James T Kirk assumes command of a vessel, but not in the circumstances he’d have liked.

The USS Farragut is conducting a planetary survey of an uninhabited M-class world and its second-in-command, James T Kirk, is bored. He’s so bored that he can’t even remember the stardate and rails against Captain V’Rel’s aversion to risk. Unfortunately, her caution would appear to be valid, as the crews of both the Farragut and Enterprise find themselves in extreme danger.

While the basic plot of this episode is Star Trek 101, there’s a buzz in seeing Kirk come to life after an initial crisis of confidence. There’s a lot at stake here, with an impressive biomechanical threat for Starfleet to square off against. The visual effects are excellent, and I hope that we get to see the new adversary in future episodes.

Verdict: Things get real for Kirk and he gets to show his command chops in this exciting tale. 8/10

Nick Joy