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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8 Recap – who is the Butcher of J’Gal?

We recap the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8, “Under the Cloak of War,” which contains spoilers.

The Enterprise’s chief medical officer Joseph M’Benga takes center stage in episode 8, “Under the Cloak of War.”

Flashbacks reveal his involvement in the Klingon War, fighting alongside Christine ( Jess Bush ) . While in the present day, M’Benga is faced with his old enemy, Ambassador Dak’Rah .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8 Recap

This installment begins with a quick summary of the crew’s latest mission. They are transporting the Klingon Ambassador Dak’Rah (known as Rah) to his next conference.

Who is Ambassador Dak’Rah?

Dak’Rah is a feared Klingon General, nicknamed the Butcher of J’Gal, who changed his ways to become a renowned peace negotiator after the Klingon War. Yet his horrifying past still haunts some of the Enterprise’s crew members.

First of all, Erica doesn’t trust him; she believes that Rah is working undercover to steal the Enterprise’s secrets. Uhura defends Rah, though, stating that he is a changed man. Rah is given a tour of the ship; Spock attempts to make him feel welcome.

Another crew member who distrusts Rah is M’Benga. On meeting Rah, he had a panic attack.

Flashbacks explain his complicated history with Rah. We start these flashbacks in the middle of the Klingon War, on the Moon of J’Gal.

How did Christine first meet M’Benga?

Christine is posted into the middle of this conflict to aid the medical department; this is where she first meets M’Benga. The medical staff are placed in the heart of the war, dealing with an endless conveyor belt of injured soldiers that are beamed in.

M’Benga is already scarred by the horrors of war and has lost all hope, but Christine’s optimism inspires M’Benga to try and save every soldier. Christine and M’Benga quickly form a bond, yet the endless stream of new patients is relentless.

It isn’t long before M’Benga is summoned into battle. The resistance is planning to assassinate the Klingon’s leader Dak’Rah.

They have discovered that he is killing anyone who isn’t a Klingon soldier; this means civilians and even children. M’Benga declines the offer, though.

Back in the present, the angry crew members struggle to hide their true emotions. Pike wants to give Rah the benefit of the doubt, but the others are growing impatient.

Rah doesn’t help matters when he gloats about his achievements.

Spock is unable to appease Christine, who is also filled with rage. Christine asks for some time away from Spock. This decision may have been spurred on by Brad’s future talk and then intensified by the sudden appearance of Rah, but it doesn’t look good for the couple.

Rah then asks to spend some time with M’Benga; they spar with each other. J’Gal is discussed. Rah wants M’Benga to join him at his next peace conference, but M’Benga wants to know the truth. He asks if Rah actually killed his own men.

Why does M’Benga decide to fight in the Klingon war?

The Ambassador admits that he did kill his own men. He was appalled by the army’s decision to kill innocent people, and he chose to take a stand. After this encounter, M’Benga has traumatic flashbacks, remembering the bodies of dead children during the war. This motivated M’Benga to finally join the fight on J’Gal.

Una senses a drop in the crew’s morale, so she decides to shorten Rah’s trip to counteract this negativity. Rah visits M’Benga after discovering this change, of course.

Rah wants to make amends with M’Benga, but the chief medical officer doesn’t want to forgive him.

M’Benga wants Rah to admit to the truth that he was the one who gave the orders to kill civilians and children. Rah finally admits to the horrifying truth.

Who is the Butcher of J’Gal?

Then M’Benga provides further twists. He was the one who killed Rah’s men, M’Benga was the actual Butcher of J’Gal. M’Benga fought and killed Rah’s men, while Rah escaped. He let Rah take the credit for the murders for all those years. M’Benga is still ashamed of his actions, though.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8 Ending Explained

The episode ends with the two enemies arguing. M’Benga wants Rah to pay for his war crimes. They fight, and Rah is stabbed and killed, but the audience doesn’t actually get to see the scuffle firsthand. It is inferred that M’Benga killed Rah.

Christine informs Pike that she witnessed the whole thing. The knife is scanned; it is the Butcher’s weapon. DNA from the knife confirms that the Butcher killed three warlords. Pike believes that Rah is the Butcher and, therefore, he must have attacked M’Benga first. M’Benga is in the clear.

Although Pike does have his doubts still. He meets with M’Benga afterward. M’Benga won’t admit to his actions but brings up the truth about Rah that he ordered the killing of children.

Pike and M’Benga have their disagreements, but M’Benga is happy justice has finally been served.

What did you think of the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8? Comment below.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds finds the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise , under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, confronting increasingly dangerous stakes, exploring uncharted territories, and encountering new life and civilizations. The crew will embark on personal journeys that will continue to test their resolve and redefine their destinies.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, South Korea, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In addition, the series airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

The series follows Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock, and Number One in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise , as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.

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'Strange New Worlds' Season 2 episode 8 offers a gutsy, gritty look at the horrors of war

"Star Trek" hits this one out of the park with what is without a doubt, the best installment of the second season so far.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Strange New Worlds" Season 2, episode 8

More than any other installment this season, there's a lot to unpack with this one, titled "Under the Cloak of War" and frankly, it's the best episode of the second season so far. If the writer's pitch for this one was "Star Trek" meets "M*A*S*H" then it would've no doubt woken up a few sleepy scribes trying to snatch 40 winks unnoticed at the back of the room. And boy oh boy, does it work. 

Without a doubt, this is up there with, noticeably with the "Deep Space 9" episode "In the Pale Moonlight" (S06, E19), but also with some of the best of "Space: Above and Beyond" — an incredibly underrated sci-fi series, plus of course "Babylon 5" with epic episodes like "GROPOS" (S02, E10). We've never really seen the Federation properly engaged in ground war and given the setting for this, which is the Klingon War, it makes perfect sense. 

Related: Where to watch the Star Trek movies and TV shows online

There's even the 23rd century equivalent of Radar O'Reilly announcing incoming wounded as an automated computer voice warns of incoming transport. Obviously Starfleet gunships and rescue shuttles would've been even better, but the budget probably didn't allow for that, plus we get the added bonus of the pattern buffer tragedy and even the interesting notion that this forward operating base-of sorts on the moon J'Gal is sensor camouflaged and hidden to Klingon detection devices. 

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Get all the Star Trek content you can possibly handle with this free trial of Paramount Plus. Watch new shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and all the classic Trek movies and TV shows too. Plans start from $4.99/month after the trial ends.

This opens up all sorts of interesting possibilities in fact and it would be truly amazing to see some Starfleet UH-1-style shuttlecraft being used in theaters of war and combat zones. You know, like we did in " Rogue One "... but we'll probably have to wait a while for those. 

Babs Olusanmokun, who plays Dr. M'Benga, is nothing short of magnificent in this episode as he battles with his own inner demons as much as he does the demon made manifest, in this instance it's the former Klingon General Dak'Rah (Robert Wisdom). The power of flashback is utilized masterfully by episode director Jeff W. Byrd and writer Davey Perez and the final twist of the knife, so to speak, is inspired . 

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Moreover, we learn all about that mysterious MacGuffin that we were first introduced to back in the season two premiere episode " The Broken Circle ." We are of course talking about the magic potion, secret formula, "Star Trek's" very own Super-Soldier serum: Protocol 12. While this could potentially change the very landscape of the Trek universe — imagine Kirk fighting a Gorn or holding off Borg intruders being jacked up on this stuff — but that won't happen and it will almost certainly be nipped in the bud. Hey, even Clint Howard shows up, bless.

With events unfolding the way they are, it wouldn't come as a complete shock to learn that the third season of "Strange New Worlds" might be the last. We know the fate of Captain Pike and we can guess that despite a great deal of deliberation, he's almost certainly going to go through with it. Even Alex Kurtzman can't change that chapter in "Star Trek" history. James Kirk now seems to pop up a third time in this second season, so clearly his character is being primed. Add to which, by the time of "The Original Series," M'Benga is no longer chief medical officer, but still serves on the USS Enterprise. This episode no doubt provides part of the reason why.

Moreover, the emphasis in the second season has very visibly moved away from Pike, to instead focus on other members of the Enterprise crew, possibly in a reaction to the fact that this is what was first attempted with "Discovery" before the showrunners realized it was unsustainable. Or it's to give other characters a chance to shine before Pike gets promoted and hands the keys of the Enterprise over to Kirk. Truth be told, it's probably a bit of both.

Put all of this together, combined with the limited size of window that "Strange New Words" can legitimately occupy in the timeline, and tragically, the clock is ticking. Despite suffering a little from whiplash given the significant change in pace following last week, it's entirely possible the seemingly assorted mix episode order is set to continue with next week's musical episode.

 —  'Strange New Worlds is suffering from an episode order affliction

— 'Strange New Worlds' S02, E04 refers to an incident from the TOS pilot

— The Chapel-Spock-T'Pring love triangle takes a turn in episode 5

Sadly, principal photography on the third season of "Strange New Worlds" has fallen victim to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, so it's impossible to tell when we'll get that as it's affected just about every one of our favorite sci-fi shows still in production, from "Halo" to "Severance" to "Upload."

That said, the third season of "Resident Alien" was completed before the strike started, so that should still be coming in 2023. But we're still waiting for "Love, Death + Robots" season four...

"Strange New Worlds" and every episode of  nearly every "Star Trek" show currently airing streams exclusively on Paramount Plus in the US. Internationally, the shows are available on Paramount Plus in Australia, Latin America, the UK and South Korea, as well as on Pluto TV in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel. They also stream exclusively on Paramount Plus in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In Canada, they air on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and stream on Crave.

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Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.

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Star trek: strange new worlds season 2 episode 8 review: under the cloak of war.

Following possibly the most absurd (and awesome!) crossover adventure is an exceptional challenge. With Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8 , we dive deep into the murkiest moral morays of wartime trauma and truths.

Dr. M'Benga's backstory is full of tragedy and painful choices. His very identity is a compilation of contradictory facts of being. A doctor who cannot heal his daughter. A healer known for his deadly skills. A man who becomes monstrous to fight monsters.

The purposeful ambiguity of the conclusion leaves us with questions, doubts, and complex considerations.

The trope of the good man with a dark past gets a double treatment here between Dak'Rah, a Klingon general and war criminal turned Federation ambassador who publicly tours his brand of truth and reconciliation, and M'Benga, our resident Chief Medical Officer who hides the violence of his past.

The irony that Dak'Rah has built his current life as peacenik and politicker upon M'Benga's act of violence is a sharp commentary on society's allowance for any past misdeed as long as the individual has something to offer in exchange for absolution.

For those who experienced the war, it's not something that can be moved past or "healed" so that the scar does not show or make itself felt.

Ortegas is a great example of someone who isn't completely blinded by her experiences in combat but who cannot sweep past atrocities under the rug for the sake of preserving the peace now.

Ortegas: Trust me I know Klingons. This guy with the peace treaties, that’s not Klingon. Uhura: So, you don’t trust Ambassador Rah because he believes in peace? Permalink: So, you don’t trust Ambassador Rah because he believes in peace?

While M'Benga is able to convince her to join the captain's dinner with the effective combined lure of "Let's Show Him" bravado and the promise of Pike's jambalaya, he struggles to make it through the evening himself.

Ortegas: He’s pretending. I sense it. And I don’t want to play along. M’Benga: Sometimes, you pretend something long enough, becomes the truth. So let’s pretend the war doesn’t bother us. At least, for tonight. Ortegas: Put on the Starfleet face? M’Benga: It’s a good face. Permalink: It’s a good face.

When Ortegas pushes the question of whether Dak'Rah did the things he is believed to have done -- specifically, slaughtering his own commanders so he could escape and defect -- the mood of the evening is irrevocably broken.

Her exit signals the end of niceties. Chapel uses Ortegas as a reason to absent herself from the table. M'Benga holds out longer, but Pike can see the stress he's under and gives him an out as well.

The specific parallels between M'Benga and Dak'Rah are subtle but deliberate.

When the raktajino cup burns him, Dak'Rah resists an instinct to retaliate, to cry out. We see that same restraint and tension in M'Benga when Dak'Rah grabs him suddenly to request they practice Mok'bara together.

Una: On a recent mission, Spock was able to parley with a Klingon captain… Spock: I must admit it has ignited a curiosity in me, a desire to experience more of your culture. Dak’Rah: There’s nothing to experience. They are a war-mongering race, limited by ideology. Permalink: There’s nothing to experience. They are a war-mongering race, limited by ideology.

One wonders if Dak'Rah has tired of the charade he's living and is looking for death by Federation with the way he repeatedly pushes in on M'Benga.

He allows Ortegas to find her own path and doesn't seem to seek Chapel out to "heal," but despite M'Benga explicitly asking to be left alone, he persists in hounding the doctor.

Federation or not, everyone is on their own journey. Una Permalink: Federation or not, everyone is on their own journey.

It's the ultimate test of self-discipline. M'Benga holds back a finishing blow in their Mok'bara session, just as he holds back the truth of his role on J'Gal.

It's honestly surprising how differently people view the Klingon War in terms of effect and proximity.

For M'Benga, Chapel, and Ortegas, it's still a fresh wound, a trauma that hasn't had time to dull, only to be repressed if possible.

Pike: How can we represent a Federation that believes in peace if we say some people aren’t allowed to make up for their past? Una: I agree with you, in the abstract. But the people he hurt – some of them right here on this crew – might not find forgiveness so easily. It isn’t fair for us to ask them to just let it go. Permalink: I agree with you, in the abstract. But the people he hurt – some of them right here on this...

Because Pike and Una were held back from the war -- deployed away from the front with the Enterprise and then with Discovery during the final days of the conflict -- they have a distanced perspective, sympathetic but without the internalized understanding of the quantifiable loss.

War, it doesn’t leave you. It can bury itself, but it’s always there. Chapel Permalink: War, it doesn’t leave you. It can bury itself, but it’s always there.

Chapel does an admirable job trying -- and falling frustratingly short -- of explaining it to Spock.

It's not something that is easily or willingly shared with others, especially people you care about.

War, it makes sense if you’ve been there, but it will never make sense. Chapel Permalink: War, it makes sense if you’ve been there, but it will never make sense.

That divide is difficult for any relationship, and to communicate the purely emotional response to a half-Vulcan who is only just beginning to explore how feelings work would strain any bond.

It's tertiary, but I do feel for Spock. He's clearly trying his best, but there is nothing logical about war trauma.

Speaking of which, how great was Commander Martinez with his malaphor-ridden phrases?

Whatever you need, we probably don’t have it but ask anyway. I’ll run it up the flagpole and see if it quacks. Martinez Permalink: Whatever you need, we probably don’t have it but ask anyway. I’ll run it up the flagpole and...

In the bleakness of Tent City, having some unlikely comedic relief is a strange but welcome distraction. I sincerely hope Martinez survived J'Gal.

So, the ultimate question is: Do we believe M'Benga killed Dak'Rah in self-defense or with intention?

My take here is entirely my own, and, recognizing this is a potentially heated topic, I welcome discussion and disagreement.

I believe it was self-defense.

I looked for you. Now, here you are, using the blood on my hands to make yourself a saint. M’Benga Permalink: I looked for you. Now, here you are, using the blood on my hands to make yourself a saint.

That's not to say that M'Benga didn't want to kill him. He admits as much, but he also tells Dak'Rah repeatedly -- even pleading with him -- to leave the sickbay and to stop talking to him. The Klingon had multiple opportunities to get out of the way.

One might consider this justification for M'Benga to kill him.

But the keen observer will note that M'Benga turns away from the Klingon daqtagh in the kit and even with the glass wall obfuscating the details of their struggle, his silhouette never turns back to the kit. He is always opposing Dak'Rah.

I surmise from this that Dak'Rah reached for the blade, reaching past M'Benga under the pretense of "helping him heal" and attempted to kill M'Benga to keep him from revealing the truth of J'Gal.

Peace is not a destination. It’s a journey. It’s a state of mind. Dak’Rah Permalink: Peace is not a destination. It’s a journey. It’s a state of mind.

Chapel lies in her testimony to protect the truth of M'Benga's actions on J'Gal, but ultimately tells the truth about the self-defense.

Pike: I’m just shocked that Rah would attack him like that. Chapel: I guess, it just goes to show, no one ever really knows what goes on in anyone’s heart. Permalink: I guess, it just goes to show, no one ever really knows what goes on in anyone’s heart.

When TV Fanatic had the opportunity to speak with actors Jess Bush and Babs Olusanmokun , they both commented on how they were challenged and invigorated by the character development in this narrative. As viewers, it enriches our understanding of Chapel and M'Benga, as well as their partnership.

The trust they show in each other on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 1 makes so much more sense now, as does the super serum. Seeing the crucible of war experiences they undergo together, the losses they suffer, and the brutality they witness, their camaraderie takes on even more nuance and depth.

And as much as J'Gal binds them, it divides the doctor and the captain just as it separates Spock from Chapel, distances Uhura from Ortegas.

We’ve known each other for a very long time. See eye-to-eye on most things. But you haven’t lived my life. You have the privilege of believing in what’s best in people. Me? I happen to know there’s some things in this world that don’t deserve forgiveness. M’Benga Permalink: We’ve known each other for a very long time. See eye-to-eye on most things. But you haven’t...

In another brilliant bit of writing, M'Benga now lives with Pike's suspicion as Dak'Rah lived with an unearned reputation. The narrative echoes are deafening.

Whichever side you come down on with regard to Dak'Rah's demise, we can all consider the remains of war with somber assessment.

There are the survivors, the observers, and the dead.

Some things break in a way that can never be repaired. Only managed. M’Benga Permalink: Some things break in a way that can never be repaired. Only managed.

So, Fanatics, who are the lucky ones?

What does it all mean for M'Benga's future aboard the Enterprise? Will Chapel and Spock manage to bridge this new divide?

Where does it leave Federation-Klingon relations? Will L'Rell make an appearance to address Dak'Rah's death?

Hit our comments with your takeaways!

Under the Cloak of War Review

Diana Keng was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. Follow her on X .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8 Quotes

Klingons will never admit it, but the Federation has much better ships. Dak’Rah Permalink: Klingons will never admit it, but the Federation has much better ships. Added: July 26, 2023

Ortegas: Trust me I know Klingons. This guy with the peace treaties, that’s not Klingon. Uhura: So, you don’t trust Ambassador Rah because he believes in peace? Permalink: So, you don’t trust Ambassador Rah because he believes in peace? Added: July 26, 2023

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8 Photos

7/27/23 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8 Under the Cloak of War

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Season 2, Episode 8

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Star Trek legend calls his Strange New Worlds season 3 murder-mystery “the best episode of television I’ve ever done"

Season 3 is expected to drop in 2025

Star Trek actor and director Jonathan Frakes has some high praise for Strange New Worlds season 3.

"[It's] the best episode of television I’ve ever done," Frakes told Variety , referring to a Hollywood murder-mystery episode he directed. The actor-director starred as Captain William Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation and began directing episodes during the show's third season. He went on to helm Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and episodes of almost every subsequent live-action Star Trek TV show including Voyager, Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds.

Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the starship Enterprise as they embark on intergalactic adventures that take place in the 23rd century. Oscar-nominated screenwriter Akiva Goldsman and Ugly Betty writer Henry Alonso Myers serve as showrunners. The cast includes Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, and Rebecca Romijn.

The series premiered in on Paramount Plus, the home for all things Star Trek, in 2022 and became the most-watched original Star Trek series on the network. Season 2 was greenlit in January 2022 and aired in June 2023. Season 3 was announced in March of last year, but production was delayed due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 does not yet have a release date, but is expected to hit Paramount Plus sometime in 2025. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2024 and beyond.

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Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

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Spock Experiments on a New Set in First ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 3 Image

Strange things are brewing in the Enterprise's new science lab.

The Big Picture

• Ethan Peck's Spock examines a strange lifeform in a new lab set on the USS Enterprise, in the first image from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3.
• Jonathan Frakes returns to the director's chair for Strange New Worlds , and calls one episode the "best episode" he's ever done.
• Season 3 will feature the classic Star Trek character Scotty, who made an appearance in the Season 2 finale.

Star Trek fans may have a while longer to wait for the third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to air, but we have a first glimpse of the upcoming season, which is currently filming in Toronto, Ontario. The new image, courtesy of Variety , shows Spock ( Ethan Peck ) clad in a full-body environment suit, examining a strange lifeform in the new science lab set of the USS Enterprise. In the impressive new set, the translucent floor covers a four-foot pool of illuminated water, while the walls are bedecked with six viewscreens displaying live graphics.

Star Trek mainstay Jonathan Frakes , who will return to the director's chair for Strange New Worlds ' third season, also teased a bit of what we can expect. The third season will feature one episode structured like a Hollywood murder mystery that Frakes calls "the best episode of television I’ve ever done." This may be connected to a recent filming update from star Anson Mount , who noted that the upcoming season will feature something he's never done before.

'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 3 Resumes Filming With New Set Image

What can we expect from season 3 of 'strange new worlds'.

The third season of Strange New Worlds will continue to chronicle the 23rd-century voyages of the USS Enterprise and its crew, including Captain Christopher Pike (Mount), Spock (Peck), Una Chin-Riley ( Rebecca Romijn ), Nyota Uhura ( Celia Rose Gooding ), La'an Noonien-Singh ( Christina Chong ), Erica Ortegas ( Melissa Navia ), Christine Chapel ( Jess Bush ), and Dr. Joseph M'Benga ( Babs Olusanmokun ).

Presumably, it will open with the conclusion of last season's cliffhanger finale , which saw the crew imperiled by the hostile reptilian Gorn aliens on all fronts; not only is the Enterprise under attack from a Gorn fleet, but Pike's fellow captain and love interest Marie Batel ( Melanie Scrofano ) has been implanted with Gorn embryos that will kill her when they hatch. The third season will likely also incorporate classic Trek character Montgomery "Scotty" Scott into the cast. The crew encountered him for the first time in the Season 2 finale, as played by Martin Quinn .

The water in the new science lab set may simply be for effect, or it may allude to an occasionally-referenced part of Star Trek lore that wasn't seen on-screen until the second season of Star Trek: Lower Decks : Cetacean Ops, an area of some Starfleet ships that features a large aquarium and is staffed by various intelligent whales and dolphins.

The third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is currently filming and does not yet have a release date . You can stream the previous seasons on Paramount+. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike (played by Anson Mount) and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in the 23rd century as they explore new worlds throughout the galaxy in the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.

Watch on Paramount+

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• March 28, 2024 | Watch: ‘Ready Room’ Special Goes Inside ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 With Behind-The-Scenes Footage
• March 28, 2024 | ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 3 Gets New Science Lab… And 2025 Release
• March 28, 2024 | Interview: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Showrunners On Season 5 Themes And The ‘Indiana Jones’ Style Adventure

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Season 3 Gets New Science Lab… And 2025 Release

| March 28, 2024 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 39 comments so far

In addition to updates on Section 31 and Academy as well as Star Trek feature films , the big cover piece in this week’s Variety also had some tidbits about the third season of Strange New Worlds , which is still in production.

Frakes mystery episode (and puppets?)… coming in 2025

Season 3 of Strange New Worlds will continue the show’s style of mixing up different genres. According to the Variety feature on Star Trek, this will include an episode “framed as a Hollywood murder mystery,” directed by Jonathan Frakes, who describes it as “the best episode of television I’ve ever done.”

Season 2 ramped up the genre-hopping style of the show, but co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman says he is still not sure if there is a limit. From Variety :

“At this point, is there a genre that ‘Strange New Worlds’ can’t do? “As long as we’re in storytelling that is cogent and sure handed, I’m not sure there is,” Goldsman says with an impish smile. ‘Could it do Muppets? Sure. Could it do black and white, silent, slapstick? Maybe!'”

It sounds like Goldsman was just spitballing ideas, so maybe those are just season 4 possibilities. Season 2 saw a crossover with Lower Decks (directed by Frakes) that mixed live-action and animation, as well as a musical episode. While the mention of Muppets may have been a joke, is it such a stretch? It can be argued that Strange New Worlds followed in the footsteps of the acclaimed Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode from 2001, so why not follow the Buffy spinoff Angel, which did a puppet episode titled “ Smile Time ” in 2004?

The double strikes of 2023 caused a seven-month delay in the start of filming, which finally began in December. As of last week, they were just starting to shoot episode 7 . Production for the 10-episode season should be wrapped up in mid-May. As expected, it looks like we won’t see the series return until next year. A throwaway line in the Variety piece noted that Season 3 will arrive in 2025.

Spock’s new lab

Season 3 is introducing a new set for the USS Enterprise: a science lab, described as “a transparent floor atop a four-foot pool of water that swirls underneath the central workbench, and the surrounding walls sport a half dozen viewscreens with live schematics custom designed by a six-person team.”

Here is the first look:

Ethan Peck on the new science lab set (Marni Grossman/Paramount+)

Spock is studying a “Chimera Blossum,” according to the screens behind him. As pointed out by Jörg Hillebrand on Twitter/X , Spock’s red environmental suit is a modernized version of the one he wore in the TOS episode “The Naked Time.”

The Variety piece also had some fun behind-the-scenes details, like how the pathway outside the virtual AR wall set is dotted with posters from the Star Trek: The Next Generation holodeck, along with the words “Enter Holodeck” in classic Trek type.  Ethan Peck talks about those signs and working with the AR wall:

“I want to take one of those home with me,” Peck says. Does the AR wall also affect him? “I don’t really get disoriented by it. Spock would not get ill, so I’m Method acting.”

Series star Anson Mount also weighed in on working with the AR Wall, noting the way images move across the wall “make no sense” when you are inside the set and it can be disorienting, with the actor pro tip to “focus on something that’s right in front of you so you don’t fall down.” AR Wall dizziness aside, Mount remains his enthusiastic self, even into his fourth season of Trek (counting Discovery season 2):

I don’t think a day goes by where I don’t at some point stop and think to myself, ‘I’m on fucking “Star Trek.’

Behind the scenes with the AR wall for season 2 of Strange New Worlds (Paramount+)

Keep up with news about the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com

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I think most of us assumed it wouldn’t come out until 2025 but looking forward to it.

I do assume Goldsman is just joking about the Muppets but you never know with this guy lol.

The angel puppet ep was pretty good. Is this new set a redress of a past bridge?

Never seen Angel but now I’m intrigued lol.

I’m pretty sure that’s a new set.

The Angel puppet episode is hilarious.

It’s a very funny episode!

Ok now have find it and watch it! Thanks guys.

Would I feel lost on the story itself?

I’ve maybe seen a dozen ANGEL eps, and I think this one is a standalone pretty much, though some of the supporting players may come off a little … strange.

Yeah, with modern TV production and the strike, I anticipated a 2025 release date, although they could have done what they did one year with Discovery and given us the first 5 episodes later this year and the next 5 early next year, but I suspect the Section 31 movie will drop later this year and they are trying to not “oversaturate” the Star Trek available at once, apparently believing that too much content is their problem rather than too little great content. Ah well. Strange New Worlds is worth waiting for, so here I am…. waiting. :)

I think that was the only possibility.

“At this point, is there a genre that ‘Strange New Worlds’ can’t do? “As long as we’re in storytelling that is cogent and sure handed, I’m not sure there is,” Goldsman says with an impish smile. ‘Could it do Muppets? Sure. Could it do black and white, silent, slapstick? Maybe!’”

Can SNW do gimmicks? Sure! Impish smile, indeed.

I don’t mind them as long as they are good but yeah I was very mixed on the musical and pray they never do it again.

The musical episode had some good scenes but it wasn’t my favorite either. Although, I do admire their willingness to try new things. I am hoping the addition of the science set means we might actually get them visiting some strange new worlds. Those haven’t been as plentiful as I would like with this show.

Definitely agree about the musical.

I actually liked it more than I thought I would. It was fun and obviously creative but I have only watched it once when it aired.. I still have zero desire to watch it again.

And yes the criticism I and others had about season 2 is the complete lack of any real exploration. I just don’t understand that you know 90% of your audience watch the show for this reason, you call your show Strange New Worlds to emphasize it and yet only spend 1 or 2 episodes on It.

It doesn’t have to be the whole season or even half but should be more than 1 or 2.

Now, now. They explored Vermont and the Great White North.

What’s odd is that TV shows usually pull this sort of stuff when they’re in their sixth or seventh season and getting desperate for ideas.

I think it’s because they don’t have any decent Sci Fi writers on the show that could elevate the exploration theme that the show is supposed to be about with it’s title Strange New Worlds. Instead we get awful writing for it’s characters, weak sit com and gimmick shows. Unfortunately as season 2 was probably a success we will get more of more nonsense rather than quality Sci Fi writing or decent ideas. Also why have new ideas when you just take TOS canon and basically walk all over and do what you like with it.

That is why TOS was great, they had actual science fiction writers writing the scripts.

I CALLED IT. GO LOOK AT THE COMMENTS ON THAT LAST ARTICLE ABOUT SNW I SAID IT WAS PUPPETS

Oh, it will happen…..

So it’s your fault then, thanks.

Jonathan Frakes is an amazing director. His best work is FC and S3 Picard. I often wondered what NEM would have looked like with Frakes instead of Baird.

I think “The Offspring” is his best television episode. Yes he’s an amazing director and look forward to more of his work.

I’d take both The Drumhead and Cause and Effect from TNG (and both of his parts 2 from DS9, come to think of it.) But The Offspring is very good.

There is a banquet hall in The San Fernando Valley that has a pool in the floor like the new Science Lab set. That one has koi fish.

there is a resturant near my town that has a glass floor and you can see the micro brewery below the main floor making the beers they serve

My guess is that is Cetacean Ops!!!

Too long of a wait for the return of my favorite show. It’s good to have stuff to look forward to, I guess.

It’s funny to see that the shower curtain environmental suit got a modern update. It looks good.

At this point, is there a genre that ‘Strange New Worlds’ can’t do? “

Yes, Star Trek!

Yeah it’s getting silly now. We have tiny seasons now and we can’t afford to waste them. The crossover was fun, but the musical was cringe.

2025!?? We’ve went from the ‘Star Trek all year round’ promise just 2 years ago to slightly more than just a month a year

I think we can give them a break this year, I mean the strikes are the big reason for delays, now if the delayed seasons keep happening then I agree!

Ok lets spitball potential episode ideas since Goldsman is so fond of doing it: I am thinking a Trek erotic thriller or a body horror episode directed by David Cronenberg.

That sounds awesome! In S2, they talked about big swings, but took zero risks. A Cronenberg style episode would be a big swing and something new.

I was even thinking that they should get Cronenberg to direct it since he is part of the franchise as an actor, maybe they could pay him a bit more to get him to direct.

“ they talked about big swings, but took zero risks.”

Damn…

Now that it’s confirmed we are in a separate timeline from TOS, I’m on board with whatever they go with – and will likely skip any Muppet episode.

2025!?!?!?! The people in charge of these shows SEEMS like they do everything in their power to ruin them. There has been so many shows that I’ve lost interest in because of these ridiculous long waits between seasons.

Post-production takes a LONG time…

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Jonathan frakes says star trek: strange new worlds season 3 is "best episode of tv" he's ever directed.

Jonathan Frakes is back to direct an episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, and he has the highest praise for his upcoming episode.

• Frakes directs his best hour of TV in new Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode, calling it a "Hollywood murder mystery."
• Frakes, known for directing Star Trek episodes, has directed 28 episodes and 2 feature films in the franchise.
• Season 3, expected to debut in 2025, features an episode directed by Frakes that he hails as his best work in television.

Jonathan Frakes is directing an episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 that he calls the best hour of television he has ever directed. Frakes, arguably Star Trek' s most beloved and prolific director , helmed the popular Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 7 "Those Old Scientists", the series' crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks featuring live-action versions of the usually animated Ensigns Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) and Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid). All together, Frakes has directed 28 episodes of Star Trek and 2 feature films.

In a new Variety cover story about the Star Trek franchise , Jonathan Frakes talks about directing his episode in season 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and he has high praise for his hour, which is a "Hollywood murder mystery." Read his quote below:

For Season 3, debuting in 2025, Frakes directed an episode framed as a Hollywood murder mystery that he calls “the best episode of television I’ve ever done.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 - Everything We Know

Strange new worlds season 3 continues to explore genre, frakes' "hollywood murder mystery" is highly anticipated..

Teasing a "Hollywood murder mystery" on a Star Trek show may have raised a few eyebrows in the past, but after Star Trek: Strange New Worlds changed genre so successfully within its sci-fi framework, it's an exciting premise. Unlike the new crop of Star Trek shows that rely on heavy serialization, like Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard, Strange New Worlds embraces the episodic format to highlight the potential of Star Trek storytelling from just about every angle imaginable, from creature-feature horror films to the hijinks of romantic comedies, and even the modern musical.

Frakes has demonstrated that he understands the beating heart of Star Trek is in its characters.

With a bevy of Star Trek directorial credits under his belt, Jonathan Frakes is a noted expert at making Star Trek feel familiar, even when the franchise experiments with risks instead of sticking to a tried-and-true formula. Frakes has demonstrated that he understands the beating heart of Star Trek is in its characters, whether in their relationships to one another or the moral dilemmas that reveal who characters are. Frakes' earlier SNW outing is a fan-favorite already, so it's almost assured that Frakes ' Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 murder mystery will repeat that success, especially if Frakes himself notes it's a career highlight.

Source: Variety

Anson Mount Teases Star Trek Strange New Worlds Season 3 Episode 7

A nson Mount, one of the stars of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, has offered fans a tantalizing glimpse into the upcoming third season of the show. Production for the highly-anticipated season has resumed in Toronto after being delayed for seven months due to strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).

While details about Strange New Worlds season 3 are being kept tightly under wraps, the new season follows the success of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, which included a groundbreaking crossover episode with Star Trek: Lower Decks and even featured the franchise’s first-ever musical episode.

Taking to his Instagram account, Anson Mount provided his followers with a brief tour of his trailer on the Toronto set of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. After showcasing his accommodations, which include a fireplace reminiscent of Captain Christopher Pike’s kitchen, Mount dropped a hint about the upcoming season, revealing that filming for episode 7 is about to commence.

In his Instagram post, Mount expressed his excitement about the upcoming episode, teasing that it’s “something different, something I’ve never done before.” While he couldn’t divulge any specifics about the episode’s plot, his enthusiasm suggests that fans can expect something special from episode 7 of Strange New Worlds season 3.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 is slated to consist of 10 episodes, similar to its predecessors. With production of episode 307 on the horizon, the cast and crew are inching closer to completing the season. Although Mount didn’t disclose the director of episode 7, it’s likely to be one of the returning directors who contributed to the success of season 2.

Melissa Navia, another member of the cast, has teased that “incredible things” are in store for fans in season 3. The season’s premiere, directed by producing director Chris Fisher, will address the cliffhanger involving the Gorn from the previous season’s finale. Other directors lined up for season 3 include Jordan Canning, Dan Liu, Jonathan Frakes, and Dr. Valerie Weiss, who recently wrapped up filming for episode 306.

Anson Mount’s cryptic tease about episode 307 being “something new” is sure to pique the interest of fans, especially considering the show’s penchant for pushing boundaries. As anticipation continues to build for the release of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, fans can look forward to discovering the mysteries that lie ahead in the final episodes of the season.

When will Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 be released?

While an official release date has not been announced, production for season 3 is underway, suggesting that it may premiere sometime in the near future. Fans can stay updated by following official announcements from the show’s producers and network.

How many episodes will be in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3?

Similar to previous seasons, season 3 is expected to consist of 10 episodes. This format allows for an extended narrative arc while providing fans with ample content to enjoy.

Are there any major plot details revealed for season 3?

As of now, plot details for season 3 remain tightly under wraps. However, teasers from cast members and production updates hint at exciting developments and surprises in store for fans. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

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Updates From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , and More

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Mission: Impossible 8

Deadline reports Katy O’Brien ( Loves Lives Bleeding , The Mandalorian ) has joined the cast of Mission: Impossible 8 in a currently undisclosed role.

Deadline also reports Julianne Hough has joined the cast of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Bride of Frankenstein movie—now titled “ The Bride! ” with an exclamation point. Though details on her character are currently under wraps, a new synopsis states the film “sees a lonely Frankenstein travel to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police and a wild and radical social movement.”

Primitive War

Deadline additionally reports Jeremy Piven, Tricia Helfer, Ryan Kwanten, Nick Wechsler, Anthony Ingruber, Aaron Glenane, Carlos Sanson Jr, Ana Thu Nguyen, Adolphus Waylee, Richard Brancatisano, Marcus Johnson and Jake Ryan will star in Primitive War , an adaptation of Ethan Pettus’ military sci-fi/horror novel from director Luke Sparke. The story concerns “an elite recon unit known as the Vulture Squad, who, in 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War that is sent to an isolated jungle valley to uncover the fate of a missing Green Beret platoon. They soon discover they are not alone. Dinosaurs have been let loose in the jungles.”

World Breaker

Deadline also has word Milla Jovovich, Luke Evans and Billie Boullet are attached to star in World Breaker , a sci-fi survival thriller from director Brad Anderson set in which “a tear in the fabric of reality brought creatures to our world from an alternate dimension bent on our destruction. A father hides his daughter on an island to keep her safe while he prepares her for survival and the battles to come. But when the world is about to break, no place is safe.”

According to Deadline , Screen Gems has acquired Wolf Night , a pitch package from Platinum Dunes concerning werewolves. Though details on the plot are currently under wraps, the script hails from Will Honley and April Maguire. Jonathan Liebesman ( Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ) is attached to direct.

Bloody-Disgusting reports the Nicolas Cage monster movie, Arcadian , has been rated “R” for “bloody images.”

Elsewhere, Kathryn Newton shows off a swimming pool full of bodies in a new set video from Abigail.  

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person

Meanwhile, a teenage vampire has qualms about sucking the blood of innocents in the trailer for Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

During a recent interview with Variety , Jonathan Frakes described an upcoming episode of Strange New Worlds “framed as a Hollywood murder mystery” as “the best episode of television [he’s] ever done.”

Invincible battles a sea monster in the trailer for tomorrow’s new episode .

Fright Krewe

Finally, Belial sends the Kooshma to terrorize Soleil in a clip from the second season of Fright Krewe , available to stream on Peacock and Hulu this Friday.

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