The Cerritos is tasked to aid an Obena-class starship on a first contact mission.

It’s saying something that this second season finale is more satisfying then the season one conclusion, considering that No Small Parts featured the Titan, Riker and Troi.

This episode also features the return of a TNG alumnus – Sonya Gomez… Sorry, who? Think back. She’s the ensign played by Lycia Naff in Q Who and Samaritan Snare and memorably spilt a hot drink over Picard. She was one of TNG’s Lower Deckers and now she’s the captain of the Archimedes, preparing to make first contact with the Laaperians.

Mariner overhears that her mother, Captain Freeman, is to be promoted and will be leaving the ship. She rails against this – she’s finally getting along with her Freeman – and tells all to the senior bridge crew to cause unrest. But just as tempers begin to fray, the Archimedes is disabled by a solar flare and it’s up to the Cerritos crew to save the day.

There’s spacewalks, high drama, tractor beams, dolphins and more in this exciting episode, written by series creator Mike McMahon. And just when you think everything is back to normal… wow!

Verdict: To Be Continued… How I love a Star Trek end of season cliffhanger. A great ending to a patchy season – let’s hope there’s more hits than misses next year. 9/10

Nick Joy