Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds set on-line discourse ablaze with the arrival of Season 2’s “Beneath The Cloak Of Warfare,” which rapidly turned essentially the most polarizing episode but from the trendy period. The story targeted on the horrors of the Klingon struggle, in addition to the affect it had on Dr. M’Benga and others, in what’s going to presumably dwell on as one of many franchise’s darkest adventures. It is the type of repute that the episode’s director Jeff Byrd willingly embraces, which he mentioned in an interview with CinemaBlend.
I had an opportunity to talk with Jeff Byrd, who helmed the seventh ep of Star Trek: Trek: Unusual New Worlds‘ second season. I discussed throughout our interview, which occurred the day the episode was first obtainable to stream with a Paramount+ subscription, that the morning was already stuffed with social media reactions that have been near-universal in calling it one of many franchise’s darkest tales so far. I requested Byrd if it was formidable to tackle an episode that flew within the face of what followers usually see in Trek, and he mentioned he wasn’t in any respect nervous. In his phrases:
I really love the darkness. Right here’s my factor. You requested me a very good query as a result of I felt like, you recognize what, there needs to be a darkish facet to Star Trek. There needs to be, you recognize? I get that we’re right here to discover and see unusual new worlds and see all of the issues, but in addition, you recognize what, there’s some killing that is occurring on the market within the universe, and there is some wars that occurred. Despite the fact that within the OG [series], you see all of the completely different persons are at struggle, I believe this was good to actually remind us that Starfleet is, generally is at struggle and making an attempt to assist and making an attempt to do that and that and their folks die. And likewise, there are some strike groups on the market, M’Benga is a part of a strike crew. There are some strike groups on the market, you recognize, black ops groups that may medically support and take you out. And he was a type of guys at one level in his Starfleet profession.
As talked about, the episode seemed again on Dr. M’Benga and Nurse Chapel’s time collectively within the Klingon Warfare years earlier. This turned related when the Klingon ambassador Rah arrived on the Enterprise. Previously generally known as a fearsome struggle prison, Rah gained amnesty by killing his personal males after being disgusted by their actions, after which defecting to Starfleet. The act gained him the nickname “The Butcher of J’Gal.”
Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds revealed, nevertheless, that Rah’s acts have been a farce. M’Benga knew this as a result of he was a part of the Starfleet strike crew despatched in to kill Rah and earn Starfleet a much-needed win. M’Benga was the one who killed Rah’s males, whereas the latter fled in concern, and he struggled with the end result wherein Rah lived with an honored legacy in Starfleet whereas by no means answering for his crimes, which included the slaughter of civilian Klingons on J’Gal. When M’Benga revealed his shared historical past with Rah, there was a wrestle between the 2 males that left the Klingon ambassador useless. Ultimately, the viewers was deliberately left at the hours of darkness as as to whether M’Benga murdered Rah outright, killed his foe in self-defense, or if one thing else occurred.
Jeff Byrd spoke extra in regards to the coronary heart of M’Benga’s story, telling me that he liked the thought of leaning into the disagreeable moments Starfleet needed to get by means of to take care of peace. He additionally expressed he’d wish to see extra from that facet of the storytelling, if doable:
I like that as a result of I wish to see a bit bit extra of that. An entire different Star Trek present that is based mostly in, ‘OK, we do the soiled deed for, you recognize, for everyone within the universe. We go round, and we’re like, ‘You recognize what. Starfleet despatched us out to do the soiled deed. So that might be good to see and simply to see how that weighs, I imply, this was a very good glimpse into it to see how a Starfleet black ops [member] would react and be on the finish. How they really have their PTSD kick in probably as a result of you’re going on the market and so they’re going ‘Okay, they do not conform to phrases. All proper. Properly, we’ll flip a blind eye to that,’ and any person goes, ‘Okay, ship a strike crew,’ after which they go in it. It is type of attention-grabbing.
I agree it will be attention-grabbing to see extra Starfleet secret operations in upcoming Trek reveals, and Jeff Byrd could get his want. We all know that Michelle Yeoh will return to the franchise for a film centered round Part 31, the group of Starfleet that does the sorts of issues a black ops crew would do. So here is hoping Byrd will get to assist carry that story to life.
Provided that Yeoh’s Georgiou was touring by means of time when she departed on Discovery, it might be fairly superior if she went again to a time when she may crew up with a barely youthful Dr. M’Benga. It’d additionally simply be cool to see actor Babs Olusanmokun added to the solid of that film to additional increase the star energy of the film we’ll finally watch on Paramount+.
Do not anticipate Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds to get a lot darker within the follow-up episode, which would be the franchise’s first musical occasion. It will be a pleasant chaser after such a bleak installment, however one has to imagine we’ll revisit M’Benga’s scenario sooner or later. I would think about that finally, somebody goes to recollect the historical past between M’Benga and Rah and begin asking extra questions.
Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays. Season 2 is sort of over, so be sure you catch up and be prepared for what’s going to hopefully be an eventful season finale.
