The crew of the Enterprise are ambushed by an alien aggressor en route to delivering an atmospheric processor upgrade.

We’re back up to Warp Factor 8 again after last week’s minor blip, and while it may seem hypocritical of me to praise the use of another familiar Trek trope, this one is done so well and with a fresh perspective.

And what is the trope? It’s the Run Silent, Run Deep storyline where two vessels try to outmanoeuvre one another, the Enterprise having already notably done so in The Original Series’ Balance of Terror and movie sequel The Wrath of Khan (though chronologically neither of these have happened yet).

This is a crisis episode, where the stakes are high, with multiple injuries inflicted on the crew. It’s also Star Trek at its best, with the crew pulling together to deliver a smart resolution. Christina Chong’s La’an particularly benefits from some relevant character development, and the visual effects are again quite stunning. I won’t reveal the aggressors, but I do wonder whether they’ll be become the show’s lead menace.

Verdict: Tense, exciting and clever – that’s three crackers out of the first four, which is a great batting average for a new show. 8/10

Nick Joy