As Star Trek: Khan heads toward its final arcs, the most horrible moment occurs that will forever change Khan into a monster.
Warning! The following contains SPOILERS from Star Trek: Khan episode 7, "I am Marla."
“I am Marla” opens with Ensign Tuvok and Dr. Rosalind Lear discussing the revelation that her source for Marla McGivers' logs was the Elborean Delmonda. Lear claimed to have been fascinated listening to the voice and needing to know more, and Tuvok appears to accept that only to bluntly inform Lear he knows she’s lying! Tuvok just isn’t sure about what yet. He leaves her frantic as she listens to more logs, and some listeners will naturally have suspicions as to who Lear really is.
The past logs open with Marla discussing Ivan and how her husband, Khan Noonien Singh, wants to remember his fellow Augment as the friend he was rather than recognizing how he’s changed since Ceti Alpha VI exploded. Khan and Delmonda debate Ivan’s fate with Khan insisting he should take responsibility. Delmonda frees Ivan from his trance with Ivan still intent on how they should wipe out the Elbs and claim the planet for themselves.
Even when Khan reveals the Elbs are building an escape ship, Ivan hits him with how Khan is no longer "the man I swore to follow to hell and back.” It then gets serious when, during his rant, Ivan confesses to killing Hugo, and Khan realizes his friend is too far gone.
A wonderful talk between Khan and Marla reveals they plan to name their daughter Kali, after the Hindu goddess of death and time, a fitting moniker. When Marla wants to call their underground home Xanadu, the pair have a light-hearted argument on the merits of various poets. It’s the humanizing moments that make this series shine so well.
The worldbuilding continues with a scene of the younger Augments and Elboreans meeting up and talking with the latter fascinated by the rock music the Augments listen to. That leads to the Augments bargaining to learn about the planned ship with Khan accusing Delmonda of intentionally setting this up to bind Khan to his plan. Once again, Khan’s inability to consider someone may want to help others without ulterior motives is a character flaw.
A deadly coup attempt
It turns out Ivan isn’t the only one disappointed in Khan as Ursula blames him for Madot losing their child. Madot is still loyal with the mentality of we follow Khan OR we die while Ursula responds it’s more likely we follow Khan AND we die. Later, Ursula finds a drunken Ivan who’s planning to poison Khan and take over. Ursula doesn’t tell Khan but gives Ivan the classic advice: if you strike at the king, you’d better not miss.
Khan and Delmonda’s talk about the ship has more nuance for Khan and his issues with trust. It's also revealed that because of the limited number of supplies on the ship and the time clock before the surface is ruined, there would only be enough room on the ship for four beings. Thus, rather than a full escape, the hope is to send a small crew up to get more help for the rest.
Khan agrees to that and to Delmonda’s plan to have Ivan rehabilitated. He goes to see Ivan, who acts contrite while offering Khan a drink. Khan is savvy enough to tell it’s poisoned and the pair fight it out before Khan wins. He then sentences Ivan to be exiled to the surface where he’ll certainly die. He walks out while Ivan lets out a Captain Kirk-esque “Khaaaaaaaaaaan!”
The utter heartbreak
As terrible as things are with Ivan, the true heartbreak is coming for Khan in the moment fans had been dreading. While enjoying a sulphur bath in an underground hot spring, Marla is infected by a Ceti Eel.
Naveen Andrews’ performance in this scene is heart-rending as Khan comes as close as he can to begging the Elbs to help and accusing them of refusing out of spite or wanting more control. The Ceti eel wrapped around Marla's cerebral cortex has weakened her, who points out that using their technology could kill their child, and she can’t live with that. The best they can do is put Marla in a coma until Kali can be born.
The episode ends with Khan choking out the haunting words to the poem about Kubla Khan as Marla is rendered comatose. Then Khan Noonien Singh, the proud and strong warrior, breaks down sobbing at his wife’s bedside.
It’s a stunning episode that shows the true moment Khan begins his fall into madness while opening up more mysteries of Lear, and with just two episodes left, the series is set to get bigger than ever!
Do you believe Dr. Rosalind Lear is Kali? Were you moved to tears by Marla McGivers' heartbreaking demise? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.
New episodes of Star Trek: Khan drop every Monday through Nov. 3.