Una faces court-martial along with possible imprisonment and dishonourable dismissal from Starfleet, and her defence is in the hands of a lawyer with whom she’s had a terrible falling out.

What makes good Star Trek? Sure, we all love a big battle and some impressive aliens, but ultimately it’s the human stories that pull us in, particularly where there’s conflict. One of the most combative environments is a court room, and Star Trek has form here – Court Martial, The Drumhead, Dax, Death Wish, The Menagerie, The Undiscovered Country and others. This episode can proudly sit among the best of them.

The episode is hampered by the obvious outcome – there’s no way that in the second episode of its new season we’d have the downer of a lead going to jail – and to its credit the focus is on the ‘how’ things get resolved. There’s numerous twists and turns along the way (some unexpected) and underlining it all is the wonderful camaraderie of the crew. No one is getting thrown under the bus on this crew’s watch.

Where the episode is strongest is when it enters grey areas where there is no right or wrong. Starfleet is shown to be flawed and challenged on its holier-than-though stance. It has to change with the times and be the best it can. With Pike, Una and Spock leading the way, we’re in safe hands.

Verdict: A slower, talkier episode after last week’s action, but just as engaging and optimistic. 8/10

Nick Joy