The virulent Gorn tissue that has infected Captain Patel has returned and only a rare flower blossom can halt the malignancy. 

It was only a matter of time before Strange New Worlds devoted an episode to an away mission, and like TOS, it’s the captain who puts himself in danger. By the time of TNG, it was seen as somewhat reckless of Picard to be leading landing parties, but back in the late 23rd Century, the captain still took the risk. In fairness, Pike justifies his actions as he has a personal interest in the mission’s success and wants to protect the crew from blame.

Yes, it’s the old ‘we’re entering restricted space’ plot, and you can be sure that another race are equally cavalier in respecting boundaries. Just who Pike and M’Benga encounter while trying to find the flower blossom is something you can discover for yourself; suffice to say that the show continues to lean into its legacy races.

M’Benga gets another layer to his already complicated character, and who doesn’t love fast-moving zombie scientists? Back on the Enterprise, Ortegas continues to act out of character – things are going to get worse before they get better.

Verdict: A familiar plot with a couple of new twists, and the quality of the production is strong. 7/10

Nick Joy