Space, the final frontier. There have been many times when a Star Trek character bridged a cultural divide by staying true to the ideals of Starfleet. From being stranded with an enemy to living a whole life in a kind of sort of simulation, Trek is all about putting the ideals of Starfleet under a microscope and asking tough questions. On a show like Lower Decks , however, your mileage might vary. So grab your nacelle and join us as we give you five thoughts on Season 3, episode 7, “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption.”
1. A different kind of Trek
From the getgo, it’s clear that “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption” is a different kind of Lower Decks episode, shifting the focus away from our favorite ensigns in favor of a less than stellar member of the Cerritos crew, Peanut Hamper. Yes, the exocomp from season one’s “No Small Parts” gets an entire episode exploring her life after her less-than-helpful exploits during the Pakled attacks.
In an almost dreamlike opening, we follow Peanut Hamper as she drifts through the galaxy, getting into near exploits with the Drookmani, makes her own “Wilson-esq” friend out of space debris, and just kind of grows in her resentment of Starfleet. “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption” has a solid start, a combination of beautiful imagery peppered with the occasional amusing gag or clever dialogue. In a way, the intro felt akin to the excellent Futurama episode “Godfellas,” where a similarly disgruntled robot flies through space. However, this is a brave new world for Trek, and they pull it off quite well.
2. A familiar culture clash leads to some growth
This isn’t the first time a member of Starfleet has had to deal with a pre-warp planet, but then again, most of the characters put into these situations aren’t Peanut Hamper. After crash landing on a planet of bird people named Areore, Peanut Hamper struggles to adapt to her new life. “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption” follows many of those classic Star Trek story beats. Peanut Hamper uses her advanced technology to save the life of the village’s leader, helping to raise their infant birth rate and using her replicator to make candy. While the people are skeptical of Peanut at first, over time, she begins to grow on them.
While “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption” isn’t quite as joke heavy as a usual episode of Lower Decks, the episode works because of just how good Kether Donohue is in the role of Peanut Hamper. Everything she says is filled to the brim with sassiness, always bringing humor on a planet full of straight men. Everything about the episode would feel like a classic story on any other show, but Peanut Hamper is NOT having it, at least to start. Donohue brings a lot of nuance to a character who literally doesn’t have a face, and it continues to pay off in dividends.
3. Becoming one of the people
Again, it’s important to emphasize how much of the humor of “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption” comes from the fact that it’s practically a classic episode with one sassy robot thrown into the mix. Throughout the episode, Peanut Hamper starts to become one of the people, learning their ways and using her technology to improve those ways. (She also gets a boyfriend, which is a plus.) As the episode progresses, Rawda, the leader’s son, and Peanut Hamper grow closer, and Peanut’s shell begins to soften.
She never quite loses her sassy edge, but she certainly starts to adapt to her new life on the planet. Everything is going so well that Rawda reveals a secret the avian residents of Areore used to be spacefarers but adopted a simpler way of life to keep them safe and happy. “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption” just keeps building on the classic scenarios, with Peanut Hamper questioning her role in the society, debating what to do with her life, and falling in love. Then everything goes south.
4. A Mathematically Perfect Redemption
In the climax of “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption,” Peanut Hamper makes the ultimate sacrifice during her wedding when the Drookmani attacks her wedding. While she knows that calling Starfleet will result in her arrest for desertion, her devotion to her new planet has become that strong. After spending so much time with Peanut Hamper, it was almost shocking to have the regular crew come back on the scene, but they fly into the fray to help their wayward ensign.
Continued belowThe climax of the episode is also just incredibly thrilling. There are some excellent space battles, shocking twists and turns, and the ultimate change, Peanut Hamper, so changed by her life on Areore, decides to sacrifice her life. But the hammer drop in “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption” is, well, perfect. After surviving her heroic sacrifice, the crew discovers that Peanut Hamper staged the whole thing to look like a hero and get back into Starfleet’s good graces. It’s an incredibly funny moment; again, it can’t be overstated that the moment works thanks to Donohue’s voice performance. She’s the real MVP of the episode as she tries to weasel her way out of another deception.
5. Raising the stakes for the Cerritos
So while Peanut Hamper’s plan ultimately fails to get her back into Starfleet, “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption” has one more twist up its sleeve. Peanut Hamper is put into the “Self-Aware Megalomaniacal Computer Storage” facility and happens to be in a cell right next to last season’s other megalomaniacal computer, AGIMUS. It seems like the writers of Lower Decks are setting up something big, which is exciting.
Serialization and Star Trek have an interesting relationship. While many enjoy the long-form storytelling of new shows, one of the things that made Lower Decks refreshing was that “back to basics” setup. That doesn’t mean you can’t build bigger stories from the shadows. However, “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption” shows that Mike McMahan remembers where all the pieces are on his game board.
So there you have it, the rise and fall of Peanut Hamper on full display. What did you think? Sound off in the comments below, and we’ll see you among the stars!
