Who is Genesis Lythe’s Dad? Belle Shepard Teases Starfleet Academy’s Newest Mystery

Somehow, Starfleet Academy Season 1 is more than halfway over. And, it seems that some mysteries and new canon might not be entirely resolved by the end of this batch of episodes. In fact, because Starfleet Academy Season 2 is already happening — and mostly completed — it's not too early for fans to start speculating about certain questions that may be picked up a bit further down the line, beyond the events of the episodes that are currently airing. And one of those questions is: Who is Genesis Lythe’s mysterious dad?

“It's very fun to think about for me, especially because for so long I was like, who is this guy?” Actress Bella Shepard tells Inverse. But it turns out that she does have a small hint about the future of this question, plus some insight into how she’s found her way into the Star Trek family.

Mild spoilers ahead.

In Starfleet Academy Season 1, Episode 7, “Ko'Zeine,” half of the episode focuses on Darem’s (George Dawson) botched royal marriage, while the other half finds Genesis trying to erase her transcripts. She’s getting fast-tracked on a command program, and she wants certain things about her past hidden. At the end of the episode, she and Caleb (Sandro Rosta) are caught, and she’s suddenly on a different path, which, we learn, will almost certainly disappoint her famous but off-screen Starfleet admiral father.

“I think her instinct is to feel like it's a setback, but it's almost like something was exposed within her now, so it's like she doesn't have to hide anymore as much,” Shepard explains. “Trust is a big thing for her, and she knows that’s a big thing for Caleb as well. So, now that he knows these flaws and knows her insecurities, it’s a relief for her, because she has less of a facade to hold up now.”

Shepard also notes that some of this bonding and feeling uncertain about oneself mirrors her own journey into realizing the gravity of being part of a huge franchise like Star Trek.

“I didn't really hit me until we were halfway through Season 1,” Shepard said. “I was like, okay, cool. I'm going to be on a new Star Trek show. Let's get to work. I'm doing my normal process and then meeting all of these people...” Shepard singles out meeting with Discovery’s Sonequa Martin-Green as a highlight, as well as being directed by Trek legend, Jonanathan Frakes, for the pivotal, upcoming penultimate episode of SFA Season 1. “That’s when I realized what I’d gotten myself into. Meeting Jonathan Frakes and being directed by him for Episode 9...he’s this walking teddy bear full of wisdom and humor.”

So, like Genesis, Shepard is coming to terms with how to balance the legacy aspect of Star Trek with just being herself. And the metaphor for that is obviously, Genesis’s mysterious admiral father.

“Does he exist?” Shepard teases. “I guess I would say my hint would be that I do know more than what you guys see. But I don't know how accurate it'll remain. So that's what I'm going to say for now.”

Starfleet Academy streams on Paramount+.