Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, Episode 3 Ending Explained: Captain Pike Learns Dr. M'Benga's Klingon Sins

Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) learns the truth about Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 3. Directed by Dan Liu, and written by Onitra Johnson and Bill Wolkoff, the riveting and intense "Shuttle to Kenfori" deals with the ramifications of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 8, "Under the Cloak of War."

Also, there are Klingon zombies on Kenfori, as Captain Pike and Dr. M'Benga discover when they journey to a planet in disputed Klingon space housing an abandoned United Federation of Planets research facility. Chris and Joseph travel to Kenfori seeking the Chimera Blossom, a rare plant with a compound to help Captain Marie Batel's (Melanie Scrofano) Gorn infection.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 3, forces M'Benga to confront his sins in the form of Bytha (Christine Horn), the daughter of Klingon Ambassador Dak'Rah (Robert Wisdom), whom Joseph assassinated. Meanwhile, Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) becomes increasingly insubordinate while flying the USS Enterprise.

Captain Pike Learns The Truth About Dr. M’Benga Killing Dak’Rah

Yes, M'Benga Assassinated The Klingon Ambassador

When Bytha held a knife to Captain Pike's throat, she forced Dr. M'Benga to confess that he did, indeed, assassinate Ambassador Dak'Rah in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 8, "Under the Cloak of War." Joseph fatally stabbed Dak'Rah, and claimed to Captain Pike that he acted in self-defense - a cover-up that the only witness, Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), corroborated.

Safely back aboard the USS Enterprise, Captain Pike alleviated Dr. M'Benga's fears, telling Joseph that as far as he was concerned, a Klingon held a knife to his throat, and M'Benga told her the story she wanted to hear. The Kenfori mission was also off the books, so Pike isn't filing a Captain's log.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 3, reaffirmed that Captain Pike and Dr. M'Benga have a long history of friendship. Pike was nonplussed to learn the truth about Dak'Rah, and he knows about Joseph's past as a Starfleet assassin during the Klingon War. Pike's capacity for loyalty knows no bounds, and he unwaveringly supports M'Benga despite the doctor's sins.

Dak’Rah’s Klingon Daughter Hunting M’Benga & Sacrifice Explained

Bytha Needed Her Family's Honor Restored

Bytha tracked Dr. M'Benga to Kenfori to regain her family's honor after Dak'Rah's assassination. However, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds included a twist: Bytha didn't want to kill M'Benga as revenge for killing his father, but she needed M'Benga dead to satisfy her own family's honor. Dak'Rah was considered a traitor by the Klingons, and his family was disgraced by his becoming a Federation Ambassador.

By killing Dak'Rah's murderer, Bytha hoped to restore her family's honor. Unfortunately for the Klingon, Dr. M'Benga bested her in a fight to the death, but forfeited instead of killing her. Bytha chose, instead, to bring down the energy barrier holding back the horde of zombies. Bytha fought and was killed by the zombies, choosing an honorable death that would allow her to enter Sto-vo-kor (Klingon heaven).

While Bytha sacrificed herself, Dr. M'Benga and an injured Captain Pike tried to make their way to the Klingon's shuttle, but they were beamed safely aboard the USS Enterprise instead. The final glimpse of Bytha was the Klingon swarmed by zombies. Hopefully, she died and entered Sto-vo-kor with her honor intact, but it's also possible Bytha was turned into a zombie herself.

Captain Batel Agreed To Become A Human & Gorn Hybrid

Batel Knew How Pike Would React

Captain Marie Batel's body has become as dependent on Gorn DNA as the Gorn inside her has become on her, and she is relapsing. Tragically, there is no cure and no way to extricate the Gorn from Batel. The Chimera Blossom's compound would allow Marie's DNA to be fused with the Gorn, which is the only way to save her life. Essentially, Batel agreed to become a human-Gorn hybrid, whatever that could mean.

When Batel was experiencing intense pain, Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck) mind-melded with her to ease her suffering. While joined, Spock and Batel both saw and experienced a horrific Gorn vision that caused Spock to lose control and accidentally lash out against Ensign Dana Gamble (Chris Myers). The Gorn inside Batel seems intent on being released.

Captain Pike took Spock's place on the Kenfori mission so that he could personally find the potential cure for Marie. Chris was horrified to learn what the Chimera Blossom was meant to do, and that Marie didn't tell her. The issues between Pike and Batel stem from his penchant for wanting to be a hero and making it about himself, but both Chris and Marie face a frightening future because no one knows what Batel becoming a Gorn hybrid means.

Lt. Ortegas’ Insubordination To Number One Explained

Erica Isn't Coping Well With Her PTSD

Lieutenant Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) is also dealing with PTSD from her near-fatal encounter with the Gorn. Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley and Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) have noticed Erica's increasingly insubordinate behavior. During the Kenfori mission, Ortegas defied Number One's orders and flew fast enough to be detected by the Klingons.

Erica's disobedience allowed her to fly the USS Enterprise into Kenfori's atmosphere to rescue Captain Pike and Dr. M'Benha. Ortegas then took the Enterprise to warp to evade Klingon torpedoes. However, Number One called Erica out, and Ortegas admitted she went rogue. Una took Ortegas off the Enterprise's active duty roster and told her to report to the warrant officer for disciplinary actions.

In a different way from Captain Batel, Lt. Erica Ortegas is also being haunted by the Gorn, but she is trying to tough it out rather than admit her problem and deal with it directly. Instead, Ortegas reverted to what she does best: fly the ship. Erica is like a powder keg waiting to explode, but this is also the most compelling story for Lt. Ortegas yet on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.