General Naird volunteers for Dr Mallory’s Lunar Habitat Experiment. Meanwhile, Erin tries to throw a party, and Space Force gets a snazzy new look.

OK, my glacial disposition may be starting to thaw on this show which to date has been vastly unimpressive. Whether or not it’s familiarity with the characters or an improvement in quality, Steve Carell’s General Naird is finally beginning to click, and we start to see the real person behind the bluster. When someone is asked to volunteer for a week’s isolation in a sealed environment replicating the moon, Naird immediately steps up – how hard can it be for someone who has already experienced worse ordeals. The trouble is, in doing so, he abandons his daughter again, and she is crying out for parental love.

The habitat is like Matt Damon’s abode in The Martian – it’s potatoes for every meal – and the three current inhabitants are immediately put off by Naird’s pompous one-upmanship. But as he finally settles into the routine and lets his guard down, his real anxieties come through, and he becomes a better person for it. Jailbird Mrs Naird (Lisa Kudrow) appears again this week, and I’m intrigued to find out what she did to deserve a lengthy prison sentence. Oh, and the sub-plot involving FLOTUS redesigning Space Force uniforms like castoffs from The Greatest Showman feels very credible!

Verdict: Less humour, but with more substance, Steve Carell’s Naird is a more interesting character when he’s not grandstanding. The strongest episode yet, but with plenty of scope to be even better. 8/10

Nick Joy