Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Jay-Den Kraag’s Highly effective Male Friendships In contrast To Worf

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 4 – “Vox in Excelso”Star Trek: Starfleet Academy actor Karim Diané and govt producer Noga Landau talk about what Jay-Den Kraag already has that Worf (Michael Dorn) by no means did. Diané performs Jay-Den, Star Trek‘s first full-Klingon fundamental character since Dorn’s historic run as Worf in Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology, Star Trek: Deep House 9, and Star Trek: Picard.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 4 revealed Jay-Den Kraag’s backstory as a younger Klingon deserted by his mother and father, who joined Starfleet Academy to grow to be a healer as a substitute of a Klingon warrior. Regardless of Jay-Den’s shyness, which hides his self-doubt, the Klingon cadet is surrounded by buddies, together with Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta) and Darem Reymi (George Hawkins).

In an interview with ScreenRant‘s John Orquiola about Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 4, Karim Diané reveals how Jay-Den discovering buddies and belonging at Starfleet Academy mirrors his personal life as a younger actor, whereas Noga Landau hopes audiences embrace Starfleet Academy’s examples of “highly effective optimistic masculinity” and “true male friendship.” See their quotes under:

ScreenRant: One other factor I really like about this episode is the friendship improvement between Jay-Den and Caleb, after which additionally with Darem. They each confirmed up for Jay-Den. And he did not need it at first, however then he allow them to in. I used to be enthusiastic about Worf, as a result of Jay-Den already has one thing Worf by no means actually had in Starfleet, which is shut male buddies. Worf had a few well-known girlfriends and a spouse, however he by no means had actual bros. However you have obtained bros. How does Jay-Den really feel about truly having that?

Karim Diané: I believe friendship is important. I imply, simply after I’m enthusiastic about my life, particularly for somebody like Jay-Den, who does not have household there with him. He does not have his fathers, he does not have his mom, he does not have his brother. There’s no one else that even appears like him, or that is a scholar. So discovering neighborhood is important.

After I’m simply enthusiastic about after I first moved to New York Metropolis, and I knew nobody, I felt so alone and so misplaced, and I did not know who I used to be. Discovering my artist neighborhood, my dancers and my aerialists, and my fireplace breathers, and all of my loopy artist buddies in New York, my drag queen buddies, all of them revealed to me who I’m. All of them actually sat me in entrance of the mirror and had been like, ‘No, that is what you must put on, and that is what your make-up ought to appear like once you exit, and so they helped me be extra comfy being myself and being an artist. So Jay-Den, equally, via Caleb and thru Darem, is discovering his voice and discovering himself.

Noga Landau: By the way in which, John, I need to say one thing coming off of that query that I believe is so profound proper now. I really feel like so many males on this world want examples of optimistic masculinity, like actual, highly effective optimistic masculinity. Males from all walks of life who present up for one another. I get that within the 90s, Worf did not have that. You did not have that on display a lot. And the most effective compliments I obtained after our premiere was somebody got here ahead, and so they stated this present has a lot superior masculinity in it, and examples of males who’re there for one another. And I simply suppose that there are such a lot of males who, I hope, watch our present, who see that and see what it is prefer to have true male friendship round them, and be reminded that that is one thing that Starfleet Academy actually fosters.

The way in which Caleb Mir and Darem Reymi present up for Jay-Den Kraag in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 4 is a shining testomony to how the college-based sequence portrays optimistic male friendship. Caleb tried to get Jay-Den to beat his shyness as a public debater, however even when Mir and the Klingon had a falling out, Darem arrived to provide Jay-Den Khionian respiratory workout routines to ease his anxiousness.

In distinction, Worf by no means really had a detailed male Starfleet buddy in any of his Star Trek appearances. Worf was popular with the crews of Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology and Star Trek: Deep House 9, however the Klingon typically saved his male colleagues at arm’s size. As a substitute, Worf was higher identified for his romances with Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) and marriage to Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell).

One of many few occasions that Worf accepted male camaraderie was when he and Chief Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney) reminisced about their time serving aboard the USS Enterprise-D. Nonetheless, in Michael Dorn’s record-setting 283 Star Trek appearances, Worf was by no means as near any male Starfleet character, as a substitute preferring the companionship and mentorship of Normal Martok (J.G. Hertzler).

In comparison with the legendary Captain Worf, Jay-Den Kraag is “a zygote” by way of being a Klingon warrior or a Starfleet Officer. Nonetheless, the brave Klingon cadet is light-years forward of his iconic predecessor relating to having fellow Starfleet bros who’ve his again in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.