Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3, Episode 7 – “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption”The utterly bizarre 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‘ season 1 finale, “No Small Parts,” and “A Mathematically Perfect Reunion” reveals the Exocomp crash-landed on Areolus, a planet of bird humanoids who eschew technology. Peanut Hamper nearly ruins their civilization for her own selfish ends.
Peanut Hamper appears to be on a path 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 swerve, the Drookmani Captain (J.G. Hertzler) reveals that it was Peanut Hamper who invited the Doorkmani to Areolus to steal the ancient starship technology the bird people buried beneath their planet. Once exposed, Peanut Hamper showed that her attempts to embrace Starfleet’s values were all a lie, and the Exocomp was willing to let the Dookmani kill everyone before she threatened to contact the Borg. Thus, Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) and the crew of the USS Cerritos arrested Peanut Hamper and locked the traitorous ex-Ensign away at the Daystrom Institute’s Self-Aware Megalomaniacal 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 uniform. In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Admiral Cartwright (Brock Peters) led a conspiracy that included Lt. Valeris (Kim Cattrall) that aimed to stop 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 prepared to commit treason and lead a military coup in order to protect Earth from the Dominion. In Star Trek Into Darkness, Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) manipulated Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch) to start a war with the Klingons as part of his scheme to militarize Starfleet.
In Star Trek’s 24th century, the Maquis were a magnet for Starfleet Officers to commit treason. Lt. Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes) betrayed Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) to fight for the Maquis in Star Trek: The Next Generation. And, on DS9, Lt. Commander Michael Eddington (Kenneth Marshall) turned on Starfleet and Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) to join the Maquis and further their terrorist (or freedom-fighting, from the Maquis’ point of view) war with Cardassia.
Why Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Peanut Hamper Is The Worst Starfleet Traitor
Peanut Hamper was originally a just deserter, but she becomes a full-on traitor in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3. “A Mathematically Perfect Redemption” seemed to be a story of how the Exocomp re-embraced the values of Starfleet, and for a brief, heroic moment, it seemed like Peanut Hamper turned the corner. But the former Lower Decker is really selfish, deceitful, and remorseless to the core. Peanut Hamper is a psychopath who cares about no one but herself. In fact, one of the first things Peanut Hamper did when she landed on Areolus was offer to turn over all of Starfleet’s security codes. She ultimately had no regard for the Areore, not even Rawda, the birdman she married, and Peanut Hamper couldn’t care less 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 sentient A.I. This proves the Exocomp isn’t done committing treason against Starfleet. As a computer armed with her own replicator and various systems, Peanut Hamper could become the most dangerous traitor that not just Star Trek: Lower Decks but all of Star Trek has ever seen.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 3 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.