By
John Orquiola
Published Feb 12, 2026, 9:38 PM EST
John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 4,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises.
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Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 6 - "Come, Let's Away"Zoë Steiner and Sandro Rosta are thrilled to take Star Trek: Starfleet Academy to another level in episode 6. Written by Kenneth Lin & Kiley Rossetter, and directed by Larry Teng, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 6 raises the stakes as the evil Nus Braka (Paul Giamatti) deals Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) and Starfleet Academy a tragic defeat.
At the end of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 6, Tarima Sadal (Zoë Steiner) is comatose after unleashing her Betazoid psychic abilities to save Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta) and their fellow cadets. However, one of Tarima's classmates at the War College tragically died, Series Acclimation Mil aka SAM (Kerrice Brooks) was seriously damaged, and Nus Braka made off with top-secret weapons to use against Starfleet.
ScreenRant's John Orquiola had the pleasure of chatting with Zoë Steiner and Sandro Rosta to discuss Caleb and Tarima's romance, Jonathan Frakes' reaction to Star Trek's new version of Riker and Troi, and why Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 6 raises the stakes for the back half of season 1.
Tarima & Caleb Have Great On-Screen Chemistry In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Zoë Steiner's Tarima Sadal was introduced in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 2, and there were immediate sparks with Sandro Rosta's Caleb Mir. They consummated their relationship in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 6, which showcases the palpable chemistry between Steiner and Rosta. Both actors address what it is about the other that brings out their best:
Zoë Steiner: For me, Sandro's amazing. He's an incredible actor. So present and giving. It makes it easy for me. I have my work cut out for me in that regard. So I think the chemistry just happens really quite naturally.
Sandro Rosta: Zoe is underselling herself quite significantly. I think Zoe is absolutely cut out for the work that she's doing. I feel like, as an actor, I'm at my best when I am working with a better actor, and I regard Zoe as a much better actor than I am. I think it's just a mutual respect, a mutual sense of how we want this to reach those who are watching. I think it's just a good collaboration in the best way.
But There's One Awkward Thing About Caleb & Tarima’s Love Scenes
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 6's opening lovemaking scenes between Tarima and Caleb have one awkward aspect: They are in the room Caleb shares with Tarima's brother, Ocam (Romeo Carere). Mir grew up on the run throughout the galaxy for 15 years and never had a bed of his own before, so Ocam even helps Caleb make his bed.
Sandro Rosta laughs about how Ocam would react to Caleb and his sister: "That's a fun bit of fan fiction that we can delve into one day. But no, I don't think Ocam helped make my bed after. I think Ocam is such a busy man. He's a bit of a goof, but, as we know, he's a joiner, and he loves to be involved in his extracurricular activities. He's probably just off messing around with the Andorians or something."
Jonathan Frakes Said Caleb Is A Lucky Man For Dating A Betazoid
Jonathan Frakes directs the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 9. Of course, Frakes played Commander Will Riker, who had an enduringly popular romance with a Betazoid, Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). Zoë Steiner and Sandro Rosta say that Frakes couldn't resist telling them about his "lore," and called Sandro's Caleb "a lucky man" for "dating a Betazoid princess."
Zoë Steiner: Yeah, I remember the first day I met Jonathan. I'm trying to remember the exact words he said. Just something like it's great to meet me, and he can't wait to collaborate. And like, ‘You do know that my character was involved with a Betazoid?’ He said something like, ‘I have a real soft spot for the Betazoids.’
Sandro Rosta: He said something similar to me as well. We were filming episode 9, and Frakes is such a personable guy. And he would just put his arm around you and whisper in your ear, like a bit of his lore. He said something very similar to me, like, ‘You know, you're kind of doing what I was doing back in the day. You're dating a Betazoid princess.’ I’m like, ‘Yes, I am.’ He’s like, ‘You're a lucky man. I know what it's like.’
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 6 Was A Game-Changer
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 6 had the impossible task of following the show's previous episode, which was a joyous tribute to Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. However, "Come, Let's Away" took Star Trek: Starfleet Academy to another level of drama, action, and intensity.
ScreenRant: This is an amazing, amazing episode. And one of the things I loved about it was that Starfleet Academy lost. Sh*t got real. You guys got your asses kicked. It was great. What was it like for you reading the script?
Zoë Steiner: Yeah, thank you for saying that. I'm so excited for fans and viewers to see this episode, because, like you said, the stakes are impossibly high. I hope and I think a lot of people watching will appreciate that. I think this show has a lot of different levels. There was such joy and nostalgia in episode five. And then, we get into six, and it's a very different episode. I love the script and the writing, seeing that they've allowed the cadets to, time and time again, show up and rise to the challenge of these very, very real situations. You know, it's not a simulation.
Sandro Rosta: I'm just going to echo what Zoë said. I'm excited for fans to see the shift in tone and the shift in stakes. Up until this point. Starfleet Academy has had a very kind of light, almost whimsical, wondrous feel to it, and that's great because that's what the show delivers in many ways, as it should. But our show also has a real range in the amount of tones and in terms of its storytelling. To see the reaction to that is gonna be exciting.
Zoë Steiner And Sandro Rosta Loved Playing Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 6's Intense Scenes
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 6 placed Caleb, Tarima, and the cadets in mortal danger. Tarima risked herself and unleashed her full Betazoid powers to save Caleb and their friends. Zoë Steiner says Tarima letting loose was "absolutely" fun to play. "You mentioned Tarima getting to use her powers. For sure, as an actor, that's such a gift and a dream come true to have such a character with such depth and a real arc that I can, like you said, sink my teeth into. I can explore her emotional landscape, and get to play with her discovering her powers."
Sandro Rosta agrees: "Yeah, who doesn't want to play getting held hostage by some creepy alien zombie things? It was fun. I think the pace of TV can be blinding at times. So, the moments where you get to try something new, sometimes you’ve just got to go off of instinct. And whatever your instinct is telling you, you’ve just got to run with it. I think that was one of those times."
Rostra explains, "I had a sense of who Caleb is. He's not the type to just be pushed around, but at the same time, he is in a situation where he has to cooperate. And he will die, and the people around him will die, if he doesn't. So it was interesting to have that push-and-pull on the inside and to see what happens on screen."
Zoë Steiner's Amazing Basketball Stunt Was Inspired By Sigourney Weaver In Alien: Resurrection
In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 3, Zoë Steiner performed a jaw-dropping stunt where she sank a basketball over her head without looking. Steiner's swish was inspired by Sigourney Weaver performing the stunt as Ellen Ripley in Alien: Resurrection. Despite sharing her feat on her social media, Steiner hasn't heard from Sigourney: "I'm still waiting on that call, John."
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Dive into the world of movies and TV shows with Screen Rant, your source for news, reviews, and exclusive content. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.Zoë Steiner explained how her stunt came to be, revealing that she has always been an athlete, and it paid off when Star Trek: Starfleet Academy scripted Tarima to play basketball: "I played basketball when I was a kid, competitively, and I was just so excited when I got the script [for episode 3]. There are just so many things [and it] all just lined up. They could have chosen any sport, I mean, it was a basketball scene. I was so happy and excited to play again."
Zoë Steiner: "That shot definitely wasn't scripted at all. I was just scrolling TikTok late one night, and that interview of Sigourney came up and reminded me of that amazing shot she did in Alien: Resurrection. And I just had this feeling like, ‘Wait, could I do that?’ Once it got in my head, I couldn't sleep. And then for days after, I couldn't let it go. And I was like, ‘Well, I'm not going to know unless I try.’ So I called Romeo, and we played a bit at a court near where I was staying, and tried it out for a bit. And I could do it. I got it in a couple of times. So I was like, ‘It's possible. Just practice more.’
And then they introduced, a couple of weeks before we shot it, that it was going to be a [3D] printed ball, which is so cool and aesthetically, obviously, fits perfectly. It's not the easiest ball to play with. It's very, very, very different. It doesn't have any bounce. Literally, you have to whack it for it to come back up. So that threw a bit of a spanner in the works. But it all worked out on the day.
I won't say who it was, but literally, right before we started rolling, a crew member came up to me, and they were like, ‘You know, there's a bet going.’ I laughed. I thought they were joking. And they were like, ‘Ueah, there's a bet on whether you're going to be able to make it or not. And then there's another one going [of] how many takes it's going to take.’ And then they just walked away. I was like, ‘Great, I really wanted to know that information right before we started rolling.’ But I only had to get in once, and I did. So I'm proud of myself, and I think it was a nice homage to Sigourney, absolutely.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streams Thursdays on Paramount+.
Check out our other Star Trek: Starfleet Academy interviews:
- Tawny Newsome and Cirroc Lofton
- Kerrice Brooks
- Noga Landau and Karim Diané
- Oded Fehr
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6.8/10
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Action & Adventure Drama Sci-Fi Release Date January 15, 2026 Network Paramount+ Showrunner Alex Kurtzman, Noga Landau Directors Douglas Aarniokoski Writers Alex Taub, Tawny Newsome, Kirsten Beyer, Jane Maggs, Kiley RossetterCast
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Holly Hunter
Nahla Ake
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Sandro Rosta
Caleb Mir
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Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
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