Dr. M' Benga??

[number6]

How many episodes featured him and do y'all remember which ones??

I just saw A Private Little War and it just made me curious.

What did you think of him as a recurring minor character?

He never caught on like Lt. Kyle or Riley..He was a little more charasmatic than Farrell and certainly seemed more lively that Lt. Leslie, though he was snootier than Yeoman Rand.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Two eps. "That Which Survives", too.

See my character matrix at:
http://www.geocities.com/therinofandor/TOScrew.html

Bookwise, he's appeared in "Death's Angel" (Bantam). For Pocket: in "Black Fire"; "Traitor Winds" ("The Lost Years" saga); as Geoffrey M'Benga in "Vulcan Academy Murders" and "The IDIC Epidemic"; and as Jabilo M'Benga in the more recent "Errand of Vengeance" trilogy, the "Vanguard" novel series, and "Crucible: McCoy".

TNG era novels have also featured a female M'Benga descendant.

 

[number6]

Thanks for the info. I was also trying to get some discussion going about the series recurring minor characters. Not really into the novels, but that's a very impressive site. You've obviously done some great research.

 

[Miri9]

I always liked him the two times he appeared - he was an "expert" in vulcan physiology, having worked in a vulcan ward or hospital. Could be a good character to revive for the ST XI movie.

 

[Shatmandu]

I actually just finished plowing through "Death's Angel" featuring him, as Therin mentions.

Spoilers, I suppose.






If you feel the urge to read this book, punch yourself in the balls three times instead. M'Benga unknowingly turns into the Angel of Death because he loves freedom soooooo much.

Ugh.

Joe, free

 

[Brutal Strudel]

Kathleen Sky sucked as hard as she blew, which would have made for a good [DELETED TO PRESERVE THE GENTLEMANLY INTEGRITY OF THE POSTER] but a lousy novelist.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Number6 said:
Thanks for the info. I was also trying to get some discussion going about the series recurring minor characters.

The creators didn't realize the Enterprise needed a medical specialist in Vulcan physiology until they almost lost the UFP's Vulcan ambassador (ie. Sarek) during "Journey to Babel". The next time a Vulcan medical problem came up M'Benga was born.

 

[number6]

Certainly a fanon explanation for justifying his presence on the ship, but also a reasonable explanation, to be sure.

 

[UnknownSample]

Kyle caught on?

M'Benga had a good presence, seemed sharp even in a dull, stupid episode (TWS)... breaks racial expectations of the time as they were supposedly trying to do... not just black, but third world. Today though, plenty of African physicians everywhere, and just as cynical and materialistic as their colleagues.

 

[number6]

Kyle was a fan favourtie. He was in Wrath of Kahn.. He must have done something right. He was in a lot of episodes and got a lot of fun dialog.

 

[commodore64]

I loved Dr. M'Benga and thought the face slapping in "Private Little War" was brilliant.

I was sad they didn't pull that trick out for any of the other Vulcans in Star Trek (other series).

 

[number6]

I know. That whole scene really added to the Vulcan mystique.

I thought M'Benga was under utilized.

 

[Ronald Held]

I am uncertain whether he was really needed as a semirecuring character, even if he was somewhat interesting.
He is in Vanguard, but for how long I do not know.

 

[AC84]

Miri9 said:
I always liked him the two times he appeared - he was an "expert" in vulcan physiology, having worked in a vulcan ward or hospital. Could be a good character to revive for the ST XI movie.

It was also a nice touch just showing that McCoy had an assistant chief medical officer that took over when McCoy was either incapacitated or simply ended his daytime shift.

I can't remember if the other Star Trek spin-offs did this. I think TNG had Alyssa Ogawa as the assistant CMO. Voyager's EMH actually WAS the backup for the ship's CMO. I know for a fact that the Enterprise NX-01 would have been really royally fucked if Phlox was killed. We didn't see a nurse or even a medical staff on that show, though they were probably mentioned in dialogue.

 

[Christopher]

AC84 said:
I think TNG had Alyssa Ogawa as the assistant CMO.

No, since she was a nurse, not a doctor.

We did see at least one other doctor on the Enterprise-D's staff, Dr. Selar, who appeared in one episode and was alluded to in a couple of others.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Number6 said:
Certainly a fanon explanation for justifying his presence on the ship

Well, is "fanon" even the right term, because it wasn't fans who suggested this? It was the script coordinators of TOS.

I hate the term "fanon".

 

[Sulu_Love_child]

Would have liked to see him in more episodes in his support role...
If there were to be a continuing 5 year mission series he should have a nice support role in it.

 

[TIN_MAN]

I liked Dr. M'Benga and I also liked Dr. Sanchez, wasn't he the third shift duty Dr.? Sanchez was played by an actor whose name regretably escapes me at the moment, but he was a recurring extra who also apeared as an engineering officer as well as the command division.

 

[Deleted 2]

Shatmandu said:
If you feel the urge to read this book, punch yourself in the balls three times instead.

I've found this to be a good rule of thumb with Trek Lit as well

But yes, M'Benga certainly was one of the better recurring characters in TOS. I'd put him up there with DeSalle in the sense that unlike many extras, he is fleshed out as a competent officer, not just as someone (Bailey, Chekov, etc.) who is just there to make the regulars look competent and experienced by comparison.

 

[Kegek]

I really liked him. The basic idea - a human who doesn't just understand, but is an authority on an area of Vulcan mystique was new in a show where Kirk and McCoy were endlessly being flummoxed by Spock's magical inner eyelids, conveniently different heart placement, absolutely cruical need to have sex every seven years, and so on.

And M'Benga, in giving bizarre introductions about how to treat Spock without really elaborating on them, added to the whole mystique in the process. Plus I thought he was pretty well acted, decent and professional. I'm not sure how often he would have worked in other episodes, though, I mean, can you imagine "Operation: Annihilate"?

Spock: I am also quite blind.

*Kirk and McCoy dramatically react!*

M'Benga: Actually, you've got those inner eyelids Mr. Spock.

Spock: Oh. Oh yeah. Nevermind.