The Lower Deckers have trouble bonding with Ensign Jet Manhaver, who has been assigned Boimler’s bunk and shift duties. Meanwhile, we get a glimpse of Boimler’s life on the USS Titan, which is more intense than he thought it would be.

OK, nobody really thought that Boimler was going to spend the season on the USS Titan, did they? This episode serves as the mechanism to get the team back together again, proving at the same time why the focus can only really be on one ship and its crew.

The difficulty we have is that two away missions are competing for our attention at the same time, admittedly one has more focus allocated to it. Kayshon, the new Tamarian (the alien race from TNG’s Darmok) head of security leads a party to dispose of dangerous items on a collector’s base (or ‘clearing out a dead dude’s locker’ as Mariner sees it). Over on the Titan, Riker sends Boimler on a black ops mission to infiltrate a Pakled mining operation.

There’s just a bit too much going on, cutting between two missions which offer fake jeopardy and an excuse for multiple explosions. Mariner discovers that she can get on with her new colleague after all, and Boimler realises that he wants to experience the exploration of strange new worlds rather than conflict. The method of getting him back to the Cerritos is pure Star Trek, and while it’s a joy to hear Jonathan Frakes’ Riker, this really isn’t his show.

Verdict: With the reset switch deployed, season two of Lower Decks can resume, with Boimler and Mariner back at each other’s throats again. Maybe a few more jokes next time? 6/10

Nick Joy