on behalf of the Federation—made a grave mistake that separated 6-year-old Caleb from his mother. Since then, Caleb has evaded the Federation, stealing to survive and searching for his mom.
Horrified by her role in causing Caleb’s grim life, Nahla seeks to make amends.
She offers 21-year-old Caleb full immunity from his crimes if he agrees to hone his talents and technical know-how at Starfleet Academy, which will be based in San Fransico. In exchange, Nahla promises to help Caleb find his mom.
Still skeptical of Nahla and the Federation, Caleb grudgingly agrees.
After living a solo lifestyle for 15 years, Caleb learns to collaborate with the other Starfleet Academy cadets. His newfound friend group includes aspiring captain Genesis, Jay-Den the Klingon, a hologram lifeform called SAM, a wealthy Kionian named Darem and a Betazoid named Tarima—who might end up being more than friends with Caleb. Together, the young cadets take fascinating classes, navigate roommate rivalries and dream of making a difference in the universe.
But Caleb’s journey at Starfleet Academy won’t be easy.
A pirate scoundrel named Nus Braka wants to settle a grudge against Nahla Ake and the Federation. And Braka’s not afraid to mess with Caleb—or Caleb’s mother—to get what he wants.
If someone had told me last year that Paramount+ was planning a new Star Trek series and asked what I thought that new series would include, YA romance, school bullies, classroom challenges and friend group drama would not make my list. Indeed, the tone and focus of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy differs drastically from the 1966 original series.
Following the events of Star Trek: Discovery, Starfleet Academy feels closer—in both tone and content concerns—to the 2017-2024 Discovery series. And it also includes side plots that feel like they’d be better suited for a college drama show rather than a sci-fi saga.
Characters frequently use profanity including the s-word, “d–n,” “b–ch,” “a–,” “d–k” and “h—.” Additionally, the first two episodes hint at romantic sensuality. Two female characters seem to take interest in the same male character, and the trailer suggests that physical romance may be seen in later episodes between Caleb and a female character.
As is the case in most Star Trek content, violence occurs throughout the episodes. Characters throw punches, kick their foes and fling their enemies to the ground. Blood results from both fistfights and knife wounds—though for the most part, victims recover. And spacecraft (with people inside) explode and are shot at.
Between extensive series lore, sci-fi action and YA classroom drama, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is attempting to balance a lot. As the show struggles to decide what genre it wants to be and juggles its bloated roster of main characters, both fans and families may find themselves reminiscing about simpler Star Trek series—and wishing for the tamer content that accompanied them.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
For 15 years, Caleb Mir’s been on the run—avoiding the Federation and searching for his lost mother. But everything changes when Nahla Ake recruits him for the newly reestablished Starfleet Academy. Alongside other young cadets, Caleb promises to use his talents to serve the Federation. In return, Ake promises Caleb that she’ll help him find his mother.
Characters utter profanity including six uses of the s-word, one use of “d–k,” three uses of “d–n, ” four uses of “h—,” three uses of “a–,” four uses of “a–hole,” one use of “b–tard,” four uses of “b–ch” and one use of “p-ssed.” In one scene, someone begins to utter the f-word (paired with “mother”), but he’s cut off before he can finish. A character calls someone an “idiot.” A man calls a woman “hot.”
A man bites someone’s ear off, which causes his victim to bleed. There are multiple fistfights throughout the episode, many of which cause people’s faces and bodies to become covered in blood. People hit, slap and kick their rivals, and some combatants get thrown against walls and thud onto floors. A woman punches a man, which sends him flying away from her. A man hits another man with a metal pipe.
A sharp object impales a woman in the stomach, and she screams in pain. Later, someone operates on her open wound, which causes her to bleed more.
Several people are shocked with electricity: One wears a shock collar in prison, and others are shocked with taser-like weapons. A ship crashes, which harms the people inside. In another scene, an explosion occurs in a ship, causing some characters to fall painfully.
There is a brief mention of suicide. Characters discuss that a criminal murdered someone. A girl says that she wants to learn how to kill a man with a toothbrush. A doctor informs a patient that he has a parasite in his bowels, and the doctor goes on to discuss the patient’s bowel movements. A man presses a gun against someone’s head.
A mother and child are separated, which causes both visual distress. A protagonist has been involved in crimes including theft, destruction of property, illegal trading and vandalism. Someone implies that she wants to blackmail Caleb.
A character refers to the Greek god Athena—after whom the Starfleet Academy ship is named. A man calls people “heathens” for not liking opera.
‘The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin’ is DailyWire+’s most ambitious show yet—and it comes with a Christian bent. But the show itself feels pretty uneven.
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