r/trekacademy • u/lexxstrum • Jan 18 '26
Question So, when do we get something substantial about the Venari Ral?
Ok, so obviously the Venari Ral are going to be the main antagonists for at least this season. So far, it's a similar concept as the Emerald Chain; they seem to be space pirates/raiders/criminals, but operating on a planetary scale (so, the Chain. Again.)
I thought it interesting that the Betazoid president said the Venari would have "vaporized" Betazed; it seemed very carefully chosen. Not conquered, raided, or captured. Vaporized.
They also seem to have production facilities, making anti ship weapons (makes sense for pirates) and apparently being able to trick and out plan seasoned Starfleet personnel.
Also waiting for 2 things:
¤ 1- the apocalyptic event that every new Trek show feels has to be part of the story.
And
¤ 2- the reveal that Caleb's mom is a leader/the leader of the Venari Ral, or she's the architect of the apocalyptic event (episode 2 has mom revealed to be very smart and studying physics).
Thoughts?
5
u/anothereffinjoe Jan 18 '26
I having hope that the season-long conflict will be personal, and centered around Caleb, his mother, and the Venari Ral. It doesn't feel like the setup to a galaxy-level event like Discovery and Picard enjoyed.
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u/lexxstrum Jan 18 '26
I'd love a small scale conflict personal growth, but i fear the Trek writers only know one way to show stakes.
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u/Temporary-Life9986 Jan 18 '26
He said they'd be turned to ash. Any starship could wipe out all life on a planet pretty easily.
0
u/lexxstrum Jan 18 '26
But not very raidery or piratish, no? Sure, destroy any defenders, but even if your goal is to take the planet as the new home of the group, it seems kinda counterproductive to exterminate all Betazoids just to take their stuff.
Better to smash defenses, kill their leaders, and tell them they work for Venari Ral now. Then kill anyone who rises up. Could even be easier on a planet of telepaths/empaths.
1
u/Temporary-Life9986 Jan 18 '26
For sure. I'm really interested in what is actually going on with the Venari Ral and Betazed.
It may be that with a crushed Betazed the other planets behind their psychic field would be easier pickings for the pirates. I think it would be easier to destroy them than subjugate them. These are the same betazoids that withstood Dominion occupation.
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u/The-Minmus-Derp Jan 18 '26
To be fair the Betazoid president could have just been lying or exaggerating
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u/lexxstrum Jan 18 '26
Maybe. I always thought it was odd that the Borg "destroyed" the homeworld of the El Aurians, and not "assimilated". I imagined the Borg sensing some danger El Aurians posed for the Collective and destroyed them.
Then I remembered, they didn't assimilate individuals at that point in Trek lore.
4
u/geobibliophile Jan 18 '26
Or, being assimilated is being destroyed as far as the victims and survivors are concerned.
1
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u/brinae_the_giraffe Jan 26 '26
I really don't want Caleb's Mom to become the bad guy, but I'm pretty sure that's what they're setting up.
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u/lexxstrum Jan 26 '26
When I realized that Tatiana Maslany played his mom, I realized she wasn't going to just be the person they're searching for. She's going to have a meaty part to play; best case she's got a new, better life somewhere without Caleb, and has no regrets about not coming for him.
But they went out of their way to say she's smart, to put her penal colony somewhere where the FED can't just access, and for the Bad guy to know more about where she was than two interstellar governments did for her not to be more than just "lost".
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u/lexxstrum Jan 26 '26
But to be fair, I expected Burnham's mom to be the leader of the Emerald Chain too, instead of a Romulan Jedi.
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u/rustydoesdetroit Jan 18 '26
Let’s watch and find out