Jonathan Frakes Reveals the Glitter-Fueled Secrets Behind Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s Most Bizarre Gag

The Art of the Star Trek Gag: Glitter, Bananas, and Alien Enzymes

Star Trek has always loved poking fun at itself with a dash of absurdity, but Starfleet Academy has genuinely outdone itself with a running joke fans never saw coming: glitter vomit. The masterminds behind this interstellar punchline are director Jonathan Frakes—iconic for both his time behind and in front of the camera—and executive producer Noga Landau, whose creative fingerprints are all over the “glitter phenomenon”.

Darem Reymi and the Alien Physiology That Sparked a Trend

Central to the chaos is Darem Reymi, a Khionian cadet played by George Hawkins. Beneath his almost-human façade hides a blue, gilled being whose body can briefly withstand the vacuum of space. Yet, for all his otherworldly durability, Darem’s digestive tract is hilariously fragile in the face of everyday Earth challenges—like eating bananas. In a comic turn in episode five, he dares to eat a banana, only to end up spewing glitter. The reason? Khionians apparently lack crucial digestive enzymes.

This running joke expanded in episode nine—after a particularly rough ride involving a stolen Starfleet shuttle and a daring escape, Darem again finds himself upchucking glitter, this time lamenting how it got all over his uniform. As Darem confides, his species just ‘lacks a lot of enzymes’, setting up a perfect narrative for both visual comedy and worldbuilding. Star Trek lore has always thrived on detailed alien biology, but rarely with such sparkling flair.

Behind the Scenes: Noga Landau, Glitter Queen

If you ever thought the recurring presence of glitter across multiple scenes was random, Jonathan Frakes sets the record straight. Talking to TrekMovie, he explained that Noga Landau, the series showrunner, is an outspoken champion of the glitter effect. She insisted on filling the hallways with it—especially in a stylized slow-mo/fast-mo opening where cadets celebrate the end of the academic year. The glitter isn’t just for show: Landau’s embrace of the sparkle has become a running theme even in her emails with the director.

Physical Comedy Meets Sci-Fi Action

While the glitter gag steals the spotlight, Darem’s character also breaks the expected boundaries of Starfleet’s new cadets. In another scene from episode nine, the Khionian takes a series of hard-hitting, blood-splattering punches from Venari Ral and barely misses a step—proving that while his stomach might betray him, his alien body is tough as nails. Whether viewers will get the official explanation behind Khionian resilience in the season finale or future episodes, physical comedy and inventive alien quirks are now core to Starfleet Academy’s DNA.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy—Boldly Going for Laughs

Balancing classic sci-fi themes with offbeat humor is no easy feat, yet the creative team skillfully injects modern sensibilities into Star Trek’s newest chapter. From subtle in-jokes to full-blown glitter storms, this series is proving it can embrace both the gravity (and absurdity) of life among the stars. For those looking to stream or catch up, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy continues exclusively on Paramount+ under the stewardship of Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau. Expect even more character-driven laughs and alien surprises as the academy doors remain open.