“It whizzed by so quickly.”
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is already approaching the halfway point of season 4. And, as most fans are all too aware, season 5 will soon mark the end of the road for The Original Series prequel exploring the final frontier. And it’s “strange” for one SNW actor, in particular, that the show is ending.
Babs Olusanmokun, who has portrayed the USS Enterprise’s medical officer, Dr. M’Benga, since the vessel’s maiden voyage back in 2022, spoke about SNW's end in an interview with IGN by saying: “It was strange, of course. It was strange because then a five-year journey that was started during the pandemic, in the heart of the pandemic, really came to an end. And it whizzed by so quickly. And so, you're looking at all… your castmates and the time has gone, and it's been a lot of hard work.”
Olusanmokun continued by saying:
“It went by quickly, relatively, even with the big breaks of life with the strikes from the writers, the actors. Even when there was so much chaos on the outside, starting with COVID, that this show got through. It was special because you were so focused on the work and we developed something and put together something that looks like it's touched a number of people. So, I'm grateful for that. Just grateful for a beautiful, wonderful experience.”
Olusanmokun’s Dr. M’Benga just took center stage with fellow Strange New Worlds characters Una Chin-Riley, aka Number One (Rebecca Romijn), and Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) in the gripping film noir SNW episode, “A Case of Chiaroscuro.” And I, for one, was delighted to see the doctor receive a little more screen time. However, all I can think about now is what comes next for his character.
No, I’m not worried about M’Benga’s future because the character is present and accounted for in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969), although, by that point, Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) was running sickbay. Nonetheless, M’Benga — like the other legacy favorites — don’t have to worry about being killed off when Strange New Worlds season 5 comes to an end.
However, while I'm not worried about the character being killed off, I’m dying to see M’Benga’s puppet and how much screen time it receives in the next episode of Strange New Worlds: “Level-Five Transporter Accident.”
I'm interested in seeing M'Benga as a puppet because It's not often the doc gets to play comedic and whimsical scenes. Typically, he is relegated to drama-intensive arcs like the one where he faced off against Ambassador Dak'Rah in Strange New Worlds season 2's "Under the Cloak of War."
New photos from the season’s fifth episode have already given fans a sneak peek at the doctor, which was created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, along with a glimpse at fellow characters who have been "Muppet-ified," including Captain Pike (Anson Mount), Una, Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia), La’an Noonien Singh (Christina Chong), and even T'Pring (Gia Sandhu).
For more Star Trek content, and to share your comments on Babs Olusanmokun’s reaction to Strange New Worlds ending, visit the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. And be sure to boldly go and check out M’Benga and the rest of the cast’s puppets when “Level-Five Transporter Accident” drops Thursday, Aug. 20, on Paramount+.
Live long and prosper, Trekkies!
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