WARNING: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 8, "Under the Cloak of War."

Summary

  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' dark Klingon war episode showcases the horrors of war and parallels the depiction of war in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
  • The episode explores the characters' experiences and moral dilemmas during the Klingon War, reminiscent of Deep Space Nine's exploration of the effects of the Dominion War.
  • The shocking scene of Dr. M'Benga killing Ambassador Dak'Rah reflects the contrasting beliefs of redemption and forgiveness, similar to Captain Sisko's actions in Deep Space Nine's "In the Pale Moonlight."

With its darkest episode so far, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds proves to be a worthy successor to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In SNW season 2, episode 8, "Under the Cloak of War," the USS Enterprise hosts a visiting Klingon Ambassador named Dak’Rah (Robert Wisdom). Though Dak'Rah is currently working with the Federation, he was once a brutal General who ordered the slaughter of innocent people. While serving as medics in the Klingon War, Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) and Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) saw firsthand the type of carnage General Dak'Rah left in his wake.

While the Klingons will eventually become allies of the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon War first waged in Star Trek: Discovery remains fresh in the minds of many of the characters on Strange New Worlds. Dr. M'Benga, Nurse Chapel, and Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) all served in the war, and, understandably, they have difficulty sitting across the table from a man known as the "Butcher of J’Gal". Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 8 feels reminiscent of the later seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine when the Federation was at war with the Dominion. Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) had to make impossible choices, and he compromised his morals on more than one occasion in order to save lives.

Why Strange New Worlds’ Dark Klingon War Episode Makes It DS9’s True Successor

Robert Wisdom calm as Klingon Ambassador Dak'Rah

In "Under the Cloak of War," Strange New Worlds does not shy away from depicting the horrors of war. The flashback scenes from the Klingon War feel frantic and desperate, as Dr. M'Benga and Nurse Chapel try to save as many people as they can while explosions go off around them on J'Gar. Though this is the first episode of Strange New Worlds to depict a graphic battle this way, DS9 tackled similar issues in its depictions of the Dominion War. Episodes like “In The Pale Moonlight” and “The Seige of AR-558" illustrated the ways war changes people. DS9 often pushed its characters to question just how far they were willing to go and how many ethical boundaries they were willing to cross.

In a shocking scene near the end of "Under the Cloak of War," Dr. M'Benga kills Ambassador Dak’Rah and gets away with it. In the powerful final conversation between M'Benga and Captain Pike (Anson Mount), the different lives the two men have led are thrown into sharp contrast. Pike believes that everyone is worthy of redemption, while M'Benga believes some things cannot be forgiven. Neither man is wrong and Strange New Worlds understands this. Though Pike suspects that Dak’Rah's death did not happen exactly as M'Benga and Chapel describe, he seems willing to let it go. This final scene feels like the end of DS9's "In the Pale Moonlight," when Captain Sisko covers up the forgery and murder that led the Romulans to the fight against the Dominion.

Strange New Worlds Season 2 Proves It Mastered Every Genre

Star Trek Strange New Worlds Under the Cloak of War Pike Uhura Una

With its second season, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has proven to excel in every genre the show has undertaken. Nothing exemplifies this better than an episode like "Under the Cloak of War" being sandwiched between a comedic crossover episode and a musical episode. The tones of these hourlongs could hardly be more different, and yet every episode of Strange New Worlds feels distinctly Star Trek. Even the silliest episodes offer fascinating insights into the characters, while the darker episodes explore the depths and breadth of what it means to be human.

Since its inception, Star Trek has always been experimental and ahead of its time. While it's true the "Subspace Rhapsody" will be Star Trek's first musical, even Star Trek: The Original Series tried out a variety of different genres. But Strange New Worlds has certainly stepped up the game. In its second season alone, Strange New Worlds has done a courtroom episode, a time travel episode, a comedy of errors, an amnesia episode, a crossover, and a war story. Whatever Star Trek: Strange New Worlds does next, the legacy of Star Trek is clearly in creative and capable hands.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.