Strange New Worlds S2-E8- ''Under the Cloak of War '' ~~ { ** Spoilers Within ** }

AMKC

A bit about the Gorn war maybe.

Edit: Nope nothing to do with the Gorn War its do to with the Klingon War.

A hard watch. We learn some more about Joseph and Nurse Chapels past and Ortegas a little bit too although it is still not clear if she was actually there or not.

What could have been do except for that ending. Could the Federation and the Klingons have become allies sooner?

I loved the design of the ship at the beginning of this episode although except for the deflector I though it looked a bit too modern more like a ship from the 24th or 25th Century's than the 23rd.

Spear

That was dark, to a degree that only DS9 has tried before. But where DS9 was still clear on who did what, this remains ambiguous, both in terms of the ambassadors death and whether it was worth exposing him.

They still managed to give most of the cast a little time and insight, despite it being by it's nature Chapel/M'benge focussed.

Some heavy elements of MASH in the Chagall scenes, and nice to see Clint Howard turning up.

corkie

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Under_the_Cloak_of_War_%28episode%29

This season has been mostly filling in the backgrounds of the characters.

Musical next week, and then we just have the final left.

raspberrypi67

I think this series is abysmal , I've stopped watching it. Nowhere like the old captain kirk ones. Pike spends all his tie cooking...well for some...

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120902911#Comment_120902911

Yes that is because it is not Captain Kirk. It's Pike and his crew. So what Pike likes cooking. Nothing wrong with that. I doubt he spends all his time cooking just meal times.

pah

Great episode, wish the series was more like this overall. Imagine what a klingon war series could have been like.

raspberrypi67

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120903456#Comment_120903456

Imagine....🙄 ffs.....

ilovesmybrick

Fantastic episode. Thought the conclusion was a bit rushed, but really good back story aout Mbenga and Chapel.

Took me ages to work out who the Klingon was, thought it was Tony Todd but realised it was Hamsterdam from the Wire!

AMKC

Can't believe people think this was a good episode. For me it was too dark for star Trek. I found it quite a drag to watch. Certainly not one I will be watching again anytime soon. But then I loved the last episode.

fritzelly

Thought a great episode, can see where the seasons budget went but his teeth were a bit too perfect for a Klingon

nachouser

Really good ep, but the knife thing was a bit weird. Like, are we supposed to think he transported aboard with the knife on him?

corkie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120904921#Comment_120904921

M'Benga had the chest and d'k tahg aboard enterprise, Dak'Rah didn't bring it aboard, see wiki linked earlier.

https://www.thedigitalfix.com/star-trek/dak-rah-explained

That’s all we know [ which is not much ] on Dak’Rah for now, and with his death it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting any more information at any point soon.

fritzelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120904984#Comment_120904984

Think he means more of a plot hole, the transporter should have picked up he was armed

nachouser

Like I said, I enjoyed the ep. But there is no reason the knife Rah supposedly used to kill his own would be onboard unless Rah brought it onboard when he transported in?

I don't really care, it just seems a bit sloppy.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120905030#Comment_120905030

He didn't kill his own.

M'Benga killed them with M'Benga's knife and it was he who kept it all along.

The Klingon killed no Klingons which was very clearly established.

Loved the episode except for the ending which I thought was a bit too much to have M'Benga kill him.

breezy1985

Did anyone else think the very specific build up to the ambassador at the star twas gonna lead to it being Tyler or some equally stupid Disco character.

Was just waiting for the internet to lose its sht if one of them showed up 🤣

Spear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120905336#Comment_120905336

No, but I expected him to be poisoned instead. The rather pointed foreshadowing about the Deltan parsley being poisonous sounded like the way it was going to go.

nachouser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120905296#Comment_120905296

Schrodinger's knife, then:-)

TheValeyard

I liked the episode.

Great acting from M'Benga.

Cool special effects. Maybe the darkest espiode in a long while. Certainly darkest on SNW.

Couple of Qs

Chancellor of the Klingon Empire is now Male? L'Rell gone?

They seem to have completely abandoned the Discovery Klingon looks. Good.

Spock relationship seems in trouble.

So episode 9 is the musicial. Meaning 10 must be the Gorn problem from episode 1.

squonk

I thought that was a fantastic epidhde. I loved every second of it from start to finish. Very dark yes but I got some real DS9 vibes from early on. I know tge ending is ambiguous but it doesn’t matter. Both men (and likely Chappel) know the truth about the butcher. I’m turn after watching it which is a good thing. If M’Benga had kept quiet there might have been peace with the Klingons much sooner but then the Klingon was a fraud. Could you trust him really?

It really was like one of those great TNG episodes where they’re a transport fir conference delegates which is guaranteed troubke but amped up with DS9 style darkness. For me I think itlll be going on the list if all time favourite trek episodes.

I didn’t realise there was a musical epidhde coming? Why? Wasn’t the LD episode enough crap this season?

DoctorEdgeWild

Now THAT was the star episode of this season. Absolutely outstanding! Loved it.

DS9 did some good episodes, especially with O'Brien, with post war themes. VOY tried with Maquis episodes but never quite got them right. SNW has gotten it perfect with this one. Exactly how it should be done. Very much expected them to do some kind of M'Benga redemption where he comes around to the side of peace but SO MUCH BETTER character development to have him stay true to his own morals. He (both actor and character) has done the heaviest lifting this season.

Chapel also showed some great mettle and her character, and relationship with M'Benga, is stronger as a result.

The Lower Decks crossover taste is well and truly washed away. 5 star episode.

eadrom

Wow! Was not expecting that tone shift. What an incredible series that they can go from a goofball animated crossover episode and then put out something like this not even a week later, and have it all feel right at home.

Fantastic episode. Really difficult ending. Love this show.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120905704#Comment_120905704

I must have missed the bit with the Q's

😂

Also missed the bit where they mentioned a male Chancellor.

squonk

12 hours on since I finished this epidhde sbd I’m still thinking about it.

M’Benga has me really torn. He’s kind of a DS9 character hanging out in a TNG like show at this stage.

Mostly ST mainstream show characters are straight up with no subterfuge involved unless it’s fir the greater good in fooling an enemy. M’Benga has already had his daughter stored in the transporter without anyone else’s knowledge. I liked his talk with Pike at the end where he said he Sydney start tge fight but was glad it happened and how pike wouldn’t understand his position really. I thought it was done of the best Star Trek I’ve seen in ages. On one hand you have tge fair and accountable federation where everyone is allowed due process etc because it’s the world they made according to a vision. On the other is M’Benga living you could say in the real world where things aren’t fair. You do what you need to. It might not be the right thing to do but it’s the best thing you can do given the options you have. It reminded me of In The Pale Moonlight.

I’ve no doubt M’Benga is glad the fight happened. He came prepared and set up the Klingon. I’m forced to believe a fight would have broken out no matter what. I suspect M’Benga was smart enough to provoke the Klingon to start it but it also seems unlikely given his earlier demeanour. I really need a rewatch

Either way now the SNW crew has jumped from a crew I generally like but am not too familiar with owing to the short seasons, to a crew I’m bloody invested in because I want to see what’s next.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120905296#Comment_120905296

Yep, I thought this was obvious what with them showing a flashback of him slitting their throats and then telling the general which one fought hardest. My reading on it was that the general was always a coward, he ordered everyone dead because he was afraid, as soon as his team were being slaughtered he ran and made up that story that didn't quite fit.

Overall a good episode, as someone said, the only plot hole is how did he get the knife on board from a plot twist point of view and I think that was what Pike knew was the issue. So I don't think it was a plot hole but a way of Pike having to make a decision in the back of his mind, does he let it slide or not. I presume M'benga had it in his personal case for years and that wasn't flagged as people have cooking utensils, weapons as ornaments and so on. M'benga is a bad ass though. The acting was superb throughout.

Spear

On the kid in the buffer thing, if this episode had come before that, it would've given it much more context and gravitas, and made much it more palatable, and less out of left field.

I think it's clear from Pike's wording at the end that he suspects M'Benga either did it deliberately or happily took the opportunity. But lacking any evidence has nothing to gain from kicking up a fuss.

squonk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120907372#Comment_120907372

Yeah I know the kid in the transporter buffer was out of context at the time. I’ve a feeling they invented that at tge time and doubled down on it now but it makes sense given his past. In hindsight I like it though. If I was on the Enterprise and found out M’Benga did that for his daughter I’d definitely be thinking WTF??? and we all were in sure but I really love the callback now though while it was new to us, it was a necessary measure in the hell world M’Benga found himself in during the Klingon war. I like it. We didn’t really know M’Benga last year. I think they was his first in depth episode. Because of his experiences he’s not the kind I’d Starfleet officer we are used to. So I think feeling a bit iffy at that episode is well paid back now. His choices are meant to jar us I feel. It’s bloody fantastic.

DoctorEdgeWild

Watched it again this morning, it gets even better. 😁

Cookie_Monster

What's the issue with having a (the?) knife on the ship?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120907472#Comment_120907472

The fairytale episode was mostly about M'Benga last season but we didn't learn a lot other than he was very dedicated to saving his daughter and willing to do weird sht to save her.

Makes a bit more sense now that we know the guy seems to have no limits when it comes to anything.

nachouser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120907684#Comment_120907684

Actually, no issue. I hadn't considered klingons might have space luggage:-)