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Posted in: Paramount+, Review, Star Trek, streaming, TV | Tagged: Babs Olusanmokun, Jess Bush, Melissa Navia, paramount, robert wisdom, star trek, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Ep. 8 Review: Scars of War
Babs Olusanmokun offers his finest and most intense performance to date in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds S02E08 "Under the Cloak of War."
Given the timing of the latest Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode in "Under the Cloak of War" between the more comedic "Those Old Scientists" and the upcoming musical "Subspace Rhapsody," it's not surprising we're getting probably one of the most serious, dramatic and nuanced ones. The theme of the episode is dealing with the aftermath of war and its lingering effects, particularly between some of the Enterprise crew members. The following contains minor spoilers.
Star Trek: Battle Scars Reopened
In the period of the timeline, there's an uneasy truce between the Federation and the Klingons, and the Enterprise is tasked to host a Klingon defector Dak'Rah (Robert Wisdom), a controversial figure during their war. As Pike (Anson Mount) takes the task of hosting and giving a tour at Rah's request, a few, most notably Ortegas (Melissa Navia), Dr. M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), and Chapel (Jess Bush) can barely contain their disgust. Their discomfort is in plain sight of their crew members trying to appeal to their better angels and Starfleet principles.
Throughout the episode, we get flashbacks to the Battle of J'Gal a few years ago when we see M'Benga and Chapel doing everything they can to deal with the wounded, sometimes with futility as casualties pile on. In a previous episode, we saw the duo fight their way against overwhelming odds against a rogue group of Klingons trying to instigate war thanks to the assistance of refined adrenaline. Naturally, we discover more about his dark past and why he chose the path as a physician.
Written by Davy Perez and directed by Jeff W. Byrd, there is no silver lining when it comes to the nuance of "Under the Cloak of War." I love seeing a redemption arc as much as the next person, but as humans, it's unrealistic to expect absolutes because we're not automatons. Things don't always get so easily processed and handled as we would them to be. We have to draw our line in the sand, and there are some beyond redemption as part of the human condition. The way Olusanmokun and Wisdom play off each other is one of the best overall interactions this season, and it's by far Olusanmokun's best performance in the series. It's certainly not the first time the Star Trek franchise has dealt with those with lingering PTSD from war, but I'd argue it's probably the most nuanced take on it yet as Strange New Worlds continues to explore brave new territory.
I'd be remiss not to mention this, but we also get an appearance from Star Trek veteran & character actor Clint Howard as Buck Martinez, the first time a role in the franchise was given a last name. He also earns the distinction as the first The Original Series actor (with his original guest starring role as Balok) to appear in Strange New Worlds. This is also his fifth Star Trek series since he's also appeared in Deep Space Nine, Enterprise, and Discovery.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8 "Under the Cloak of War"
10/10
Writer Davy Perez & director Jeff W. Byrd create one of the most tense, naunced and cerebral episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds yet. Babs Olusanmokun turns in his finest performance in the series to date., supported by impressive turns from Melissa Navia, Robert Wisdom, and Jess Bush. S02E08 "Under the Cloak of War" is an episode that will be discussed & examined for years to come.
Credits
Director
Jeff W. Byrd
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