Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode "Shuttle To Kenfori." Stream it with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!
After a fun two-episode premiere, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' third installment seemingly resolved one of the most controversial plot lines of Season 2. "Under The Cloak Of War" centered on a Klingon war criminal that Dak'Rah granted amnesty to and gave an ambassador position within the Federation, and it was praised as one of the franchise's darkest episodes. The episode ended with the ambassador dying in a scuffle with M'Benga, though still leaving up to question what actually happened. Now, thanks to "Shuttle to Kenfori" and co-star Babs Olusanmokun, we have an answer.
The character gave the truth of what happened in "Shuttle To Kenfori," but it's safe to say it was a confession made under duress. I previously tried to press the director for answers on this episode, and even tried to suss out my own theories, largely because I didn't have access to the talent who plays M'Benga. So once I was actually talking to him, you can bet I took advantage. Should we trust the confession? Here's what Olusanmokun told me:
Yes.
Obviously the showrunners and writing staff have the official say on the matter, but if Babs Olusanmokun feels his character's confession to Dak'Rah's daughter Bytha was a truthful one, then that's good enough for me. For anyone who needs a refresher on the details what he said, let's revisit that.
What M'Benga Told Dak'Rah's Daughter
As if battling undead zombies with Pike wasn't enough, M'Benga was ambushed by Bytha, the daughter of 'The Butcher Of J'Gal' for his role in the death of her father. She demanded that M'Benga fight her, to restore the honor of her bloodline, after her father died in a way the Klingon community saw as a cowardly ambush on M'Benga. When he refused, Bytha took Pike hostage and held a knife to the Captain's throat. Only when put in that position, M'Benga said this:
I assassinated Rah. I could've stopped but a mass murderer gave me an opportunity to kill him, and I did, willingly. I would do it again. So, yes, his blood is on my hands. Was that dishonorable? I don't know. But there was justice. I lied to protect the monster that still lives inside me should the day come when he is needed again.
The confession was all Bytha needed to release Pike and challenge M'Benga to a duel to the death. As such, it seemed like the doctor could've just been telling the Klingon what she wanted to believe to protect his Captain. Now that we have an answer to this big cliffhanger, I feel a little better about this series ending with Season 5.
Is The Door Shut On M'Benga's Klingon Drama?
With Pike assuring M'Benga he will not report his colleague for what he said during the moment, it would seem the door is shut on any disciplinary actions from Starfleet regarding the death of Dak'Rah. Then again, I guess if there was a trial conducted by the Federation, Pike would be in a sticky situation in knowing he heard a direct confession from him.
All that said, I think "Shuttle To Kenfori" has the vibe of an episode that was made specifically to close the door on this Season 2 plotline, similar to how the Season 3 premiere closed the thread of La'an's ongoing trauma with the Gorn. I would be surprised if it becomes relevant to the story again, and now that we have Babs Olusanmokun explicitly saying the character was telling the truth in his account, I'm not sure we have any questions left to uncover.
I will say, however, that I do hope Season 3, 4, and 5 have more M'Benga episodes. Olusanmokun remains one of the biggest stars of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and every storyline he has involves a wild or heartbreaking twist that I just can't get enough of. I'm happy with how this story played out, but I am curious how other fans are feeling.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. Keep up with this season, and all things happening with upcoming Trek shows as we await more details from the franchise at comic-con.
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