Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 7 – “Ko’Heine”Bella Shepard hints at what’s to come for Genesis Lythe in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 2. Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is closing in on its season 1 finale, which premieres March 12 on Paramount+. Meanwhile, production of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 2 is nearing its end in Toronto, Canada.

As Genesis Lythe, Bella Shepard plays the first Dar-Sha in Starfleet. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is slowly revealing the Dar-Sha’s special traits, like Genesis’ razor-sharp eyesight. The daughter of a Starfleet Admiral, Genesis quickly stood out as a hyper-competent leader among her fellow cadets, yet Genesis is also kind and supportive of her friends.

In an exclusive interview with ScreenRant‘s John Orquiola, Bella Shepard offered a glimpse of what’s to come for Genesis in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 2, which would be the cadets’ sophomore year in San Francisco. Read Bella’s quote below:

Bella Shepard: Oh my gosh, sophomore year is so much fun. I would say it’s crazier than the first year, and it’s exciting, and it’s freeing, and also very meaningful. Genesis goes on a very beautiful journey in season two, and I’m really, really excited for people to see that.

Genesis is arguably the top freshman student at Starfleet Academy, but her dreams of becoming a Captain hit a roadblock because of her own fears. In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 7, Genesis attempted to delete her recommendation letters to hide the fact that she altered them when she enrolled.

Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) planned to recommend Genesis for Starfleet Academy’s Pre-Command track, but after Genesis’ hacking was caught, Nahla stopped short of expelling the Academy’s first Dar-Sha cadet. Genesis now has to overcome a black mark on her sparkling Starfleet record.

Genesis’ mistake doesn’t take away from her drive, ambition, and intelligence. Whether leading Starfleet Academy’s Calica team as Captain or helping to save the day while serving on the USS Athena’s bridge, Genesis is born to be in Starfleet. It’s already hard to imagine Genesis won’t become Captain Lythe one day.

How Genesis recovers academically from her mistake should play out in the remainder of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1. Going by Bella Shepard’s excitement, Genesis’ life and career as a cadet takes some exciting turns in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 2, which will likely launch on Paramount+ in 2027.

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 Rossetter

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