Strange New Worlds season 2 - SPOILERS

[Umbran]

It was but in a rushed way imo. I had assumed the plot was not popular and they decided to drop it

Rukiya shows up first in Episode 3, shown on May 19th 2022. She is resolved in Episode 8, shown on June 21st, only a month later. I don't think there was time for that kind of feedback to change the show's direction.

Indeed, if I recall correctly, Season 1 was entirely in the can and done with production, and they had moved on to filming Season 2, before Episode 1 aired. I recall interviews in which the cast mentioned being scared about starting filming Season 2 before they had fan feedback, and the great relief they felt when accolades started rolling in....

 

[Umbran]

That's the defense's argument, sure. I am very much aware of that.

I'd like to know what the sensor data said. We saw what the witness saw (nothing useful).

I think that is incorrect. We saw the fight through the blurred glass. Nurse Chapel was to the side, without that glass in the way. She actually did see what happened. We are left with the question.

I'm not in the show. I'm a viewer. I want that information, because without it the whole thing looks weak, like he got away with murder.

I think not wrapping it up with a tidy bow on top is kid of the point, though. It allows the audience more space to consider the ethics of the situation, where a court case would tell us the ethics.

 

[MarkB]

Rukiya shows up first in Episode 3, shown on May 19th 2022. She is resolved in Episode 8, shown on June 21st, only a month later. I don't think there was time for that kind of feedback to change the show's direction.

Indeed, if I recall correctly, Season 1 was entirely in the can and done with production, and they had moved on to filming Season 2, before Episode 1 aired. I recall interviews in which the cast mentioned being scared about stating filming Season 2 before they had fan feedback, and the great relief they felt when accolades started rolling in....

It might have been more a matter of them realising internally as they put the episodes together that this subplot wasn't playing out as they'd hoped. The wrap-up did feel rushed - "hey, we've found a cure for your daughter's condition and now she doesn't need to live in a transporter" would have been one thing, but "hey, your daughter is now a space anomaly and also she's all grown up in two seconds and no longer dependant upon you in any way" feels more heavy-handed.

 

[Stalker0]

Rukiya shows up first in Episode 3, shown on May 19th 2022. She is resolved in Episode 8, shown on June 21st, only a month later. I don't think there was time for that kind of feedback to change the show's direction.

Indeed, if I recall correctly, Season 1 was entirely in the can and done with production, and they had moved on to filming Season 2, before Episode 1 aired. I recall interviews in which the cast mentioned being scared about stating filming Season 2 before they had fan feedback, and the great relief they felt when accolades started rolling in....

That's fair, I may be inserting my own thoughts in to the writer's, my assumption that a "weak plotline" = they tried to "rush it to completion".

So I will de-escalate the comment to simply say....I think it was a weak plotline, and I'm glad it was resolved in favor of this new much stronger plotline.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I'm pretty certain the "blurred glass" indicates this storyline will be resolved in a future episode. It's intended for the audience to know as much as Pike knows. Although the audience actually knows slightly more, with regards to M'Benga's motive and capability. But Pike does not KNOW M'Benga is a murderer. He might suspect, but as a utopian, he has to presume innocence if there is no evidence to they contrary. Jumping to a conclusion is very dystopian.

And my feeling is it will turn out that M'Benga is NOT a murderer. I would like to present two possible scenarios as to what actually happened behind the frosted glass:

1) Realising that M'Benga knows about his dishonour and cowardice, Dak'Rah attempts to murder M'Benga. Dak'Rah cares because he actually IS a deep cover Klingon spy, as suggested early in the episode.

2) Culture runs deep. Confronted with his dishonour, Dak'Rah attempts to kill himself. M'Benga tries to stop him, but fails.


As for how this plays out, I don't think it's Federation law M'Benga needs to worry about, it's Klingon law. Klingon law operates on a guilty until proven innocent basis, and any of Dak'Rah's surviving family is obligated to seek vengeance against his killer. This will be plea-bargained down from death to discommendation - being reduced in rank in Federation terms.

 

[MarkB]

I'm pretty certain the "blurred glass" indicates this storyline will be resolved in a future episode. It's intended for the audience to know as much as Pike knows. Although the audience actually knows slightly more, with regards to M'Benga's motive and capability. But Pike does not KNOW M'Benga is a murderer. He might suspect, but as a utopian, he has to presume innocence if there is no evidence to they contrary. Jumping to a conclusion is very dystopian.

And my feeling is it will turn out that M'Benga is NOT a murderer. I would like to present two possible scenarios as to what actually happened behind the frosted glass:

1) Realising that M'Benga knows about his dishonour and cowardice, Dak'Rah attempts to murder M'Benga. Dak'Rah cares because he actually IS a deep cover Klingon spy, as suggested early in the episode.

2) Culture runs deep. Confronted with his dishonour, Dak'Rah attempts to kill himself. M'Benga tries to stop him, but fails.


As for how this plays out, I don't think it's Federation law M'Benga needs to worry about, it's Klingon law. Klingon law operates on a guilty until proven innocent basis, and any of Dak'Rah's surviving family is obligated to seek vengeance against his killer. This will be plea-bargained down from death to discommendation - being reduced in rank in Federation terms.

My money's still on Christine. M'Benga left the knife in the box when he turned to face Dak'Rah, and Christine was adjacent to the box when she entered. She's off screen just long enough that she could have grabbed and thrown it.

There was also the flashback scene where, when she realised M'Benga was heading out to take on the Klingon leadership, she asked him to give the commander a painful death, emphasising that she's at least as motivated as M'Benga where Dak'Rah is concerned.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That would certainly provide a reason to break up with Spock, with all his annoying Vulcan mind-melding.

 

[billd91]

That would certainly provide a reason to break up with Spock, with all his annoying Vulcan mind-melding.

I wouldn't necessarily expect that to be part of their sexual relationship, but hey, if that's their particular kink...

 

[Ruin Explorer]

2) Culture runs deep. Confronted with his dishonour, Dak'Rah attempts to kill himself. M'Benga tries to stop him, but fails.

This would be the most classically Star Trek way for it to play out, so it does seem likely.

That said M'Benga seems much more like he'd lie to cover up Chapel's involvement than his own behaviour, so her throwing it can't be ruled out.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I wouldn't necessarily expect that to be part of their sexual relationship, but hey, if that's their particular kink...

I can totally see reasons why you'd definitely want to mind-meld for that, but I think Eric's grandma wouldn't want to hear.
I don't know what the writers would be going with, especially since in ENT, it seems mind melds were kinda a taboo and only some people could, or at least would, do it, and since Vulcans certainly had sexual relationships back then, I could see it not being standard procedure.
(Though I prefer to fanon that weird "not all Vuclans can do it" / "It's a taboo to do it" away.)