“Shuttle to Kenfori”

Star Trek Strange New Worlds features a dangerous off-the-books mission to retrieve a flower that can save Batel’s life.

One of the advantages of Star Trek as a property is its boundless adaptability. The first episode of the season was an action piece, the previous episode was a comedy and now this one leans more in the horror direction. That versatility has always been one of the franchise’s strengths and Strange New Worlds returning to the episodic format means it’s ideally placed to genre shift between episodes. That is advantageous for viewers as it means if one episode isn’t to their tastes then there’s a chance the next one will be rather than a rigid format that may turn audiences away if it isn’t to their liking. Conversely, much has been said -by this reviewer and others- that Strange New Worlds suffers from a failure to identify what the show is which means that there isn’t a strong baseline to attach these different genres to.

Despite its horror leanings, “Shuttle to Kenfori” feels pulled in three directions at once: the urgent fetch quest for a life-saving Chimera Blossom, the diplomatic minefield of breaking a Klingon–Federation treaty, and the promise of zombie Klingons. The Chimera Blossom, required to cure the flare-up of Batel’s lethal Gorn infection before it becomes lethal, drives Pike and M’Benga into forbidden territory. One immediate issue is that the episode undercuts its own stealth premise when they arrive in a plainly branded Starfleet shuttle. While the ticking clock and political fallout should heighten suspense, the episode never fuses these stakes with its horror beats, leaving each thread scrambling for attention rather than building on each other to create palpable dread.

It’s a minor problem but it highlights a general issue with not considering the potential of the sandbox the writers are playing in. It highlights the continued lack of consideration of the larger issues. There are wide reaching political implications associated with being detected in this case and acknowledgement of that is relegated to nothing more than a couple of lines of dialogue. Pike is aware of the consequences and opts to assume the risk himself rather than let Spock and M’Benga put themselves on the line. As the Captain, he believes the heat should fall on him and he unquestionably accepts that. Pike protecting his crew by understanding that he’s responsible for those under his command is a consistent through line for him so his decision makes sense but the potential fallout is an afterthought that never comes to anything, in this episode at least.

The primary story is Pike and M’Benga on the planet looking for the flower to bring back before Batel’s condition becomes lethal. They find the flower very quickly and spend the rest of the episode dealing with a mixture of pursuing Klingons and Klingon zombies -though that word shouldn’t be used- looking to make a meal of them. Thankfully, Pike and M’Benga’s rapport anchors the action; their easy banter and shared nostalgia bring genuine warmth to the dim corridors they traverse. M’Benga as a Doctor has a unique position among the crew as he’s able to challenge Pike in ways that the rest of the crew can’t. Their pre-existing friendship remains unchanged because Pike being his commanding officer is less rigid than it is with the others under his command though the show hasn’t done much with any potential conflicts that could arise from M’Benga overruling his authority with a medical decision or Pike giving him and order that he doesn’t agree with. Their familiarity has the potential to create conflict between them that could change the nature of their friendship, or at least how they think about it but it has never been an issue.

This episode addresses that possibility to a very limited degree by attempting to draw lines between M’Benga as the ship’s Doctor and M’Benga as Pike’s friend. Pike presses for details on Batel’s condition and M’Benga cites doctor-patient confidentiality but Pike reframes it as his friend asking another friend for information about his girlfriend’s condition. What feels like a solid boundary dissolves the moment Pike connects the Chimera Blossom’s properties to Batel’s survival, and M’Benga spills exactly what Pike wants to hear. In other words, the show flirts with ethical friction but pulls its punch as soon as the plot demands it.

As if to complicate matters further, the conversation pivots to hybridising Batel’s DNA with the Gorn embryos infecting her; a form of genetic engineering expressly banned under Federation law. Under the ticking clock of her worsening condition, this desperate procedure becomes the only scientifically viable option, and Batel’s informed consent lends it emotional urgency but Pike takes exception to the truth being hidden from him. Everyone involved knows that he won’t approve of such a risky and illegal procedure and would insist on finding another way; that’s exactly what happens so everyone involves knows him very well.

Even so, the debate feels more driven by emotion than real ethical scrutiny, spinning around Pike’s anger at being sidelined. The episode never examines what it would mean to turn Patel into a Human/Gorn hybrid to save her life, nor does it explore the risks of Batel being altered in unpredictable or unrecognisable ways. The desperation is highlighted but the debate falls back on Pike’s disapproval instead of probing the moral pitfalls. True ethical stimulus was right there in the form of the Klingon zombies, a physical reminder of what the treatment could unleash, yet the writers never tie these failures together. Consequently, the hybridisation debate never reaches the thought-provoking depths it promises, leaving its potential unrealised.

Klingon zombies offer real scare potential but scarcely register as more than a fleeting threat. The episode doesn’t take advantage of the ingredients present that would lend themselves naturally to horror. Pike and M’Benga are isolated in an unfamiliar dimly lit environment with hungry undead Klingons potentially around every corner. Navigating the facility was ideally set up for periodic scares and near misses but the potential is squandered in favour of a messy plot that juggles murky ethics, the undead and Klingon honour.

The Klingon honour aspect of the episode is something that gets buried under everything the episode has thrown into a blender. Bytha (Christine Horn) holds a grudge against M’Benga for killing her father, Ambassador Rah in last season’s “Under the Cloak of War“. She explains that her family are disgraced within the Klingon Empire after her father’s defection to the Federation and one of the few ways to restore her family’s honour is to kill her father as punishment for his dishonour. M’Benga made that impossible so her only option now is to kill him as the slayer of her father and uses that as leverage to regain her family’s status.

Bytha’s backstory provides continuity and reawakens the examination of the unclear events surrounding the death of Rah. “Under the Cloak of War” left it ambiguous whether M’Benga killed Rah in self-defense, even though it seemed the ambiguity wasn’t intentional. It’s a lingering clumsiness associated with M’Benga’s actions but this episode looks to set the record straight. Pike insists that it was self-defense but M’Benga confesses to killing Rah because he wanted to and accepts Bytha’s challenge to ritual combat to reclaim her family’s honour.

This should have been the episode’s emotional crescendo; a ritual combat that cracks open M’Benga’s inner darkness and forces him to reckon with it. Instead, it plays as a muted echo of better groundwork laid in “Under the Cloak of War.” M’Benga’s reference to his inner monster nods to his past trauma, but the episode makes it clear that the fight itself never demands that part of him. There’s no visible strain, no hesitation, no real catharsis. Baba Olusanmokun’s performance stays cool and composed, missing the opportunity to show either moral conflict or profound restraint. By denying Bytha an honourable death, the scene sidesteps a cultural beat that could have delivered tragedy with weight. What could have been a brutal mirror held up to M’Benga falls flat, leaving only the outline of a moment that should have cut far deeper.

Strange New Worlds gestures toward Klingon cultural depth but struggles to bring it to life. While Berman-era Trek and Discovery have richly textured Klingon traditions, this episode relies too heavily on exposition to bridge the gap. Bytha’s explanation of ritual meaning feels justified within the scene, as she might reasonably assume Pike and M’Benga lack insight, but the delivery is flat, lacking the emotional texture such lore demands. When she sacrifices herself to hold off the zombies, M’Benga narrates her motivations aloud in a way that deflates the moment. That act of cultural pride should resonate naturally from everything we’ve learned; instead, the show over-explains what should be intuitively understood. Bytha dies with some dignity, but the scene requires her character to have more texture and agency to give her death true meaning.

Bytha had every ingredient to be a tragic figure, but the episode never commits to her story. M’Benga’s lack of guilt over her family’s fall is justifiable, since Rah’s defection wasn’t his doing, but the emotional complexity tied to his role in blocking Bytha’s chance at redemption is barely explored. He declares without hesitation that he’s glad Rah is dead, a shockingly cold statement. It’s unpleasant and provides a look at the violent monster that lives within him. That calls out for scrutiny, and Pike’s presence should have triggered it. As an embodiment of Federation values, Pike is the ideal counterpoint; a friend faced with a darkness he didn’t expect. The episode sidesteps that confrontation, robbing us of a chance to see ideology tested by personal loyalty.

The closest the episode comes to addressing real consequences is the conversation Pike and M’Benga have upon returning to the ship. M’Benga invites condemnation, almost daring Pike to view him differently, but Pike brushes it aside. If he was asked to report it, he’d note it as something said in the heat of desperation; a friend saying whatever it takes to protect another. While that fits the Captain’s established temperament, it’s also a missed opportunity. As noted in earlier reviews, the show rarely places Pike in situations where his role demands stern discipline over camaraderie. This moment had weight—a friend admitting to premeditated killing, and Pike having the chance to respond with duty rather than affection. Filing a report, even symbolically, would have challenged Pike’s principles and deepened his character. That it’s all quietly swept aside under the “off-the-books” label drains the story of impact, and reduces the sequel’s emotional promise to a footnote.

One possible reason for Pike never having those difficult conversations with his crew is that Una is placed in that position. It’s something that has been suggested in the past and there is evidence of that here but it’s far from a consistent aspect of the show that is meaningfully utilised. Faced with Ortegas’ open insubordination, Una balances personal empathy with professional obligation. She understands Ortegas is still reeling from recent trauma, and grants her room to breathe. But when that leeway is stretched too far, resulting in calculated disobedience, Una doesn’t flinch. The subtle increase in speed that forces the Enterprise into a single tactical option isn’t brushed off as accidental. Instead, Una recognises the deliberate nature of the act and responds accordingly.

What makes the scene work is the duality in Una’s approach. She sees Ortegas’ pain and doesn’t punish out of cold duty; she has to intervene as Ortegas’ actions could have resulted in a War between the Klingons and the Federation. A personal connection doesn’t absolve responsibility, and her decision to relieve Ortegas of duty is both protective and commanding. It’s the kind of authoritative action that Pike could have taken with M’Benga, yet didn’t. Una’s insistence that personal feelings remain separate from duty offers a compelling counterpoint to Pike’s more emotional leadership style. In an episode where consequences often feel underplayed, this is one of the few instances where the weight of command is genuinely felt.

Pike does get to have a difficult conversation though it’s a shallow argument with Batel. That shallowness is especially frustrating given how rich the setup is. Batel’s deception could have sparked a fierce ideological clash, not just a lover’s spat, but a collision between Federation ethics and personal desperation. Pike’s belief in transparency, consent, and moral responsibility deserved more than the vague anger he expresses. Batel’s position was also primed for internal conflict. The idea of surviving at the cost of her identity, could have made the procedure emotionally charged, even horrifying. Instead, the show strips all that away and reduces the scene to relationship angst and reduces it to honesty being the most important issue on the table. This is where the emotional architecture collapses. They could have wrestled with the meaning of self after genetic alteration, the terror of what Batel might become, or even Pike’s fear of loving someone he might not recognise. These are high-stakes and character-defining conversations, but the episode retreats from them. It makes what should be intimate and profound feel perfunctory, and the characters feel thinner as a result.

What makes that scene emblematic of the episode’s broader failings is how it takes the richest vein of character and thematic material, and settles for the thinnest thread. Just as the horror is left toothless and the ethical debate half-formed, the emotional core between Pike and Batel is pared down to a generic dispute. Each strand had the potential to deepen the story. Instead, they’re acknowledged just enough to tease their importance, then waved aside in favour of neat resolution. It’s not that the ideas aren’t present. It’s that the show consistently gestures at depth without ever committing to it.

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Verdict

A sloppy episode that destroys strong foundations with thin character work and underdeveloped ideas, squandering its potential at almost every turn.

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