Bigger budget does not always equal better quality, as one of the best episodes of Star Trek: Discovery now proves.

The seventh episode of the first season, 'Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad', saw a series of time loops take place thanks to Harry Mudd (Rainn Wilson).

It turned into a fan favourite, and it turns out that it actually came about because of budget concerns.

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"In terms of the time loop, we were desperate to save money, I am not going to lie," co-showrunner Aaron Harberts said at an Emmy 'For Your Consideration' event (via TrekMovie).

However, he admitted that they try to work the narrative into other episodes, even though episodes such as that one are standalones.

"But, when [co-showrunner] Gretchen [J Berg and I] sit down and decide to do a time loop episode, we ask what do we get out of it and what are the bigger pieces that are going to contribute to this giant tapestry that Gretchen and I feel very responsible for weaving a universe," Harberts further explained.

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"For Hugh and Stamets, that is learning more about their relationship, like the Kasseellian opera, which is something that starts there and gets threaded all the way through season two. Little, tiny things that make our characters feel alive, that continue to build on who they are and who they will become."

Meanwhile, star Wilson Cruz – who plays Hugh Culber – has reflected on the response to the show's first LGBTQ+ relationship, admitting it was "moving".

"So many LGBT people have been fans since the '60s and have been wanting the LGBT community to be a part of this universe," he said. "For them to be thanking us, it's so moving."

Star Trek: Discovery airs on CBS in the US and Netflix in the UK.

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