Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3, Episode 7 – “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption”All weird Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 7, “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption”, reintroduces Peanut Hamper (Kether Donohue), who turns out to be one of Starfleet’s worst traitors. Ensign Peanut Hamper deserted the USS Cerritos in Star Trek: Lower Decks‘ The Season 1 finale, ‘No Small Parts’ and ‘A Mathematically Perfect Reunion’ reveals that the Exocomp has crash-landed on Areolus, a planet of technology-averse humanoid birds. Peanut Hamper nearly ruins their civilization for his own selfish ends.
Peanut Hamper seems to be on the road to redemption in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 7, when she heroically fights off an invasion by the Drookmani. But in a last-minute hiatus, Captain Drookmani (JG Hertzler) reveals that it was Peanut Hamper who invited the Doorkmani to Areolus to steal the ancient spaceship technology the birds buried beneath their planet. Once exposed, Peanut Hamper was shown that his attempts to embrace Starfleet values were all a lie, and the Exocomp was willing to let the Dookmani kill everyone before threatening to contact the Borg. So Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) and the crew of the USS Cerritos arrested Peanut Hamper and locked up the traitorous ex-ensign at the Daystrom Institute’s self-aware megalomaniac computer storage on Earth.
Starfleet has its share of traitors throughout Star Trek
Starfleet has occasionally faced traitors to its cause of galactic peace and exploration, and even some high-ranking Starfleet officers have betrayed their uniforms. In Star Trek VI: The Unknown Country, Admiral Cartwright (Brock Peters) led a conspiracy that included Lt. Valeris (Kim Cattrall) that aimed to prevent the United Federation of Planets from forging a peace treaty with the Klingon Empire. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Admiral Layton (Robert Foxworth) was willing to commit treason and lead a military coup in order to protect Dominion Land. In Star Trek Into DarknessAdmiral Marcus (Peter Weller) manipulated Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch) into starting a war with the Klingons as part of his plan to weaponize Starfleet.
In the 24th Century of Star Trek, the Maquis was a magnet for Starfleet officers to commit treason. Lieutenant Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes) betrayed Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) to fight for the maquis in Star Trek: The Next Generation. And on DS9Lt. Commander Michael Eddington (Kenneth Marshall) asked Starfleet and Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) to join the Maquis and continue their terrorist war (or freedom fight, from the Maquis perspective) against Cardassia .
Why Star Trek: Lower Decks Peanut Hamper is Starfleet’s worst traitor
Peanut Hamper was originally a simple deserter, but she becomes a real traitor in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3. “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption” seemed like a story about how the Exocomp re-embraced Starfleet values, and for a brief heroic moment, it seemed like Peanut Hamper had turned the corner. But the former Lower Decker is truly selfish, deceitful and remorseless. Peanut Hamper is a psychopath who only cares about herself. In fact, one of the first things Peanut Hamper did when she landed on Areolus was to offer to hand over all Starfleet security codes. She ultimately had no respect for the Areore, not even Rawda, the bird-man she married, and Peanut Hamper didn’t care if the planet and the crew of the Cerritos were killed.
As soon as Peanut Hamper was incarcerated at the Daystrom Institute, she immediately formed an unholy alliance with Agimus (Jeffrey Combs), another evil AI. This proves that the Exocomp is not done betraying Starfleet. As a computer armed with its own replicator and various systems, Peanut Hamper could become the most dangerous traitor who not only Star Trek: Lower Decks but everything Star Trek has never seen.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 airs Thursdays on Paramount+.
