Mariner and Boimler are stranded on an uninhabited planet with a sentient computer. On the Cerritos, Billups must prove his engineering abilities to an old adversary.

Chief engineer Billups gets a back story this week where he’s revealed to be a Hysperian, a race who dress and live as if they’re in a sword and sorcery land. Billups is the rightful heir to the kingdom and would have to leave Starfleet if he ever lost his virginity. To this end, his mother (a similarly manipulative character to Lwaxana Troi) fakes her own death to try and dupe him.

Elsewhere, Boimler and Mariner crash their shuttlecraft while transporting recently-deposed megalomaniac computer Agimus (Jeffrey Combs, notching up his fourth Star Trek series after playing multiple characters across DS9, Voyager and Enterprise). He tries to pit the ensigns against one another so that they’ll plug him back in and he can take control. In the absence of food and water his offers are tempting, but Starfleet is just a bit smarter than that.

Verdict: A refreshing change of focus to a different character and to meet their race. Unburdened by too many Trek Easter eggs, this is just a light and enjoyable half an hour with some friends. 7/10

Nick Joy