Star Trek Strange New Worlds: Dr. M’Benga’s Decision in Episode 8 – End Explained!

• The end of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” Episode 8 introduces Dr. M’Benga before a decision.
• Does he put his desire to spend more time with his daughter over the possibility of her living free from suffering forever?
• We explain the end of the eighth “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” episode and how it alludes to “Deep Space Nine”.

In Germany, the eighth episode of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” has now appeared in the stream on Paramount +. The episode is funny, exciting and in the end also heartbreaking. This is due to a decision made by Dr. M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) has to meet. If you haven’t seen the new episode yet, you should now spoilers beware!

The episode “The Elysian Kingdom” revolves around the Enterprise entering a nebula that has a consciousness of its own. It is not clear what kind of omni(?)potent being it is, but the entity investigates the Enterprise and senses the loneliness of Dr. M’Benga’s daughter, Rukiya (Sage Arrindell).

As known from previous episodes, Rukiya is terminally ill. In order to prolong her life as long as possible, Dr. M’Benga found them in his transporter’s pattern buffer. It’s not a nice life for the little girl, but M’Benga doesn’t want to give up hope of finding a cure.

The entity eventually senses Rukiya’s loneliness and wants to help her. She has the power to defeat Rukiya’s disease as long as Rukiya stays with the entity. To entertain her, the entity transforms the Enterprise into a fantasy world like the one Rukiya knows from the book “The Kingdom of Elysia,” which her father always reads to her.

The young and bright Rukiya finally has the opportunity to help shape and reshape the same story. She enjoys reliving the story, but Dr. M’Benga knows that Elysia cannot be a permanent state aboard the Enterprise.

He tells the entity, which Rukiya later names Deborah after her mother, to end the “show”. Deborah, on the other hand, clarifies that the release of the Enterprise means that Rukiya’s illness will return. However, if Rukiya stays with Deborah in the mist, she can survive detached from human existence, from a body, from time and space.

dr M’Benga understands that he himself cannot save his daughter. He has to let her go so she can live a life and not sour in the pattern buffer. Rukiya eventually becomes one with the entity and goes about her life detached from the normal flow of time. what dr M’Benga are only seconds, for her they are several decades.

As a grown woman, Rukiya confronts her father again and confirms that he made the right decision. She is doing well and she wishes the same for him. She thanks her father and urges him to find his own happiness. She promises that she will see him again.

Rukiya’s farewell monologue is reminiscent of the farewell to Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) in the finale of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”. There he becomes a prophet and thus also a disembodied being that exists detached from time and space. Sisko also promises a reunion.

When we will see Rukiya again next time will be revealed. In the remaining two episodes of the first season as well as in “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” season 2 it is now up to Dr. M’Benga to reinvent himself. The ship’s doctor lived for his daughter. Now he must redefine his personal goals and his definition of happiness.

If you don’t want to wait until next week, there’s a trick you can use to watch all episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 right now. We also provide you with the correct order of all films and series for a “Star Trek” marathon and list all “Star Trek” new releases.