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Published Jul 28, 2023

RECAP | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 208 - 'Under the Cloak of War'

'Some things break in a way that can never be repaired. Only managed.'

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains story details and plot points for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

StarTrek.com

Previously on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , while tending to an injured Klingon, Dr. M'Benga revealed he was stationed on the moon of J'Gal . The Klingon reacted with incredulity, because if that were true, the good doctor would be dead. As veterans of the Klingon War, M'Benga and Christine Chapel cannot shake the atrocities and lives lost that they witnessed.

In " Under the Cloak of War ," Captain Pike and his crew welcome a Klingon defector aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise , but his presence triggers the revelation of some shocking secrets.

• Christopher Pike
• Dak'Rah, Son of Rah'Ul
• Una Chin-Riley (Number One)
• La’An Noonien-Singh
• Nyota Uhura
• Erica Ortegas
• Jenna Mitchell
• Dr. Joseph M'Benga
• Christine Chapel
• Buck Martinez
• Va'Al Trask

• U.S.S. Enterprise
• U.S.S. Kelcie Mae
• Prospero System
• Moon of J'Gal

The U.S.S. Enterprise meets with the U.S.S. Kelcie Mae in the Prospero System to pick up a special visitor. Despite being under Starfleet jurisdiction since the end of the Klingon War, it has taken years for the system’s three planets to overcome infighting and reach a ceasefire agreement. In the Transporter Room, Captain Christopher Pike prepares to welcome the resolution’s architect, a unique Federation ambassador, aboard so he can be escorted to Starbase 12. The guest beams up and is revealed to be Ambassador Dak’Rah, a former Klingon general who had defected to Starfleet’s side. Most of Pike’s crew did not fight in the war, but some did.

A ceremonial bosun’s whistle is blown to honor Dak’Rah, Son of Rah'Ul, and the Klingon ambassador becomes intrigued with the tradition. Dak’Rah — or Rah — likens the practice to rolling out the red carpet. Although Pike remains upbeat and courteous, Commander Una Chin-Riley and Lt. La’An Noonien-Singh exchange concerned looks when Rah requests a tour of the Enterprise .

On the Bridge, Ensign Nyota Uhura enthusiastically cites the Summit of Scorpi Ten, the Klingon Free-Trade Agreement, and the Perez Accords as highlights of Rah’s diplomatic career, but war veteran Lt. Erica Ortegas responds with skepticism. Are the ambassador’s exploits a long con to gain Federation secrets? The pilot’s frustration grows, and she rises from the captain’s chair to defend her position. Ortegas counters Uhura’s enthusiasm with a list of Rah’s war campaigns — the Slaughter at Lembatta Five and siege at Starbase Zetta, as well as the rumor that he killed his own men to cover his retreat.

'Under the Cloak of War'

The lieutenant’s statement that the Klingons call Rah " The Butcher of J’gal ” comes at an inopportune moment, with her fervor reaching a crescendo as the ambassador exits the turbolift alongside Pike, Chin-Riley, and Noonien-Singh. Number One alerts the room to their presence, declaring, “Captain on the Bridge!” The officers descend into an awkward silence, but Rah breaks the tension by admiring the view of local space from the vessel’s command center. He claims the Federation builds much better ships than the Klingons, and Pike remarks that Starfleet designs them with exploration in mind. The tour moves on, but the captain eyes Ortegas with a disappointed glance.

At the bar in the Enterprise ’s Lounge, Lt. Spock assists Lt. Jenna Mitchell with coding a popular caffeinated beverage from Kronos for the ambassador, who surprises them by arriving ahead of schedule. Spock procured a recipe for raktajino from a recent encounter with a Klingon captain, but Rah expresses his disdain for his own culture, referring to Klingons as a warmongering species limited by ideology. He quickly apologizes, believing his distaste for the past influences his words, and welcomes Spock’s offer of a raktajino. The drink materializes, but the scalding hot cup burns the ambassador’s hand, prompting Pike to ask him to seek treatment.

The tour heads to Sickbay, where Number One points out a dermal regenerator that will heal Rah’s wound. Dr. Joseph M’Benga and Nurse Christine Chapel notice the group from a distance, and the doctor’s expression displays an uncharacteristic blend of anger, panic, and fear. M’Benga retreats to his office, collapsing to the floor and grasping at his chest.*

A few years before, Chapel endures a bumpy ride aboard Shuttlecraft 12648, an auxiliary vessel dispatched from a Federation ship with the registry NCC-7901, as it approaches the moon of J’gal. Starfleet and the Klingons are engaged in a fierce battle around J’gal, and the shuttle takes incoming fire as it beams Chapel down to the forward operating base approximately one mile from the front. Momentarily distracted by the violent scene, Chapel meets Commander Buck Martinez, the site’s Chief Medical Officer.** The pair walk into a field hospital marred by bloody blankets, and Martinez outlines the grim situation — they don’t even have an internal organ regenerator. He surprises Chapel by announcing she’s the new head nurse. The ground shakes from incoming weapons fire. The base scrambles sensors, but the Klingons know they’re there.

Outside, Martinez showcases an area filled with temporary structures known as “Tent City,” and Chapel spots Joseph M’Benga soaking in a tub. An alarm rings out to alert the facility to the arrival of new casualties via the transporter pad, sending the entire staff leaping into action. Chapel and M’Benga perform triage as wounded soldiers beam in, at least until a severely injured ensign named Alvarado draws their attention. Their patient has internal bleeding and massive damage to every major internal organ — trauma that can’t be healed without a regenerator. Chapel is unwilling to let him die, but M’Benga recognizes they must get Alvarado off the pad to clear it for other casualties. At the doctor’s suggestion, Chapel loads the ensign’s biodata into the buffer — something M’Benga does all the time with the critical patients*** — to keep him alive until a convoy of Federation starships can reach J’gal with a surgery bay.

Back aboard the present day Enterprise , Dr. M’Benga works to repair Biobed Two, which has been acting up since the Gorn attack at Finibus Three. The captain interrupts, having come to Sickbay in search of Deltan parsley from M’Benga’s apothecary. The doctor obliges, but warns Pike that the seasoning is deadly in excessive amounts. The Chief Medical Officer senses Pike has an ulterior motive, and the captain admits he wanted to see how M’Benga feels about their Klingon guest. Aware that M'Benga and Chapel served on J’gal, Pike delicately informs the doctor that — due to a protest during Rah’s last transport — Starfleet wants veterans to interact with him. Nevertheless, the captain does not want those orders to come at the expense of his crew. M’Benga assures him he is okay, as does Chapel when she joins the conversation. The medical staff agrees to attend a dinner for the ambassador, but the duo express trepidation after Pike leaves.

Disturbed by his memories, a tense M’Benga resolves not to be chased away from the captain’s table… but the discussion sparks a memory of an incident on J’gal from years before. M’Benga and Chapel are performing surgery on Ensign Inman at the moon’s field hospital. When the patient goes into cardiac arrest, the doctor orders Chapel to manually pump the ensign’s heart. The challenging procedure is a success, although no celebration is possible — they must move on to the next wave of casualties.

M’Benga notices Ortegas pacing outside of the captain’s quarters aboard the Enterprise , and the pilot confesses she wants to bail on the dinner honoring “The Butcher of J’gal.” The doctor notes there’s a chance that Rah has genuinely reformed, yet Ortegas is certain the ambassador is pretending. “Sometimes you pretend something long enough, it becomes the truth,” replies the Chief Medical Officer. They decide to put on a “Starfleet face,” and M’Benga draws a smile with his comment that Pike is serving jambalaya.

As the gathering proceeds, Rah regales Pike, Chin-Riley, and Noonien-Singh with tales from the negotiating table. Upon entering, M’Benga and Ortegas are welcomed by the captain. Spock speaks with Chapel in private, but Rah’s presence proves a distraction for the nurse. The Vulcan is concerned she is under duress, but the nurse urges him to change the subject. They overhear Rah comparing getting Prospero Alpha to agree to an armistice with convincing a Tellarite to give a compliment, causing Chapel’s anxiety to increase. Spock tries to help by asking the ambassador about Sun Tzu’s The Art of War , as well as how it measures up against the Klingon manuscript mL' parmaq Qoj . M’Benga seizes the opportunity to depart from the conversation and commiserate with Chapel over a drink.

M’Benga thinks back to his experience on J’gal, recalling time he spent with Ensign Inman during his recovery from surgery. The traumatized patient tells the doctor that General Dak’Rah’s men wouldn’t allow him to die, but M’Benga urges him to concentrate on getting better. As he touches the bandage on his chest, Inman mentions he is from New Angeles on Terra Luna — more commonly known as “The Moon.” M’Benga sets off to do his rounds and finds Lieutenant Va’Al Trask, an Andorian operative from Starfleet’s Special Forces, waiting for him outside the tent. As the battle rages nearby, the doctor declines Trask’s request to help him end the conflict by assassinating General Dak’Rah. The Andorian stresses that Rah’s troops are killing civilians — both human and Klingon. His scarred face filled with determination, Trask says he is aware of the story that M’Benga has the most confirmed hand-to-hand kills. M’Benga asserts that he is just a doctor now, rebuffing Trask’s plea for Protocol 12, a discontinued substance the doctor designed for Starfleet, as the formula’s mix of adrenaline and pain inhibitors harms your body. The doctor walks away from the frustrated Andorian.

At the dinner in Pike’s quarters, Rah emphasizes that what the Federation did for him had saved his life — J’gal changed him. Unable to resist, M’Benga interjects and states, “J’gal changed a lot of us.” Rah realizes the doctor also served on the moon — including, as Chapel notes, during the Massacre of Colony Athos — and seeks to outline how the experience altered his perspective on war. Barely restraining herself, Ortegas asks if Rah really did kill his own men so he could escape. The helm officer brings up the Klingon battlecry tlhIngan maH. taHjaj — Remain Klingon! — but the ambassador insists he is trying to make up for his past. Ortegas exits, and Pike apologizes for the exchange. Rah calmly guarantees he bears no grudge.

Uhura changes topics, highlighting the similarities between Rah’s outlook and Aenar Existentialism. The captain notices M’Benga tightening his grip on his armrest and quietly proposes he check on Ortegas. The doctor rises to go, but Rah grabs his arm as he passes by his seat. The ambassador has heard M’Benga practices full-impact Mok’bara — a Klingon martial art — and asks to participate in a session. An irritated M’Benga promises to check his schedule, yet the interaction has stirred more memories…

As the war rages on J’gal, Ensign Inman takes a moment to watch volleys of weapons fire from a position outside the field hospital. M’Benga joins him, explaining he joined Starfleet to find new ways of healing people. In his view, the war is a disease eating at the heart of the Federation, and they’re fighting to protect their loved ones from Klingon aggression. The conflict may change them, but their sacrifice ensures the people they cherish at home will have a chance to live in peace. That is Starfleet.

Shortly thereafter, M’Benga and Chapel gather with other officers for a briefing led by Trask. Command thinks this is their chance to take control of J’gal, so Trask’s team is going dark to locate General Dak’Rah while ground forces cover them with an offensive near Colony Athos. Noticing Inman approaching in full battle gear, M’Benga confides in the ensign that this mission is a suicide run. Buoyed by a renewed sense of duty, Inman joins Trask’s briefing, and the Andorian announces they’ve received the go-ahead for the dangerous plan.

In a corridor on the Enterprise , Spock apologizes to Chapel for his role in the previous evening’s dinner. The nurse believes their closeness makes Spock feel responsible, but the Vulcan explains the truth — it is difficult to see her experience such obvious distress. Haunted by J’gal, Chapel admits that war never leaves you, and there’s no way for Spock to understand something he did not endure. Chapel asks for time alone, and a disappointed Spock retreats down the hallway. Chapel leans against a wall, reflecting a turning point on J’gal…

As chaos erupts at the Federation’s forward operating base on the contested moon, Chapel works alongside M’Benga and Martinez to restore power to the medical transporter. The nurse recommends they use all auxiliary power, override the redundant systems, and route everything to the pads so patients from the front can be beamed in for treatment. Martinez approves, but the process will purge the backlogs. Chapel complies until the transporter’s display reminds her that such a purge would delete Ensign Alvarado’s pattern from the buffer. She hesitates over trading Alvarado’s life for a chance to save others, but M’Benga reluctantly presses the control button and erases Alvarado’s pattern. While the action shocks Chapel, the doctor insists they saved lives.

In the Enterprise ’s gymnasium, M’Benga and Rah step onto the floor for their Mok’bara session. Surprised the doctor accepted the invitation to practice Klingon judo together, Rah vows he is more virile than he appears. They begin sparring, M’Benga arguing the ambassador has made putting J’gal behind him look “easy.” Rah refutes the claim, continuing the mock fight and tossing the doctor to the floor. The Klingon presents an idea — as former enemies, he and M’Benga working together for peace would send a powerful message. M’Benga is hesitant. The sparring resumes, with Rah subduing the doctor once again.

As M’Benga breaks for water, Rah insists they could advance Klingon-Federations. The doctor dives into the heart of the matter, asking if Rah really murdered his own men at J’gal. The ambassador sorrowfully admits he did kill the leaders under his command, but only because he was appalled by their atrocities. Apparently impressed by Rah’s ability to defeat three Klingon warriors at once, M’Benga wonders which subordinate fought the hardest. The ambassador answers — Commander Kiff — and professes that standing up for what was right caused his brethren to call him the Butcher of J’gal. Rah and M’Benga return to their Mok’bara session, this time at a much more intense pace. The doctor restrains himself from landing a blow to Rah’s face, stating that wars change people. The Klingon thanks him for sparring and exits the room.

M’Benga heads to the sonic shower and places his hand on his heart, the shower’s glowing lights diverting his thoughts to a fateful day on J’gal… Trask, Inman, and other casualties — including children — pour in through the transporters. The bloodbath causes the morgue to fill quickly, leaving the Andorian’s previous plea for assistance from M’Benga — the Ghost — resonating in the doctor’s ears. Snagging a Klingon d’k tahg from Trask’s corpse, an emotional M’Benga stalks off.

Back in the present day, Captain Pike reads M’Benga’s file in the Enterprise ’s Ready Room. Number One joins him, putting forth a route through the Chantico Nebula that could get them to Starbase 12 by tomorrow. Crew morale is low, and she believes dropping Rah off would be beneficial. The captain is hesitant to send the message that some people aren’t allowed to make up for their past. Una agrees, but her point about not sacrificing the wellbeing of his victims among their crew persuades Pike to order the change in course.

Years before, on the moon of J’gal, M’Benga secures a dose of Protocol Twelve from his tent. Noticing the Klingon blade at his side, Chapel recognizes that the doctor intends to carry out the strike team’s deadly mission. Handing her a device so the approaching Federation convoy can beam him out, M’Benga concedes this war is bound to change him. Chapel encourages him to save as many people as he can and make the Klingon leaders pay for their crimes. The doctor also gives her a vial of the green serum from his case…

…the same case he now opens in the Enterprise ’s Sickbay. Rah arrives, hoping to convince M’Benga to accept his offer to collaborate for peace. The doctor greets him with hostility and begs the Klingon to go on his way. With Rah unwilling to leave, M’Benga furiously accuses the former general of giving the order that anyone who wasn’t a Klingon soldier was to be considered an enemy on J’gal. Rah confesses, but the doctor disputes the ambassador’s earlier claim that Commander Kiff had fought the hardest — it was Captain Ruh’Lis. A perplexed Rah listens as a shaken M’Benga recounts his brutal assault against Kiff, Ruh’Lis, and General Gra’Val, the three Klingons who delayed him so Rah could escape J’gal. Having killed the Klingon leaders with a d’k tahg , Dr. M’Benga declares that he is the real Butcher of J’gal.

Rah is curious as to why M’Benga allowed him to take credit for the bloodshed. The doctor is ashamed of that night, but the ambassador is ashamed of his own cowardice. Rah has been using the blood on M’Benga’s hands to make himself a saint. The Klingon delivers an impassioned plea — if people knew the truth, his peaceful accomplishments would be undone. A disillusioned M’Benga opens the case containing the d’k tahg from J’gal and questions why the ambassador had to come here. Rah tries to soothe him, but the Klingon’s decision to put his hand on the doctor’s shoulder ignites a physical confrontation. A struggle ensues. Only Nurse Chapel, who enters at the last second, sees the standoff’s final moment, and the ambassador collapses to the floor with the blade plunged into his chest.

In the Ready Room, Chapel testifies about Rah’s death in front of the captain and La’An. According to the nurse, hearing M’Benga refer to him as a war criminal sent Rah into a rage. Chapel states the knife belongs to the Butcher of J’gal, with the DNA found on the blade matching the three dead Klingon warlords. Chapel pronounces that no one really knows what goes on in anyone’s heart.

Pike visits M’Benga in Sickbay, calling upon their long friendship as evidence that the doctor could talk to him if he did, in fact, instigate the fight with Rah. The doctor vows he did not start it, though he postulates whether he would have been wrong to do so if he had personally seen Rah killing children on J’gal. M’Benga points out that the Diplomatic Corps knew who the ambassador truly was, yet Pike holds that everyone deserves a second chance. M’Benga asks about justice — doesn’t everyone deserve to pay for their actions? Pike questions who gets to decide where the line is, leading M’Benga to mention the captain has the privilege of believing in what’s best in people. Having endured the war, M’Benga knows there are some deeds that don’t deserve forgiveness. The doctor reiterates he didn’t initiate the confrontation… but he’s glad Rah is dead. Pike gives a solemn nod, withdrawing to allow M’Benga to finish fixing Biobed Two. In his log, M’Benga acknowledges that some things break in a way that can never be repaired, only managed. As the doctor leaves, the biobed’s status display flickers…

* " It's Only A Paper Moon " - This memorable Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode explores the traumatic emotional journey for Rom following his injury in the Dominion War at "The Siege of AR-558," where he lost his leg, and tries to readjust to life with Starfleet and with his family and friends.

** " The Corbomite Maneuver " - Clint Howard, who portrays Buck Martinez, first appeared in the Star Trek universe with The Original Series, where he played a childlike being, Balok, of the First Federation who conducted his people's first contact with the United Federation of Planets. Howard would go on to appear as a human in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's "Past Tense, Part II," a Ferengi pirate in Star Trek: Enterprise 's "Acquisition," and Orion in Star Trek: Discovery 's "Will You Take My Hand?"

*** " Relics " - In the first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , M'Benga preserved his daughter in the transporter buffer as he sought out a cure for her. We first see the preservation of a life-form in this Star Trek: The Next Generation episode with Captain Montgomery Scott. Presumed lost in U.S.S. Jenolen while it was en route to Norpin Colony, Scott was rescued from 75-year transporter loop aboard downed starship where he was the sole survivor by the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise -D.

• Written by Davy Perez
• Directed by Jeff W. Byrd

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Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance writer, author, and consultant who has contributed articles to StarTrek.com, Star Trek Explorer, and Star Trek Magazine, as well as to Star Wars Insider and StarWars.com. Learn more about Jay by visiting JayStobie.com or finding him on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms at @StobiesGalaxy.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, South Korea, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In addition, the series airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Battles The Past In “Under The Cloak Of War”

| July 27, 2023 | By: Anthony Pascale 265 comments so far

“Under the Cloak of War”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 8 – Debuted Thursday, July 27, 2023 Written by Davy Perez Directed by Jeff Byrd

A dark war story pivots the tone into a serious exploration of character and morality.

Guess who is coming to dinner…

WARNING: Spoilers below!

“Trust me, I know Klingons”

The Enterprise has been tasked with escorting an important Federation ambassador from the Prospero system to Starbase 12, which would be routine except this diplomat is “special”… he’s a Klingon. While Pike and most of his Enterprise crew didn’t fight in the recent Klingon War, some did, and the arrival of the affable Dak’Rah, son of Ra’Ul, immediately raises the anxiety level onboard. This is played out on the bridge with newly minted Ensign Uhura seeing only how the ambassador’s acts spread the message of unity, while hardened war veteran Ortegas is distrustful, only seeing the former General’s brutal reputation and nickname: the Butcher of J’Gal. The argument is interrupted when the Klingon arrives on the bridge to cut the tension by complimenting the ship and its crew. In the bar, Spock shows his newfound interest in all things Klingon by trying to replicate some raktajino, only to serve it way too hot, burning the ambassador’s hand. The sight of Rah in sickbay hits Dr. M’Benga like a punch, reminding us he is a veteran of J’Gal. Christine covers as the doctor backs into his office to have a panic attack that brings back a flood of bad memories… It’s going to be a flashback kind of episode.

Years ago on J’Gal, a fresh-faced Christine Chapel arrives at a Starfleet forward medical base, finding it under attack and under-resourced as the frazzled CMO appoints her head nurse to replace the one who just died. Soon enough, the ubiquitous warnings of “incoming transport” begin as waves of the wounded beam in, including an Ensign Alvarado with internal injuries that can’t be fixed due to the lack of an organ regenerator. This is when she meets Dr. Joseph M’Benga, who demands she clear the pad to make room for those who can be saved—but her empathy gets the doctor to implement a transporter trick to store Alvarado in the buffer to be dealt with later. Back in their Enterprise sickbay, the pair now has to deal with Pike, who has orders to make Rah “feel welcome,” which includes making sure war vets play nice with him. The doctor and nurse agree to a welcome dinner, refusing to give Rah the satisfaction of chasing them away from the captain’s table. But their shared “we got this” calming mantra only triggers another flashback to a bloody surgery on J’Gal when Christine had to learn how to manually pump a heart with her hands to save a dying Ensign Inman. This pair has been through hell; how bad can a dinner be?

Did you try reading the manual?

“Let’s pretend the war doesn’t bother us.”

Outside the captain’s quarters, M’Benga finds a pacing Ortegas and talks her into going in, proposing that maybe Rah has really reformed. Together, they agree to put on their “Starfleet face”—plus Pike made jambalaya. The Klingon is keeping Pike, Una, and Uhura entertained with funny diplomacy stories as a stewing Christine watches from the sidelines. Spock offers to help, jumping in to change the topic of the conversation. Rah seems genuine talking about how the Federation saved his life after J’Gal as he comes to realize M’Benga was there too, but the doctor is not calmed by talk of “difficult times.” Ortegas goes to the heart of it, asking if the stories are true that Rah killed his own lieutenants before escaping. She presses on, talking about Klingon battle cries she heard before seeing all her friends killed. Una orders the pilot to leave, and Christine follows to check on her. Spock follows but is no help. “J’Gal is not a statistic.” She needs space from him, he doesn’t get it: war “will never make sense.” Sensing more trouble, Pike suggests M’Benga check on Ortegas too. On his way out, Rah physically stops the doctor with a firm grip to brazenly requesting a sparring session. Joseph sternly says he will check his schedule and leaves before there is another veteran eruption. Well, that dinner could have gone better.

Back to J’Gal in the past: M’Benga deals with special ops team leader Va’Al Trask, who has a mission to take down General Dah’Rah and he wants Joseph to join him, knowing before he was a doctor he was a combat “ghost” with the record for hand-to-hand kills. M’Benga prefers saving lives now and also refuses to mix up a batch of “Protocol 12” super serum, ignoring the Andorian officer’s plea to give his team an edge. Ensign Inman is on the mend and M’Benga shows his bedside manner as he helps the young officer remember why they all joined Starfleet. “We have to fight so the people we love can have a chance to live in peace.” Unfortunately, the doctor later sees this inspiring moment worked too well when he finds Inman prepping to join Trask on what he knows is a suicide mission. “I’m a soldier, Doc. This is what I do.” …In case you hadn’t guessed it, he was wearing red.

But did you try the jambalaya?

“We save lives.”

Rah gets his Mok’bara session as he and M’Benga spar on the mat and over the war. M’Benga sees that Rah wants to move beyond J’Gal. As he proves he still has a lot of Klingon warrior left in him during their sparring, the ambassador tries to convince the doctor to work with him to show other vets how former enemies can work together. M’Benga picks up on Ortegas’ questioning and the former general says he killed his top three lieutenants, but only after they ordered the killing of civilians. The doctor gets the upper hand, ends the session with “wars change people.” Back in his quarters, he tries to wash away the pain in the sonic shower only to be pulled back into his J’Gal memories. The attacks had intensified to include civilians and even children, forcing M’Benga to purge Alvarado from the transporter buffer to make room for more wounded to beam in. Trask’s mission was a disaster as he and his entire team were wiped out, including poor Ensign Inman. The doctor has had enough; he grabs a Klingon knife from Trask’s corpse. The colony is evacuating but he tells Christine he will finish the mission to take out the general, giving her some super serum in case the Klingons get through. The hardened nurse says goodbye with “make them pay.” She gets it.

Una decides it’s time to get Rah off the ship for the sake of crew morale, offering Pike a quicker route to Starbase 12. The captain reluctantly agrees, lamenting his crew isn’t living up to Federation ideals. Knowing he has little time left, Rah seeks M’Benga out in sickbay and pushes the doctor to take up his offer. The doctor begs the Klingon to leave him alone until he erupts, revealing he knows Rah gave the order to kill civilians and it was Joseph, not Rah, who killed those three lieutenants. Joseph is the actual Butcher of J’Gal. and he has had enough of this “saint” anointed in the blood of his own hands. Rah justifies himself, saying the Federation needs the lie to allow him to do his good work. M’Benga opens a box from J’Gal, and inside is the knife from that fateful final night. The two begin to struggle… and it ends with the knife in Rah’s chest. Cut to Chapel telling Pike how Rah attacked the doctor, pointing to the Butcher of J’Gal’s blood (and DNA)-soaked knife as proof. La’an backs her up. Pike tells M’Benga there will be an inquiry as a formality, but Chris, his friend, is ready to back him up if there is more to the story he might want to share. After some back and forth over justice and due process, Joseph tells his friend, “I didn’t start the fight. But I’m glad he’s dead.” The doctor returns to his work fixing a problematic biobed, resigned to how “Some things break in a way that can never be repaired. Only managed.” Dark.

Hold my phone while I go kill some Klingons.

War is hell

After last week’s hilarious animation crossover, Strange New Worlds takes its biggest tonal pivot yet with a dark and gritty war story that challenges the characters and even the ideals of the Federation. Picking up on the hints from the first episode of the season, Babs Olusanmokun and Jess Bush delivered raw performances revealing the origins of their unbreakable bond forged in the fire of the desolate battle-torn moon J’Gal. This episode also revealed the divide within the crew between the Klingon War vets and those who were not witnesses to that brutality, like Captain Pike and the USS Enterprise along with Una and Spock. Melissa Navia and Celia Rose Gooding helped sell this divide with Ortegas’ cynicism in conflict with Uhura’s idealism. Some shortcuts were made to create some of these contrasts, including relegating Pike to the background, seemingly helpless in the face of dubious orders from Starfleet to force the war vets to interact with the former Klingon general. While it’s always welcome for a Star Trek series to take on some of the utopian ideals of the franchise with echoes of the great DS9 episode “In the Pale Moonlight,” here Pike comes off as overly naïve to the realities of war.

The catalyst for all of this exploration of war and its lingering effects is the character of Dak’Rah, with a nuanced performance from guest star Robert Wisdom, who keeps you guessing on his true motivations and history. Inspired by real-world examples of former enemies who switch sides like Wernher von Braun , Rah forces viewers (and the crew) to question the limits of forgiveness. Like Sisko tricking the Romulans in “Pale Moonlight” and (perhaps more on the nose) Data firing on Kivas Fajo in “The Most Toys,” this episode relishes in some of the best of Trek’s gray areas of character morality as we come to understand Dr. M’Benga better, including where he learned that transporter trick that kept his daughter alive through season 1. As for guest Clint Howard playing the medical base’s CMO, it’s always fun to see him pop up in Star Trek again, but his style really didn’t match the tone of the episode and seems like a wasted opportunity to use him in one of the lighter episodes.

If looks could kill…

The flashbacks to J’Gal were some of the bloodiest in the franchise, taking episodes like DS9’s “The Seige of AR-558” to an even more brutal level. Like that episode, “Under the Cloak of War” uses the vernacular of war movies to set the tone with the medical angle invoking the great series M*A*S*H without the jokes, but certainly channeling Hawkeye’s nihilism . This was enhanced by good production design and effects to sell the Battle of J’Gal, but these scenes were also bogged down by predictability as the episode overindulged in war movie tropes including the gung-ho guy who obviously isn’t going to make it. By the way, this emotional season, and especially this episode, has revealed that the USS Enterprise really needs a Father Mulcahy-like counselor to help these broken characters and their trauma.

Once again Strange New Worlds picked up the ball dropped by Discovery to do a real dive into the Klingon War—for fans of that show, it was nice to get some callbacks, like Ortegas talking about the savage reality of hearing T’Kuvma’s “tlhIngan maH. taHjaj” (“ Remain Klingon ”) battle cry. Ignoring the nonsense about how the Klingons shaved their heads during the war, the d’k tahg Klingon knife fight segments with Rah’s lieutenants were visceral and sold how M’Benga can barely keep it together when he comes face-to-face with the general, although Wisdom’s own Klingon makeup seemed a bit off, perhaps simplified to accommodate the guest star. But together with the season opener, it’s welcome for Strange New Worlds to embrace the Klingons and all the lore that comes with them.

Final thoughts

The swing to this dark war story tests the limits of the show’s episodic design, especially sandwiched between last week’s comedy and next week’s musical episode. Yet “Under the Cloak of War” is still a solid episode that doesn’t shy away from moral questions as it adds new layers to familiar characters.

If more looks could kill…

• This episode was originally scheduled for release on August 2 but moved up following the surprise early release of episode 7 on July 22.
• The “previously on” includes clips from the Discovery pilot “The Vulcan Hello.”
• Starts with Captain’s log, Stardate 1875.4. Also includes Chief Medical Officer’s logs, Stardates 1875.8 and 1877.5.
• The USS Kelcie Mae is a new type and rare single-nacelle Starfleet ship.
• Writer Davy Perez put himself into canon by naming the “Perez Accords.”
• Starbase 12 is located close to the Romulan Neutral Zone and has been often mentioned throughout Star Trek, firstly in TOS “Space Seed.”
• What Pike and the USS Enterprise were doing during the Klingon War is told in the 2019 novel Star Trek: Discovery: The Enterprise War .
• This is the first use of a boatswain’s whistle and the first appearance of Klingon raktijino in the series.
• The USS Enterprise bar has food (and drink) synthesizers built into the bar top. While functioning more like TNG era replicators, they make the same “ping” sound food synthesizers made in TOS.
• This is Clint Howard’s fifth role in Star Trek. His first was playing Balok in “The Corbomite Maneuver” when he was just 7 years old.
• M’Benga mentions biobed 2 hasn’t worked right since Gorn attack on Finibus III , from the season 1 episode “Memento Mori.”
• Earth’s moon Luna includes the city of New Angeles, which has shipyards.

Would you like some Tranya?

More to come

Every Friday, the TrekMovie.com All Access Star Trek podcast covers the latest news in the Star Trek Universe and discusses the latest episode. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify ,  Pocket Casts ,  Stitcher and is part of the TrekMovie Podcast Network.

Season 2 episodes drop weekly on Thursdays on  Paramount+ in the U.S, the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Season 2 is also available on SkyShowtime elsewhere in Europe. The second season will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with premiere dates to be announced.

Keep up with news about the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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So this episode was imo all over the place with it’s pacing though i appreaticate the writers exploring PTSD.

I do think the Discovery writers did a much better job at exploring characters PTSD and SNW imo continues to not reach the high quality of writing Discovery has set for the new shows.

I found Ambassador Dak’Rah interesting and i wish we got more of him and I’m happy that the Make-up department gave him a TNG/Discovery look and I’m happy that SNW continues to remember it’s Discovery foundation/roots.

I was liking the episode until the end and i feel like there should have been a lot more and it shouldn’t have ended the way it did with a fight/murder. While i was watching the episode i was reminded of DS9’s flashback episodes (Siege of AR-558, Necessary Evil, Ties of Blood and Water, and Things Past) and I feel like those episodes felt a whole lot more complete than this.

This episode felt like they were rushing the ending from the sparring to the fight. I feel like this episode should have been a two parter if the writers truly wanted to properly explore characrters PTSD and their actions during the war.

What flashback is there in The Siege of AR-558?

Maybe he was thinking about “It’s Only a Paper Moon”, because in this episode there is some flashbacks from “The Siege of AR-558”. But anyway, “Under The Cloak Of War” also gave me a “The Siege of AR-558” feeling.

there aren’t. Nog does have flashbacks later though, I think in “It’s Only a Paper Moon”

It’s not a flashback but that’s where Nog got permanetly injured which would cause him future trauma.

Discovery had a good premise to explore PTSD but they completely ruined it for the twist of Ash being Voq. So it wasn’t really PTSD after all.

I’m grateful that the show is embracing its connection to Star Trek: Discovery. During the first season, it seemed like they were determined to keep it at arms length as much as possible- outside a couple of throwaway references to Michael Burnham.

I found it to be more like DS9 “Duet” – especially the whole “Butcher of XYZ” thing.

“ the USS Enterprise really needs a Father Mulcahy-like counselor to help these broken characters and their trauma.” – where’s Dr. Boyce!?

I second the return of Dr. Boyce. Combs or Capaldi, I’ll take either of them to play him :)

Since this show takes place after THE CAGE I think it reasonable to conclude Boyce retired or moved on. Doubtful we will ever see him. The best we can probably hope for a name drop.

Yeah it’s pretty unlikely they’d give the character another stint, as much as I’d love to see it. I just really like that scene near the start of The Cage. But yeah, it would be nice for a name drop somewhere along the way.

Interesting you bring up the Mulcahy character. This did look like a Star Trek MASH unit. With M’Benga as a bit of a Hawkeye Pierce knock off.

A Mulcahy-like character that turns out to be a Founder, maybe.

Compare to how that episode handled its disruptive character’s motivation, it’s a fairly routine development once it’s revealed what he’s hiding.

But not every episode can be “Duet.”

As long as the character isn’t the whiny – pushy know it all that Lt. Commander Troi was 🤢

Blame Gene Roddenberry dislike for religion for why there wasn’t a ship’s chaplain shown on the series – most likely also the influence of why there was no ship’s chaplain on the NX-01. I for one like the idea of a Ship’s Chaplin.

This was a very strong episode because it treated the experience of war sincerely. From the script to the stage, everyone involved came at this material with their talent dialed up to 11. This episode is a morality play in which there is no clear moral path or conclusion. War is the worst thing we sentient being can do. In the literary tradition, this is a tragedy.

Robert Wisdom delivers a very complicated performance for Ambassador Rah. On the one hand, Rah is seemingly invested in doing good works, in being “the saint” that he feels is needed. On the other hand, Rah is a bully, forcing his agenda on those around him, getting into people’s faces about his reputation, being basically a selfish, manipulative creep. And Wisdom balances those seemingly conflicting motives, resulting in one of those most compelling Klingons I’ve seen in a long while. And in just one appearance!

Babs Olusanmokun had the other daunting task for this episode- we watched a good man, a healer, commit the most egregious act in murdering Rah. And that final scene between M’Benga and Pike had me on the edge of my seat. Mount is a generous actor, he holds up his side of the big tent, but he really gives his co-stars room to shine, he does this week after week without fail.

As for their characters, Pike was wrong-headed in expecting too much of his crew, which he came to realize when talking with Una, and M’Benga was so very wrong for taking a life in the manner he did. And yet, M’Benga was arguably very justified in doing so. That’s the heart of this story (which was exemplified in M’Benga’s talk with the Ensign he and Chapel saved in the flashback)- the stains of war do not wash away, but they must be left to fade if there’s to be a future. What a brilliant bit of storytelling by all who were involved.

But there was the ambiguity about whether M’Benga stabbed Rah in cold blood or self defence. We only saw the outline of the fight behind the screen. We didn’t see what led to the fatal blow. There are strong hints that it was a deliberate act but we will never know for certain.

I don’t love the way they handled that scene. If they wanted M’Benga to own it as far as the audience was concerned, then hiding the act as much as they did feels like a cop-out. But if they wanted real ambiguity then they needed to amp up Rah’s desperation after being found out, and probably show them both eyeing the knife before cutting it the way they did.

This execution felt like an awkward undermining of either POV.

Where were the hints that it was a deliberate act? That was not clear to me.

M’Benga justified ? He is a straight up murderer

I would be understanding as to his actions and willing to say they mitigate his behaviour. I would also agree with you that he should be prosecuted for murder. Chapel is also arguably an accessory.

It’s an awkward thing to do with the characters. I actually thought M’Benga was about to resign his posting and leave the ship at the end of the episode (perhaps setting up McCoy?), indeed maybe that will happen by season end.

M’Benga is a “murderer” like most of the characters on Star Trek. The point your trying to make, makes no sense.

Please explain /.

Think of it this way. How many starships has kirk destroyed in his career? How many people served on EACH of those ships? Were they all as guilty as the captains of those ships were? I’m not judging Kirk, he did what he had to do. But by the strickest definition, he is a murderer.

Heck he even straight up murdered Krudge in ST III instead of saving him

They were engaged in Combat . Kirk never killed anyone in cold blood not even Krudge for killing his son he was tring to save him Krudge was still trying to kill him

Kirk killed Krudge,, “I have. had. enough. of you!”

Ashe was trying to pull him off the cliff to his death !

Yeah, I get that, but he still could have saved him. Kirk was on top and had the upper hand

I didn’t necessarily take the scene the same way. There are a couple different possibilities with this scene.

While the war was ‘over’ for some it never is.

I tend to see it as the Ambassador committed ritualistic suicide to atone for his actions.

HAHA right he came to Dr Mumbles for Help,…. when he could not get it ,he took the Knife Dr Mumbles Had hidden from the war ,and stabbed himself in the middle of the chest in a Suicide ,…… but Klingons don’t suicide

Actually Klingon Warriors do believe in suicide and have rituals in reference to it. A suicide that also damages or maims an opponent in someway is considered an honorable death.

While I do truly believe that Dr. M’Benga killed the Ambasssdor, the possibility could exist that the Ambassador would have viewed the suicide as honorable as it damaged how M’Benga was perceived by others.

I’ve counseled too many veterans in my lifetime not to also say that, for many who witness what we view as atrocities, they become trapped in them and they never really end. I could see this as the beginning of a method to write him off the show or explain how the E’s CMO is different in TOS.

Thats EXACTLY what Klingons do. Think of Kurn and Worf in DS9 when Worf lost his family’s honor and Kurn as his brother was shunned from the Empire and came to Worf to commit ritual suicide.

I prefer the think of it as Justice Dispenser. F that Klingon shit bag.

Fuck those people he was saving for the Federation too right?

I took from the whole thing that he was a bad guy, a coward and a shit head who saw that things were not going his way on J’Gal so he jumped ship and defected to protect himself. I didn’t see any benevolence in him, only self serving survival mode. As a byproduct, he ended up doing some good as ambassador (I agree with that) but still a dirty Klingon sissy.

Well if we are going to put things in that were never shown or hinted at in the episode , Then I guess I can too . Mumbles the reformed killer kept his bloody trophy knife after the war for years and took it out if storage when the Klingon arrived. Waiting till he had the opportunity to get in his final kill of the guy having the nerve to be taking credit for his own slaughter . He fought against the need for to complete his final kill. But was Keeping the box close and the knife at the ready .Finally giving into the urge once again , killing the unarmed man who wanted to help him , was asking for forgiveness and saving lives for the Federation .Letting him die on the floor of his sick bay and doing nothing to preserve life ,like Dr’s do. He then was fine with everyone assuming the Klingon brought the knife and attacked him. Oh wait all of this was in the episode.

You do realize he is a Doctor right? Hypocratic Oath? Do no harm? After the past 1 1/2 seasons you really think you have the right to jumo to such a ridiculous conclusion?

Sticking his trophy knife in the unarmed man’s chest ,then lying about it is an intresting enterpatation of Do no Harm.

Thats just your interpretation

Cause it is what happened

Again, that is your interpretation. You can not read his mind!!!

None are as blind as those that refuse to see

You can not see someone’s heart or thoughts

You can see what they do

Yes, but pure actions are interpreted by a jury of your peers, not just blindness.

But you can infer his motivations based on evidence. That’s how the justice system works.

The Justice system is based on a jury of it’s peers. If in the 1940’s someone killed a Nazi I’m pretty sure a Jury would not care

Neville, you’re not wrong. M’Benga isn’t necessarily a good guy here. I just ‘interpreted’ the motivations of the Klingon to be self serving and malicious. I could totally be wrong about it.

What are you even trying to argue? It was WAR! I’ve never had the honor of serving but 3 of my best friends have in Iraq. And being that I am Indian they came back and looked at the color of my skin and even tho they knew better all they could think of is Iraqi citizens. It took them a while to get over it.

It was war but The War is over FOR YEARS ! . Yes it takes people time to recover . That does not excuse murdering some one years later and covering it up

Excuses are not the issue. People are human and they act human.

You don’t get to be soldier and kill years after peace is declared

There is such a thing as PTSD and a jury of your peers that judge your actions. It’s not even close to making it as black and white as you seem

No, he was not. He had to take out the general and his high command to stop the slaughter of the civilians.

Who did he save by executing him years later in sick bay/

That is your interpretation. It was ambiguous. I think the Klingon attacked M’Benga.

Right he came to ask for help ,and offered his own help. He just Knew mumbles knife was in the box and attacked him with it .Dr mumbles never tried to save him and s fine with Pike thinking the Klingon brought the knife .

Babs Olusanmokun is just a better actor than Mount.

LOL the actor who mumbles all his lines and has no range of emotion or expression.

Interesting. Not at all how I would describe what he brought to the table this week.

I have been watching this stuff since I was a toddler in the 60s and M’Benga might be my favorite character of all of them now due to the amazing acting of Babs. Wow.

The docs actor is amazing, best actor on the show

I can get behind this, he’s doing a great job with the character. A ton of gravitas.

Babs a great actor with a lot of nuance. He does a fantastic job with the material he is given. No complaints whatsoever with his performance. What I do struggle is believing that this mild mannered, gentle father is a drug-fuelled mass murderer- and that Christine has absolutely qualms with this.

I agree he is great in the part. M’Benga has turned out to be a dark dude with a complicated psyche. I mentioned earlier I was surprised he was still practicing as part of McCoy’s staff but I forgot this is an alternate timeline/reboot. Se we truly have no idea what his future will hold.

It’s an alternate timeline? I missed the official memo.

Episode 2.3 said it was.

It really didn’t – ML31 just really wants SNW to exist in a difference timeline than the prime one.

It really did. It’s not about what I want. In fact I want it to be prime. Next time check with the person you are speaking for before you speak.

Don’t confuse universes with Timelines. This is the Prime universe but an altered timeline.

So is the KU Prime? How can that be How can there be two primes?

Sorry. This is an alternate. Just as alternates are created when you turn left instead of right. Millions of alternates are created every day. It’s a fancy way of creating a reboot. Why is this so hard?

KU is not prime. Thats WHY it is called the Kelvin UNIVERSE. The Kelvin universe has existed since it’s own big bang. Bob Orci and Simon Pegg confirmed this. Also, whether Nero was going back to attack the Kelvin or not, Kelvin Kirk was always going to be born on the Kelvin no matter what

Until the producers explicitly state that SNW takes place in an alternate reality, no amount of you insisting that it does is going to make one whit of different.

And the more you insist, the more you are gatekeeping.

It did. When that Romulan woman from the past said she was in the US since the 90’s waiting for Khan but things have changed because of the Temporal Cold Wars. This is the Prime universe but an alternatre timeline.

No, they did not.

I guess you missed all the stuff where they explained why everything was changed.

No, I missed the part where the producers said what you are asserting they said because they did not say it.

They did by allowing that episode to happen.

Just like if you contact a person you dated and they never respond. They never said they weren’t interested. But the action they took, ignoring you, indicates what is happening.

SNW plays in the prime timeline. This has been established and confirmed by the creators over and over. Just because some of you don’t like the decisions they make doesn’t make it an alternate timeline.

Wasn’t my decision. It was the shows producers. They OK’d that time travel episode 2.3. It firmly established this is an alternate timeline. Or, reboot. And I’m still not a fan of some of the creative decisions they made even with this being an alternate. But at least that does explain away the inconsistencies. But not the overall show quality.

 It firmly established this is an alternate timeline. 

It did nothing of the sort.

They will tell you that it didn’t… but it did. You just have to remember how bad this creative team is at understanding its own fandom, let alone its own history. Fans know how this has worked in the past, and they can tell when something has been altered, far better than these writers can.

They absolutely did. It’s nearly identical to the stuff they did in the KU features. Unless you are one of the fans who think there is one and only one timeline and the KU overwrites the old prime.

Is everything after Endgame a reboot? Or First Contact? Voyage Home? Tomorrow is Yesterday?

After Endgame? Absolutely 100% yes. First Contact? Iffy. Who knows what Archer and the NX-01 would have been if Cochrane was not influenced by the Enterprise E. Voyage home? Doubtful that the disappearance of 2 whales that already were released to the Ocean would affect anything.

Nope. Different situations. Those changes didn’t affect the prime timeline as far as we can tell. If they did make changes then yes,. But everything was the same after so no.

For you they did, in you own private head canon. Out here in the real world, no.

It’s not my own private head canon. It was on the screen. It was said out loud by the characters. Until that episode I never claimed the show wasn’t prime. Just made by people who didn’t care about the lore. It was only after that episode that we can finally for sure claim this is an alternate. A reboot. To think it is prime is just a false hope that goes against what was clearly shown.

It was clear to ML31. Out here in the real world, no.

Sorry. This was an error. I screwed up the user name…

It was clear to everyone who saw the episode.

Sorry but the show isn’t prime just because you want it to be. I want it to be prime, too. The rest of us will react to what is shown to us.

In the TOS timeline, Khan came to power in the 1990s. In SNW, he is still a kid in the 21st century. The Romulan agent explained this. The timeline has been shuffled and patched and rebuilt and stretched and pulled and updated and reimagined so much that, although you can say it is still the ‘prime’ timeline if you want to, it is not what it used to be. I just rewatched ‘A Private Little War’ that introduced M’Benga. The interaction between him and Chapel is not that of two people who were in a war together.

I think it obvious that so very many things are screwed up in the SNW show, including the admission that things aren’t happening as they are “supposed to” (their words) that it’s a tremendous stretch to think this is still the prime. I consider it false hope to pretend otherwise.

Hi iMike. To be clear… This is the Prime universe but not the prime timeline. We witnessed Khan being morn 30 some odd years after he was supposed to. So this is the Prime universe but an altered timeline

Born The word was supposed to be born not morn

Is the KU the prime timeline, too?

No, according to Bob Orci who co wrote the script it is a seperate universe. It has been it’s own universe since it’s own big bang. Case and point, in that universe Kirk was always going to be born aboard the Kelvin. Nero didn’t change that by attacking the ship. Prime Universe Kirk was born in Iowa.

Well, the movie he wrote showed it split off from the prime with Nero’s arrival. If one were to follow Orci’s logic then SNW has always been it’s own separate universe. Because this show follows a similar formula. Time incursions change the prime creating a new alternate reality. An excuse to reboot it the way the new creators want. We know this for sure because there are just so very many changed elements there is no other explanation for it.

Regarding Kirk being born in Iowa, the explanation given was the stress of the incursion caused an early labor. The plan was for Wynona to go back home to deliver but Nero’s appearance altered it. At least that is what I read one of the writers or producers claim. It has been a while.

SNW happens before the kelvin movies. and they have a completely different Pike that was Captain of the Enterprise for like 5 minutes. They are entirely different…

You misunderstand. I never said they both were different due to the same event. I said it was similar reasoning. The KU came from Nero’s incursion. SNW was a result of other time travel shenanigans mentioned by that Romulan temporal agent in episode 2.3

Also, in the KU Nero’s incursion occurs before the SNW time frame. They are two different realities. But neither are Prime.

Thats exactly my point. It didn’t just happen because of Nero’s incursion. Kelvin Kirk was going to be born on the Kelvin regardless. Whether nero attacked or not Winnona Kirk was already in labor. Prime universe Kirk was born in Iowa, not a starship.

Fine. That same reasoning says SNW has always been a separate reality from the start. Or a reboot. Which makes the most sense. In the Prime Kirk was born in Iowa. He may or may not have been in this one. We don’t know.

SNW is a different timeline, Not universe, you keep confusing the two. For example, Yesterday’s Enterprise took place in the Prime Universe but a different timeline. Conversely the Kelvin Universe is by definition a seperate universe. I have said this before but I will say it again. Winonna Kirk was already about to give birth to Kelvin Universe Kirk whether Nero interfered or not. In the Prime universe Kirk was born on Earth in Iwoa. These are completely seperate universes even before Nero and Spock when there.

You are arguing a distinction without a difference. At least going by what we saw on screen. I’ve already given the possible explanation that allows for Wynona Kirk’s early labor.

But regardless, both are essentially reboots no matter how one decides to justify their existence. In the end it doesn’t matter because both are free to do whatever they want and have no connection to the Prime U.

You could argue that she gave birth to Kirk early because of the attack excellerating her process. But one way or another Kirk was about to be born otherwise nothing would have happened and he would be still born.

Not necessarily. I already gave you the explanation that seems to be the pervasive one regarding that.

It’s not at all clear he was on McCoy’s staff throughout TOS. My read is that McCoy realized he needed someone with Vulcan medical expertise after “Journey to Babel,” so he convinced M’Benga to come back.

Possible. He only showed up twice I think. When I first heard the character would be on SNW I thought he was there because he was a Vulcan specialist and Spock was the only Vulcan in Star Fleet. But there has been no mention of his specialty at all.

The problem is now Spock is not the only Vulcan in Starfleet. You can see that in the court room ep with #1

Yeah… But to be fair my theory was before the first season aired and I foolishly thought they might actually care about the lore. But since this has now been officially branded an alternate reality/reboot, it doesn’t really matter any more.

Like we have all said, different timeline but same universe.

Let’s just stop using the term ‘universe’ then. This is an alternate reality. An alternate where things and even people are different. All because of time travel shenanigans in the past that created, essentially, this rebooted alternate take on Pike & his crew.

We can’t stop using the word universe. It has existed since the mirror universe from TOS. It is over 50 years old.

So let’s just call this a reboot then.

Spock is not the only Vulcan in Starfleet.

He never was (at least in TOS). I don’t know where this myth got started — possibly because there just seemed to be fewer aliens in Starfleet in TOS — but the USS Intrepid was described in “The Immunity Syndrome” as being crewed entirely by Vulcans. Judging by its name, it was not a Vulcan-flagged ship.

I’m not sure either to be honest with you but I have heard it my whole life

Also, correct me if I am wrong, but was not the Intrepid a pure vulcan ship by the vulcan science academy? I could be totally wrong, I am not arguing with you, I am just asking

We don’t know. But I’m extrapolating by the use of a traditional Federation name for the ship. It’s “Intrepid,” not USS T’Planahath.

Whichever name is preferred I am fine with

This is still the prime timeline. I took the mention of this “was supposed to happen back in 1992” as a bit of a wink to the audience that yes, the Eugenics war was supposed to happen in 1992, but well than the real world happen so… Certain fans take things a bit too seriously, just like Worf’s joke in DS9 about the human looking Klingons, or Nog’s mention of how Gabriel Bell looks an awful lot like Sisko.

Which, actually, if you want to go down that rabbit hole, everything since “Past Tense” is technically in alt-timeline, as prior to “Past Tense” Gabriel Bell looked like Gabriel Bell and not Sisko. As such, we’ve been living in an alt-timeline Star Trek for decades now.

It can’t possibly be prime because in the prime the Eugenics wars took place in the 90’s. Just because they didn’t happen for real doesn’t mean they didn’t happen in the fictional Trek universe. The show is not a documentary. It’s pretend. This happens all the time in fiction. Episode 2.3 established that while that was supposed to be the case (hence, that version is the prime) for SNW it’s not. Therefore, SNW takes place in an alternate reality. Or reboot. It’s the same excuse ST09 used. DS9’s Worf gag was merely an acknowledgement that that was how they looked on TOS. That the producers are aware but are just moving on. That’s all. Because the most fans understood the change and are fine with it. Sisko taking over for Bell isn’t a big deal because in the end it didn’t affect anything down the line. Therefore the timeline remained unaltered. There have been time incursions made that didn’t have long lasting effects. But the stuff described in ep 2.3 did. The show went out of its way to say it did. And it explains all the giant inconsistencies just as it explained the KU’s.

Then how could we explain DS9’s season 4 episode “Accession?”

All Bajorans remember that Akorem Laan’s poem, “The Call of the Prophets” was incomplete.

Major Kira later realizes the poem was completed after Akorem was returned to the past.

So, could this be the same for people of the Prime Timeline? Some remember that the Eugenics Wars was in the 1990s, and others remember that it was later, in the 2000s.

Something akin to the Mandela Effect.

No. He had no memory of being gone. The completed poem didn’t affect things. The prophets likely saw to that. So prime timeline remains unbroken.

Then how can one explain Major Kyra, and by extension, the rest of Bajor, remembering an uncompleted poem? Surely the timeline had to be affected.

That’s a good question. I don’t recall the ending of the episode. Are you saying everyone remembers the poem wasn’t finished but now see the finished version? Sounds like the Prophets moving in mysterious ways. But doubtful it has universal or even localized consequences. Being non linear the wormhole aliens likely saw to that.

All I can say to this sort of thing is “so what?” I mean, how important is any of this? You said it yourself: it’s pretend.

It is. So why are you responding to fans who enjoy discussing such things? If it doesn’t matter then why waste your time?

Yeah. The problem is ST basically outlived the predictions it’s creators outlined for the future. As the Eugenics Wars are concerned, it’s impossible to reconcile a timeline that was created in 1967, when the US and the USSR were engaged in a space race that looked like it would never end. It seemed plausible that something like the Botany Bay would exist in 1996; that was a whole generation away.

But none of that happened. So what are ST producers supposed to do? And anyway, what does all this wailing and gnashing of teeth about timelines really accomplish?

What are they supposed to do? Nothing. There is no reason to. Those events happened in their fictitious time line. There was no “problem” to fix.

Why do they have to do anything! It’s fiction, what does it matter? Every sci Fi show and movie that shows the future rarely gets it right. No one thinks they should be remade over it.

Star Trek isn’t real, it’s just a TV show with it’s own fake history and fake future.

The timeline was thoroughly implausible even for 1967, even assuming you could accept the development of sleeper ships within 25 years.

When “Space Seed” aired, 1992 was 25 years away. Khan was older than 25 in “Space Seed,” so he was already born in 1967. If we take Khan to be the same age as the actor who portrayed him, Khan was 47 in “Space Seed.” That means he was born in 1945!

India became independent in 1947. Crick and Watson discovered the double helix structure of DNA in 1953. The original timeline was asking us to accept that Khan was born before both of these things happened.

Even if you say that Khan was ten years younger than Montalban, that still places his birth in 1955 or so, a mere two years after Crick and Watson. You’d basically have to assume that some kind of Manhattan Project in India (started on the orders of someone like Vallabhbhai Patel, presumably) existed around that time and was able to leapfrog over Crick and Watson’s research. The Indian Institutes of Technology were created around that time, and I suppose you could argue that in the Trekverse they were a Los Alamos-style cloak for a genetic super-project, but that’s still quite the stretch. India was still very much a developing country at the time. As we saw in OPPENHEIMER, even the Manhattan Project itself didn’t *quite* achieve total secrecy, and US and European physicists knew of each others’ theoretical work. Moreover, any Indian geneticists who hypothetically would have been capable of such a leap would probably have trained in Europe. There is a whole Wikipedia page on “Indian geneticists”; I’m not a geneticist and don’t have time to read all their bios(!), but a cursory glance suggests that, with the exception of some who specialized in plant hybridization, few if any were contemporaries of Crick and Watson. True, “Space Seed” originally suggested that Khan was the product of “selective breeding,” rather than genetic engineering. But that only makes the timeline even less plausible. You’d need generations to achieve results from selective breeding.

A Khan born in 1945-60 or so would have been the result of a project begun not during the Nazi period, but probably around the turn of the century. That’s not entirely implausible, given that the eugenics movement had its origins in the 1880s, but it still seems difficult a *transnational* eugenics movement could have been kept secret for that long, particularly during the Nazi era in Germany. (Remember that transnational ideologies like anarchism and socialism failed to survive first contact with the enemy in WWI.)

In any event, TWOK and everything since have clarified that Khan was the project of genetic engineering, not merely selective breeding. The only way the timeline makes sense for genetic engineering is if Project Chrysalis had some kind of Borg-style maturation chamber to accelerate the period between birth and puberty. But that’s ridiculous for 20th century technology, even a 20th century that produced sleeper ships.

You’d basically have to assume that some kind of Manhattan Project in India (started on the orders of someone like Vallabhbhai Patel, presumably) existed around that time and was able to leapfrog over Crick and Watson’s research.

Also — while this was kind of implicit, I should add that that’s merely discovering the *structure* of DNA, much less full-scale genetic engineering an enhanced human from scratch, something we *still* can’t do. Indeed, a full map of the human genome was only completed last year, in April 2022, about two decades after the project started.

Occasionally you find scientific historians making arguments that the theory of relativity could have been advanced decades earlier than Einstein, or that had a few historical pathways gone differently, the atom bomb might have been created in the late 1800s. All this gets a bit beyond my bailiwick, but I’m dubious; and in any event, it happened when it did.

Situating an advanced human genetic engineering project in the 1950s, or for that matter in the 1960s, goes beyond even those theories in its absurdity — and we *knew this in 1967*.

I can’t agree more. M’Benga has been a great addition to the crew, even in season 1. But seeing him expanded in season 2 has been a welcome development, considering the season overall has been questionable at times. So far, it’s my opinion that Pike, Uhura, and M’Benga are the top three characters in SNW. Una could easily be in that mix, but I don’t feel like they give her enough to work with. But, overall, I feel like Babs Olusanmokun could eventually end up with an Emmy if given the right material. I don’t think this episode is enough to do it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually at least got nominated.

Another, separate thought- this episode adds to the larger universe’s arc about Federation-Klingon relations. Two key things I like about this episode:

• Admiral Cornwell’s decision to keep Enterprise out of the fight. The fruits of that decision are on display here- Cornwell wanted to protect some part of Starfleet from being “changed” by the war. She likely knew there would come a time where healing is needed, and to do so, the flagship and Pike in particular, would be needed to shine the light for others emerging from the darkness.
• Starfleet personnel being complicit in the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon. One aspect of STAR TREK VI that always felt off to me was how Starfleet personnel could be so willing to participate in a cabal to throw off the peace process. Well, this episode makes that feel a lot less of a stretch by reframing the context of Federation-Klingon relations in the ensuing 30+ years since the war ended. Exceptional people like Ortegas, Chapel, and M’Benga couldn’t sit through a social function without showing their cracks. That sounds awfully familiar in a not coincidental way to the dinner scene from STVI. I really appreciate the parallels, intentional or not.

STVI made total sense for the time in which it was created as a post cold war metaphor

Totally agreed. I still to this day do not think Admiral Cartwright was a bad person. He was a seasoned Starfleet officer at the height of the Federation-Klingon conflict. He saw a way to end the threat as quickly and as efficiently as possible and he took it. He didn’t want Kirk or McCoy to be arrested and sent to Rura Penthe but those were the casualties of War.

Any military officer who fails to defer to civilian leadership, at least in a democracy, by definition a “bad person.” The Federation civilian leadership had made its foreign policy decision to assist the Klingons, and it’s not Cartwright’s place to override that decision, even if he personally disagrees with it.

That’s before we even get to the fact that his disagreement was kinetic, and extended to killing people, including Federation citizens.

I get that, I really do. And that’s why Carwrite was arrested. But his actions given his long service were understandable. How can you just blindly trust the Klingons because a moon blew up and their Chancellor says lets be friends? Peice is not even close to simple as that

The wholwe point of Star Trek VI was Kirk getting over the death of his son and accepting that maybe the enemy can one day be friends. That does not mean everyone feels the same. Carghtright said flat out when Kirk was assigned the mission, “I don’t know whether to congratulate you or not Jim”

Another impressive episode with some very strong performances by Babs Olusanmokun and Jess Bush. It was refreshing to see a rather raw and dark story, and nice to finally see some views of the Klingon War, which was so heavily referred to in DSC but never shown in any satisfying way, imo. I agree with Anthony that Pike was written a bit limp in this one, kind of a shame. Always a pleasure to see Clint Howard appear on Trek! Diving deep into the doctor’s past was pretty effective in the way it was done, I thought, giving good insight into his PTSD. And I loved the twist ending that he was the actual butcher. Good messaging at the end, how sometimes there is no healing, only managing. I can relate to that. I’ll be watching this one again. Oh, and the Klingon makeup looked absolutely fine to me!

This is the first episode of SNW I’ve gotten to see the day it was released! I’m finally caught up with everything (not just this show, but the whole franchise, having finally finished up the last of my backlog yesterday).

I… think I like this one, but it’s one of those episodes I need to sit and mull over a while, let it stew in my mind; I don’t think it’s one I can really assess right after an initial viewing. But I’d be really interested in hearing actual veterans’ perspectives on this one.

The only veteran I personally know who actually saw combat (I had friends and colleagues who were in all branches of the armed forces who never saw combat) was my grandfather. Who never spoke about it whenever I asked about. I’ve heard many rarely talk about it except to others who have gone through it. And even then it’s kinda rare. The end of THE RETURN OF THE KING was sorta of like that for the 4 Hobbits. They shared a harrowing experience no one else could relate to and would mostly exchange knowing looks with each other.

I know 3 that fought in Iraq and they completely disagree.

That’s how the old timers saw it.

Fair enough but these are not the old times. I wish they were because things were a lot better back then. The truth is our current world resembles the Trek Mirror Universe much more than Roddenberry’s utopia

The truth is our current world resembles the Trek Mirror Universe much more than Roddenberry’s utopia

No, it *absolutely* doesn’t. There has been no great power conflict to speak of since 1945. The care that Biden has taken to avoid a direct NATO-Russia clash only emphasizes this point.

At the National Nuclear Museum in Albuquerque, there is a wonderful graphic that shows wartime casualties declining precipitously, almost overnight, after the dawn of the nuclear era. There have been some exceptions, such as the Iran-Iraq war and Ukraine, but the kind of mass slaughter, where casualties on the order of 30,000 in a single battle, that was common in WWI era has become exceedingly uncommon.

Most political scientists who study the question (there are exceptions) think that conflict itself (not merely that between great powers) has become significantly less common since 1945.

On governance, we have seen decolonization and, more importantly, several waves of democratization. Yes, there has been some democratic backsliding over the past decade, but each wave of democratization has had a “two steps forward, one step back” character. Samuel Huntington wrote about this pattern extensively in his book THE THIRD WAVE.

On economics, the number of people living in extreme poverty — generally defined as having an income of less than $2 per day — has also declined precipitously. According to the World Bank, in 2015, the share of the world’s population living in extreme poverty declined from roughly 40% in the 1980s to about 8% today.

I wish that was true. But it’s not. We live in a world of terrorism. There is no chance in hell NASA or anyone else will create WARP drive. Ever since 9/11 we’ve lived in a world of horror. I know this particularly because I am Hindu. I havw brown skin and since 9/12/2001 when I went outside everyone told me I was a terrorist. Here is the ironic part. Christiantisy, Judisam, and Islam all have a common ansestry. I am hindu. I may be brown but my religion (hinduism) has NOTHING to do with any 3 of those religions. Also, my parents were born in a county that got it’s independance through pieceful means, not war. SO EVERYONE CAN GO AWAY!!!!

The dividing of India was hardly peaceful. Millions were killed unfortunately due to ethnic conflict. Australia, Canada and New Zealand are better examples of peaceful independence from British.

My point was not the fight between Hindus and Muslums and what we now call Pakistan which was once a part of Hindustan. My point was about the fact that England retreated without a war

There was also the forcible seizure of Goa from the Portuguese.

I posted a rebuttal with a link to a CFR study indicating that terrorism (which was never a particularly existential threat, serious as 9/11 and Mumbai were) peaked in 2014. Probably uncoincidentally, that was also ISIS’ peak. It appears to have gotten lost in moderation. Don’t have time to retype it in full.

I am very torn on the ending to this episode. A doctor committing murder and getting away with it sits very badly with me. But I think they did do a good job setting up why he would feel justified in taking this course of action.

On a different note, this stretch of episodes is again showing the limits of a mostly not-serialized 10 episode season. Can you imagine if DS9 had done “Trials and Tribble-ations,” “In the Pale Moonlight,” and then something like “Take Me Out to the Holosuite” in three consecutive weeks? Tonal whiplash.

I was thinking the same while watching – we’re only a week away from an all singing, all dancing episode. Especially if you’re watching these three episodes in a single sitting later down the road. Tonal whiplash and then some. Also, going by the name of the final episode, it sounds like we could back in similar territory to this week again, come episode 10. I know it’s the most copy and paste, over said comment on this site, but more episodes a season would benefit this show no end. Even if it’s just 5 or so more. Discovery season 1 was a 15 episodes season if I remember rightly.

I don’t see the problem with the difference in tones week to week. This is Star Trek, that’s what this show does.

Let’s not forget, TNG did Deja Q in between much darker episodes about terrorism and sexual assault.

And DS9 put several comedy episodes smack in the middle of some pretty dark stories.

If the episode is good— and this one is— the “whiplash” is up to your own inability to reset after each episode.

I’m rewatching DS9 right now and last night I watched “Little Green Men”, “The Sword of Kahless”. “Our Man Bashir”, and “Homefront”. That’s about as big a tonal shift. Star Trek was always like this.

With only 10 episodes, the tonal shift makes sense, but I also agree with other posters that this was common with Star Trek through the 90’s/2000’s. It made more sense back then because syndication meant that the episodes could technically appear in any order. And it now makes sense because there’s not enough episodes to even things out if you wanted to.

DS9 Season 6:

The Magnificent Ferengi Waltz Who Mourns for Morn? Far Beyond the Stars

and later on:

In the Pale Moonlight His Way The Reckoning Valiant Profit and Lace

The second stretch didn’t have any reruns to break it up.

Star Trek did this a lot, and DS9 in particular took some big tonal swings to try to temper its reputation as the darkest series.

[Ensign Inman’s] shirt may not be red, but it might as well be.

Actually, if you take a look at his armor/shielding at the end of that scene, I think it actually was red, if I recall it correctly.

You’re right. We’ve updated the review.

I don’t like being judged by my religion!!!

I can think of a man who did what M’Benga did for the reason he did it: Worf. Lying about it is just going to make other Klingons think that Earthers have no honor. Boasting about it…..that would make peace!!!!

That’s honestly an interesting point. If he said that he murdered him for his cowardice (which is kinda true), the Klingons would’ve loved it.

Are you taking about when he killed Duras?

On its own it seems like a perfectly fine episode. But for anyone who has actually watched some Star Trek in the 90s (or those shows later) it rings incredibly hollow.

The futility of war from an outsider on the ground has been done sooooo much better in DS9 (Nor the Battle to the Strong and The Siege of AR-558). Even the PTSD Angle after the the battle is over was done so much better (and with a lot more subtlety) over there (It’s Only a Paper Moon). What’s left is a story about the problem that the people who fought for a better future might not be the ones suited to live in it due to carried over resentments (which has been done to utter perfection in The Undiscovered Country) and – albeit very briefly – a story of of a warmonger who isn’t actually one but wants to be seen as one (DS9 again: Duet)

At least they’re taking their „inspiration“ from Star Treks good material but if you’re doing something that has been done before, you better have a new angle or way, to actually tell the story better than the first time around.

Honestly I don’t think it all that fair to compare nu-Trek to new-Trek. And DS9, the best of those shows, in particular. They just had better writers directors and producers. To expect that from this current group is just setting up failure. DS9 did everything better.

I don’t think it’s wrong to have those expectations, and I’m not even sure that SNW couldn’t get there. Episodes like this and “Ad Aspera Per Astra” have glimmers of greatness that, if practiced more often, could lead to performances and products like what we saw in DS9. The problem to me is that episodes like “Under the Cloak of War” just don’t feel earned. We haven’t endured as much with this crew, and the inconsistencies from episode to episode make it hard to relate to SNW like we could DS9. When the Dominion war finally broke out, we knew those characters like family – and I think the writers and producers did as well. Making 10 episodes per season and jumping all over the place with differing story and character arcs, changing relationships, and motivations that don’t always make sense make it hard to really give depth to episodes like this. If we had more of the war in previous episodes AND THEN understood the importance of a character like Dak’Rah, the ending and the theme may have meant more.

I don’t disagree that one should be aiming high. Even DS9 levels high. It’s just that given what I have seen from Secret Hideout I just don’t think they have it in them to reach the levels even new-Trek reached. That’s all.

Understood. You’re probably right. I just want to be optimistic that maybe someday we’ll get back there. But you also may be right that it might take a huge change in leadership/control of the franchise.

The real issue is DS9 was made by Trek fans for the fans. This is not what is happening now. This is simply trying to keep Paramount+ afloat.

From what I have read it seems that Yellowstone has been doing the bulk of the heavy lifting on that front.

Yellowstone is aired on Paramount TV, not Paramount +

It’s all over my P+ menu. Has been for quite some time. And I’m just repeating the reports that I read.

I completely disagree. Star Trek used to do this all the time; the Cardassians were introduced and magically the Federation fought a war with them like 15 years before AND here’s a guy that fought in the war and hates Cardassians.

Indeed. Nu-Trek is continually bashed on these and other threads for its preference for personal drama (often uncharitably described as “soap opera”) over hard SF. Yesterday I saw a YouTube retrospective on TNG’s sixth season, which I haven’t watched in decades, and was struck by how many of the episodes were about reunions and conflicts with long-lost family members, friends and colleagues we’d never previously heard of. Was any of that “earned”? Not that all of those shows were well-received at the time, but many of them were, and I don’t recall a lot of fuss or fan accusations that Rick Berman and Co. were singlehandedly destroying the Trek franchise.

Number 1: There was no social media when TNG, DS9 and most of Voyager was on air, and it was in it’s infancy during ENT (although there were discussion boards). Reception was based on your friends group and word of mouth. And if you’re like most people in real life, you usually don’t surround yourself with people who constantly disagree with you.

Number 2: SNW is being criticized specifically THIS SEASON for the “preference for personal drama” because the show is literally called “STRANGE NEW WORLDS”. You could say that the title is really just a metaphor to describe how these character are exploring themselves and their relationships, but this is Star Trek, so I don’t buy it. The title of the show was specifically chosen to excite the fan base that Nu-Trek was FINALLY going to focus on what the franchise was established to do – explore new worlds, aliens, galaxies in a sci-fi show with allegories and messages that connect to our world with new story EVERY WEEK. Season 1 seemed to do a better job of that, but now season 2 has barely scratched the surface of any “Strange New World”.

Finally: Using your example of TNG season 6, yes , the show had EARNED the right to delve into the cast, their back stories, and relationships without having to introduce the planet or alien of the week every episode. Even so, most of those episodes had sci-fi back stories that were MUCH MORE interesting or relevant than what we get in SNW. In fact, out of 26 episodes (geez, that sounds like A TON these days), I count only 6 that really don’t have a strong sci-fi A- or B-story driving the episode. And all of those are very Picard or Worf heavy stories: Chain of Command (Parts 1 & 2), Tapestry, Birthright (Parts 1 & 2) and Lessons. The remaining 20 episodes do include stories where characters get a lot of screen time with some development (e.g. Aquiel stands out as a Geordi episode, A Fistful of Datas is obviously a Data episode – although really more of a Brent Spiner showcase, and Face of the Enemy is a strong Troi episode), but I can clearly remember the sci-fi plot or device in pretty much everyone of those stories that helps drive the episode. Honestly, I’ve already forgotten most of the details of why the SNW crew even interacted with Klingons in the season 2 premiere, I have to work to remember what the purpose was for La’an going to the past and meeting Kirk, and I’m pretty sure I’ll forget about the “portal” from the SNW/LDS cross over in the next few months. And I also just realized that SNW used time travel as a plot device for TWO episodes out of 10 this season. Wow…

I know this is the tiniest of tiny complaints regarding the episode, but after rewatching ‘The Andorian Incident’ a few nights back, I really really miss those animatronic antennae the Andorians had on Enterprise.

Me too. That has by far been the best alien update ever in the franchise. Including the Klingon ridges.

Definitely. They added to the overall performance too. If, for example, Shran was being defensive, or feeling like he was on the back foot, the position of the antennae would reflect it by cowering. They could convey an extra layer of emotion with them. It was great.

That was the actual intent of the antenna. That they convey emotions like facial expressions. It was brilliant.

I was actually thinking the same thing…

You know, I knew something has been missing in the couple of Andorian appearances we’ve seen this season. Thanks for helping me figure that out! But I also think a lot has to be credited to Jeffrey Combs. He just defines what I expect an Andorian to be.

Happy to help! Oh without a doubt, yeah, Jeffrey Combs set a high bar when it comes to Andorian performances. I also think he helped set the general tone of how the other Andorian support actors played those parts around him, resulting in a specific feel to those Enterprise Andorians.

There’s no question that he was the blueprint for the ENT Andorian. ENT had its flaws, but I always liked that they explored the Andorian race.

Me too, and generally how it brought back a lot of TOS aliens that had been sidelined during the 90s – Tellarites, Orions etc

The only thing I was not a fan of was they latched on to a stereotype uttered by Sarek about Tellerites as a trait for the entire species. But at that time I was just happy to see the classic aliens back.

Blueprint, I see what you did there.

100%. It’s hard to go back to the simpler take on them.

I’m just glad SNW dropped the Andorian facial micropenises.

Ah yeah, I’d forgotten about all the extras they added to the design.

It was an interesting premise for sure, but felt like a retread of the morality dichotomy presented in Trek VI. Not just in subject matter, but the flawed idea of mirroring modern society by eschewing Roddenberry’s vision that humankind has evolved by making the crew xenophobic towards Klingons. This ignores that the 23rd century is supposed to be a better place. OFFICERS are blatantly racist, and seem that way because… trauma. No ability to cope on any level. We’ve apparently come nowhere from modern times to the 23rd century in helping people deal with it. People on a starship, who need to be able to set aside or properly compartmentalize their trauma, so they can do their jobs. M’Benga should have been court-martialed, and I refuse to believe a Starfleet officer would lack that kind of control and it be tolerated. Or that Pike would have let him tackle diplomacy duties through sparring or dinner or anything, let alone allow his officer’s trauma to validate murder. I don’t believe that they couldn’t sniff this out from a psychological assessment done on people who were exposed to the worst parts of the Klingon war. M’Benga, as presented, is deranged, and if he is THAT compromised, he shouldn’t be serving on a starship. The stupidity is mind boggling. The actor that played the ambassador was pretty great. Great presence and gravitas. He was charming. Such a great opportunity to deal with the conflicted emotions of knowing he was this military leader who did horrible things, against the fact that our officers should want to like him while in his presence. They could have done so much better. Such a wasted opportunity. Don’t even get me started on crew morale being low and needing to find a quicker way to get to their destination. It’s like 10 year olds are writing this stuff.

Yeah… I didn’t really feel like getting into that with what I wrote but M’Benga has gotten away with some pretty awful crap. It’s one thing to have a one guy like Stiles show a public bias against what he perceives to be an enemy. But everyone who was involved is feeling it? Chapel outright covered for M’Benga. She should be tossed out, too. This seems like something that could easily get uncovered.

But I think it has been made pretty clear by now that this is not a professional crew. Pike looks like he’s aware and has no idea how to handle it. He’s coming across as being overwhelmed and not like a leader at all. If Kirk saw Sulu snap at Spock like Ortegas does He’d “remind” him that he’s an officer. He wouldn’t tolerate it. Suppose O’Brian responded to Kira like that? What would Sisko do? How would Picard react if Wesley spoke to him or Riker that way? Doesn’t matter how much of a wiz kid he is. He’d have him removed from the bridge.

The ultimate problem with being unprofessional, is the continued insistence that this is the “flagship”, and Pike is one of the best commanders in the fleet. And yet.. he’s enabling and worrying about their feelings. It makes zero sense for these characters to act this way.

If this is the best Starfleet has to offer, I guess it’s in pretty sad shape. At least in Discovery there were indications that the crew (having been picked by Lorca) may not have been the best representations of Starfleet, but you would think the Enterprise being the “flagship” would feature the best and brightest who know how to conduct themselves as such.

Not sure where they got the idea that the Enterprise is the ‘flagship” but… It’s an alternate reality/reboot so have at it I guess.

We both agree on the alternative timeline, so I concur on the “flagship” designation. Just saying that, in context of SNW, seems like flagship should mean more.

Yes, and it was uttered that it was the Flagship in a recent episode.

You mention Star Trek: VI, but DS9 does similar things and we also see a similar situation with Miles O’Brien and Cardassians in TNG, and even in TOS, the Klingons are still reviled and it appears the general consensus among the crew is that they don’t like them.

All that said, the issue directly is that this is the writers ONCE AGAIN rehashing a plot that has been done by Star Trek MULTIPLE times before (and better, in my opinion) when they could have been doing something new and different like, I don’t know, exploring “Strange New Worlds”??

That said, I think it’s unrealistic to assume that humanity (I won’t speak for other aliens in the show) could suddenly just grow past the point of judging others based on past experiences. I think that is engrained in us, and hard to avoid. I think the point you make that is most relevant is that Starfleet leadership (like Pike) should be able to handle this better. And, if nothing else, the crew should KNOW BETTER than having full on debates about controversial subjects on the BRIDGE. Don’t you have anything else to do??

I’m not as familiar with DS9. I watched the series, but don’t readily recall as much as I should. 100% agree, and appreciate the additional input.

TNG explores O’Brien’s lingering feelings in “The Wounded.” Compared to his former captain he’s a modicum of professionalism, but puts up a front, even to his wife, that the war is over and he’s fine with the Cardassians. But he can’t put that into practice when he actually comes to face to face with them, even when they try to be pleasant. DS9 pulls on that thread a little more with him but it’s TNG which gets most of it out of the gate in his first big episode.

DS9 also deals with xenophobia with how almost everyone judges the members of The Dominion as evil until we start to get some back stories on how the Vorta and Jem’Hadar are basically slaves. Also, the Changelings are pretty much treated as un-trustworthy once the war starts with the exception of Odo, and there’s not much in the plot that changes that by the end. Beyond the Dominion, there’s also a pretty common negative vibe towards the Cardassians (understandably) by a lot of the DS9 crew with some exceptions, but it seems like they are almost always approached with questions as to their motives at the beginning of each plot. I would say the same could also be said about the interaction with the humans and Ferengi. Most of the crew grow fond of Quark and Nog, but usually when new Ferengi show up, there’s always the assumption that they are up to something no good.

The problem is that the Vorta and the Jem’har were evil. They were programmmed to be that way since birth

10 year olds are all they can afford to staff the show with

I know, they want to draw parallels to historical and contemporary warfare by including ground troops but I can’t imagine this makes any sense for an era in which an entire planet could be obliterated by wide-spread phaser fire and gazillion of torpedos. They had those ground troopers on DS9 too but I guess this is just for storytelling purposes. Same with Star Wars. Why even care about Stormtroopers when you can just blast all ships out of the sky and obliterate entire planets? Any military position in those universes would be burnt and vaporized within seconds.

maybe you want to retain the infrastructure or target only military objectives instead of razing an entire civilization

True. That’s something I often wondered about on DS9. But the stories were interesting and well told so I was able to move past it.

In the prime universe though I don’t think there ever was an outright war with the Klingons. They closest they came was when they butted heads at Organia and were denied their war. That scene where Kor & Kirk were yelling at each other about what led to it was great. They got so heated they were annoyed they couldn’t have their war before Kirk was reminded what he was doing and backed off. It always felt an allegory to the two sides of the Iron Curtain. Perhaps a skirmish here or there but no outright war.

Well… Seems M’Benga is a really shady character. I did like how things are awfully gray here. But ultimately M’Benga is just not a trustworthy guy. Does Pike know about his shady off the books transporter thing from last season? I forgot. I can only think that this stuff will come out which is why he was no longer CMO. But with this sort of thing it’s actually quite stunning he was even still on McCoy’s staff. The guy really ought to get discharged.

While watching the episode I was thinking that while not great it would probably work better if I really cared about the characters of Chapel & M’Benga. After M’Benga’s subterfuge last season I lost respect for him as a character and that led to a steady lack of caring. And Chapel’s change was just not something I was able to get on board with. Not because it’s an obvious canon violation. This show has already shown why that’s not a thing anymore. But because the creative direction they went with her I felt was not an interesting choice.

Technically, unlike most of the other episodes, the story didn’t flow very well. If felt like it suffered directorially. Unusual as that usually hasn’t been a big issue. It was choppy and generally not structured very well.

Ultimately while it didn’t suck as hard as most episodes it still was a tick below “meh”.

Other things… Interesting to see a Star Trek style MASH unit. But that “super serum” stuff just is a terrible concept they really need to stop running to. And does Clint Howard have some sort of deal that he has to appear in every Star Trek show at least once now?

Agreed on all points. The issues in this episode aren’t what’s on the surface, It’s not even canon.. it’s the subtext and contradictions behind people’s actions, and what that says about their job, and what kind of leaders they are. I’m not a writer, but I could do a better job than this.

well let me ask you this?? Why did he get repaced by McCory? Maybe this makes sense in canoon

It’s never been covered but I have head canon for that in the Prime. I’ve no idea what’s going to happen in this SNW version.

This episode makes you wonder why Kirk has McCoy running medical instead of M’Benga in TOS.

Not sure McCoy outright murdered someone before he got his position. And at the rate M’Benga is going, it’s highly possible he had a full mental breakdown before Kirk took over and McCoy might have just brought him back because of the recommendations of other crew such as Chapel (seems like he seems to respect her). And all that said, I still think it’s highly possible that McCoy and Kirk were old buddies who had worked together before similar to what we saw in ST’09. As close as they seem, I would believe it. Lastly, most versions of Star Trek have shown us that whoever is in charge gets to make crew personnel decisions – even if it is based on the buddy system.

That’s my feeling about Kirk & McCoy, too. And while there would still be a bit of a “buddy system” I’m doubting the Captain would take advantage of his authority to select lesser people just because they are friends. Kirk certainly doesn’t come across as the type. And I’d wager Kirk, knowing this was his first command, knowing his friend was completely qualified for the job also felt needed him as a sounding board. That he was someone who would tell him he was overstepping or being a jerk. My best friend who recently passed on would have no problem telling me when I was being as ass. Mrs ML31 does that to. It’s good when we have people around us who care enough to be blunt with us.

Except that Kirk had a different CMO, Piper, in the first episode of TOS. If he specifically recruited McCoy, he had to wait until the position opened up.

My head canon was always that McCoy was a good friend of Kirk’s going in and James brought him over with him when he was named Captain. My other bit of head canon was that Scotty was probably already on the Engineering staff and was promoted, by Kirk, when he arrived.

McCoy came in and fixed Biobed 2 straight away. :P

I really appreciate them trying to take on something serious. Just because it’s been done before or better, doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying again.

I really didn’t like the fight scene in Ep 1, so, after this… I’m much more on M’Benga’s side now. I suppose .

Totally agree on the fight scene, but disagree on trying to do the storyline again. Not when you have plenty of other avenues to explore these concepts without almost directly rehashing the same storyline from a previous plot from the SAME FRANCHISE. For me, it just goes back to the basic question that I’ve had throughout most of the season: When will they actually start exploring “Strange New Worlds” again?

I have that fundamental question too (about exploring).

The way this story was handled, I think about the people I have met who are both victims and perpetrators, and how the people around them reacted. How do you capture realistically in an hour? Not everything worked. A lot did.

Importantly, they did not seem to give M’Benga an easy way out. I think this storyline will return.

At least this is interesting.

Welcome back real Klingons.

Well, it was inevitable: I think this is the first episode of SNW that I genuinely don’t like at all.

From a technical standpoint, I think it was probably edited down too much. I felt like there was footage missing from the fight in sickbay, and I had to rewind to see if I missed a vital moment. Similarly, during the mok’bara scene, there was a long bit of ADR used, which screamed either ‘missing footage’ or ‘repurposed audio.’ Those and some other little things, and it just didn’t come together for me.

From a writing standpoint, I don’t buy that Klingons call him “the Butcher” because he (supposedly) killed 3 of his own men. We’ve seen Klingon captains kill subordinates / be killed by subordinates enough times that I don’t think killing 3 officers would make someone a “butcher.” But that’s what was needed so that M’Benga could be all “I’m the real Butcher,” which felt like some serious false equivalence. I’m not saying that M’Benga shouldn’t have PTSD, or have complicated feelings about taking Temp-V Protocol 12 and killing 3 men. Just, ehh, that didn’t line up for me. I also felt like it lacked an element of driving tension on board the Enterprise. Yes, veterans don’t like Rah, but he’s doing nothing more sinister than existing and talking to people. If there was a hint of him maybe snooping around, or asking more technical questions about the ship, I could see that helping motivate the unease and give more handholds for the story to take.

Ultimately, the episode made me like M’Benga less, and I don’t like that feeling. Did he bait Rah into a fight so that he could kill him? If so, that’s messed up. If not, it should be more obvious. Given the missing footage around that scene, I don’t know if M’Benga is being truthful saying that he didn’t start the fight, and not knowing if one of the heroes is lying about something like that is not what I want out of Trek.

I liked seeing Clint Howard, and thought he was fine. Weird for the tone, but I’ll go along with it.

My guess is the writers aren’t done with this story, at least the events in this story. M’Benga has been dealing with a lot of pain since last season, and it was nice to see some of the layers peeled back like exposing a raw nerve. We probably won’t see the resolution of his actions until Season 3, but this isn’t something they can just let go. The stories may be episodic, but the character arcs are not. At some point M’Benga is going to crack.

Yeah, I don’t think we’re done with M’Benga either. Something in it just didn’t sit right with me. It seemed to want to give M’Benga a similar moral complexity to Sisko’s from “In The Pale Moonlight,” but rather than sit with the uncertainty that Sisko felt at the end, he’s just kind of like “yeah, I’m cool with killing that guy”

I watched it a few hours ago now, and had totally forgotten about that ADR moment. It was very glaring and, as you said, such a long bit of dialogue. I’m wondering if they slowed the footage or manipulated it somehow, seeing how his head was facing away for so long. And, yeah, the end fight scene felt like a ‘did-I-just-pass-out-for-a-second’ moment. I was a bit confused by it. Definitely felt like something was missing.

This is very unlikely but I wonder if the name Trask came from the character of Trask Ulgo in Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. That one was human, Alderaanian, but he was the first character you met when you start playing and dies halfway through the first level trying to fight one of the antagonists to buy everyone else time to escape.

Does Clint Howard hold some sort of record for most years between first and last Star Trek appearance?

Wow, that was intense. Got to where I was hoping the next scene would be on the Enterprise, not the battlefield. And the ending..wow.

Help me out a second: Wasn’t there a movie recently where we found out that the guy claimed heroism actually performed by someone else? Almost tip of my tongue.

I was worried for Clint Howard there. Or I was hoping he’d have some grapefruit juice at the end.

And…an Andorian named “Trask” with a Southern accent? OK then.

This episode demonstrated what Discovery might have been had they not lost focus heading into the second half of season 1.

That said, it was attempting to be a bit more than it actually was, exploring and revisiting themes better handled by other Star Trek series.

And as much as I enjoy this cast, I’m not entirely sure if I would want most of them serving under me as part of my crew. This episode also seemed to demonstrate a disconnect between Pike and somewhat of a breakdown in the chain of command. Ortegas insubordinate behavior, which has been a big part of her charm, seems unsustainable as an enduring character trait.

So, yeah, very mixed feelings on this one.

One thing that always made scenes of tension crackle for me a little more in Trek was when characters would still channel their feelings through gritted teeth and follow protocol. They could be angry as hell but they’d either always request to be dismissed through gritted teeth or be reminded by their superior officer that they haven’t been yet. It made things like Seven of Nine’s insubordination more memorable.

Everyone leaves that dinner like it’s a regular fractious thanksgiving. I don’t hate the chummy vibe like some here do, but there are times when that formality does actually help with the character dynamics and tone of the show.

Agree with all of this. Yup.

I want more than ten episodes of this series each year, at least fifteen. Really loved this episode, this season continues to feel like TNG-era Trek. But just when the season gets going it’s over. Only two episodes left and the next one is a musical, so the last episode must be something pretty epic. Really wish they’d up the count and just make two quality series each year…

The prevailing theory about the final episode is it will be a Gorn driven cliffhanger.

I hope so. I love season cliffhangers!

And yes, it would be nice to have more episodes in a season. This show really deserves them.

We probably won’t see a new episode until 2025 so not really looking forward to a cliffhanger this season.

Good point. I didn’t consider that.

I wonder if this cliffhanger will lead to a revamped show in season 3, just like Enterprise season 3 (and Disco season 3) was changed. Compared to season 1, this season is not that exciting.

If I were a betting man I would say no real changes will get made. I think this show’s producers and writers think they are producing the greatest Trek ever and as such would see no reason to change anything.

That is assuming the Hollywood strikes don’t last long. If they go on for a very long time all bets are off. As all sorts of possibilities will be on the table in that event.

“Star Trek” has always been about looking at the human condition, but, I’ve long felt that the franchise didn’t do a good job of depicting PTSD and combat trauma. Even in the last 2 seasons of DS9, with dozens of episodes about the Dominion War, that brilliant storyline didn’t do an adequate job of portraying PTSD (with the notable exception of Nog, brought gloriously to life by the late, great Aron Eisenberg).

Between this year’s performances of Liam Shaw, Joseph M’Benga, and Christine Chapel, though, we’re finally getting a dark, gritty, disturbing portrayal of combat trauma, not shying away from what war does to a Veteran but also portraying these characters as resilient men and women who still move forward and serve in spite of their trauma. And THANK YOU to the creative team behind this episode for showing future warfare as bloody and gruesome — something that previously “Trek” episodes shied away from.

My main disagreement with this review deals with the performance of Clint Howard, as his light-hearted demeanor while immersed in the nightmare of ground combat was spot on, based on my experiences in Afghanistan with mortuary affairs.

When my team and I were getting overwhelmed by the task of processing the remains of young men killed just hours before, dark humor and light heartedness was an effective way of venting the emotions in a safe direction. The best example of this was when I was helping an NCO move a stretcher that contained a body bag of a fellow Soldier whose corpse was so mangled that the blood was leaking out of the bag. He was moving too fast; I dropped the stretcher; and I went face-first into the body bag. Pretty soon, everyone could hear me dropping “F-bombs” in my loudest command voice. A few minutes later, though, my Soldiers and I were busting out laughing at my reaction. We all needed something to break the tension of the moment, and I provided it. Years later, we still laugh about my reaction.

The fact that this cast could pull off episodes as widely different as this one and “Those Old Scientists” speaks volumes about their quality as actors and actresses. Although I long gave up on “Discovery,” the other 4 series have been routinely providing high quality “Trek” entertainment. Kudos to the NuTrek team!

I agree with a lot of what you say. I just want to say that I think Damar was also an example of what you’re talking about. Also Sisko himself from the pilot episode at least.

Of course my trauma is not from combat but from uhh being assaulted and abused but it still manifests in all of the same ways. I’ll be reminded of it and either get aggressive or start doing something to drown it back out (like Damar with his kanar) so I appreciate this episode for that too.

Damar is an example of what made DS9 so great — whether it be Nog, Damar, or even Rom, even the secondary characters had magnificent story arcs. And you’re right that, by the end, you got the sense that Damar recognized the brutality of what the Cardassians did during the Bajoran occupation. He became someone you could respect even with his past sins.

Of course, Sisko is THE man. He had his trauma and always had those scars, but, he could be a diplomat when the situation called for it; he could be a Soldier when the situation called for it; he never stopped being a father; he was the best Trek captain for being a combat commander who never stopped caring for his people even when he had to order them to die for the sake of the mission; etc.

In the case of your trauma, my only thought is to channel it towards serving others and caring for others. It never takes away the memory of what happened, but, if you use it to serve others, then it makes the pain easier to bear because it helps serve a greater good rather than corrode your soul. I’m a firm believer in “post-traumatic growth,” in this way.

Thank you for being you — you matter. :)

you mean the sisko that poisoned a planets biosphere and threatened to go on doing it to other planets to get eddington? very measured.

So now M’Benga is a M’Urderer, too. Along with the serious lack of judgement and ethics he showed over his daughter in the first season. I can see this stuff coming out being the reason he is no longer CMO in the Kirk era…

Wasn’t this episode suppose to be on next week? Its kinda wierd that the episodes “Those old Scientists” and this episode appeared at the same time.

Those Old Scientists came out Saturday

That Klingon war era emergency medical unit flashback reminded me so much of Robert Altman M*A*S*H movie…the realistic battlefield injuries and blood.

So why did M’Benga let this guy escape during the war?

It was right on Pike’s personal device. “Mobile Armament Starfleet Hospital”. Maybe Clint Howard does a killer Groucho Marx impression when the hospital isn’t getting shelled.

I kinda saw M’Benga in that role. Which would make Howard more like Col Blake.

I love the subject matter and the tone, but I feel the episode failed at everything it was trying to do. I found it narratively and visually confusing. For me it commits the cardinal sin of telling us how to feel rather than showing. Furthermore this episode assassinates nearly all of its characters from M’Benga to Pike in order to serve the story. The twist of M’Benga being the butcher landed flat and just added to the narrative confusion and character assasination. Furthermore the episode was badly shot and edited which made this an uncharacteristically shoddy episode of SNW. But what stood out in this mess of an episode is Bab’s amazing gravitas, he did a ton of heavy lifting to elevate this story. Furthermore, what M’Benga had to say about the roll of Starfleet in times of War was really meaningful. And oddly enough, Spock ended up showing a greater capacity to empathize than Pike or Uhura. I feel like Spock is the only one to come out of this episode without some damage. Either way, I’m very glad to see they remembered the Klingon war and its aftermath, but sadly this episode didn’t have what it took to tell this story right. There is a better episode in there somewhere.

Haters take note: this is how you criticize an episode. I don’t agree with a single thing you said, but you said it really well and this is an opinion I can fully respect.

This is Clint Howards 6th decade on Star Trek. I think he is the only actor to hold that distinction. Can anyone think of somebody else?

Wow, north of the border CTV Sci Fi aired Those Old Scientists and this episode back to back. I can’t imagine two more polar opposite stories and a real demonstration of just how talented the cast, crew and writers are for SNW . I first of all have to say I did not enjoy watching this episode but I strongly recommend fans see it. Cloak of War reminds me a lot of some of the darker DS9 episodes, but I imagine it takes viewers one step closer to the reality of the horrors faced by ground troops and medical personnel during combat – I dont know this as fact having thankfully never experienced war. As others have mentioned, some of the medical scenes reminded me of the MOVIE version of MASH. It also graphically reminds us of the sacrifices and horrific trauma faced by returning soldiers and medical staff – and why so many have to deal with PTSD.

As the saying goes, war is hell. Often times tv sanitizes the depiction of why this is so and it is left to the viewer’s imagination. Cloak of War does no such thing and it is an “in your face” reminder of the price paid during and after combat and just why war needs to be avoided as the very last option.

A final comment, as for Chapel and M’Benga, this was a credit to Jess and Babs for their ability to drive home both the trauma endured and the crimes their characters are guilty of. This is something DS9’s In the Pale Moonlight did with Sisko and Garak, but Cloak of War does so with much more viewer effectiveness. As for how they and a suspicious Pike will deal with what happened – they “will live with it!”

For the love of God, can someone contact the showrunner and tell them the Ranks are all screwed up?

Ha. This bothers me too, although in the grand scheme of themes it is the least of the visual continuity issues this show has. They don’t even honor the continuity of their own Disco universe. In the flash backs, based on the time period, they should have used the Discovery combadges. Not the Enterprise combadges. Certainly not a big deal but in my mind it just shows a lack of attention to details that other shows do a better job maintaining. And yes. I know it is just a TV show, ha!

“If there is to be a brave new world, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it.” -Gorkon

As it applies to characters with PTSD and Old Treakers.

The Trek quote that I think applies to nu-Trek is this:

“ After a time, you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true.” -Spock

This was the best of the episode of the season. You know why? Because it managed to take the burning pile of garbage that was Discovery’s Klingon War and actually give it some meaning, a little validation. It did all this while giving its outstanding characters a solid hour to build up more of who they are, where they came from, why we should care. They brought in Clint Howard, and gave him a perfect role. Strange New Worlds is not perfect, and does some pretty loony things like the ridiculous Khan angle a few weeks ago, but on nights like tonight it can be absolutely brilliant.

Episode 8 was pretty impressive, especially the way the story was told. Glad to see old Klingons again, but I didn’t like the hair on this one. It was too human. That’s actually a thing that has been bothering me a bit during the season, come to think of it: aliens feel too human. The same goes for the Andorian. I’m talking about their behavior now. I feel like all nuances the different alien races have gotten over the past 30 years have been wiped away. They all talk and act human (accept for maybe the Vulcans, but even some of them). That might be closer to old Trek, but I miss the 90’s era ones and the Enterprise Andorians.

This was one of the better ones of the season. I love the fact they’re looking back at the war, that was cut short during Disco S1. I would’ve giving it a 9 but there were some clunky martial arts scenes and dying in the end. So it’s an 8.5/10 for me.

By the way, I agree with the thing about Pike. I actually miss Pike during this season. He feels not only absent but also incapable at times.

Since the writers don’t get any residuals for this show I’m okay with them shooting first drafts.

I finally got to see the episode and found it to be intense and riveting. This is probably the darkest episode of Star Trek I have ever seen. Even darker than DS9’s “The Siege of AR-558”. Probably a good thing it was sandwiched between the cartoon comedy and the upcoming musical. Kudos to Babs Olusanmokun for a great performance. 

A couple thoughts…

• I wonder if Scotty learns the transporter suspension trick from Dr. M’Benga either directly or perhaps indirectly while eventually doing maintenance on the medical transporters. Maybe just a retcon to how the technology was known to work?
• This episode seems like it could be the reason why McCoy eventually becomes CMO on the Enterprise.

Definitely one of the top episodes of the series, in my opinion. I will be watching again.

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Musings of a Middle-Aged Geek

… observations from a lifetime of geekiness.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, S2.8: “Under the Cloak of War” commits a few atrocities…

*****STARSHIP-SIZED SPOILERS!*****

Last Time on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds…

Forgive me for being so late with this column, as my wife and I have been battling matching cases of COVID since returning from San Diego Comic Con 2023 over a week ago.  Even vaccinated, it’s been rough ( I’m still not quite over it , as of this writing ). However, what better distraction is there than taking a look at some new( ish ) Star Trek, right?

Dropping five days early last week, on July 22nd, was the anticipated crossover episode between Strange New Worlds (SNW) and the animated “Lower Decks”; the latter being a series I quit a half-dozen or so episodes into its run. I just don’t like Mariner’s boorish behavior, nor do I find Star Trek references to be particularly funny punchlines on their own. I like humor in Star Trek, but I prefer humor rising organically from characters and situations, not from childish adults who treat Starfleet like a nonstop hazing week at university. Yes, I did watch “Those Old Scientists,” but no—I didn’t like it. Mariner (Tawny Newsome) is still obnoxious, and Boimler (Jack Quaid) still acts like a cliché fanboy instead of an adult Starfleet officer. I prefer Star Trek written by those who can craft solid stories within the parameters of that universe, not by gushing fans trying to bulldoze the fourth wall every few seconds. That’s my review. Moving on…

Written by Davy Perez, Onitra Johnson and directed by Jeffrey W. Byrd, last week’s episode “Under the Cloak of War” ( I’m way behind here, so please forgive ) offers a story of a Klingon war criminal who’s trying to reinvent himself as a peacemaker between his people and the Federation.  However, there are veterans of the last Klingon-Federation war aboard the Enterprise whom history can’t quite get past…

“Under the Cloak of War”

Arriving in the Prospero system, the USS Enterprise is ordered to rendezvous with the USS Kelcie Mae , where they are to take on a rare Klingon passenger named Dak’Rah (Robert Wisdom) for delivery to Starbase 12. Dak’Rah successfully negotiated a ceasefire between the three planets of that troubled system.  The former military general defected to the Federation, where he’s become an ambassador-at-large for his former foe. 

Note: From what I gather, the name Kelcie Mae was chosen to honor a Star Trek fan who’d worked on SNW, and who recently passed away. This is in keeping with other Star Trek honorary names such as the character of Geordi LaForge, who was named after a quadriplegic Star Trek fan named “George LaForge” who attended the earliest Star Trek conventions before he passed away in 1975.

In the transporter room, Dak’Rah—who prefers to simply be called “Rah” —is beamed aboard, where he is greeted by Captain Pike (Anson Mount), First Officer Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) and Security Chief La’an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong). Upon materialization, Rah is given boatswain whistle honors, which he compares to the “red carpet” treatment. Rah’s unusually disarming manner is surprising to the crew.  With Security Chief La’an ready to escort him to his quarters, Rah humbly asks Pike if he could trouble him for a tour of the ship, instead…

Note: Rah’s immediate and vaguely suspicious request for a ‘tour of the ship’ is a clear red herring, strengthened with a suspicious glance between First Officer Una (Rebecca Romijn) and La’an .

Taking the conn position on the bridge, a deeply suspicious Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) is having a debate with Ensign Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) over the true nature of the ambassador’s visit. Uhura takes their Klingon guest at his word, citing his long history of successful ceasefire negotiations, while Ortegas thinks it’s a “long con” to spy on the Federation. A veteran of the recent Klingon war, Ortegas lists Rah’s many atrocities, including a story of his slaughtering fellow Klingon soldiers to ensure a safe retreat; an act so reviled it earned him the title “the Butcher of J’Gal.”  As those last words escape Ortegas’ lips, the turbolift doors to the bridge open , and Pike, Una, La’an and the ambassador step out (!).  Ortegas winces, as La’an loudly and deliberately announces “Captain on the bridge!”  Rah ignores Ortegas’ comment, and admires the view on Enterprise ’s wide viewscreen, noting that Klingon ships don’t offer such expansive vistas. The ambassador tells Pike that no Klingon would ever admit that “Federation ships are superior,” noting the Enterprise seems more “fun to fly.”  Rah then extends compliments to the crew, including Ortegas, who tersely replies she does her best.

Note: A touch of levity as Ortegas winces when she realizes the ambassador overheard her “Butcher of J’Gal” line. Parts of this episode are tonally very similar to the awkward Klingon-Starfleet dinner aboard the Enterprise-A in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” (1991).

The tour continues, as the ambassador is taken to the Enterprise ’s luxurious lounge, where Spock (Ethan Peck) and navigator Mitchell (Rong Fu) are attempting to synthesize Klingon coffee—aka “ raktajino ”—with the bar’s replicator.  As the ambassador enters, Spock introduces himself and explains that they’re making a ‘surprise’ for him. The drink is replicated, and the ambassador reaches for it, only to scald his hand on the overheated mug. Spock quickly apologizes for the coding error which made the drink so hot.  Rah shrugs it off, saying Klingons have a high tolerance for pain. Pike looks at the burn, and insists that the ambassador let them treat it for him in the ship’s sickbay…

Note: Of course, raktajino would later become a very popular drink for humans in the 24th century, as we saw in Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), Deep Space Nine (DS9) and Voyager (VGR).  It was even pointed out as such in the brilliant DS9/TOS Star Trek crossover, “Trials and Tribble-ations.”  

As the ambassador enters sickbay, a nurse quickly tends to his burn with a dermal regenerator, as Dr. Joseph M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) gets a look at their visitor—a face with which he and Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) are all too familiar.  Both M’Benga and Chapel served together on J’Gal, where the ‘ambassador’ earned his ‘Butcher’ title.  The sight of Rah sends Joseph into a panic attack, as he races into his office to calm himself.  Memories of the traumatic Klingon war come flooding back to him, as Chapel discretely goes to check on her boss and friend.

Note: A very realistic portrayal of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from actor Babs Olusanmokun ( “Dune: Part One” ). While I have issues with this episode which I’ll get into soon, I do admire the attempt at portraying successful professionals struggling with PTSD.  I’m only upset that portrayal is somewhat sabotaged later on…

The episode then flashes back “a few years earlier” to the Klingon-Federation war.  Nurse Chapel is reporting for duty on the Moon of J’Gal. Arriving at the MASH-unit style field hospital, she meets Commander Buck Martinez (Clint Howard), an eccentric old doctor and hardened war veteran who tells her that whatever she needs, they probably don’t have, and that if she has any questions, she can ask “Joseph” (M’Benga).  When Chapel asks to meet with the head nurse, Martinez tells her that she is the new head nurse—and that he had to trade a case of Romulan ale to secure her for the position, noting her extensive experience. 

Note: Actor Clint Howard (whom I met once in Las Vegas, 7 years ago) has a long history with Star Trek , going back to 1966’s “The Corbomite Maneuver” where he appeared as the child-like alien “Balok” (he was only 7 at the time of filming). He would later costar in DS9’s “Past Tense,” (1995), Star Trek: Enterprise’s “Acquisition” (2002) and more recently in Star Trek: Discovery’s “Will You Take My Hand?” (2018).  The brother of actor-director Ron Howard, Clint was a child star with the series “Gentle Ben” (1968) and costarred in many of his brother’s films, including “Apollo 13” (1995) and “Far and Away” (1992).

Chapel doesn’t have any time to get settled in before the camp is bombarded by Klingon weapons fire. Martinez is unfazed, saying they keep scrambling the sensors, but the Klingons always find them sooner or later.  Patients are beamed in via a field transporter unit, where they are quickly assessed and triaged for care as they’re cleared off the pad. One such patient is a young soldier named Alvarado (Jose Gutierrez-Solana) whose major organs are all bleeding out.  Without a working organ regenerator, they are helpless to care for the man.  Chapel consults senior physician M’Benga, who calmly tells the frazzled new nurse to put the man into the transporter buffer , so that his pattern can be restored when a starship arrives with fresh supplies.  M’Benga shows her how to do this, and the pad is temporarily cleared—allowing swarms of new wounded patients to be transported in…

Note: M’Benga would use this transporter buffer trick to keep his own terminally ill daughter, Rukiya, alive in stasis, as we learn in “Ghosts of Illyria.”   She is later freed from the buffer by aliens living in a nebula who are able to cure her in the surreal quasi-surreal episode “The Elysian Kingdom.” Unfortunately, her cure depends on her living with the aliens in the nebula, and she parts ways with her father. We first saw a transporter buffer used this way in Star Trek: TNG’s “Relics” (1992), where TOS’ Scotty (James Doohan) survived for 75 years following the crash of his transport ship, Jenolan.

In the present, we see M’Benga working on a malfunctioning bio-bed in sickbay, which hasn’t worked well since the recent Gorn attack ( “Memento Mori” ).  Pike walks in, and asks if he can borrow some “Deltan parsley” for a meal he’s preparing. M’Benga is too clever to be fooled by such a flimsy excuse for a visit. Pike is aware of the service records for both M’Benga and Chapel during the Klingon war, and he just wanted to be certain they’re okay with hosting “the Butcher of J’Gal” aboard the Enterprise .  Minor protests have broken out during the ambassador’s goodwill tour, and while Pike is sensitive to their feelings, he’s also under direct orders by Starfleet to ensure that war veterans interact with Rah as much as possible for the sake of goodwill.  However, Pike insists he’ll put his own people’s feelings first .  M’Benga assures Pike he’s fine, as is Christine, after she joins the conversation. The captain is reassured, and leaves. With Pike gone, Chapel and M’Benga’s faces express their true feelings. Chapel notes that Pike left them an out if they need it. M’Benga looks her in the eye and says “We’ve got this!” This was an expression he once used with her on J’Gal, when he instructed her to manually stimulate a dying patient’s heart into beating. It worked . Those words still resonate with her now; “We’ve got this!”

Note: A minor nit, but why isn’t one of Chief Engineer Pelia’s team working on repairing that bio-bed?

As reluctant war veterans Ortegas, M’Benga and Chapel arrive for dinner, they see Rah holding court with stories of his diplomatic exploits at Prospero.  Elsewhere in the large room, Spock and Chapel try to play a word game, but the distraction isn’t working for her, as she witnesses “the Butcher of J’Gal” being treated as an honored guest.  Spock offers a distraction. He addresses Rah and asks if the ambassador is familiar with Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” and how it compares to an analogous Klingon book?  Rah dives right into the subject, as he enjoys the Sun Tzu’s book ( “a most inspired human masterpiece” ).  With the ambassador engaged in conversation, M’Benga quietly moves over to Chapel, and the two begin drinking doubles. Neither Chapel nor M’Benga can ever explain to the others what they’d been through in the war… 

Note: Of all the scenes that foreshadow/reference 1991’s “The Undiscovered Country,” the awkward dinner scene with Klingon ambassador Rah is the most on-point.

M’Benga memories return to J’Gal.  After the surgery which restored the heartbeat of Ensign Inman (Brendan Jeffers), M’Benga gets to know the young man, who was raised on Luna, aka “the Moon” ( as natives call it ). The disillusioned ensign wonders aloud what they’re doing here—this isn’t the space exploration he signed up for when he joined Starfleet. M’Benga does his best to reassure the young man.  Later, a battle-hardened Andorian tactical officer named Lt. Trask (Kyle Gatehouse) discretely approaches M’Benga and reminds him of his excellent service record—with the most confirmed hand-to-hand combat kills of anyone .  M’Benga tells the scarred Andorian he now prefers saving lives over taking them. Trask presses him about “Protocol 12”; a formula designed by M’Benga ( “The Broken Circle” ) to hyper-stimulate adrenaline glands while suppressing pain responses, allowing humans to take on superior Klingon combatants more effectively . M’Benga refuses, but Trask persists —explaining it’d give his teams a great advantage.  Later, we see Ensign Inman, barely out of recovery, already dressed in battle gear, as his unit is deploying to face the Klingons.  M’Benga is mortified that the young man he and Chapel fought so hard to bring back to life is going out to possibly lose it so quickly afterward.  The doctor protests, but Inman insists , saying “We have to fight so that the people we love have a chance to live in peace. That’s Starfleet.” 

Note: The episode’s editing is a bit of a mess. The constant jumping back and forth between past and present makes the 51-minute running time feel considerably longer, yet neither the present-day story or the flashbacks are given proper ‘breathing room’ with this editorial approach. 

Cutting back to the dinner party with Rah, the Klingon speaks about the end of the Klingon-Federation war, and about the Klingon chancellor asking him how he came to speak on behalf of the Federation. Pike follows up, to keep the conversation flowing. Rah says that J’Gal changed him.  M’Benga quietly but pointedly chimes in, “J’Gal changed a lot of us.” Rah’s attention turns to the doctor, who admits he too, was a veteran of J’Gal.  Having M’Benga’s back, Chapel chimes in to mention the massacred Athos colony on J’Gal, as well. Trying to be diplomatic, Pike covers with a broad statement; “War is never the ideal option.” 

Note: This is one of the few times in the series (if ever) that Pike’s often wise words ring hollow.

Meanwhile, Lt. Ortegas has had about all she can take.  She asks Rah if the stories of him killing his own soldiers in order to retreat are true.  Rah only offers that they were all pushed to their limits on J’Gal, before offering a toast to “the survivors of J’Gal.”  However, Ortegas isn’t finished yet. She chants a phrase in Klingon which translates loosely as “Remain Klingon” ; a Klingon battle cry used during the war ( DSC: “Battle at the Binary Stars” ). Ortegas twists the knife, saying that phrase was usually the last thing her friends heard before they were killed.  As Ortegas rises out of her seat, Una orders the helm officer to stand down, but she’s defiant.  With an angered expression across her tightened lips, Ortegas then storms out.  Chapel offers to go after her to see that she’s alright.  Pike also notices a tense M’Benga gripping the ends of his chair’s arms and suggests the doctor assist Chapel.  Before M’Benga can leave, Rah touches his arm —which nearly sends the doctor into another panic attack. Rah asks M’Benga if he’d care to join him for some Klingon martial arts at his convenience.  M’Benga says he’ll check his schedule.  The dinner party from hell is mercifully ended. 

Note: I can’t say I’m thrilled with how the series is handling Lt. Erica Ortegas to date; from almost no character development at all to giving her moments that make her seem reactionary and militant. Not to mention that First Officer Una owes her a kick in the britches for her insubordination at dinner.  What the hell happened to the easygoing jokester we were just getting to know at the beginning of season one?

The episode flashes back to the war ( again ) to an attack led by Dak’Rah’s soldiers. Chapel learns the Klingons hit the primary power supply for the base, and that many wounded trapped in the field can’t beam out. Chapel realizes they can channel all available power to one working transporter, however doing so would purge the transporter’s backlogs, and Alvarez—the mortally wounded soldier still inside in the buffer—would be erased from existence.  As reports of casualties pile up, an indecisive Chapel hesitates—and M’Benga calmly purges the buffer.  The transporter is free to use, now.  Chapel asks what he did.  M’Benga resignedly replies they saved lives.  The system is activated, as multiple casualties begin to beam in… 

Back in the present, we see Spock and Chapel attempting to discreetly talk in an open corridor.  Spock, unable to pick up on complex human cues, asks her what he can do to help, as he realizes she’s going through something that he feels responsible for somehow.  Coldly reciting the losses of J’Gal in an awkward attempt to relate, Chapel cuts him off saying “J’Gal was not a statistic!”   She then tells him they need time apart . 

Note: This is the ‘No One Is At Their Best’ episode…

In the ship’s gymnasium, M’Benga meets Rah for their Klingon martial arts session, though Rah says he thought M’Benga might refuse the invitation.  M’Benga admits he’s considered canceling, but asks if Rah is up to the challenge.  Rah says he’s more vigorous than his age suggests. As they begin, Rah seems sincere in his wish to reinvent himself as a peacemaker, while a less loquacious M’Benga says Rah makes it look easy to put the past behind him.  Each one flips the other, as the session becomes increasingly kinetic with each round.  Rah then takes the opportunity to present his ‘pitch’ to M’Benga—the two of them, war veteran and warlord—joining hands for peace .  Rah thinks their example might inspire others. However, M’Benga is really more interested in getting at the truth behind Rah’s “the Butcher of J’Gal”   reputation, and asks Rah if he really killed his own troops in retreat.  Rah reiterates that he did what he had to do. The Klingon also says that of all his men, Commander Kiff put up the greatest challenge. M’Benga and Rah both stand, as their session ends.  Rah tells the doctor he enjoyed the match, and looks forward to the next one.

Note: The sparring match used to vent frustrations is an old cliché, but it works. However, the martial arts used in the match don’t seem as exotic as other Klingon martial arts we’ve seen in past Star Treks (courtesy of Dan Curry), which almost seemed more spiritual than what we see here. I’m certainly no martial arts expert, of course, and that’s just my opinion, based on outsider observation. 

After their match in the gym, M’Benga goes to take a sonic shower, where he’s once again flashing back to J’Gal.  He remembers the final days, as the bodies pile up.  He regrets not taking Trask up on his offer to join his elite fighting team as he sees the corpses of Trask, Ensign Inman and many others.  Furious with himself at not being able to do more as a doctor, he pulls a Klingon dagger from Trask’s belt and takes it for himself.  He then finds a supply of his own Protocol 12 stimulant and sets about the grim task of killing General Dak’Rah himself .  In the melee, Chapel locates M’Benga and says they’ve been trying to find him.  She notices he’s dressed in tac gear, and carrying a Klingon dagger.  She knows what he’s going to do.  M’Benga then gives her a tracker which will allow them to find him, but asks that they don’t beam him out until he’s finished . While he hoped to return home unchanged, he realizes that’s impossible. With Chapel nearly in tears, he hands her his supplies along with a vial of Protocol 12, telling her to use it on herself if the Klingons breach the lines…

Note: It’s never made clear whether M’Benga began as a military man who became a doctor, or was he a doctor who just happened to be good at killing people?  And what led him to create Protocol 12 in the first place?  Was Section 31 involved somehow?  While I’m not eager to revisit M’Benga’s cold-blooded killer side anytime soon, these are questions that might warrant further exploration someday.

Back in the present day ( ugh—getting a wee bit tired of this ), we see Una and Pike in the ready room.  Una suggests a course change through a nearby nebula to cut a day off their arrival at Starbase 12. Crew morale is very low with their Klingon guest aboard, and she hopes they can drop him off a day early.  Pike wonders aloud how they can ever hope for peace if people like Rah are not given a second chance?  Una understands, but points out the trauma his presence is causing several war veterans aboard the ship.  Pike approves the course change.

Note: Pike is right. In addition to exploration, Starfleet is also a peacekeeping force, which sometimes makes for uncomfortable diplomatic situations.  Sometimes you just have to put on a poker face and deal…

In sickbay, we see M’Benga examining a chest containing various war artifacts, including the still-bloodied dagger he apparently kept with his ‘spoils of war.’  Unwisely, Rah then enters sickbay to tell the doctor his time aboard the ship has been cut short and that they might not get to spar again.  M’Benga drily replies he’s fine with that, and asks Rah to leave . Now . Not sensing the doctor’s urgency, Rah asks that he not let hate cloud his judgment of him, and that his purpose now is to atone for his past.  M’Benga quietly lets slip that it wasn’t Kiff who put up the greatest struggle during the retreat—it was another Klingon named Ruh’Lis . With that admission, M’Benga finally takes due credit for murdering Rah’s soldiers during the retreat, admitting that he —not Rah —is the true “Butcher of J’Gal.” M’Benga still hates Rah for turning him into a monster that day, and for using the blood on his hands to make himself a saint .  Rah’s entire reputation is built on lies.  M’Benga then turns around and removes the Klingon dagger from the case, asking Rah why couldn’t he have simply left him alone?  As Rah makes a final appeal to M’Benga, they struggle .  Chapel enters sickbay and sees their silhouetted forms behind a diffused glass partition—just as Rah falls dead to the floor, with M’Benga’s dagger thrust into his chest… 

Note: What was that war chest of M’Benga’s doing in sickbay, anyway? Why wasn’t it safely tucked away in his quarters somewhere?  The fact that it was there in sickbay, with the dagger inside, shows a certain premeditation to M’Benga’s ‘accidental’ murder of Rah, and unfortunately, that also changes how I look at the character.  I could much easier sympathize with the doctor having a panic attack than I can with seeing him murder a Federation ambassador in cold blood, whatever his personal feelings. This episode does the character of Joseph M’Benga—a legacy character from TOS Star Trek—a tremendous and permanent disservice. I can never quite see him the same way.

In the briefing room, Pike and La’an take Chapel’s account into the record, as she presents them with the bloodied dagger.  She then proceeds to compound the crime by lying about it, stating that she saw Rah attacking M’Benga with the dagger, whichshe now claims he pulled on the doctor.   DNA on the knife’s dried blood samples correlates with the other Klingon deaths on J’Gal from a few years earlier, as well as Rah’s own blood.  Chapel says it just goes to prove you can never truly know what goes on in someone’s heart, painting Rah as a violent psychopath who simply snapped on M’Benga.  One last character assassination of a dead man…

Note: I get that Chapel wouldn’t want to turn on her boss and fellow war veteran (with whom she’s been through so much), but rather than dragging a dead man’s name through the mud once again, she could’ve simply said that she arrived late and that the glass partition obscured her view, which is slightly more truthful than saying Rah attacked M’Benga in a psychotic frenzy. This episode makes M’Benga out to be a bloodthirsty monster, Chapel as a liar, Ortegas as a bigot and Pike as a captain who lets murder of a Federation ambassador slide aboard his ship. No one comes out smelling particularly good in this one.

Later, after the inquiry, we see M’Benga still futzing with his malfunctioning bio-bed (um, call engineering, perhaps…?). Pike steps in, and tells M’Benga that La’an has submitted her security report.  There will most likely be an inquiry.  Not fully satisfied with the presented account of what happened, Pike calls on their longtime friendship in hopes that M’Benga will come clean with him.  M’Benga assures him he didn’t start the fight, and that Rah was living a lie, which the Federation Diplomatic Corps knew and ignored in the name of peace.  Pike points out those involved are still answerable to due process, but M’Benga asks about justice for Rah’s victims ?  Pike retorts by asking who gets to play god in this situation?  M’Benga says the two of them see eye-to-eye on many things, but that Pike hasn’t lived his life, and perhaps the captain doesn’t realize some things can’t be forgiven.  For his part, M’Benga is glad that Rah’s dead. With that distressing admission, Pike leaves.  M’Benga then continues to work on the bio-bed, which sparks to life…before shorting out once more.  Its breakdown was inevitable .

Note: An issue I have with most modern Star Trek (2017-present) is that too many characters are being defined almost solely by their traumas; nearly every character has a tragedy as their calling card (Uhura’s family died in a shuttle crash, La’an’s family were used as Gorn breeding sacks, Una’s family lived a lie, M’Benga and Chapel are traumatized war veterans, etc).  Speaking as one who’s experienced trauma myself, I can safely say that there are those trauma survivors who don’t like to be defined so much by their painful pasts. Whatever happened to characters who are simply interesting people?

Summing It Up

“Under the Cloak of War” seriously damages the character of Dr. Joseph M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), a legacy character from TOS who only appeared in a few episodes, where he served as McCoy’s relief, and a specialist in Vulcan medicine. M’Benga, who seemed so gentle in earlier episodes of SNW, has been revealed to have a much darker side—one that includes taking his performance-enhancing “Protocol 12” drug to better slaughter superior Klingon soldiers. The once-good doctor is now revealed to have a Jekyll & Hyde duality, and I really don’t like it. 

I’m also disturbed that M’Benga didn’t take the out initially offered to himself and Chapel by Pike earlier in the episode.  Pike was perfectly willing to overlook Starfleet’s admittedly absurd order for war veterans to ‘mingle’ with Klingon ambassador Dak’Rah (Robert Wisdom) for the sake of his own crew’s well-being. But M’Benga refused Pike’s offer because of pride —he didn’t want Dak’Rah to get the better of him. M’Benga also wasn’t keen on Dak’Rah taking ‘credit’ for his own acts of butchery against the Klingon soldiers during the retreat. We also see M’Benga placing the box containing the dagger closer to himself during the fatal encounter with Dak’Rah, which showed cold-blooded premeditation .  

Some might argue that M’Benga’s murder of a war criminal was justified, but this is Star Trek , not “Rambo.”  Star Trek is supposed to be about not killing our enemies, even when there’s ample cause ( see: TOS’ “Arena” “Day of the Dove” and countless other episodes ).  It was clear that admitted war criminal Dak’Rah ( however he embellishes his backstory ) was sincere in his desire for peace.  M’Benga’s act of murder might’ve set Klingon/Federation relations back by decades. I wonder how many lives did that single act cost?  Interesting that Pike’s former science officer, Spock would be the one to restart those efforts thirty years later, in 1991’s “The Undiscovered Country,” which this episode foreshadows. The flashbacks of Chapel and M’Benga at D’Jal were also very reminiscent of Deep Space Nine’s “The Siege of AR-558” and “Nor the Battle to the Strong.”

“Under the Cloak of War” seemingly sympathizes with the plight of veterans struggling with PTSD, but it subverts that sympathy by reinventing M’Benga as a cold-blooded killer just waiting for the right moment to seek his vengeance. I wish I could erase the final act of this episode and give it a more Star Trek -style solution where M’Benga—the man he wants to be — overcomes his darker impulses. Perhaps eyewitness Chapel could’ve used M’Benga’s Protocol 12 on herself to break up the deadly fight. A sobering M’Benga could’ve stood over the Klingon who brought so much misery into his life, and chose not to kill him—taking his hand for the sake of future peace . 

As it is, “Under the Cloak of War” is little more than a revenge story with only superficial insights into the struggles of PTSD. The story ultimately fails, because it forgets that Star Trek is not about murdering those deserve it. It’s about answering to our better selves; the mythical, aspirational future breed of humanity who someday rise from the ashes of World War Three to put something better out into the universe. The people we want to be, not necessarily the lot we are today.

Star Trek can do much better than this, and has .

Where To Watch

“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” is available to stream exclusively on Paramount+. The first season of “Strange New Worlds” is also available for purchase on BluRay and DVD from CBS/Paramount, and is available for purchase wherever you can still buy physical media ( Amazon, BestBuy, Barnes & Noble; prices vary ).

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Cast & Character Guide

Star trek: ds9 guest star was almost tng's captain picard, star trek: ds9 had a real jerk on set.

• Deep Space Nine's season 2 finale showcased the Jem'Hadar as a formidable threat by destroying a Galaxy-class starship.
• The decision to blow up a model of the USS Enterprise-D symbolized DS9's break from The Next Generation.
• Executive story editor Robert Hewitt Wolfe doubted whether Captain Picard and the Enterprise could have survived the Jem'Hadar.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine blew up a USS Enterprise-style starship to prove a point in its season 2 finale. DS9 had struggled to break away from the shadow of its parent show, Star Trek: The Next Generation , but the season 2 finale, "The Jem'Hadar" afforded Deep Space NIne a perfect chance to establish its unique identity. DS9 's season 2 finale aired three weeks after TNG came to an end with "All Good Things", meaning that when it returned for season 3 after the summer break, Deep Space Nine would be the only Star Trek TV show being broadcast for the rest of 1994.

With no Star Trek: The Next Generation to compare with, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was free to embrace its more serialized approach to storytelling. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 26, "The Jem'Hadar" was the first important step on the road to DS9 's Dominion War , which would define the show for the next five years. It introduced the Jem'Hadar and the Vorta, and established the Dominion as the greatest threat to the Federation since the Borg Collective. To prove just how dangerous the Dominion were, DS9 took a bold step with a leftover model of TNG 's USS Enterprise-D .

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had the biggest cast of characters of any Trek show, meaning that Captain Sisko had numerous allies in the Dominion War.

Star Trek: DS9 Blew Up An Enterprise Starship To Make A Point About The Dominion

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 26, "The Jem'Hadar", a camping trip for Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and his son Jake (Cirroc Lofton) becomes a major diplomatic incident when he and Quark (Armin Shimerman) are captured by the Jem'Hadar. In response, Starfleet dispatches the Galaxy-class starship, the USS Odyssey, to the Gamma Quadrant to investigate the situation. Unfortunately, the Odyssey was unprepared for a battle with the Jem'Hadar, who destroyed the Galaxy-class starship by flying their ships directly into the secondary hull. This caused a devastating explosion from which there were no survivors.

The USS Odyssey was the name of the starship in Gene Roddenberry and Greg Strangis' first Star Trek: The Next Generation pitch to Paramount.

The Galaxy-class vessel was deliberately chosen by the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine production team . It was felt that, depicting the destruction of a starship which was the same class as the Star Trek: The Next Generation version of the starship Enterprise would establish the Jem'Hadar, and by extension the Dominion, as a credible threat to the Federation. In fact, one of the USS Odysseys used for DS9 was a repurposed model of the USS Enterprise-D from the TNG episode "Cause and Effect" , in which the Enterprise repeatedly exploded while caught in a time loop.

Other models involved in depicting the destruction of the USS Odyssey in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine included the damaged USS Enterprise from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock .

Could Captain Picard’s Enterprise Have Defeated DS9’s Jem’Hadar?

The shocking destruction of the USS Odyssey in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 26, "The Jem'Hadar" raises the question of how Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) would handle the Jem'Hadar. Discussing DS9 's season 2 finale in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , executive story editor Robert Hewitt Wolfe cast doubt on Picard's ability to beat the Jem'Hadar . Hewitt Wolfe said:

We wanted to show the long-term fans how dangerous these guys were. And it's my belief that if that had been the Enterprise and not the Odyssey , and Picard rather than Keogh in command, it still wouldn't have survived.

Thankfully, fans didn't have to watch the USS Enterprise-D being destroyed in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , though it would later crash on Veridian III in Star Trek Generations . Reportedly, some viewers believed that the Enterprise would be destroyed in DS9 's season 2 finale when they saw footage of the USS Odyssey exploding in the trailer . It's up to fans to speculate how the Enterprise would have fared against the Jem'Hadar. However, with such a strong crew of tacticians, engineers, and pilots, the USS Enterprise-D may have been battered by the Jem'Hadar, but it would have lived to fight another day.

All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: The Next Generation are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

*Availability in US

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the third installment in the sci-fi franchise and follows the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew members of the USS Enterprise. Set around one hundred years after the original series, Picard and his crew travel through the galaxy in largely self-contained episodes exploring the crew dynamics and their own political discourse. The series also had several overarching plots that would develop over the course of the isolated episodes, with four films released in tandem with the series to further some of these story elements.

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

• View history

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) was a 23rd century Federation Constitution -class starship operated by Starfleet , and the first Federation starship to bear the name Enterprise . During its career, the Enterprise served as the Federation flagship and was in service from 2245 to 2285 . During the latter years of its life, the Enterprise was refitted into a Constitution II -class starship and served as a training vessel until its destruction in 2285.

• 2.1 Construction and launch
• 2.2 Robert April's command
• 2.3.1 Early voyages
• 2.3.2 A new science officer
• 2.3.3 Rigel VII
• 2.3.4 Talos IV
• 2.3.5 Federation-Klingon War
• 2.3.6 The red bursts
• 2.3.7 Battling Control
• 2.3.8 Continuing mission
• 2.4.1 Discoveries
• 2.4.2.1 Klingon engagements
• 2.4.2.2 Romulan engagements
• 2.5 Refit of the 2270s
• 2.7 Khan's return
• 2.8 Final mission
• 4 Alternate timelines and realities
• 5.1 Robert April's notable first contacts
• 5.2 Christopher Pike's notable first contacts
• 5.3 James T. Kirk's notable first contacts
• 6.1 Robert April's command crew
• 6.2 Christopher Pike's command crew
• 6.3 James T. Kirk's command crew
• 7.1 Complement
• 7.2 Casualties
• 8.1 Appearances
• 8.2 Background information
• 8.3 External links

Lineage [ ]

Service history [ ], construction and launch [ ].

Specifications of the USS Enterprise

In the early- to mid-23rd century, at least twelve heavy cruiser -type starships , the Constitution -class , were commissioned by the Federation Starfleet . ( TOS : " Tomorrow is Yesterday ") Constructed at the San Francisco Fleet Yards in San Francisco , California , the Federation vessel registered NCC -1701 was christened "the Enterprise " in a long line of ships of the same name . ( DIS : " Brother "; TAS : " The Counter-Clock Incident ")

Captain Robert April oversaw construction of the ship's components as well as its initial trial runs. His wife, Sarah April , designed several tools for the ship's sickbay . ( TAS : " The Counter-Clock Incident ") Larry Marvick was one of the designers of the Enterprise itself, while Doctor Richard Daystrom designed its computer systems. ( TOS : " Is There in Truth No Beauty? ", " The Ultimate Computer ")

During its construction, a piece of the Enterprise NX-01 was used as it was the previous ship to bear the name. ( SNW : " Those Old Scientists ")

Robert April's command [ ]

Robert April commanded the Enterprise from 2245 to 2250

The Enterprise was launched on April 11, 2245 , under the command of Captain April. ( DIS : " Brother ") Sarah April served as the ship's first chief medical officer , with Christopher Pike serving as Captain April's first officer . ( TAS : " The Counter-Clock Incident "; DIS : " Brother "; SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

In 2246 , April chose to break General Order 1 and warn a pre-warp civilization, the Perricans , about a possible apocalyptic meteor shower that was due to hit their planet. ( SNW : " Ad Astra per Aspera ")

In 2248 , April sent his science officer to the industrial-age planet Na'rel to solve the imminent threat of an extinction-level drought by sharing Federation technology. ( SNW : " Ad Astra per Aspera ")

Una Chin-Riley was assigned to the Enterprise as Captain April's science officer . ( SNW : " Ad Astra per Aspera "; display graphic ) One deep space cruise took it within half a light year of 99 Pegasi . ( ST : " Q&A ")

He also visited Man-us II without his security officer, during which he chose to reveal the Enterprise to the Ohawk , a pre-warp civilization. ( SNW : " Ad Astra per Aspera ")

Christopher Pike's command [ ]

In 2250 , April left the Enterprise and command was turned over to Pike. Pike also chose Chin-Riley to be his first officer. ( DIS : " Brother "; SNW : " Ad Astra per Aspera " display graphic )

Early voyages [ ]

The Enterprise orbiting Pragine 63

At one point, the Enterprise visited Pragine 63 , where science officer Lynne Lucero was transferred to the USS Cabot , to serve as its new captain. ( ST : " The Trouble with Edward ")

A new science officer [ ]

In 2253 , Pike and the Enterprise traveled to Starbase 40 where Pike would obtain a half Human - Vulcan science officer, Spock , who served under him for over eleven years. ( TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I "; ST : " Q&A "; SNW : " Among the Lotus Eaters " display graphic )

Rigel VII [ ]

The Enterprise visited Rigel VII in 2254

In 2254 On stardate 2496.4, the Enterprise visit Rigel VII as a routine exploration of a remote class M planet. Captain Pike, along with a landing party consisting of Spock, Yeoman Zac Nguyen , Ensign C. Plummer and M. Aberth and several others went down to the planet where they were attacked by the Kalar . Yeoman Ngyugen, Ensign Plummer and Aberth were killed, while Spock and six others were injured. The mission lasted all of four hours. The remaining members of the landing party returned to the Enterprise and set course to Vega colony to get medical aid for those injured. Unbeknownst to the crew, Ngyugen had actually survived and been left stranded on the planet. ( TOS : " The Cage "; SNW : " Among the Lotus Eaters ")

Talos IV [ ]

The Enterprise was the first starship to visit the Talos star systems in nearly 20 years.

While traveling to the Vega Colony, the Enterprise learned there were survivors of the SS Columbia that were marooned on Talos IV nearly eighteen years earlier . Following the stop at Vega, the Enterprise traveled to Talos to rescue the Columbia survivors only to find out it was a trap devised by the Talosians . ( TOS : " The Cage ")

Federation-Klingon War [ ]

In late 2256 , Michael Burnham encouraged Cadet Sylvia Tilly to improve her physical conditioning so that she would stand out amongst her peers and be assigned to the Enterprise or one of its "sister ships." ( DIS : " Lethe ")

At that time, the Enterprise was on a five-year mission under Pike. With the Federation-Klingon War underway, Starfleet elected not to recall the starship and leave the vessel as an instrument of last resort, so ordered Pike and his crew to remain out of the fighting. ( DIS : " Brother ")

Pike later accused Starfleet Command of not recalling Enterprise because they knew he would steadfastly remind them of Federation values, but Admiral Katrina Cornwell , the only Starfleet Command representative present to hear the accusation, countered that they "wanted the best of Starfleet to survive," if the war was lost, and they had deemed that to be Enterprise . ( DIS : " Project Daedalus ")

The red bursts [ ]

The Enterprise and Discovery rendezvous in 2257

Following the conclusion of the war in 2257 , the Enterprise was dispatched by Starfleet to investigate one of a series of unidentified signals detected throughout the galaxy . ( DIS : " Brother ") En route, the ship suffered multiple catastrophic systems failures, leading Pike to issue a priority 1 distress call .

The call was received by the USS Discovery , en route to Vulcan . ( DIS : " Will You Take My Hand? ", " Brother ") Pike and two senior officers transferred to Discovery to continue their mission, while a team was dispatched to tow the Enterprise back to Spacedock for a diagnostic , where the damage was assessed as severe, with no estimate for repair. ( DIS : " Brother ")

The Enterprise being towed to drydock for repairs

A week later, Pike's first officer, Una Chin-Riley, reported to Pike that the holographic comm system was the source of the failures, which had compromised primary systems. Pike ordered Una to tell Chief Engineer Louvier to strip the system from the ship in favor of viewscreen communication. ( DIS : " An Obol for Charon ")

Battling Control [ ]

The Enterprise taking on Discovery 's crew

After the Discovery acquired data from a Sphere that would ultimately lead to the evolution of Section 31 artificial intelligence Control which would threaten all sentient life in the Milky Way Galaxy , Pike was left with no other option but to set the Discovery 's auto-destruct system and call the Enterprise for immediate evacuation of the ship's crew. ( DIS : " Through the Valley of Shadows ")

On stardate 1051.8, the Enterprise finally rendezvoused with the Discovery and began taking on the ship's crew. When all personnel were fully evacuated, Captain Pike ordered Discovery 's destruction. However, the Sphere intelligence utilized Discovery 's defensive systems to block the Enterprise 's torpedo volley. Unable to eliminate Discovery , the crew determined that sending the Discovery into the future was the only method to secure the Sphere data from Control.

The Enterprise and Discovery engage Section 31 vessels

With the appearance of a fifth red burst, both ships traveled to the planet Xahea , which was ultimately the position Cornwell and Pike decided to fight Leland/Control's armada. ( DIS : " Such Sweet Sorrow ")

After the decision was made to destroy Discovery to prevent its capture by Control, the ship deployed evacuation corridors to transfer its crew to Enterprise . ( DIS : " Such Sweet Sorrow ")

The Enterprise undergoes repairs in 2258

During a decisive battle with Control, the Enterprise lost a significant portion of her saucer section when an undetonated photon torpedo penetrated it and later detonated. Admiral Katrina Cornwell was killed while sacrificing herself to stop the torpedo from destroying the entire ship. As the Discovery traveled into the future, the Enterprise and a fleet of Klingon and Kelpien reinforcements provided covering fire against the attacking Section 31 drone ships and then finished them off when Georgiou neutralizing Control left the enemy ships dead in the water. Following the battle, the Enterprise underwent extensive repairs in orbit of Earth while the crew lied to Starfleet that the Discovery had been destroyed. ( DIS : " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 ")

Continuing mission [ ]

Following the repairs to the Enterprise , the ship resumed its mission of exploration, once again under the command of Christopher Pike. Their first stop was a shakedown run to a new moon that was discovered at Edrin II . ( DIS : " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 ")

The Enterprise at Kiley 279

Following the mission to Edrin II, the Enterprise returned to Earth where its crew was enjoying some much-needed downtime. In 2259 , the Enterprise was undergoing scheduled maintenance and system upgrades when April, now a fleet admiral, pulled Pike out of exile and the Enterprise out of drydock when Una Chin-Riley and the USS Archer went missing during a first contact mission to Kiley 279 . General Order 1 was violated in this mission, leading to Starfleet command to rename it the " Prime Directive ". ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

On stardate 2259.42, the Enterprise left Starbase 1 to continue its third five-year mission of exploration. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

The Enterprise in the Persephone system

The Enterprise 's first stop on her mission was observing a planet in the Persephone system , at which she tried to divert a comet away but ended up getting into a fight with a species known as the " Shepherds ". ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ")

The Enterprise visited an abandoned Illyrian colony at Hetemit IX to find out what had happened to the colonists; however, an Illyrian light-based virus broke out aboard the ship, forcing the crew to shut the Enterprise down. After becoming infected, chief engineer Hemmer nearly destroyed the ship after disengaging the ship's warp core containment field. ( SNW : " Ghosts of Illyria ")

The Enterprise engaged the Gorn at Finibus III.

The Enterprise later encountered a small Gorn fleet at Finibus III , and narrowly escaped after taking major damage to her hull, torpedo bay, and structural integrity field. ( SNW : " Memento Mori ")

The ship visited Starbase 1 after the fight with the Gorn and underwent repairs. While the crew enjoyed some shore leave, Captain Pike engaged in negotiations with the R'ongovian Protectorate . ( SNW : " Spock Amok ")

The Enterprise encountered a shuttlecraft under attack by presumed pirates and assisted, delivering the inhabitants back to their planet, and later investigated what the pirates were doing when looking into the wreckage. ( SNW : " Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach ")

The Enterprise was hijacked by a group of rogue pirates after her crew was betrayed by a passenger . After tricking the pirates and taking control of one of their ships, the crew were able to reclaim the Enterprise after disabling her warp and impulse engines. ( SNW : " The Serene Squall ")

The Enterprise visited Earth Outpost Station 4 and helped the Outposts with retrofitting and supplies.

The Enterprise , along with the USS Cayuga , visited the Neutral Zone and helped with retrofitting the Earth Outpost Stations and delivering supplies. However, after witnessing an alternate timeline version of the Neutral Zone Incursion , Captain Pike became aware of James T. Kirk , recognizing that he had the potential to be a good captain for the Enterprise . Commander Chin-Riley was arrested shortly thereafter after being discovered to be an Illyrian . ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

While Captain Pike was off of the ship securing a lawyer for Chin-Riley and it was undergoing routine maintenance and inspection by Commander Pelia 's inspection team at Starbase 1 , the Enterprise received a distress call from Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh on Cajitar IV , a planet on the edge of Klingon space, about an "anti-Federation threat." However, Admiral April refused to allow the ship to investigate, fearing that it could reignite the Klingon War due to the Klingons currently being in control of the planet following a painstakingly-negotiated treaty. ( SNW : " The Broken Circle ")

Under Lieutenant Spock's leadership, the crew faked a potential warp core breach in order to evacuate the inspection team, steal the Enterprise and go to Noonien-Singh's aid. Although Pelia deduced their deception, she aided the crew in stealing the ship rather than stopping them and she acted as Chief Engineer. ( SNW : " The Broken Circle ")

The crew uncovered a false flag operation by the Broken Circle to reignite the Klingon war using the rebuilt NCC-1279 . The Enterprise destroyed the rogue ship and foiled the Broken Circle's plot. Afterwards, Pelia expressed an interest in sticking around as a part of the crew and April let Spock off easy, concerned about a potential upcoming war with the Gorn that Starfleet would need every good officer they had for. ( SNW : " The Broken Circle ")

The Enterprise returned to Earth for Commander Chin-Riley's court martial . After Chin-Riley was acquitted, she was allowed to return to duty aboard the ship as first officer. ( SNW : " Ad Astra per Aspera ")

The Enterprise and the Cayuga were assigned to a joint mission charting a new binary star system when the Enterprise was reassigned to investigate and correct cultural contamination on Rigel VII after depiction of a Starfleet delta was discovered in a garden . Five years after the Enterprise's disastrous mission to the planet, the ship returned to discover that " High Lord Zacarias" was actually Yeoman Zac Nguyen who was believed to have been killed in the mission five years before but had actually been left behind instead. Due to exotic radiation from the debris field around the planet, the crew lost their memories, but eventually managed to pilot the Enterprise out of it to a safe distance. Spock was subsequently able to develop a shield harmonic that protected the crew against the radiation and Pike had the ship lift an asteroid from the planet that was emitting the same radiation and keeping the Kalar from forming explicit memories and was thus stunting the growth of life on Rigel VII. Pike arrested Nguyen who was then transferred to the Cayuga to face punishment for his actions from Starfleet. ( SNW : " Among the Lotus Eaters ")

The Enterprise joined the USS Farragut in repairing a deuterium refinery that would serve as a " gas station " for Federation starships for further exploration of that region. Ensign Uhura and Lieutenant Saul Ramon of the Farragut began to experience hallucinations, and the intense brain damage this caused to Ramon caused him to sabotage the Enterprise and die in an explosion. Uhura eventually realized that the deuterium contained a living species that was trying to communicate with them. Uhura then convinced Captain Pike to destroy the refinery to save them. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation ")

Ensigns Brad Boimler and Beckett Mariner in the Enterprise 's engine room

On stardate 2291.6, the Enterprise crew encountered Ensigns Brad Boimler and Beckett Mariner from the late 24th century while they were investigating a time portal on Krulmuth-B . To return the officers to their own time, the crew discovered a hidden component from the Enterprise NX-01 built into the ship that contained horonium , the very material needed to power the time portal. ( SNW : " Those Old Scientists ")

Ambassador Dak'Rah , son of Ra'Ul , was picked up by the Enterprise from the USS Kelcie Mae on stardate 1875.4 to transport the ambassador to Starbase 12 . However, his divisive presence on the vessel resulted in his death. ( SNW : " Under the Cloak of War ")

The bridge crew dancing and singing

On stardate 2398.3, while the Enterprise was traveling in the far edges of the Alpha Quadrant , they encountered a naturally-occurring subspace fold . While conducting experiments, Ensign Uhura sent a message containing music through the fold. This caused the fold to release a quantum uncertainty field that created a musical reality aboard the ship. Crewmembers started to express themselves through uncontrollable singing, which was deemed a security threat by Lieutenant Noonien-Singh. The entire crew, singing in unison, were able to shatter the uncertainty field before an approaching Klingon force could fire upon it, with disastrous consequences. ( SNW : " Subspace Rhapsody ")

James T. Kirk's command [ ]

The Enterprise in orbit, 2267

In 2265, after nearly twenty years of service aboard the Enterprise , Captain Pike would be promoted to fleet captain and command of the Enterprise would be transferred to James Kirk. The Enterprise would also be assigned to another five-year mission of deep space exploration . The ship's primary goal during this mission was to seek out and contact alien life. Captain Kirk's standing orders also included the investigation of all quasars and quasar-like phenomena.

Beyond its primary mission, the Enterprise defended Federation territories from aggression, aided member worlds in crisis, and provided scientific expeditions and colonies in its patrol area with annual examinations and support. ( TOS : " Balance of Terror ", " The Man Trap ", " The Cloud Minders ", " Journey to Babel "); ( TOS : " The Galileo Seven ", " The Deadly Years ")

Discoveries [ ]

From 2265 to 2270, the Enterprise visited over seventy different worlds and encountered representatives of over sixty different species . More than twenty of those were first contacts with beings previously unknown to the Federation, including stellar neighbors like the First Federation and Gorn, voyagers from the Kelvan Empire in distant Andromeda , and powerful non-corporeal entities like the Thasians , Trelane , and the Organians . ( TOS : , " The Corbomite Maneuver ", " Arena ", " By Any Other Name ") Two discovered species were the first known examples of silicon-based lifeforms : the Horta and the Excalbians . ( TOS : " The Devil in the Dark ", " The Savage Curtain ", " That Which Survives ")

In the barrier void in 2265

The Enterprise was the first Federation vessel to survive an encounter with the galactic barrier . The ship's warp drive and other systems, however, were critically damaged (which later prompted the ship to be refit and repaired, changing its appearance slightly for the rest of Kirk's mission) and casualties totaled twelve crewmembers and officers . By stardate 4657.5, the Enterprise was traveling through space in a region hundreds of light years further than any Earth starship had explored. ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", " Return to Tomorrow ")

The reality of time travel , externally influenced, had been known for over a century , but following two accidental temporal displacements , the Enterprise became the Federation's first deliberately-controlled timeship . Observing the death-throes of Psi 2000 , the crew suffered from polywater intoxication and the Enterprise nearly lost orbit after an engine shutdown. A previously untested " cold start ", via controlled matter-antimatter implosion , saved the ship, but the high-speed escape from the planet's gravity well caused the ship to travel three days into the past. ( TOS : " The Naked Time ")

Orbiting 1960s Earth

In 2267 , while escaping the gravitational pull of a black star , the Enterprise was hurled through space and time to Earth of 1969 . The crew developed and executed a method to return to their own time, by warping around the sun 's gravity well in a slingshot maneuver . A year later, the Enterprise was ordered to repeat the recently proven slingshot effect, and returned to Earth's past on a mission of historical observation. ( TOS : " Tomorrow is Yesterday ", " Assignment: Earth ")

The space amoeba in 2268

Some missions of discovery confronted Enterprise with entities and mechanisms that threatened great swaths of Federation and neighboring space.

An ancient " planet killer ", fueled by the consumption of planets it destroyed with its antiproton weapon , approached Federation population centers in 2267. It required the combined efforts of the Enterprise and its "sister ship", USS Constellation , to destroy the invader. ( TOS : " The Doomsday Machine ")

One year later, in 2268 , a single-cell organism of colossal scale emitted negative energy , toxic to humanoid life, killing the entire Vulcan crew of the USS Intrepid . The Enterprise penetrated the cell interior and destroyed the organism before its imminent cell division threatened to overwhelm the rest of the galaxy. ( TOS : " The Immunity Syndrome ")

In around 2268, the Enterprise visited Planet 0042692 where they detected an approaching catastrophe, but couldn't intervene directly due to the Prime Directive . Ensign David Garrovick volunteered to embark upon a solo mission in the shuttle Galileo , but the Galileo ended up crashing. The Enterprise departed the planet without Garrovick after which no other Starfleet ship would visit that sector for over a hundred years and there was no record of first contact . Having survived the crash, Garrovick predicted that Starfleet would return one day and sent out a distress call . Learning about Starfleet from Garrovick, the planet's natives began calling themselves Enderprizians , named their settlement New Enda-Prize , and adopted versions of the Enterprise crew's names. ( PRO : " All the World's a Stage ")

Battles [ ]

The Enterprise fires a phaser proximity blast .

The nature of its mission of exploration meant the Enterprise was frequently the only Federation military asset in a little-known, otherwise undefended frontier. When called into harm's way, the ship regularly did so with little chance of immediate support against previously unknown enemies and threats.

Happily, the Enterprise 's earliest engagement of its five-year mission, against a deceptively powerful starship called the Fesarius , ended with an amicable first contact with the First Federation in 2266 . ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ") Following the destruction of a colony on Cestus III , a surprise attack – from a previously unknown species – led the Enterprise to battle and pursue an evenly matched Gorn starship in 2267. ( TOS : " Arena ")

The Enterprise played the fox for four of its " sister ships " in a war games problem on stardate 4729.4, as part of a series of M-5 drills . Equipped with the new M-5 multitronic unit computer and stripped of most of its crew, the Enterprise became a killing machine – crippling the USS Excalibur and killing its entire crew – before Kirk could re-assert control. ( TOS : " The Ultimate Computer ")

Klingon engagements [ ]

The Battle of Organia in 2267

Warships of the Imperial Klingon Fleet were frequent opponents of the Enterprise . Commander Kor held the Enterprise and Kirk in high professional regard, and relished the prospect of battle. Lower ranks chose to mock the starship; on one such occasion, Korax compared the vessel to a " garbage scow " before he corrected himself, adding, " It should be hauled away as garbage. " ( TOS : " Errand of Mercy ", " The Trouble with Tribbles ")

While Starfleet rallied its forces at the outbreak of a Federation-Klingon War in 2267, the Enterprise was sent forward to secure a border region anchored by the planet Organia . The vessel destroyed a Klingon ship and prepared to engage an approaching Klingon fleet , before the Organian Peace Treaty precluded a full-scale war . ( TOS : " Errand of Mercy ")

The Enterprise sporadically engaged Klingons throughout its voyage. A warship failed in an attempt to blockade the Enterprise from Capella IV in 2267. Sabotaged during a diplomatic mission to the Tellun system in 2268, the ship successfully fought off the assault of a harassing D7 . The same year, the Enterprise was forced to destroy a battle cruiser that Kang had commanded but had recently abandoned, and the rescued Klingons (influenced by the Beta XII-A entity ) subsequently made an unsuccessful attempt to wrest control of the Enterprise from Kirk. ( TOS : " Friday's Child ", " Elaan of Troyius ", " Day of the Dove ")

Romulan engagements [ ]

Ventral view of a Romulan Bird-of-Prey during the Neutral Zone Incursion of 2266

The Romulan Star Empire re-emerged from a century of isolation to antagonize the Federation with the Neutral Zone Incursion of 2266. The Enterprise responded and was victorious against a new Romulan Bird-of-Prey , which was equipped with a cloaking device and a plasma torpedo system. ( TOS : " Balance of Terror ")

In later encounters, the Romulan fleet used strength of numbers in their efforts to overwhelm the Enterprise . When Commodore Stocker took temporary command and violated the Neutral Zone in 2267, up to ten Birds-of-Prey swarmed and pummeled the starship until Kirk's " corbomite " bluff inspired their withdrawal. ( TOS : " The Deadly Years ")

In 2268, the Enterprise again violated the Neutral Zone – for the purpose of espionage – and was quickly surrounded by three Romulan D7-class battle cruisers. The Enterprise escaped by becoming the first Federation vessel to install and successfully utilize a (stolen) Romulan cloaking device. ( TOS : " The Enterprise Incident ")

Near Tau Ceti in the following year, Kirk employed the Cochrane deceleration maneuver , allowing the Enterprise to defeat a Romulan vessel . ( TOS : " Whom Gods Destroy ")

In the final year of Kirk's original mission, the ship was ambushed by a trio of Romulan battle cruisers while on a routine survey. The Enterprise managed to escape through an energy field that adversely affected the ship's main computer. The malfunctioning systems were corrected by another pass through the field, this time with the Romulan ships in pursuit. The attackers then became incapacitated by the same computer malfunctions, and the Enterprise managed to escape. ( TAS : " The Practical Joker ")

Refit of the 2270s [ ]

The Enterprise underwent another major refit into what would later be known as the Constitution II -class . The refitting took eighteen months of work, and essentially a new vessel was built onto the bones of the old, replacing virtually every major system. This ensured Enterprise's continued service for the next several years, enabling the ship to continue to serve in its prominent role.

The Enterprise in drydock, 2270s

Refits and overhauls with new technologies after long deployments were far from unusual in the ship's history. However, the Enterprise 's overhaul of the early 2270s became a nearly keel-up redesign and reconstruction project.

The very heart of the ship was replaced with a radically different vertical warp core assembly, linked to new and heavier warp engine nacelles, atop swept-back pylons and integrated with the impulse engines. The new drive system allowed for an expanded cargo hold in the secondary hull , linked to the shuttlebay . The deflector dish at the front of the main housing was replaced with an entirely new design, one where it was recessed into the housing.

Weapons system upgrades included the phaser banks having power channeled directly from the warp engines. A double photon torpedo /probe launcher was installed atop the secondary hull.

Extra egress points were added for better access/exit from the ship and now included a port -side spacedock hatch, dual ventral space walk bays, four dorsal service hatches, and a standardized docking ring port, which was aft of the bridge on the primary hull . Also included were four more docking ring ports, paired on the port and starboard sides of the launcher and secondary hulls respectively, and service hatch airlocks on the port and starboard sides of the hangar bay's main clam-shell doors. Unlike from before the refit, these new egress points were not covered by retractable hull plating.

A new bridge module reflected the modern computer systems, operating interfaces, and ergonomics that ran throughout the ship.

Following Kirk's promotion to rear admiral and posting as Chief of Starfleet Operations , his successor, Captain Will Decker (whom Kirk himself picked to succeed him), oversaw the refit, assisted by chief engineer Commander Montgomery Scott . ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

Following its refit, the Enterprise , in the early 2270s, went on to be critical in defending the Federation from several external threats, including V'ger and Khan Noonien Singh . ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

After eighteen months in drydock for refit, the Enterprise was pressed into service, weeks ahead of schedule, in response to the V'ger crisis, once again under Kirk's command.

Making contact with V'ger

Decker was temporarily demoted to commander and posted as an executive officer because of his familiarity with the new design. Incomplete systems had to be serviced during the vessel's shakedown en route to V'ger , including the first test of the new warp engines.

Shortly after launch, a matter/ antimatter intermix malfunction ruptured the warp field and led to the Enterprise entering into an unstable wormhole . Commander Decker belayed an order from Admiral Kirk to destroy an asteroid in their path, which had been dragged into the ruptured warp field along with them, with phasers. The refitted phasers now channeled power directly from the main engines at a point beyond the dilithium/magnatomic-initiator stage.

Because of this refitted function, both the intermix malfunction and the resultant antimatter imbalance within the warp nacelles caused automatic cutoff of the phasers, a design change of which Kirk had not been aware. Decker ordered the use of photon torpedoes , instead; as a backup, they had been designed to draw power from a separate system in case of a major phaser loss. Commander Spock arrived at a timely point and brought correction to the intermix problem. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

Once the V'ger threat was averted, Captain Decker was listed as "missing in action", and the Enterprise remained under Admiral Kirk's command for an interim period. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture ) At some point, Kirk passed command on to the newly promoted Captain Spock. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

Khan's return [ ]

In 2285 , the Enterprise had been pulled from the front lines of Starfleet and the Federation and, near the end of its life, was relegated to a training vessel. The ship participated in a low-tempo training cycle , based in the Sol system . Admiral Kirk boarded his old command to observe a cadet training cruise.

The Enterprise , engaged with the hijacked Reliant

Meanwhile, Khan Noonien Singh had escaped from exile on Ceti Alpha V and hijacked the USS Reliant , after which he stole the Genesis Device from the Regula I space station .

The Enterprise was tasked to investigate, and Spock deferred his command to Admiral Kirk. Subsequent engagements with Reliant left the ship badly damaged, with cadet and crew deaths, including Captain Spock. ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

Final mission [ ]

The Enterprise , heavily damaged, leaving the Spacedock orbiting Earth

Upon the Enterprise returning to Earth, Starfleet Commander Fleet Admiral Morrow announced that the starship, at that point forty years old and heavily damaged, would be decommissioned. When Morrow denied Kirk requesting permission to return to the Mutara sector , Kirk conspired with his senior officers and stole the Enterprise from Spacedock One , in order to recover Spock's body from the Genesis Planet – to bring it and Spock's katra , the latter possessed by Leonard McCoy , to Mount Seleya on Vulcan . As part of the plan, Kirk had Scott rig up an automation system to run the Enterprise so easily that "a chimpanzee and two trainees " could have handled the craft.

" My God, Bones… what have I done? " – Admiral James T. Kirk

At the Enterprise 's destination, the ship was attacked by a Klingon Bird-of-Prey operated by Klingon Commander Kruge , an assault that left the Enterprise disabled; Scotty's automation system was not designed for combat and overloaded when the ship was attacked. After setting the auto-destruct sequence, Kirk and his crew abandoned the ship for the surface of the Genesis Planet. Demolition charges in place on the bridge, and elsewhere throughout the ship, exploded, killing a Klingon boarding party . The battered secondary hull (with what was left of the saucer) fell from orbit and blazingly streaked across the planet's atmosphere . ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock )

The Enterprise burning in Genesis' atmosphere

Being forty years old at the time of its destruction, the Enterprise had surpassed its designer's original projected eighteen-year endurance by twenty-two years, when the ship was launched back in 2245. ( DIS : " Brother " graphic display ) The next USS Enterprise , a Constitution II -class heavy cruiser USS Enterprise -A , was launched a year later . ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )

A hologram of the USS Enterprise in 2258 was displayed in Starfleet Headquarters in 2399

The Enterprise 's long history would be remembered for the next century. ( TNG : " The Naked Now "; DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations "; VOY : " Flashback ", " Q2 "; PIC : " Penance ", " Fly Me to the Moon ") Captain John Harriman of the USS Enterprise -B would learn of Kirk's missions when he was in grade school . ( Star Trek Generations )

In 2369 , when Montgomery Scott was rescued from the crash landed USS Jenolen , and his surprise that he was found by the USS Enterprise -D , Scott's immediate response was "Enterprise ? I should have known. I bet Jim Kirk himself hauled the old girl out of mothballs to come looking for me, " even though he, along with Pavel Chekov and Kirk were on the USS Enterprise -B during its maiden voyage when Kirk was presumed killed. ( TNG : " Relics "; Star Trek Generations )

In 2383 , Hologram Janeway showed the young crew of the USS Protostar an image of the Enterprise while explaining the history of the Federation and Starfleet to them. ( PRO : " Starstruck ")

In 2384 , the Protostar responded to Ensign David Garrovick 's distress call that had been sent from Planet 0042692 over a hundred years before, discovering that Starfleet had no record of the Enterprise 's mission to the planet, but learning of it from the natives, the Enderprizians . The Protostar crew made second contact and fulfilled Garrovick's promise that Starfleet would some day return to save the Enderprizians from the curse of " the Gallows ," in reality toxic runoff caused by the crashed shuttle Galileo . ( PRO : " All the World's a Stage ")

In 2399 , retired Starfleet Admiral Jean-Luc Picard observed holographic images of the original Enterprise from 2258 and the Enterprise -D in the central lobby of Starfleet Headquarters . ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ")

Kirk's use of the slingshot maneuver using the Enterprise in order to travel through time was mentioned as an example by Picard as one of the methods for travelling back through time in order to repair changes made in 2024 by Q . ( PIC : " Penance ")

Alternate timelines and realities [ ]

• In an alternate timeline shown to Commander Michael Burnham by the time crystal , Enterprise failed to destroy the USS Discovery with photon torpedoes after Discovery 's auto-destruct didn't go off. As in the current timeline, Enterprise was hit in the saucer section with an undetonated photon torpedo which presumably destroyed the ship as Control won in that timeline. Having been shown this vision moments before Enterprise 's failure to destroy Discovery , Burnham stopped the crew from even attempting to do so. Later, Admiral Katrina Cornwell sacrificed herself to save Enterprise from destruction by the torpedo which she predicted would kill at least the bridge crew if it went off and maybe everyone else on the ship. Burnham and Spock came to the conclusion that the time crystal had showed her this possible future so that she could change it. ( DIS : " Such Sweet Sorrow ", " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 ")

The Enterprise at Earth Outpost Station 4 in an alternate timeline

• In an alternate timeline in which Captain Christopher Pike managed to avoid his crippling fate, he was still in command of the Enterprise in 2266 during the Neutral Zone Incursion while James T. Kirk was the captain of the USS Farragut instead. In this timeline, the ship suffered heavy damage from the Romulan warbird and took on the Farragut 's survivors before Pike negotiated a cease fire between the two sides. When the Romulans showed up with a full armada in response to the perceived weakness of the Federation, the Enterprise barely escaped, taking severe damage to several more decks. The incident resulted in an endless war between the Federation and the Romulans before the Pike of this future traveled back in time and showed his past self the consequences of avoiding his fate. ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")
• In an alternate timeline created by the death of Spock at the age of seven, Thelin served as the first officer and science officer of the Enterprise . Upon learning of the damaged timeline that Kirk and Spock decided to correct, Thelin was supportive. Upon hearing that, Spock wished Thelin a long and prosperous life in whatever circumstances the corrected timeline placed him in. ( TAS : " Yesteryear ")

List of first contacts [ ]

Over its forty-years of service, the Enterprise made first contact with numerous species.

Robert April's notable first contacts [ ]

• Perricans ( SNW : " Ad Astra per Aspera ")

Christopher Pike's notable first contacts [ ]

• Kalar ( TOS : " The Cage "; SNW : " Among the Lotus Eaters ")
• Talosians ( TOS : " The Cage "; DIS : " If Memory Serves ")
• Gorn ( SNW : " Memento Mori ")
• Kerkhovian ( SNW : " Charades ")
• Kiley ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")
• Shepherd ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ")

James T. Kirk's notable first contacts [ ]

In most cases, the date indicated is the first time open communication was initiated with at least one member of the species. Otherwise, it is the first known contact with the species.

• Balok's species ( TOS : " The Corbomite Maneuver ")
• Miri natives ( TOS : " Miri ")
• Thasians ( TOS : " Charlie X ")
• Greek gods ( TOS : " Who Mourns for Adonais? ")
• Guardian of Forever ( TOS : " The City on the Edge of Forever ") Note: While the Guardian is not necessarily a species, the Enterprise did make first contact with the Guardian of Forever
• Horta ( TOS : " The Devil in the Dark ")
• Keeper's species ( TOS : " Shore Leave ")
• Metrons ( TOS : " Arena ")
• Organians ( TOS : " Errand of Mercy ")
• Ornithoids ( TOS : " Catspaw ")
• Trelane's species ( TOS : " The Squire of Gothos ")
• Vaalians ( TOS : " The Apple ")
• 892-IV natives ( TOS : " Bread and Circuses ")
• Beta XII-A entity ( TOS : " Day of the Dove ")
• Cheron natives ( TOS : " Let That Be Your Last Battlefield ")
• Fabrini ( TOS : " For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky ")
• Gem's species ( TOS : " The Empath ")
• Gorgan ( TOS : " And the Children Shall Lead ")
• Kelvans ( TOS : " By Any Other Name ")
• Melkots ( TOS : " Spectre of the Gun ")
• Platonians ( TOS : " Plato's Stepchildren ")
• Providers ( TOS : " The Gamesters of Triskelion ")
• Arretan ( TOS : " Return to Tomorrow ")
• Scalosians ( TOS : " Wink of an Eye ")
• Sigma Draconis VI natives ( TOS : " Spock's Brain ")
• Vians ( TOS : " The Empath ")
• Aquans ( TAS : " The Ambergris Element ")
• Excalbians ( TOS : " The Savage Curtain ")
• Lactrans ( TAS : " The Eye of the Beholder ")
• Matter-energy cloud ( TAS : " One of Our Planets Is Missing ")
• Megans ( TOS : " The Magicks of Megas-Tu ")
• Phylosians ( TAS : " The Infinite Vulcan ")
• Planet 0042692 natives ( PRO : " All the World's a Stage ") Note: date approximate
• Sarpeidon natives ( TOS : " All Our Yesterdays ")
• Theela's species ( TAS : " The Lorelei Signal ")
• Zetarians ( TOS : " The Lights of Zetar ")
• Delta Theta III aborigines ( TAS : " Bem ")
• Kukulkan's species ( TAS : " How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth ")

Command crew [ ]

Robert april's command crew [ ].

• Robert April ( 2245 – 2250 )
• Christopher Pike ( 2240s –2250)
• Sarah April (2245– 2250s )
• Una Chin-Riley (2240s–2250)

Christopher Pike's command crew [ ]

The crew of the Enterprise under the command of Christopher Pike in 2258

The crew of the Enterprise under the command Christopher Pike in 2259

• Christopher Pike (2250–early 2260s )
• Katrina Cornwell ( 2258 )
• Una Chin-Riley (2250–)
• Louvier ( 2257 )
• Hemmer ( 2259 )
• Pelia (2259)
• Phil Boyce ( 2254 )
• Joseph M'Benga (2259)
• Una Chin-Riley (2250s–2259)
• Erica Ortegas (2259)
• Garison (2254)
• Nicola (2258)
• Nyota Uhura (2259)
• Christina (2259)
• Shankar (2259)
• José Tyler (2254)
• Amin (2258)
• Jenna Mitchell (2259)
• Una Chin-Riley (2259)
• Mann (2258)
• Zuniga (2259)
• Lynne Lucero (sometime after 2250)
• Evan Connolly (2257)
• Kroad (2258)
• Spock ( 2253 –2260s)
• George Samuel Kirk (2259)
• La'an Noonien-Singh (2259)

James T. Kirk's command crew [ ]

The crew of the USS Enterprise enjoy a jovial moment with Captain Kirk

The crew of the USS Enterprise in the early 2270s

The crew of the USS Enterprise in 2285

• James T. Kirk ( 2265 – 2270 , 2270s , 2285 )
• Robert April (2270)
• Will Decker (2270s)
• Spock (2285)
• Spock (2265–2270, 2270s, 2285)
• Willard Decker (2270s)
• Montgomery Scott (2265–2270s, 2285)
• Mark Piper (2265)
• Leonard McCoy ( 2266 –2270, 2270s, 2285)
• Christine Chapel (2270s)
• Gary Mitchell (2265)
• Hikaru Sulu (2266–2270s, 2285)
• Leslie (2266– 2267 )
• Hansen (2267)
• Hadley (2267– 2268 )
• DePaul (2267)
• Spinelli (2267)
• Kyle (2268)
• Rahda (2268)
• Walking Bear (2270)
• Alden (2265)
• Nyota Uhura (2266–2270s, 2285)
• John Farrell (2266)
• Palmer (2267– 2269 )
• Angela Martine (2267)
• Lisa (2269)
• M'Ress (2269–2270)
• Lee Kelso (2265)
• Dave Bailey (2266)
• Kevin Riley (2266)
• Stiles (2266)
• Hadley (2267–2269)
• DeSalle (2267)
• Osborne (2267)
• Leslie (2267)
• Painter (2267)
• Pavel Chekov (2267–2269)
• Jana Haines (2268)
• Arex (2269–2270)
• Ilia (2270s)
• DiFalco (2270s)
• Saavik (2285)
• Pitcairn (2267)
• Giotto (2267)
• Freeman (2268)
• Pavel Chekov (2270s, 2285)
• Hikaru Sulu (2266–2270)
• Pavel Chekov (2267–2270s, 2285)
• Hikaru Sulu (2265)
• Spock (2265–2270, 2270s)
• Sonak (2270s)

Complement [ ]

The number of the Enterprise 's crew complement more than doubled over the duration of its service.

In 2254 , the Enterprise had a complement of 203, this stated following the loss of three crewmembers at Rigel VII. ( TOS : " The Cage ", " The Menagerie, Part I ")

Enterprise 's file

In 2257 , scans showed the entire crew complement was also stated to be 203, yet in a display graphic specifically stated that the crew compliment was 430; 43 officers and 387 enlisted .

In 2265 , the Enterprise 's complement consisted of "almost a hundred women." ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

In 2266 , Captain Ramart commented to Charlie Evans that the Enterprise was "like a whole city in space ," compared to his ship, the USS Antares , which had a relatively meager complement of twenty. Ramart further explained that there were "over 400 in the crew of a starship ," which was clarified by Kirk as actually "428, to be exact." ( TOS : " Charlie X ")

Jadzia Dax observed to Benjamin Sisko , after they transported aboard the Enterprise , that " they really packed them in on these old ships. " ( DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ")

Casualties [ ]

Service aboard the Enterprise proved to be hazardous duty. Between 2265 and 2269, individuals who were killed while assigned to the ship included at least fifty-eight officers and crew. Nine crew members were killed when the Enterprise encountered the galactic barrier in 2265. Gary Mitchell , Lee Kelso , and Elizabeth Dehner later died on Delta Vega . ( TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ")

Two of seven crewmembers assigned to study Murasaki 312 on the shuttlecraft Galileo – Latimer and Gaetano – both met an unfortunate end, by the hand of a large creature on the planet Taurus II . ( TOS : " The Galileo Seven ")

In 2267, Enterprise security officers Hendorff , Kaplan , Mallory , and Marple were killed on planet Gamma Trianguli VI . ( TOS : " The Apple ") Further incidents with multiple fatalities included four security guards killed by Nomad in 2267, as well as five security guards killed by a dikironium cloud creature on Argus X in 2268. ( TOS : " The Changeling ", " Obsession ") An outbreak of Rigelian fever , in 2269, killed three crewmen and imperiled the rest until a source of ryetalyn could be obtained. ( TOS : " Requiem for Methuselah ")

As well, two Enterprise security officers were beamed out into open space while the ship was under the control of Gorgan . ( TOS : " And the Children Shall Lead ") Lieutenant Galloway was vaporized by Captain Tracey on Omega IV , ( TOS : " The Omega Glory ") but later was somehow resurrected. ( TOS : " Turnabout Intruder ") Yeoman Thompson was reduced to a dry cuboctahedron solid. She was killed when the Kelvan Rojan crushed the object in his hand. ( TOS : " By Any Other Name ")

At some point after stardate 3619.2 in 2268, but before 2270 , security officer Ensign David Garrovick vanished along with the shuttlecraft Galileo from the ship. His ultimate fate on Planet 0042692 was not discovered until 2384 . ( PRO : " All the World's a Stage ")

In the mid- 2270s , Commander Sonak and an Enterprise officer were killed in a transporter accident while beaming to the ship. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " The Cage "
• " Where No Man Has Gone Before "
• " The Corbomite Maneuver "
• " Mudd's Women "
• " The Enemy Within "
• " The Man Trap "
• " The Naked Time "
• " Charlie X "
• " Balance of Terror "
• " What Are Little Girls Made Of? "
• " Dagger of the Mind "
• " The Conscience of the King "
• " The Galileo Seven "
• " Court Martial "
• " The Menagerie, Part I "
• " The Menagerie, Part II "
• " Shore Leave "
• " The Squire of Gothos "
• " The Alternative Factor "
• " Tomorrow is Yesterday "
• " The Return of the Archons "
• " A Taste of Armageddon "
• " Space Seed "
• " This Side of Paradise "
• " The Devil in the Dark "
• " Errand of Mercy "
• " The City on the Edge of Forever "
• " Operation -- Annihilate! "
• " Catspaw "
• " Metamorphosis "
• " Friday's Child "
• " Who Mourns for Adonais? "
• " Amok Time "
• " The Doomsday Machine "
• " Wolf in the Fold "
• " The Changeling "
• " The Apple "
• " Mirror, Mirror "
• " The Deadly Years "
• " I, Mudd "
• " The Trouble with Tribbles "
• " Bread and Circuses "
• " Journey to Babel "
• " A Private Little War "
• " The Gamesters of Triskelion "
• " Obsession "
• " The Immunity Syndrome "
• " A Piece of the Action "
• " By Any Other Name "
• " Return to Tomorrow "
• " Patterns of Force "
• " The Ultimate Computer "
• " The Omega Glory "
• " Assignment: Earth "
• " Spectre of the Gun "
• " Elaan of Troyius "
• " The Paradise Syndrome "
• " The Enterprise Incident "
• " And the Children Shall Lead "
• " Spock's Brain "
• " Is There in Truth No Beauty? "
• " The Empath "
• " The Tholian Web "
• " For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky "
• " Day of the Dove "
• " Plato's Stepchildren "
• " Wink of an Eye "
• " That Which Survives "
• " Let That Be Your Last Battlefield "
• " Whom Gods Destroy "
• " The Mark of Gideon "
• " The Lights of Zetar "
• " The Cloud Minders "
• " The Way to Eden "
• " Requiem for Methuselah "
• " The Savage Curtain "
• " All Our Yesterdays "
• " Turnabout Intruder "
• " Beyond the Farthest Star "
• " Yesteryear "
• " One of Our Planets Is Missing "
• " The Lorelei Signal "
• " More Tribbles, More Troubles "
• " The Survivor "
• " The Infinite Vulcan "
• " The Magicks of Megas-Tu "
• " Once Upon a Planet "
• " Mudd's Passion "
• " The Terratin Incident "
• " The Time Trap "
• " The Ambergris Element "
• " The Eye of the Beholder "
• " The Jihad "
• " The Pirates of Orion "
• " The Practical Joker "
• " Albatross "
• " How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth "
• " The Counter-Clock Incident "
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (recording only)
• " The Naked Now " (exterior shown on bridge readout –Blu-ray version)
• " Datalore " (exterior shown on readout in Data's quarters – Blu-ray version)
• " Relics " (bridge shown on holodeck)
• " Trials and Tribble-ations "
• " What You Leave Behind " (corridor shown in montage)
• ENT : " These Are the Voyages... " (closing montage)
• " Will You Take My Hand? "
• " Brother "
• " If Memory Serves " (archive footage)
• " Such Sweet Sorrow "
• " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 "
• " Q&A "
• " Ask Not "
• " Ephraim and Dot "
• PIC : " Maps and Legends " (hologram)
• PRO : " Starstruck " (digital image)
• " Strange New Worlds "
• " Children of the Comet "
• " Ghosts of Illyria "
• " Memento Mori "
• " Spock Amok "
• " Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach "
• " The Serene Squall "
• " The Elysian Kingdom "
• " All Those Who Wander "
• " A Quality of Mercy "
• " The Broken Circle "
• " Ad Astra per Aspera "
• " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow "
• " Among the Lotus Eaters "
• " Charades "
• " Lost in Translation "
• " Those Old Scientists "
• " Under the Cloak of War "
• " Subspace Rhapsody "
• " Hegemony "
• " Skin a Cat "
• " Holiday Party "
• " Walk, Don't Run "

Background information [ ]

The CG Enterprise from the "remastered" opening credits

The Enterprise on a painting aboard the Enterprise -D

The Enterprise and its interiors in The Original Series were designed primarily by Matt Jefferies . A three-foot demonstration model was completed in November 1964 by the Howard Anderson Company to show to Gene Roddenberry . After getting his approval, an eleven-foot model was then constructed by Richard C. Datin, Jr. , Mel Keys , and Vern Sion at Volmer Jensen 's model shop, and was finished in December 1964 . The eleven-foot model was modified for " Where No Man Has Gone Before " and again for the regular series effect shots. Re-used footage of all three stages of the eleven-foot model's appearance are shown mixed together in TOS.

In the final draft script of " The Naked Time ", the Enterprise was somewhat poetically described thus; " Sleek… efficient… the look of man in space… tooled… equipped… "

For Star Trek: The Animated Series , the color of the Enterprise was limited. D.C. Fontana commented, " For the purposes of animation you can't do the light white, silver kinds of colors. So they made the Enterprise gray and it came off all right. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 16 , p. 68)

Some distinctive effects shots of the Enterprise from TOS were recreated in animation for Star Trek: The Animated Series . Depicting the ship performing any new, impressive maneuvers would have been too costly for TAS and would have taken the animators too long to show, despite frequent TAS Director Hal Sutherland later implying that a desire to portray the ship doing " barrel rolls and that kind of thing" was quite common. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 16 , pp. 63 & 64)

The 2270s configuration of the Enterprise depicted in the films Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock was designed by Richard Taylor and Andrew Probert , based on designs for the vessel made by Matt Jefferies for the undeveloped television series Star Trek: Phase II . The design for the movie version was the basis of a design patent issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

The Enterprise was to have appeared in Star Trek: The First Adventure , which would have revealed that the design of the ship in TOS was actually a refit; the original design resembled Enterprise NX-01 , though that vessel was created years earlier. When Star Trek: Discovery season 1's finale aired, this idea was continued, as when the Enterprise showed up at the end, it had elements of the NX-01 incorporated into the new model.

The Enterprise was recreated as a new physical model for the DS9 Season 5 episode " Trials and Tribble-ations ". The ship's interior was represented with sets built on Paramount Stage 11 . ( Information from Larry Nemecek ) The CG model of Constitution -class USS Defiant , created for " In a Mirror, Darkly ", was relabeled as the Enterprise for the final scene of " These Are the Voyages... ", the last episode of Star Trek: Enterprise .

A new CG model, built from caliper measurements of the original eleven-foot physical model, was created for use in the remastered and recreated version of The Original Series (for more detailed treatises on the studio models used, see Constitution -class model (original) .

Visual effects artist Gabriel Koerner created a re-imagined version of the pre-refit Enterprise from the movies. The design is more contemporary, while keeping the design of The Original Series version of the ship. A video showing the ship from various angles can be seen on YouTube. The model was also featured as the August image for the 2007 Ships of the Line calendar , as well as in the Ships of the Line coffee-table book, placed between TOS and TMP images, which included text from Michael Okuda suggesting it as one of the ideas on how to refit the ship.

The Enterprise was pictured on three paintings during the Star Trek franchise: on a painting in the recreation deck of the 2270s configuration of the vessel, in Star Trek: The Motion Picture ; on a painting in the waiting area of the sickbay aboard the USS Enterprise -D , in the Star Trek: The Next Generation fifth season episode " Ethics "; and on a painting on the wall of Kirk's kitchen in the Nexus , in Star Trek Generations .

Upon preparing to view the bridge of the Enterprise in the first draft script of TNG : " Relics ", Montgomery Scott specified, " Show her the way she was before stardate 5928, " referencing the stardate on which TOS series finale " Turnabout Intruder " takes place. Consequently, this line of dialogue would have established that the holographic simulation of the Enterprise 's bridge in "Relics" was definitely contemporaneous with the exact setting of TOS. Scott did not specify that in the final draft of the script, however. [4] The line is also not spoken on screen.

The Enterprise was to have been referenced in the first draft script of VOY : " Flashback ", in connection with its near-destruction at Eminiar VII . However, all mention of the vessel was eliminated from the episode by the time the final draft of the script was written.

A new CGI model was created for the appearance of the USS Enterprise in the Season 1 finale of Star Trek: Discovery , " Will You Take My Hand? ". This model updated the appearance of the USS Enterprise to better match the style of other Starfleet ships depicted in the show, most noticeably changing the Enterprise 's nacelles to have visible, glowing blue cutouts on the inner surface. The impulse engine was also different, and the nacelle pylons were swept back with openings in their centers similar to the 2270s configuration . The new model also had a longer "runway" before the shuttlebay doors.

External links [ ]

• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) at StarTrek.com
• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) at Wikipedia
• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) at the Star Trek Online Wiki