Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2x08 - "Under the Cloak of War"

[cooleddie74]

M'Benga appeared in two episodes out of 80 and probably had a grand total of perhaps ten minutes of combined screentime before 2022. There's nothing TO contradict. He was close to a blank slate aside from the interning in a Vulcan ward and knowing Spock and Chapel by TOS.

 

[fireproof78]

Hell, at this point, Chapel would need a lobotomy to be the same character Majel played.

No.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

No.

Please explain.

 

[J. Frank Doobie]

My main thought is that I suspect this episode's reputation will rise over the years --- especially as we (hopefully) see more of the toll of the war on combat vets like Chapel, M'benga, and Ortegas as the rest of society settles into a cold war with the Klingons.

Another thing that generally shapes my positive impression is that, unlike in DS9's "Duet," Amb. Da'Krah(?) was not seeking to see justice done (even through falsehood), rather, he was running from his crimes and covering them up. Marritza lied so that someone, anyone, could be punished and begin healing. Da'Krah did almost the opposite --- so an ending where M'Benga begrudgingly comes around to let Da'Krah slide essentially would have rung false, hollow.

Related, I think the war arc/backstory for M'Benga and Chapel was a good choice --- enriches Discovery, and enriches TOS. If they had been the characters they will become in TOS already, they'd be a waste of time in SNW, if that makes sense. I look forward to seeing how this affects them, especially as we know Joseph eventually steps down or is relieved as CMO.

 

[Paul755]

I wonder if they are gonna use this episode and the last as jumping off points to have BOTH M’Benga and Chapel leave in the finale. Chapel because she knows…thanks to our man Boims…that Spock can’t be the way he’s become thanks to her. And M’Benga because his PTSD has become triggered so he goes to work in the Vulcan medical ward in order to learn to deal with it while still working as a doctor.

also, this is the first time I’ve noticed M’Benga is a full Commander. Meaning technically he even out ranks Una and should he avoid a demotion he’ll out rank Bones despite Bones being CMO.

There is another episode so similar to AR-558 that I forget they are different episodes.
It's Jake and Bashir on the frontline.

Both brilliant episodes.

You’re thinking of “Nor the Battle Too Strong” set during the Federation/Klingon war. That was a really good episode too, showing the war from a civilian perspective.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Halfway through this episode, really liking it so far. It's like it combines the best aspects of The Wounded and Siege of AR-558 but in a less emotionally sterile way.

Weird the leader being played by the guy who played the serial killer on Seinfeld like a week after I watched that episode.

 

[Tallguy]

No.

MORE than a lobotomy? That's cold.

There's no chance this is the last word on the incident.

I'd give it a good chance that it's the last word (other than Joe and Christine's ongoing mental state, maybe). If it's not it's because the writers want the drama. (Which is fine.) Not because "there has to be". As many have noted, Worf skated over worse. On stuff that everybody KNEW about. And Sisko opened up a whole new front in a war on a show that was very happy to revisit consequences. And all he got was a meme and an action figure.

 

[Mudd]

MORE than a lobotomy? That's cold.


I'd give it a good chance that it's the last word (other than Joe and Christine's ongoing mental state, maybe). If it's not it's because the writers want the drama. (Which is fine.) Not because "there has to be". As many have noted, Worf skated over worse. On stuff that everybody KNEW about. And Sisko opened up a whole new front in a war on a show that was very happy to revisit consequences. And all he got was a meme and an action figure.

Exactly so.

You know who I'd like to see an interview with? Robert Wisdom. Goddamn was that a performance.

 

[J. Frank Doobie]

And M’Benga because his PTSD has become triggered so he goes to work in the Vulcan medical ward in order to learn to deal with it while still working as a doctor.

I quite like the idea that, realizing even revenge/justice does not help his suffering, M'Benga goes to practice medicine with the Vulcans, perhaps in the hopes of learning ways to control and manage his PTSD. And he returns with no interest in leadership, either being denied or himself denying a return to CMO.

 

[UssGlenn]

What bonding elements would make pink?

Pink and sticky? Bubblegum

I am not arguing WvB was a good guy. I am arguing that this Klingon dude did much worse, and he’s also much less ambiguously guilty of war crimes than WvB.

"Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down? That's not my department!" say Wernher von Braun

 

[Tallguy]

"Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down? That's not my department!" say Wernher von Braun

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[fireproof78]

MORE than a lobotomy? That's cold.

Also no. Also not funny.

I quite like the idea that, realizing even revenge/justice does not help his suffering, M'Benga goes to practice medicine with the Vulcans, perhaps in the hopes of learning ways to control and manage his PTSD. And he returns with no interest in leadership, either being denied or himself denying a return to CMO.

Interesting twist.

I'd give it a good chance that it's the last word (other than Joe and Christine's ongoing mental state, maybe). If it's not it's because the writers want the drama. (Which is fine.) Not because "there has to be". As many have noted, Worf skated over worse. On stuff that everybody KNEW about. And Sisko opened up a whole new front in a war on a show that was very happy to revisit consequences. And all he got was a meme and an action figure.

Indeed. It can simply remain ambigious.

 

[jackoverfull]

Sorry, thats like saying a person should shoot to wound instead of aiming center mass.. Its silly, in the heat of the moment, when actions take less than a second, you aim for center mass, because if you aim for an arm, you'll miss.
M'Benga is well trained to "Kill" so he aims for the heart, head etc. its instinct by that point. so, in the heat of the moment, thats what happened. Its not like in movies where there so good a shot, or so good a martial artist that they can wound\disable him.

Too bad I’ve been doing martial arts for decades and one of the points we concentrate on is exactly constraining the opponent without harming them. But what do I know?

 

[KirkusOveractus]

Exactly so.

You know who I'd like to see an interview with? Robert Wisdom. Goddamn was that a performance.

I agree. It also brought the Klingons back to the way I've always liked them: well-spoken and eloquent. To me, it makes their violent and warlike tendencies to be more menacing and unnerving. Having them as gruff and monosyllabic really made them more caricature than anything.

 

[valkyrie013]

Too bad I’ve been doing martial arts for decades and one of the points we concentrate on is exactly constraining the opponent without harming them. But what do I know?

True, your not trained to "Kill" your trained to immobilize, With M'Benga ( and most soldiers) there trained to kill there opponent.

Sorry, Didn't mean to cast any shade, Just this particular example of M'Benga.

 

[fireproof78]

Please explain.

One, the feelings that she has for Spock ended up going nowhere and despite her fun attitude she takes this one more personally. Two, she falls in love with someone serious enough to get engaged and then that engaged person is lost out in space. Three, her fiance ends up dead and a robot. That trauma is going to alter anyone.

 

[Chovak]

One, the feelings that she has for Spock ended up going nowhere and despite her fun attitude she takes this one more personally. Two, she falls in love with someone serious enough to get engaged and then that engaged person is lost out in space. Three, her fiance ends up dead and a robot. That trauma is going to alter anyone.

I doubt the writers are going to stick with the Korby thing. Namedrop or not. I also hope they won't go that way. Why would they spend 15 episodes building up to the resolution in S02E05, and why would they carry on with further tensionbuilding in all episodes we've seen since then?

I think (and hope) they're going with a "broad strokes" approach, mainly inspired by the scene in "The Naked Time". Leaving their "fling" open ended at the eventual finale of SNW would make more sense and would be more in line with what they did so far with the characters, in my opinion.

 

[fireproof78]

Why would they spend 15 episodes building up to the resolution in S02E05, and why would they carry on with further tensionbuilding in all episodes we've seen since then?

Because it builds drama.

Regardless of what I want the producers have stated lining up towards TOS is on their minds, and will go forward, even in broad strokes. So, yes, I expect SNW Chapel to line up in some ways with TOS Chapel. Not exactly, 1-to-1, but there will be that traumatic event and showing her struggling in some measures.

I'm sure it won't end up exactly that way but the whole "Chapel needs a lobotomy to end up like TOS Chapel" argument, and it's variants, is frustrating as fuck and I grow fatigued of it.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I finished watching the episode now. I liked it in general but I wish it hadn't ended with him murdering him in cold blood. No matter how much he deserved it, it feels like more a B5 or Battlestar Galactica ending than Star Trek.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The sparring and fight scenes kept throwing me out of the story because they looked fake, which surprised me because Babs is a trained fighter.

I'm no expert but what looked fake? They reminded me of films I've seen of my Dad sparring when he was doing Jujitsu.