Ups & Downs From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2.8 - Under The Cloak Of War

Back down to J'Gal...
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#StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds #Klingons

[@robertheinrich2994]

m'benga delivered a line about having become a monster, it reminded me of this line: "It's not you I hate, Cardassian; I hate what I became because of you" - Miles Edward O'Brien

[@JohnPamplin]

I think that was a direct callback.

[@GSBarlev]

It also ties into his conversation with Pike at the end about how the two of them were not the same. It wasn't that Pike had never seen war (he'd lost men on Rigel VII)--it was that he'd never had to make the choice to sacrifice a part of his soul for the greater good.

[@adamherne2348]

I had the same thought

[@billvvoods]

@@GSBarlevtrue that but we know Pike is good for it if need be.

[@SamCogley]

@@GSBarlevbut we also know that Pike has made peace with the fact that in less than a decade’s time he’ll sacrifice everything for the greater good.

[@debramiller8071]

Babs delivered an Emmy winning performance. He should be nominated for this one.

[@bartcouprie4986]

I agree completely. A wonderful performance.

[@roguedexx938]

Facts!!

[@Rufudufus]

My prediction is that his character goes rogue in an even more ambiguous but let’s face it, probably righteous manner, he is for the underdog and for justice..first last always. And then we get the curmudgeonly, mostly SELF righteous cowboy, even racist at times(certainly TOS) Bones McCoy, believe me when I say, I found him funny 45 years ago, in current rewatch... he’s everybody’s “favourite “ MAGA uncle....as in, NO THANKS

[@vcnerdlady]

Babs does deliver an amazing performance. I’m disappointed that in this video there are acknowledgments of his moving performance, followed by a lack of ups. During the dinner when Rah grabs M’Benga’s arm and M’Benga remains composed? That’s not an up? 16:05-16:35.

[@momboto1]

Agreed! An amazing performance.

[@trevortibbits859]

The look in nurse Chapels eyes when Dr M’Banga erased the pattern buffer, the look of horror at the most Star Trek way of defining triage care. Gave me chills and tears

[@hrothgar014]

I kept thinking of his daughter would be kept in a pattern buffer for all that time while he was working on a cure.

[@mangalores-x_x]

I particularly like how non chalantly he takes this decision off her shoulders with the sad certainty in his eyes that this is what needs to happen and she should not be the one to beat herself up about it. It shows that he has seen alot more than her and decided he should bear the burden, not her. We see it moments before that he realizes this way before Chapel does that they will kill that guy.

[@JohnDlugosz]

I think he knew from the start that he was never coming back.

[@slaintejimmy]

the speed of his suggestion for stasis first, then his matter-of-fact instant decision to purge makes me think he's had to do this (and more) before.. Emmy nom acting.

[@deanrobinson7626]

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one

[@jasongreen963]

I think the artistic choice of putting the end fight behind frosted glass was done to allow the viewer to decide if M'Benga or the Klingon was the aggressor. How deep is Chapel's relationship with Joseph? I found it very much Hitchcockian in nature and a brilliant artistic choice for the episode.

[@SusVejful]

Yes, the uncertainty about who was the aggressor

[@briang9581]

"I didn't start the fight." Yet, the fight didn't start in sickbay. The fight started on the Moon of J'Gal

[@curtisbme]

And the knife was the one used to kill the Klingons that Rah claimed... Truths that are lies when applied to the question being asked. M'benga murdered him and he and Chapel lied to Pike without Pike suspecting. Dark shit.

[@GSBarlev]

That's I think what we're meant to interpret, but either Dak'Reh was an idiot or he had a deathwish. It would have been fitting for a Klingon who feels shame for his cowardice to push M'Benga to giving him an _honorable death_ in battle, but my read on the character was that *he was just that cocky and stupid* and never thought M'Benga would actually harm him. That said I do think he went for the dagger once he realized M'Benga knew his secret.

[@MichaelLlaneza]

I accept the deliberate ambiguity, but I choose to believe M'Benga, "I didn't start the fight but I'm glad he's dead." I am completely convinced that Rah got physical first. We saw he has the classic Klingon temper when he burned his hand, we were a hair's breadth from violence in the Mess Hall. But we'll never know for sure, and I love that about this episode.

[@curtisbme]

​@@MichaelLlaneza M'Benga was shown and said to be exceptional with hand-to-hand combat. He could have easily backed away, gotten out of any grip from Rah if he was physically attacking him (which we did not get any indication was happening as he was trying to get him to see things from his perspective). There is only one reason Rah would have ended up stabbed. Then there is the issue that they were in the med bay and there was no attempt to save him..

[@MichaelLlaneza]

@@curtisbme No attempt at treatment is coming up at the tribunal.

[@WaltMartin]

Being a Combat Veteran, Mr. Olusanmokun made it real. I could actually believe he was a Combat Vet. I did eleven combat tours over my 27 years in the Army, I have seen the emotions and fears he was portraying on screen. A very realistic depiction. My kudos to Mr. Olusanmokun, very well done. And the reference to Sun Tzu was terrific, it was required reading in a few of the units I served in.

[@Jedi-rh6tx]

Thank you for your service, good sir.

[@thedoctor755]

*salute*

[@chrisblake4198]

His biography is thin, but depending on when he left Nigeria it's possible he was there during at least one coup d'état during his childhood. Nigeria seems overall pretty stable and there's nothing about him in military service, but growing up in Africa would mean he was a lot more exposed to news and images of violent conflicts than most Americans. His portrayal felt very real and well thought out, and he is great to watch.

[@jacara1981]

@@chrisblake4198 And the odds are extremely high that if he didn't see conflict first had, someone in his family did. Thus he would of seen how it affected them. While I didn't personally serve, I have friends that went to Iraq and Afghanistan. There is somethings that we just don't talk about and have learned to talk them down from.

[@FrauIndian]

Thank you for your service.

[@EBrown-cr1gr]

Babs is an amazing actor and that shower scene was a gift 😅💪🏿

[@jaythomas3224]

I was only waiting to see how the sonic shower worked

[@mrfluffyhedgehog]

The range that strange new worlds has shown in the last few episodes alone is wider than most series manage through all their seasons combined. I am seriously impressed by the quality they deliver episode to episode.

[@DannyTorrance-ki9bh]

but it sucks. its not even trek. its just fucking stupid.

[@Politics_from]

I think the final fight behind the glass was a nod to the title of the episode "Under the Cloak of War". It further emphasizes in war it doesn't really matter who started what or who did what. At the end, someone is dead, and another person's soul is ruined.

[@bishopsteiner7134]

also the actual fight was not the point. And only could take away from the encounter before.

[@Gangerworld]

Take an UP

[@jenntyler7738]

Astute observation and right on.

[@jhouck1969]

I felt they obfuscated the scene deliberately to leave the details vague, and followed that immediately with Chapel's unequivocal testimony that M'benga acted in self-defense. In the absence of hard evidence, the audience, like the senior officers, are left having to decide if she's lying to cover for her friend or if it really happened that way. It reminds me not only of soldiers covering up atrocities they've seen their compatriots commit, but of cops defending one another during investigations of police misconduct.

[@esumiwa5583]

Agreed @politics_from The fog of war, who really started and is war ever really finished? Of course, the answer is no, wars never really finish.

[@johnvoncannon9717]

A strong MASH vibe in the flashback scenes.

[@Whizzouk]

The tannoy announcing incoming transports made me think of Radar doing that for the choppers coming in to the 4077th.

[@chefarik]

Oh, yeeeah. I didn't pick that up consciously, but I think I felt it. Mash is goooood.

[@mteacher9811]

This was my initial response as well. When MASH did dark, they did it so f'ing well.

[@dgbrownnt]

When they cleared the transporter buffer, that felt so much like an Alen Alda scene

[@MultiMackD]

​@@Whizzoukincoming wounded. Bring your dancing shoes

[@JenABlue-ed1bw]

I am not a vet, but I both have PTSD and it's one of my specialities as a therapist, and both M'Benga and Chapel's stories depicted fantastically well what it's like--M'Benga's panic attacks, flashbacks, and barely contained rage, Chapel's emotional shutdown, grief, and withdrawal, all were both vividly presented and very familiar. I think M'Benga's shower scene is going down as my dilithium up for the season.

[@randomfrequency]

They did such an amazingly good job that this episode could've really done with a trigger warning 😞. Had to stop the episode mid way and console my partner.

[@JenABlue-ed1bw]

@@randomfrequency Yeah, I was worried that might have happened to some folks. I'm sorry it affected your partner so painfully.

[@randomfrequency]

@@JenABlue-ed1bw 🙏

[@Musashi41]

I am a Army combat veteran, Desert Shield/Storm, and Enduring Freedom, served 23 years. I watched the episode by myself first, and the reaction of M'Benga and Chapel, plus the environment of the FOB brought back memories. Some good, some not so good. And yes, tears were shed because it did trigger my PTSD, but it also captured the effects and impact of being in that environment, and how triage works in a Army Combat Hospital. M'Benga and Chapel were also spot on with the "If you haven't walked in my shoes, you just can't relate." There is so much more I could say about this and SNW being spot on. I did warn my wife before we watched it together about it being intense, and she knows what I mean when I say that.

[@randomfrequency]

@@Musashi41 thank you, my partner said the same thing

[@erictheblue7256]

Easily the most compelling, intense episode this season, if not all of SNW to date. The tension was palpable throughout the episode and it did a superb job of conveying the horrors of war, including emotional post-war trauma. As a two-time veteran in mid-east combat zones, I hope viewers get the message that wars should be avoided at all costs...

[@rotorr22]

Babs conducted a masterclass in acting. One of the strongest single performances of the season by a supporting character.

[@JohnPamplin]

INCOMING TRANSPORT INCOMING TRANSPORT INCOMING TRANSPORT... Wow.

[@johnmiller7682]

Right behind him was Jess Bush. Some actors can get dwarfed behind another actors performance. She didn't. And this, coming from someone with a limited acting career.

[@chbu7081]

Main character, really.

[@mikegriffinasl]

@@JohnPamplintotally chilling…. Brilliant episode and v thought provoking.

[@grootyoda7759]

Melissa Navia seems to be getting missed, but she is doing amazing as well

[@johnfrench5279]

I interpreted the lethal fight scene very differently. It was Chapel that was looking through the frosted glass and therefore didn't see exactly what happened and lied about what she saw to cover for the doctor.

[@Jack_BeQuick]

The frosted glass is shot from M’bengas office. Chapel was not in his office but next to a door that leads somewhere outside his office. She saw everything.

[@jaybeeeasy]

@@Jack_BeQuickthank you

[@Comedy4cast]

@@Jack_BeQuick Good point. But the way it was edited it can easily lead to that "point of view" confusion.

[@alakani]

That's what I thought too but that might just be my own PTSD wondering what I might do in that situation, and wondering if there was any way I could have handled vaguely similar situations better in the past. I rewatched it a few times and still have questions. One thing that makes me wonder is, nobody even tried to treat him for a simple stab wound when he was already in sickbay

[@michaelhuh8397]

@@alakani They prob could. But I got the feeling that neither had any intention of doing so.

[@ihatemegatron216]

I unfortunately speak from personal experience when I say everyone involved did an exceptional job portraying trauma. That initial reaction of mbenga as he sees the ambassador is a pretty spot on representation of a PTSD flashback. This week's episode was absolutely exceptional.

[@PhilipTosh]

This episode felt like an amazing blend of “Seige of ASR-558” and “M.A.S.H” and I was all for it!

[@Raphmatic5000]

What a testament to the talent and versatility of everyone working at Strange New Worlds that we can get a Crossover with an Animated show, a dark examination into War and the scars it leaves and a musical episode in the span of 12 days. I love this show so much.

[@andreasauke5724]

for me, its the best star trek I've ever seen, Im so glad this exists

[@mikegriffinasl]

Me too

[@aqdrobert]

Boimler: I am rehearsing for a dark Lower Decks crossover musical.

[@DawnDavidson]

@@aqdroberthell yes

[@CaptainKwame1773]

This episode was so good, so deep, and so real. As a Vet, I really felt Nurse Chapel’s comment to Spock that it’s really hard to explain if you’ve not been in it. Wow, makes me emotional thinking about it, so I’ll leave it there. Gosh, I love Trek!

[@amacce79]

From another vet…I love Star Trek and I am so proud they decided to show this side of war. Some combat veterans are able to keep inside the memories better than others but it is there. It will always be there. I served at a medical facility in a FOB in Iraq for over a year and these memories are never shared with my family. There is just no way someone who was not there can even begin to imagine…thank you Star Trek for this amazing episode.

[@safiremorningstar]

As someone who was a civilian during the first Gulf War and watched as the scuds went over head and I had to put on my mask and I still suffer from PTSD and considering my Early childhood was not a very good one I have a lot of pre-war issues I have live through two Gulf Wars and while other Americans could go back to the States I could not had nowhere to go to so I remained in Israel while we were getting bombarded by Iraqi scud missiles the funniest thing is I remember predicting exactly when it was going to happen how it was going to end up happening people around me fought I was a prophet because I quoted a line Jewish literature people have been going down to the Western Wall to pray for Rain at that time because it seemed like there was going to be any and I had made the comment that God is with holding the rain to protect us by having the cloud cover they couldn't see where to land their missiles and in this way it was protective cover and somebody asked me what I meant by that and I said God protects fools and children they simply were thinking I was merely quoting scripture as it were, and in one way I was put in another way I had studied on how the missiles and how they were launched how these things and I knew that the cloud cover more protective than people understood and I said it will start raining when the first missile goes and that will be in a few weeks time when he realizes that the cloud cover isn't going to let up and he will not be able to see what he wishes to launch at... Israel wasn't allowed to fight that war we were told to stay on the sidelines I say we but I knew people who were called up people in the Air Force who were called up at the time I knew people like myself who were unable to go home or did go home, we jokingly used to say well in the last person goes pleased with turn off the lights, everytime I hear a siren sound like you did a few years back when the Palestinians in Gaza sent rockets in this direction in the direction of Jerusalem and we're suburb of Jerusalem on the good side of the green line as it, they sent up the sirens we do not have here any real protection for missile attacks there's maybe two or three old shelters that are still in existence and may still be viable, but at that timeat that time there weren't any we were told to hide under certain places. Places that were still well-built that were from ancient times and that could act as shelters but when the sirens went off I started reliving everything happened in the previous war, but now I had two kids and while they were adults by the standards of this country trying to help me with my PTSD they realize that my eating disorder also kicked in at the same time it was a coping mechanism I had developed in childhood when dealing with various and sundry abusers... So that scene Apple I think he says or maybe it's the doctor says, that no one can understand what it was like until you've lived through it I understand because I lived through it and maybe I didn't have to kill anyone maybe I didn't have to fight or take care of somebody who was dying in my arms but I had to deal with nearly being killed twice... And that leaves scars that you don't want to know about... I'm a writer at least I used to be in people have asked me how I had had that asked me how I can make things seem so real was I in the military Etc because it's like I understand what they went through, I can only understand up to a certain point but I could put myself in their shoes because I was put in a situation where as a civilian who has been trained to fight try and buy my late Holocaust survivor father and some of his American military friends at a very early age how to handle these situations I can tell you that between that and what I experienced during the Gulf War I have something of the background that gives me an insight but it is a small window into a world that I hope never to fully enter, and it's something that I don't think any civilians can truly understand unless they have been through it, yes you can see and you can empathize and that's a good thing that might make the world a far better place if everyone could emphasize enough to never bring the world to that kind of hell... Unfortunately I fear that the world that the world doesn't believe in JFK's line that we all inhabit this small planet we all breathe the same air we all cherish our children's and we are all mortal... I fear that people these days don't believe that they don't believe it enough to put aside what differences they have and work for a common good a common goal, and Hope. A world without hope isn't going to last very long.

[@timothymoyer2201]

I Agree Cap't As a Vet the same!

[@helio68]

Thank you all for everything you've done

[@DocD173]

Right there with you homie. As a fellow vet, this episode felt like a real love letter to us that have served, especially Combat Veterans. But I’ll be honest, the last line of the episode broke my heart.

[@JohnPamplin]

My Gawd, SNW continues to knock it out of the flippin' park. This is why episodic storytelling is so great - a brand new thing every week! I am SO impressed with the writing and acting. This is why SNW is now their greatest gem of a show.

[@chefdean7257]

Definitely a return to form, for Trek.

[@fijipodd]

All of the best in production we got in discovery with the heart and soul of what came before makes a beautiful combination

[@SomeBritishGal1]

Babs' performance in this episode was... chilling. I'm not sure whether it's his calm voice or his general demeanor in the episode but it felt like an caged lion, just waiting for the chance to snap and kill Dak'rah. It's scary how calmly and quickly he dispatches this former Klingon general.

[@Lovelyivy84]

During the dinner scene, I was constantly expecting violence.

[@Sarappreciates]

I got one complaint, but it's not Babs' fault... The camera, or in the editing, the sparring match scene was one of those scenes in which I wish the camera had backed off to allow us to really watch the fight choreography. It surprised me to learn Babs is a martial artist IRL, so it woulda been lovely to have seen that. The closeup multi-cut editing made me sad for the actors who likely rehearsed it.

[@MylesRAnderson]

Spock walking away from Chapel is also a call back to when Ortegas told him to learn when to leave someone alone. Love they way they continue to develop character personal traits from previous episodes so naturally!!

[@davidanderson_surrey_bc]

Good catch. You'll notice they showed that Spock/Ortegas moment in the "Previously" segment for this episode.

[@YearsinSeason]

As a person who struggles with PTSD myself, it is very difficult to explain to others who don’t have it what it is like. The one part of this episode that they did a wonderful job of showing is the impact of past trauma and how it haunts you day in and day out. Just like in this episode, while the flash backs are meant to convey the story and the trauma, the depiction of it was very accurate. Imagine having pieces of your worst moments reliving themselves within your own mind over and over without any control or ability to stop it. And the one thing that is never mentioned is that flashbacks like this aren’t just like watching a movie, no, you relive the emotions attached to that memory. So you relive the pain, The Terror, The uncertainty and the panic. You don’t just watch the event, you relive it. So, it makes perfect sense that Spock of all people would be dumbfounded as to how to treat or even console someone experiencing this phenomenon. Since he suppressed his emotions, The notion that someone is being overwhelmed by past trauma is simply unimaginable. But, the best thing I can say to convey this is imagine something that triggers this mental scar and then you are simply caught up in a wave of emotions and feelings very similar to being caught by an ocean wave and tossed around. So, hats off to the entire crew and writing staff for dealing with this issue Head on.

[@tlouiseallen9302]

😔🙏🏼 it’s taken years to get my ptsd manageable. Fewer flashbacks now but, there are still some that take you. I felt this episode too.👊🏼🖖🏼

[@williamsakalaucks6335]

This episode is the best of Battle of AR558, Paper Moon, and Pale Moonlight. The pacing between flashbacks and current time was well done.

[@donaldmacarthur]

All of the actors on SNW have done an amazing job bringing their new, or previously established, characters to life. Jess Bush isn't alone in how amazing she's done here

[@c187rocks]

The clearing of the pattern buffer really hit me hard. At some point, you just have to accept you can't save everyone, and the triage system gives you the best shot at helping the most people. Chapel not wanting to hit the button does reflect what happens when you're faced with knowing you're going to let someone die (which Bush did a fantastic job showing) and how painful that is when you come in to heal people.

[@chrisolson6444]

I like that they lingered on the transporter after he hit the pattern buffer. We get to see all the people coming in. And that hit harder than the computer just announcing incoming transport.

[@TranJoshua]

After having some time to reflect and think on it a bit.... why couldn't they have just beamed him back onto the pad for a moment, brought the power back up, and then put him back in the buffer? Why did he have to die? He was critical and needed immediate surgery, but at least he would have had a chance that way as opposed to just being deleted. The thought didn't occur to me until after the episode, and I get in the moment, logic can be one of the last things present. Made me think though.

[@chrisolson6444]

They could have brought him back up but I believe he would have died waiting to go back in. It would have had the same impact and would have taken up that much more time.

[@TranJoshua]

@@chrisolson6444 But we don’t “know” he would have died. Odds were against him, sure, but wasn’t a definite. Pushing the button 100% killed him with 0% chance of survival. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@chrisolson6444]

That's true

[@chrish.7563]

If a show can go from hilarious comedy to a dark, gritty war story within two weeks and excels in both regards, you know you have a truly great show. Loving SNW more each week and so far season two imho is even better than season one which already was strong as f***.

[@grumpus5248]

And it's going to veer straightaway into a musical o.0

[@JohnPamplin]

Right there with you. As a lifelong Trekkie, I am continuously shocked at the quality of this.

[@jacobseal]

I thought it was uneven in the first half but these last 3 episodes are 3 of the best episodes of Star trek. Season 2 is turning out to be a classic.

[@krishna_2019]

This was such a good episode & quite a contrast to the previous. Babs Olusanmokun deserves an Emmy for his performance. Jess Bush & Babs kill all the scenes they're in together pertaining to the war, and I'm not just talking about this episode -- but especially this episode.

[@brianadams8136]

Totally, totally agree with you there. I have been looking and hoping for an Emmy award-winning performance from Strange New Worlds, and I have found it, at last. Babs Olusanmokun deserves an Emmy cumulatively, for many, many wonderful scenes he has acted in these seasons of SNW, the sheer amount of emotion that he has been able to pack in his scenes - my goodness, I can't wait to see him elsewhere in the future, on TV or in motion picture films.

[@stephenkoehler4051]

One thing I really think needs added here is that Ortegas has some good acting in here too and has some trauma to draw upon. Watching the ready room episode after this brought tears to my eyes as I was not familiar with Melissa Navia's trauma of recent occurrence. It really brings me a respect for her as an actress, and as a person. She really has done a lot for us, the fans. She's a real trooper and should be commended for this episode as well.

[@PantslessDragon]

I'm surprised the TOS food synthesizer sound effect being directly used during the Raktajino part didn't make it into cetacean observations. That was a very nice touch

[@mikegriffinasl]

Agreed - that’s the only point I laughed.. the rest of the time I was in shock and enthralled.. amazing episode

[@bethgoldman2560]

Apparently, the 3 playing veterans had reached out to vets to speak to them. Jess spoke to medvac staff and used what they told her to inform her performance

[@chrisb508]

For one reason or another, almost every episode this season has brought me to tears for one reason or another. This episode really hit me hard. So well done!

[@davidanderson_surrey_bc]

So... for one reason or another then?

[@GSBarlev]

I have what seems to be a very unpopular take: *the crossover episode was the worst episode of the season* so far. Don't get me wrong--I agree it was phenomenal, but this season has _just been that good_

[@chrisb508]

@@davidanderson_surrey_bc ok, here goes…E1 when M’Benga and Chapel fight their way through the ship and then make a desperate leap into space, E2 when Una relates her story and is exonerated, E3 when La’an struggles to deal with the secret she has to keep, E4 when Ortegas saves the ship, E5 when Spock first discovers he’s human, when he loses it on Sam Kirk and the relationship he has with his mother, E6 when Uhura has visions of Hemmer and the depth of loss we all feel when he died, E7 was tears of laughter, and E8 hit me the hardest because I’m a retired soldier and I’ve seen a lot of my fellow soldiers dealing with PTS and this episode really captured the pain that PTS inflicts on its victims.

[@rickcampbell9280]

I've suffered trauma. This episode shows a very real depiction of what PTSD is like to endure. Best episode of the season.

[@lukeflyswatter3203]

It's great how they flesh out the shared history between Mbenga and Chapel. I didn't realize how far back they went.

[@JohnPamplin]

Remember the scene early in S2 where she makes a remark about the serum and says "You really want to do this again?" - that was a hint at this. Marvelous.

[@dwaynejackson3935]

@@JohnPamplinIt was in the first episode when she said it.

[@eurojenn]

Actually, Nurse Chapel Is on the other side of the screen and when she comes around the screen the klingon is dead. Maybe I experienced that scene differently, but that is how I got it. Then, she tells the captain that story, and says you never really know someone's heart. It all kind of makes sense. Also, in the past, she tells M'Benga to make them all pay, and in the death scene he says something about having to pay. He keeps his promise to Nurse Chapel. Super deep episode.

[@andream7653]

You are right, she didn’t see it. They lied and said that the knife belongs to “the butcher of j’gal” which it did, but they were letting everyone continue to believe it was Rah

[@Mike19737]

Yeah. The butcher reveal was shocking but it made sense.

[@curtisbme]

Yup. He missed the point of this scene. She straight up lied. They both lied about the knife. And M'Benga murdered Rah, finishing the fight Rah "started" on the planet.

[@withershin]

The director of this episode, Jeff W Byrd, was on the 7th Rule podcast and said they shot 3 or 4 different endings and the cast/crew decided to go with this version.

[@Yibambe.]

@@curtisbme I don’t see how this could be described as murder. It was self-defense. Joseph is shouting for Rah to get his hands off of him.

[@eliotanders3488]

This ep was awesome! That base on J'Ghal is reminiscent of a Korean War M.A.S.H. unit. Very powerful scenes.

[@mapeliam]

I believe the fight behind the frosted glass was a depiction of the ambiguity of the fight and M'Benga's feelings which led him to end it. This is just confirms the clear willful blindness of everyone involved. Everyone knows he did it and was happy it happened. Overall, for someone who isn't really a fan of Klingon-centric episodes, this was sublime. Babs Olusanmokun is exceptional!

[@kingbeauregard]

Why exactly do you trust the Klingon but not M'Benga? M'Benga was trying to avoid a fight at every turn. The Klingon, on the other hand, was a complete fraud who was happy to have people killed, and M'Benga was the one person who could expose him as a fraud. What makes you trust the good will of the Klingon?

[@davidhanley6135]

Exactly. The frosted glass was a brilliant metaphor

[@leticiagarcia9025]

This episode was brilliant. Babs, Jess and Melissa killed it. For me, it made feel that I was there in the war. My son is a vet. I did everything I could to help him with his PTSD. He’s now a chef and in a good place. Thank you SNW writers for bringing PTSD awareness. For those who are war veterans, thank you for your service. 🖖

[@Yibambe.]

Bless you and your son

[@daprophet02]

Babs was absolutely brilliant in this episode. Definitely Emmy worthy performance for Best Actor.

[@CrimsonRevenant666]

Last episode was just fun, then it went dark and deep with this one. Loved both episodes.

[@kevinmartin225]

Sean what I’m loving about this season is the episodes are not focusing on certain characters. Each episode focusing on a different characters is giving each actor in the show there time in the spotlight…and I love it

[@Ambious]

​I give a huge up to Pike for caring for his crew and being attentive to their mental state.

[@KingZercules]

I loved how he listened to Una and immediately agreed with her when she made her point clear. Great leadership.

[@junito1957]

BEST CAPTAIN OF ALL THE STAR TREK SHOWS, ALL OF THEM HE THE BEST IF IT WASNT FOR HIM THEY WOULD NOT BE A KIRK ON ONE OF THE TIME LINE

[@jackkenefick2696]

by making them all go to dinner

[@TravelswithLlama]

​@@jackkenefick2696That's what I thought too. Like really dude?

[@erasure25]

Meh, he seems like a Captain who has no control over his bridge officers and is out of his league. Janeway, Picard, Sisko - none of them would have allowed bridge officers to act the way they did during the dinner.

[@clocksurfer]

I've been a civilian EMT for a long time. I'm somewhat familiar with some of the things my military counterparts do. I have experienced emotional trauma, and seen it in other caregivers. The medical character portrayals in this episode were stunningly true-to-life (including Clint Howard)! Hats off to this series yet again.

[@RandomActsOfReality]

Yep, same here, civilian emergency healthcare - I’ve had to make a similar decision as M’benga makes when he purged the pattern buffer, and it gave me some feelings I’ve not felt for a while.

[@garyfloyd1843]

I am lifelong fan since TOS I have never turned an episode off. I had to with this episode, not due to being bad, but because it is that well written and portrayed. I am retired from U.S. army as a 68W/18D SO Medical Sergeant. Dr. M'Bengena and Nurse Chappel's reactions / flashback invoked every response I have every had having served in multiple theaters since 1991-2014. It put a mirror to things that I had thought delt with. It is to close to home and never has Sci-Fi ever done that to me before. Kudos for them doing this and bringing to light the fact that as service members we are either sent home with no support or back at "normal duty" and required to be ok no matter what.

[@ernieeats6113]

What a beautifully done episode. A gut punch from what we saw last episode. We hear about the klingon war, but to finally see and hear about it realised is truly something.

[@VikingVet]

As a combat veteran AR-558 and this rank right up there with realistic warfare, emotion, and compassion toward war vets.

[@jackmalvern2394]

Bare minimum Babs should get an emmy nomination. Amazing work.

[@Elemental-IT]

the writing and pacing of this season is spectacular. The roller coaster of emotion is tantalizing and delicious. The extreme high and levity of Those Old Scientists last week and the dark and raw of Under the cloak of War this week back to back makes it hard to catch your breath. Having every episode focus on a different character and not focus on the conquests of the captain - who in fact is relegated to a supporting role in much of this season (and yet is still powerful in his performance - holding the crew together and being a foundation for these stories) SNW is very quickly becoming my favorite Star Trek series, and it deserves all of the acclaim and recognition.

[@DesiderataTruth]

I liked the glass. It wasn't about did he or didn't he kill him intentionally--though I think he did--it was about putting their "crimes" on an even presentation. Even though Rah's crimes are there, we have the distance of not seeing him commit them directly. There is also the symmetry in each man being able to publicly frame his crime from villain to hero. Instead of focusing on what we saw, we put the focus on what M'benga felt.

[@yophotodude7693]

This was a very good MASH episode. You really felt the pain of war and the stress of a field emergency hospital.

[@Aezetyr]

I think the reason for the frosted glass was more metaphorical. It's difficult to see who is "correct" in this situation. Which makes it a true moral dilemma.

[@dragonkilt]

I wondered if it was to see a seed of doubt, making us unsure who started the fight.

[@georgeduncan9443]

as that scene played out with m'benga clearing the pattern buffer, i literally said out loud "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few". brilliant scene, brilliant episode, brilliant seson, amazing show !

[@stephenstott9690]

Speaking as a combat vet one of the best war related episodes in the Trek universe!

[@taivo55]

As a vet... All I can say is that this episode is as real as it gets. Hands up to going where no Star Trek episode has gone before. The closest that any other ST episode gets to the psychology of PTSD is the masterpiece "Chain of Command, Part II" and Picard's admission that in the end he was "seeing" five lights.

[@sparshjohri1109]

DS9 has quite a few on PTSD (It's Only a Paper Moon and The Siege of AR-558 come to mind), but regardless of how many times it's been done before, the take that Strange New Worlds had is phenomenal, and I really loved the execution of the premise of the episode.

[@taivo55]

@@sparshjohri1109 I missed the last few of seasons of DS9, so thank you for pointing those out. I've clearly got some catching up to do on that particular series. I was an interrogator, so the "Chain of Command" episode is quite well-known in my MOS.

[@LordLOC]

@@taivo55 The Siege of AR-558 is (as Sean pointed out) one of the starkest, darkest and serious episodes of Trek ever put to screen. It's a rather haunting episode, and the continuation of it with It's Only a Paper Moon directly deals with the trauma and PTSD of war. Chain of Command is of course legendary for being such a not-TNG episode of TNG also, what with actual torture and serious emotional distress being shown. And of course Patrick Stewart acts his ass off. These three episodes might be the best episodes showing war in the franchise actually. Other than straight up conflict episodes like the first 5 episodes (I think it was the first 5) of S6 of DS9 and the first season-ish of Discovery.

[@taivo55]

@@LordLOC I will definitely be paying more attention to the "War Years" of DS9.

[@yougosquishnow]

The stabbing was behind the glass because we are not supposed to know if chaple and mbenga were lying or not. We know pike doesnt believe him, but it is supposed to be ambiguous as to what really happened. Not a bait and switch just a 'let the audience choose what they want to believe' moment. Which is incredible because we know there is a moral gray area with mbenga and klingons. It was a great addition imo.

[@ankerubinetto2359]

That's what I think, too. Plus the fact that MBenga obviously carried this knife around with him, so he came prepared to potentially kill the guy.

[@curtisbme]

@@ankerubinetto2359 He 100% murdered him. But I think it was in the moment, not prepared/premeditated killing. He had the knife as a trauma memento and it was a in-the-moment emotional reaction to finish his mission.

[@ankerubinetto2359]

I also think that the final decision happened in that scene itself, but... I don't think it was a coincidence that he had this box with his personal war stuff right there, at his workplace. Why is it there?... Would have been different if the scene had happened in his quarters.

[@GSBarlev]

However way you slice it, Dak'Reh started the fight. He had every opportunity to walk away. M'Benga *yelled* at him to go away. But either: 1. Dak'Reh manipulated everything from the start in order to die an honorable death (the suicidal Klingon is one we've seen on _Trek_ before, that's not the way Robert Wisdom played the part) 2. He knew that M'Benga knew his secret and knew he had to silence him, so he reached for the knife (very possible) 3. He was so vain and _stupid_ that the thought never crossed his mind that M'Benga would hurt him, and so the prospect of winning him over as an ally was just too much for him to resist.

[@johnstephens3305]

I'm surprised you didn't notice that Rah didn't have "Klingon" teeth. They looked like standard human teeth. Not a deal breaker but I kept noticing it throughout the episode. His guards had them in the flashback.

[@MoniqueLawGEN1-3]

Tears, non Klingon teeth, I wonder if he was a bridge between the TOS Klingons and Next Generations’?

[@hephzeba2001]

@@MoniqueLawGEN1-3 And a skull cap with hair fringe.

[@johnnywalker8815]

He may had them reformed to look more human more peaceful.

[@MoniqueLawGEN1-3]

@@hephzeba2001 that is hilarious …

[@Thaleios]

Same here. I noticed that. I believe the augment Klingons had human teeth after being changed back into Klingons but not positive. This definitely stood out.

[@matthewkaylor8108]

As a Veteran, I felt this episode handled the concept wonderfully. It is extremely difficult to explain the horrors of war to those who haven't experienced it. The scars do run deep and the actors did a phenomenal job of showing that.

[@rigues]

Babs and Jess are AMAZING in this episode. Strange New Worlds is quickly rocketing to the position of "best Trek ever" in my personal ranking.

[@AvesPasseri-Jinysvet]

Yeah, the actors are better and better. Even after Picard and Shakespeare.

[@Ivan_Ooze]

I’m right there with you, SNW has been amazing

[@KingZercules]

It's already my second favorite series after DS9. And it's only Season 2 omg !!!

[@jonpopelka]

I'll give it 3rd status after DS9 and TNG, but it certainly has the potential to take my #2 spot! Each episode just seems to get better and better.

[@williambuford6136]

I agree with you. Season two of Strange New Worlds is knocking it out of the Park!!!

[@BigNoseDog]

Jess Bush has indeed been a revelation. Yes, the writers deserve a lot of credit for adding more depth to the character. But no matter what material they give her, she excels. Action, romantic comedy, drama. She can do it all. And judging by the trailer for next week’s musical episode, it looks like she can sing and dance as well.

[@Yibambe.]

I just hope they don’t crash and burn Chapel’s relationship with Spock as early as it seems they will.

[@BigNoseDog]

@@Yibambe.given that viewers already know the relationship won’t last, I don’t think the writers would go to all the trouble of getting them together only to end it quickly, especially since they know the fans have been wanting this. My hope is that they’re exploring this relationship in order to further develop each character. Maybe Spock’s experimenting with emotions will teach him why it’s best to embrace his Vulcan side. Maybe Chapel’s time with Spock will show that she’s incompatible with someone who’s so different.

[@RotalHenricsson]

The whole Frosted Glass-thing is a real problem, because *I* got the complete opposite impression: as far as i can tell M'Benga killed the ambassador in cold blood. Maybe not *cold* blood but still. The man has shown tremendously impressive discipline not murdering him every time he meets him but enough was enough. The only reason to hide the fight is to keep it ambiguous who started it, and the only reason to keep that a question is if we're supposed to not like the answer. Plus M'Benga's PTSD has been a boiling pot all season. I ended this episode with *very* displeasing feelings about Pike, Chapel (because i can't tell if she saw the entire incident or took M'Benga's word for it after only witnessing the fight, not how it started) and *possibly* Laan, depending on how this turns out (i expect the season finale to deal with the fallout). Chapel possibly lied to Pike's face, Laan *definitely* doesn't buy it and Pike absolutely knows M'Benga is dishing him cow products too. And i get the impression none of them are going to report their suspicions. Which is not good. Oddly enough i have no problems with the depiction of M'Benga despite being a murderer; i didn't get the impression that i was supposed to agree with what he does in the first place. I'll have to see what happens from here on before final judgement of this episode but all in all i'm not very happy with this. Season 2 is cashing in *a lot* of the goodwill Season 1 built up for me.

[@alexandercharizard3617]

I got a similar impression, but the more I think about it, I'm not sure. M'benga says he doesn't regret that the ambassador is dead, but still claims he himself didn't start the fight. If he tried to get away with murder why give such a cold response to pike? and also, he might just admit to it, since he doens't seem to care much anymore. I think the glass might be there to keep it ambiguous how much chapel actually saw. There might also be the possibility, one or both of them genuinely believe what they say due to some sort of trauma response. I hope that gets brought up again but I'm not sure that will happen. I don't really know how to feel about that ending right now, it just concluded to fast.

[@RotalHenricsson]

Imo, if i'm right, the reason he gave that specific response to Pike was that there was absolutely no way Pike would have bought him being sorry. M'Benga visibly had murder on the brain since he learned the ambassador was coming, i doubt he thought he could successfully lie to Pike. Probably didn't want to, either; shit for all i know he told him a truth "from a certain point of view" in that the klingon started "this fight" during the war. Note how he blames [i forgot Klingon Guy's name, sorry] directly, to his delightfully klingon face, for what he turned him into. As for this topic being picked up again; i expect the season finale to deal with it. Since i don't subscribe to this being Prime no matter what they claim they got a lot of whiggle room on this one; SNW-M'Benga doesn't *have* to remain on the Enterprise until Kirk's time. By TOS' start he might well be yeeted out of Starfleet or doing time in a prison colony.

[@cinemagoose]

Episode felt like a combo of DS9's "Duet" and "The Seige of AR-558" and I loved it for this.

[@RotalHenricsson]

I feel like Rah had a bit of an In The Pale Moonlight-situation going on all on his own. If you think about it. He strikes me as genuinely trying to turn something shameful into a force for good. That's not that different from Sisko risking the entire romulan empire to save the Federation. Just on a smaller scale. He fucked up, he knows it, got the oportunity to use it for good presented on a silver platter and went for it. Whatever he did or didn't do on that planet - his life would've ended up cushier if he hadn't taken the rep for killing his own men. Suppose there's a bit of self-punishment in the mix.

[@poil8351]

also very reminiscent of Nor the Battle to the Strong complete with klingons besiging a federation colony or outpost and a hospital in a war zone.

[@DavidPaulStone]

Last week was an LOL episode, this week’s was an OMG episode. The acting, writing and production just keeps getting better

[@ITGuy1970]

Does that mean the musical episode gets the WTF?

[@DavidPaulStone]

@@ITGuy1970 SMH? EIEIO?

[@robertfarr9186]

And you missed the biobed immediately “breaking” as soon as joe leaves. Along with the plot point that it hasn’t worked right since the gorn attack, and the fact that the gorn war/attack has yet to appear this season probably means there is some gorn biomatter in the bed that (remember) can’t be detected with starfleet sensors causing the malfunction and will most likely be used in a future episode(most likely the finale)

[@karenjones6135]

That sounds interesting! It makes sense.

[@kpl-CA]

Exactly what I thought too.

[@Sk8rToon]

Also a metaphor for M’Banga. It’s functional. It has good days. But after the battle it’s never the same.

[@kevinasli9103]

The best stand alone Star Trek episode I’ve seen…I’m 61 and I’ve seen them all…Quality.

[@ChrundleTGreat]

This was by far one of the best episodes in the entire trek universe!! Having served in combat in Afghanistan on 6 different deployments, this episode hit me hard and had me feeling things I have tried to control for years. Definitely Emmy Award worthy.

[@lamesurfer1015]

I did my fair share of MEDCAPs over there between 2010-2012. Usually stuff like this (movies, TV, funker vids) doesn't bother me. I found myself breathing really hard when the klaxons went off and the computer shouted "Incoming Transport." When M'Benga killed that guy to clear the buffer my mind went straight back there.

[@whitleybayman123]

Yes, this was a great episode. I love Chapel this season, but what the writers and actor have done with Mbenga this season is superb. I m totally invested in his character this season

[@1organgrinder]

Babs is an excellent actor! I get more from his facial expressions than most actors' monologues! I want to see more of the Klingon War because this was intense!

[@jimmyryan5880]

He's difficult to hear though. Great actor but he needs to announciate a little more.

[@Heggolar]

This was a good episode. Had some hard moments in it that were captured great and Babs Olusanmokun was amazing he really made it look and feel real. Loving Strange New Worlds so much.

[@thenaughtyprintmaker4297]

I got a lot of Nor the Battle to the Strong vibes from this ep too. It's like they pulled all the most trauma-y parts of DS9 and put them together (in a beautifully done way). Babs, the director, and the writers of this episode damn well better get some major nominations and wins for this one.

[@MrCurlykid1]

Strange New Worlds is so good. Unity with the actors and writers. Screw the greedy CEOs

[@unbridledmayo]

One observation missed. When Pike was looking at M'benga's profile on the pad after speaking to Una... you got the same music as in the actual fighting in the seige of AR 558 in DS9

[@johncattley5919]

The line about everybody who lives on Luna just calling it “The Moon” is a reference to DS9, the episode when the cadet crew of the Valiant get caught behind Dominion lines-and in way over their heads.

[@monitor1862]

The look the transporter chief gave the Klingon Ambassador when he beamed aboard was chilling. Growing up around several WW2 vets I know even twenty and thirty years on there was plenty of anger and animosity felt by some of them.

[@mephisto8101]

I am pleasantly surprised about the quality of writing in Strange New Worlds. So many great episodes in this season.

[@JohnPamplin]

We can re-watch this over and over. Which, apparently, we are going to have to considering the strikes happening now. We might have to wait a LONG time for S3. I don't know if they wrapped shooting for S3 or not - do you know?

[@scottmclelland9322]

this is where im in awe of what they have managed so far , they have managed to put episodes like these old scientists and this into a season and neither feel out of place

[@JaneArtsyOtternutKirkwood]

Absolutely brilliant episode! I was waiting for you to give an UP to Robert Wisdom for his fantastic portrayal of Dak 'Rah, Sean....it really surprised me that you never mentioned him as you always have with other actors before....Robert Wisdom definitely gets an UP from me, as do the whole cast.

[@brianadams8136]

Here here!

[@marcofabiocarosi2996]

This episode gave me the chills of a war drama plus the thrill of the scene behind the screen. It was shock inducing. Bravo

[@jenntyler7738]

I believe the death scene of the Ambassador was behind the frosted glass was to give Chappell the cover, the “cloak of war” if you will, the gray zone to testify what she saw to exonerate Umbenga truthfully. A disturbing episode for me, disturbing like Voyager episode when 7 of 9 sends species 8472 to its trophy hunters to its death. That episode was chilling too.

[@curtisbme]

Yeah, it gives a little bit of a possibility that what she is saying is the truth but to me it was clear she lying.

[@mikemedina7461]

She has no business telling Pike she saw the whole thing. This is where the episode expects us to ignore that there is the lie detector.

[@jenntyler7738]

@@curtisbme agreed.

[@curtisbme]

@@mikemedina7461 They don't expect us to ignore it as this isn't a trial. Pike believes his crew and they have the weapon that he thinks is Rah's. They are showing us her lie to show the bond of combat vets with shared trauma can have. That she would break her Starfleet oaths to cover for her brother.

[@micnoozm78]

**ANOTHER VET COMMENT** As a Combat Medic Veteran, this episode was excellent. I found myself triaging (TRIAGE) the wounded as they materialized on the transporter deck. AMBLATORY! EXPECTANT! (the Red shirt in the pattern buffer)

[@TheCritic-MMA]

Yes, to me there was an issue of her not knowing or being able to accept the idea of expectant that seemed a bit off, she's doing triage and even with the organ regenrator in those conditions maybe he should still be classified as expectant because they simply didn't have the resources or time to save him without it preventing them saving who knows how many others (plus it probably being dicey whether he'd live anyway). The pattern buffer idea was great if he could be beamed into a flagship medbay but the very concept of expectant shouldn't be foreign to somebody in charge of triage (and the surgeon should've probably been in surgery not helping with triage). Then there's a couple minor canon issues with it being trivial to hold somebody in a pattern buffer and the pre-TOS shuttle having a transporter in the opening.

[@micnoozm78]

@@TheCritic-MMA Boom goes the dynamite!

[@beardedchampion4321]

For me the frosted glass obscuration was a good choice! its unclear whether M'benga started the fight or not and therefore whether Chapel is covering for her friend or not. It leaves some potentially distasteful questions that I think are in keeping with the darkness of the episode. I thought it was a great episode personally, a great tonal change from the last one and good to see the Trek can still do hard hitting drama like the best of them!

[@Conundrum191]

Arguably one of the best episodes of Star Trek in my opinion. That said, you don't really see who started the actual fight in sick bay...also with the scene being shot through the glass you really can't see who was the aggressor of that final conflict. In my opinion though, this adds a ton to the episode, and makes the "I didn't start the fight" that much more powerful -- Does he mean the fight in sick bay, or was this the end to the fight that started on J'Gal? Also in the end, does it really matter which it really was? Was the death justified? There is no black or white here, only shades of grey.

[@KRZero86]

No, in regards to the uniform it's not a retcon. Remember, when Pike first shows up in Season 2 of Discovery he's wearing the classic Gold uniform. He only changes it when he's on the Discovery. My guess is that newer ships and fresh cadets wore the TOS/SNW uniform while Starfleet started to incorporate them into the fleet. So it may not have been far off besides it was during the tail end of the war this particular event happens.

[@weshurst4895]

They did mention the enterprise was the flag ship , thats why they were wearing the classic uniforms.

[@SierraThunder]

If you think about it, you have to remember that not all of the Star Fleet units would neccessarily utilize the same Deltas, they would naturally be modified so that you would be able to identify particular units simply be seeing a particular Delta on that person's chest. I was in the military for a good many years, first in the Army & then in the Air Force, and not all identifying uniform insignias were exactly the same. I'm sure that new information is being thought out, discussed, and then included all the time to flesh out "The Writer's Bible" to assist in continuity where all of the various shows in the ST franchise are concerned. It will also assist greatly for the eventual fan productions that I'm reasonably certain will begin to show up on YT in the near future. But without any doubt in my mind, SNW is fast becoming the absolute best series in the Star Trek multiverse. And I'm certain that it will become one of the best sci-fi series that we have been blessed to be able to follow.

[@KRZero86]

@@SierraThunder Agreed on all points

[@bjorn00000]

It kinda is, since we see non-Discovery, non-Enterprise combat uniforms in "The War Without, The War Within". Still, I'm fine with ignoring pink Klingon blood and playing a bit fast and loose with flashbacks, especially if we get stories like this one.

[@davefl67]

@@bjorn00000 "Pink Klingon blood" was only added in post-production of that film because initial review by the MPAA handed down an "R" rating. That's likely why it was never fully canonized.

[@edstowell5489]

Are you not going to mention the serum that M'Benga created that we saw him use in the first episode of this season? He gave Chapel a vial of it on the moon and told her to use it if the Klingons breached the camp. Seeing how the two of them took care of business in the first episode this season I think there may be more Dr. M'Benga and Nurse Chapel adventures we don't know about.

[@Yibambe.]

I’m up for a Chapel-M’Benga prequel

[@Punisher045]

Babs is giving us some top notch acting. He is playing his part to perfection. One of the reasons Star Trek is a huge Up for me this year

[@AGD2112]

About half-way through this episode I found myself thinking that this is probably my favourite STAR TREK episode EVER! Wow! Really covering hard-hitting topics, heavy emotional scenes, incredible acting, movie-quality production values and special effects ... Covering the realities of war on a TV show like I have NEVER seen it done before .. The chaos, the emotional shocks, the price that is being paid, the post-war trauma, the contrast of this with the desire to move on and heal the wounds ... Every scene was really moving. The only thing I had a little struggle with was the ending ... It was far better than just tieing a little bow on it with everyone making friends, but I didn't want to see the doctor, who I now care so much about, exacting some form of vengeful justice and getting dragged back over to the dark side. An incredidle 44 minutes of television!

[@theundeadbeholder284]

Great episode and even better acting, especially from Babs Olusanmokun; regarding the fight on sickbay my impression is that Rah didn't attack M'benga first, remember that the knife was in the chest, opposite to were Rah was standing, M'benga took the knife out of the chest and Rah moved forward in that moment, the tinted glass was there to block the audience from having an explicit understanding of the scene, and leave the fight ambiguous. I believe that M'benga and Chapel stated to "he started the fight" in reference to the fight starting in that planet, during the war, with Rah atrocities.

[@curtisbme]

Yes, this 100%. Zero question in my mind that M'benga finished the fight that Rah started on the planet. He could have gotten away if it was just a fist fight that Rah was starting. Capel lied about what she saw, and both of them lied about the knife to Pike. This is the darkest aspect of a dark episode, that two key crew members, close to Pike, lied to his face. I don't know if we've ever seen this in Trek before. We've seen crew lie to the captain before but in those cases it is usually that the captain knew they were lying (and the liars knew he knew) and chose not to do anything official about it.

[@theundeadbeholder284]

@@curtisbme The episode was outstanding, but having said that, I believe it would have never been made if Gene Roddenberry was still alive. Really dark and dissonant of the perfect future that Star Trek has always tried to depict.

[@curtisbme]

@@theundeadbeholder284 Assuming you are referring to the STTNG Roddenberry "no conflict between the crew" mandate. That was specific to TNG having evolved further socially than what we see in ToS. But since this is prior to ToS (and because it isn't based on the crew having conflict with each other) I don't see it being something that he would object to. We saw this same level of Klingon hate causing issues amongst the crew during ToS.

[@LG123ABC]

I think having the fight behind the frosted glass might have been a metaphor for how the truth is often obscured by the fog of war. One thing that did bother me though is how they can't seem to revive a man from a simple stab wound that he literally received in one of the most advanced medical care facilities in the galaxy?

[@kirkdarling4120]

Reminds me of a line from Lower Decks: "This is Starfleet! Nobody dies from a spear!"

[@tylerbrown9797]

I feel like that is because mbenga made sure to put the knife where even advanced medical care couldn't save the klingon.

[@JunkGaragehome]

they can't or did not want too? the medical staff in med bay at the time of his death where both survivors of the conflict. them not reviving him was a choice.

[@heatherfyffe3618]

@@JunkGaragehome A choice which goes against their medical vows, and further makes both of them complicit in murder. If the stabbing was indeed simple self-defense, then not caring for the victim and letting him die, ups it to plain and simple murder. ie a doctor might stab an attacker to protect himself, but then care for the wounded attacker (while ensuring they're in restraints or whatever). To not even attempt to care for him means that M'Benga's intent was to kill, not to defend.

[@michaellongstreet6681]

Especially since Klingons have multiple redundant organs to help them survive.

[@azion1995]

While Séan didn't like the view of the fight behind the frosted, glass, I saw it as an excellent metaphor for the fog of war. The point is that, in war, it becomes very difficult to know things like who shot first, who killed who, very purpose of the whole thing being unclear. The earlier exchange between M'Benga & the soldier whose life the doctor & Chapel save provided the opposite view of this: a clear purpose for why they fought. The last word of the episode, so to speak, is that, at its heart, war can have kind of a pointless brutally to itself, especially during the heat of battle.

[@kingbeauregard]

Astute!

[@gyulatakacs1824]

That was a fantastic episode. I really liked how they dealt with PTSD, unforgivable war crimes, the innocence and ignorance of those that weren't there in war, and how the criminal got what was coming to him. That was a complete episode. The doctor is the best character on the show.

[@pookhahare]

Uniforms can go through trial periods so it isn't unusual to have different Uniforms in use at the same time. So Uniforms can appear and disappear . It also takes a long while to phase in and out major changes.

[@HereticReborn]

Yeah that’s how I think it goes too. Plus the uniforms would probably have much higher turnover on the war front than on the ship.

[@TheLostProphecies]

She got to HOLD A HEART 😂 just like Tendi in Lower Decks’ pilot!!😊

[@pyRoy6]

How did Tendi not get a mention in cetacean observations?!!?

[@habokhari73]

Absolutely loved this episode (last weeks was pretty cool too). The plot was awesome and I loved the flashbacks that tell the story of why M’Benga and Chapel are so at odds with the Klingons. To be honest, I do cringe at any references to Discovery, so was glad that the references were a minimum - personally, I would prefer it if they just didn’t make any references but you can’t have everything :)

[@LordLOC]

So, I've had some trouble understanding Babs in some of the episodes. Not because he doesn't speak English well or anything, it's just his accent can be quite strong sometimes. But in this episode, even if I didn't understand him, I understood him perfectly. If that makes any sense? And Jess Bush was also incredible in this episode, like can she act or what? She can't be more than what, 24 or so right? She plays it like a seasoned war vet, and nails the PTSD/trauma angle so well. That final scene with the General behind the frosted glass, I think showing it from that angle and behind the glass where you couldn't literally see what was really happening and who did what to whom - was on purpose. I've seen others comment that it's a literal translation of the episode title, under the cloak of war.

[@jeffjones4654]

This episode was an interesting look into how PTSD can affect veterans.

[@safiremorningstar]

It’s not just veterans it’s anyone who has lived through any kind of major war, in which missiles were literally flying overhead you could see them and was put in certain situations over many years that has left you with certain types of PTSD that when I smell or a sound, or even a person who looks like something you’re having to deal with or someone you had to deal with triggers it yeah, I’d say it was a very good episode because he got a lot of the accurately set up I have no words I’ve lost my words. I can’t say anymore.

[@ElcomeSoft]

Hands down the best episode of SNW to date by a considerable difference. This was brilliant. Cannot believe it only gets 8 ups and it gets 3 downs? Crazy ratings this week.

[@JamesEzell]

Absolutely agree. This is Star Trek at its best.

[@shortshrimp]

i prefer last episode. this was good too tho

[@zacharyvalko7699]

I agree, this is the best episode of SNW so far. Fantastic writing and wonderful acting.

[@jaybeeeasy]

As long as we’re all in agreement 👍🏾

[@videoboy001]

It's up there. This season is classic trek!

[@jpwphoenix1701]

This episode was incredible, hard-hitting and emotional. If there was one thing I wish they'd done more with, it's Ortegas' story. They did a great job in showing M'Benga and Chapel during the war, but I think Ortegas' whole thing in this episode would've been even stronger had we seen what she'd been up to (especially as even Boimler mentioned last week that she's a war hero!).

[@TheSecurity16]

At one point you see Ortegas as one of the wounded in this episode

[@TheBLBrothers]

I loved that Pike was cooking jambalaya in this episode, a clear reference to Sisko's favourite plate and a demonstration about how much rhe theme of this episode has in common with DS9

[@idontwannaidontwanna7307]

This episode was incredible, Babs specifically showed more range than one would expect from "sci-fi"

[@taramichelle2972]

Deep and very powerful episode with an incredible story and wow Babs, and Jess were phenomenal, outstanding performances this week from them both. I was left pretty stunned by this episode and it really showed the horror of war. I did however very much like the episode and it’s a brilliant story with powerful acting. It’s going to be a tough one to rewatch.

[@janetash4446]

Hard to watch but an excellent episode. Totally agree about the conversation between Pike and M’Banga, and Jess Bush’s performance (vicariously proud that she’s from Brissie). Anyone else think that Spock respectfully stepping back from Christine, could be the catalyst for the inevitable demise of their budding relationship?🤔 Bravo SNW, for taking episodic style to wild extremes…bring on the musical ep. ❤️🖖🏼🇦🇺

[@AgentM79]

Great vid! I DO believe we were given a full-on “bait & switch” in the sickbay fight. After watching and re-watching the scene several times, I say M’Benga “finished the mission” from J’Gal. They used the blurred visual to “leave it up to the audience” about what happened. La’An’s face in the conference room afterwards spoke volumes - she thought M’Benga’s story was BS, and that Chapel lied to cover for him. And that as much as she hated it as Security Chief, the evidence supported the story. And she would back her friends. No one but M’Benga, Chapel, and R’ah knew that M’Benga was the real “Butcher of J’Gal”, and it seemed to me that Pike and La’An believed the dagger belonged to R’ah. I am EXTREMELY PLEASED with the way this episode was done. I’m GOOD with M’Benga being morally ambiguous on his actions to Pike, and the exchange they had at the end of the episode. Jess Bush again NAILED IT, as did Babs Olusanmokun. I think the episode title referred to the blurred visual of the sickbay fight, as well as the Klingon War in general. Kudos to Wil Wheaton for his interview of Babs Olusanmokun and Melissa Navia in The Ready Room. I learned a lot about these two actors from the interview.

[@KristenK78]

Huh. I thought they all knew that M’Benga had the knife, and it proved he was the Butcher. I’ll have to rewatch…

[@KristenK78]

I also was positive, if they all knew M’Benga killed Rah, that this was going to be how the character exits the show/ship before Kirk becomes captain.

[@AgentM79]

@@KristenK78 They said the dagger belonged to The Butcher of J’Gall (based on the blood forensics of multiple Klingon warlords recovered from the knife). Pike and La’An never acknowledged that M’Begna WAS the Butcher. That was MY take on it.

[@AgentM79]

@@KristenK78 Given that M’Benga appeared in TOS, this event couldn’t canonically end his Starfleet career. However, in TOS, he was an expert in Vulcan anatomy/physiology, and studied on Vulcan. COULD IT BE that M’Benga takes a sabbatical soon after this incident (by choice or otherwise…..) and studies on Vulcan? It WOULD follow suit, and pave the way for Dr. McCoy (or Dr. Boyce?) on the USS Enterprise. The. again, Chapel and M’Benga are VERY different (minor) characters on TOS. Here on SNW, they are MAIN characters. I am in ABSOLUTELY NO HURRY to see a sudden canonical turn for ANY character on SNW. This show is HIGHLY enjoyable for me, and I am old enough to have seen TOS in first-run syndication in the mid-1970’s. “Getting there” will be more than half the fun. But there will be no harm/no foul if they bend canon here and there to make it work. We’re well past the half-century mark with TOS. There is no reason the characters must mesh PERFECTLY. We live in a much different world now.