The Orville's Isaac inspired SAM in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Starfleet Academy, set in Star Trek's 32nd century, leans into the franchise's 60th anniversary with abundant callbacks to past projects. Among those nods is a striking acknowledgement of a beloved non-canon series: Seth MacFarlane's The Orville. Kerrice Brooks' SAM is the show's first holographic cadet, sent by her photonic people, the Kasqians, to evaluate organic life.

That premise closely mirrors The Orville's Isaac, an artificial emissary studying humanity, and creates a neat full-circle moment given Isaac's own lineage of inspiration from Data. The series makes SAM feel like a natural extension of Star Trek lore while keeping her distinct.

Different forms of artificial life and a slightly altered arc mean SAM doesn't simply replicate Isaac, and the choice avoids a direct crossover while still nodding to The Orville's influence.

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