‘Starfleet Academy’s Talaxian Furfly Gag Sets Up “The Trouble with Tribbles” Tribute

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So far, the biggest connection to Star Trek: Voyager in Starfleet Academy has been the recurring role of Robert Picardo as the Doctor. Even without many direct references to the original series, his active involvement in training the cadets has been a treat for Voyager fans. Now, the new Star Trek show has added another subtle nod to Voyager, and it appears to be building towards a significant homage to a famous episode from the show’s history – one that originally aired almost sixty years ago.

The first season of Starfleet Academy is a celebration of Star Trek‘s 60th anniversary. The new Paramount+ series cleverly references almost every Star Trek show and even a few movies that came before it. Considering The Original Series launched the franchise 58 years ago – and later inspired countless sequels and spin-offs – Starfleet Academy is continuing that legacy. The show is particularly inventive in its nods to The Original Series, and by including elements from Voyager, it seems to be building towards a major tribute to the series that began it all.

‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s Talaxian Furfly Running Gag Explained


Paramount+

Stephen Colbert plays the role of Digital Dean of Students on the show, and his job is to deliver announcements. These announcements are usually funny, which is typical for Colbert. Over time, the Dean has been hinting at a larger story through these announcements, repeatedly mentioning something called a Talaxian Furfly. This creature is connected to a character named Specialist Krebs, who hasn’t appeared on screen yet. As of the seventh episode, the Dean has referenced the Furfly four times, and these mentions together create a developing, though somewhat vague, storyline.

We’ve learned through the first seven episodes of the show that Krebs’ Furfly is awake, tried to mate with a beaker, eaten its own fur, and even attacked someone in Lab 7. More details have been revealed slowly, suggesting there’s more to come. While it’s possible this is just a running joke about someone owning a strange pet, the details feel deliberate and point to something bigger. I believe the show is building towards a much more exciting reveal.

How ‘Starfleet Academy’s Furfly Subplot Can Set Up an Homage to “The Trouble With Tribbles”


NBC

Furflies come from the planet Talax, located in the Delta Quadrant, a setting prominently featured in Star Trek: Voyager. While Talax is best known as the home of Neelix, a character played by Ethan Phillips throughout the series, furflies themselves were only briefly mentioned and never played a significant role in any storylines. This new information about furfly behavior, presented by a character at Starfleet Academy, is more detail than Voyager ever provided – or most fans ever asked for! It shows the writers are expanding on Talaxian culture. The appearance of a furfly in the Alpha Quadrant in the 32nd century also hints that travel between the Delta and Alpha Quadrants has become much easier.

The classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,” which first aired in 1967, featured a playful invasion of cute, fuzzy aliens. These Tribbles weren’t dangerous, but they multiplied incredibly quickly, creating a surprising challenge for Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise. A similar training exercise at Starfleet Academy could use Talaxian Furflies instead of Tribbles. Given that Krebs’ Furfly has already shown a tendency to reproduce unexpectedly – even trying to “mate with a beaker” – it clearly presents a comparable reproductive challenge.

The show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine paid homage to the classic episode “The Trouble with Tribbles” by sending some of its characters back in time to actually participate in the events of that story.

The potential Furfly invasion feels more threatening than previous crises because these creatures have already demonstrated aggressive behavior. One Furfly attacked a lab worker, and its self-destructive fur-eating suggests it’s highly stressed or frightened, making it potentially dangerous. Given that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy previously honored Deep Space Nine with a dedicated episode, it’s likely a similar tribute could be made for this episode of the Original Series.

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2026-02-20 21:35