Caught by Starfleet and facing court martial, paranoia grows as Picard struggles to uncover whether a prodigal crewman from his past has returned as an ally or an enemy.

There’s a significant surprise appearance in this episode, which somehow has not been revealed or slipped out as I write this review. And I have no intention of spoiling that for you, as it’s a good one.

Instead, I’ll focus on the bigger picture, namely that Shaw is back in charge, and Starfleet is on its way to pick up Picard and Riker for their acts of treason. Raffi and Worf embark on another away mission in their quest to find out more about the Daystrom raid, but it looks like the criminal underworld they’ve infiltrated has them on the back foot.

The Changeling plot appears to go deeper than initially feared, and just how did the species manage to evade Starfleet’s detection techniques? By the end of the hour, things will never be the same again.

Verdict: Some great scenes between Picard and [Redacted] are a great gift for the loyal TNG fan, and the pacing is back on course. Great fun. 8/10

Nick Joy