Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Recap: A Klingon Visitor Triggers M’Benga and Chapel’s Worst Memories
This week’s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds asked another complex question: Does someone who committed horrific crimes in the past deserve a chance to start anew?
Dak’Rah was a Klingon general who defected to the Federation’s side during the Klingon War, negotiated a ceasefire, and now served as a Federation ambassador. As part of his ongoing peace mission, he paid a visit to the Enterprise, which did not go well.
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His presence was triggering for those who fought or served in the war, including Ortegas, Chapel and M’Benga. During the war, Rah’s ruthlessness earned him the nickname “Butcher of J’Gal.” So it was jarring to now see him preaching peace and publicly maligning his own people as barbarians.
M’Benga was especially affected, having dealt with Rah firsthand, and he experienced a panic attack the moment he spotted the allegedly reformed Klingon.
Things got tense during dinner when Ortegas, who didn’t buy Rah’s nice guy act, reminded him of the Klingons’ horrific wartime acts which still haunted her memory. Meanwhile, M’Benga showed heroic restraint by sitting calmly near the ex-warlord rather than decking him on the spot.
Flashbacks revealed that M’Benga and Chapel served on J’Gal and witnessed Rah’s brutality firsthand, the traumatic experience leaving a permanent stain on their souls. Spock picked up on Chapel’s uneasiness and tried to comfort her, but Chapel instead asked for some space.
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Meanwhile, M’Benga continued to unravel during Rah’s visit, enduring more panic attacks and fighting back painful memories of the soldier he tried to help, who was subsequently killed in action.
Rah’s visit was cut short, and he visited M’Benga in a last-ditch effort to make amends. But M’Benga refused to associate with a war criminal and asked the Klingon to just leave him alone. Rah continued to push, but his efforts to bury the past felt particularly shallow, given that he hasn’t been telling the truth about what he did.
Another flashback showed Rah holding M’Benga back while he made his escape and M’Benga forced to kill his way out. M’Benga, not Rah, was the Butcher of J’Gal, and he felt great shame for what he did that day. While both men had blood on their hands, M’Benga expressed remorse for his actions, which Rah took credit for and used to propel himself into the spotlight as a saintlike figure.
Rah refused to leave M’Benga alone, and their disagreement escalated to a scuffle, ending with M’Benga stabbing him to death.
Pike and M’Benga’s conversation at the end of the hour showed their stark difference of opinion. Pike stood ten toes deep in his optimistic belief that everyone deserves a second chance. In that respect, Rah should have gotten his due process — tried and punished accordingly — rather than killed during that altercation.
M’Benga, however, could not forgive Rah for his crimes and pointed out that the Federation knew who Rah was and still employed him to represent them. What about justice for Rah’s victims?
“You have the privilege of believing in what’s best in people. Me? I happen to know there are some things in this world that don’t deserve forgiveness,” M’Benga said.
Their conversation ended with Pike asking if M’Benga started the fight. M’benga, of course, maintained his innocence.
What did you think of this week’s episode?
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