I love that the theme of this episode was centered around relationships and what “being connected” means. Uhura’s penultimate number was very powerful and tied the subject of the previous songs all together. I’ve been streaming the album pretty much nonstop on Spotify since Thursday!
I believe M’Benga that it was self defense. If you think about how Dak’Rah was goading him it was obvious that he wanted to suss out what our good doctor knew about what happened in J’Gal. Remember, as M’Benga was killing his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in command he was fleeing and knew there was someone out there who knows the truth of what happened. Given the large number of casualties, he most likely is on high alert when he comes across anyone who “was there”. He figures Ortegas and Chapel don’t have it in them to assassinate 3 Klingons so that leaves M’Benga who (upon rewatch) has this dark edgy energy, so… maybe? When he finally gets the truth out of M’Benga he has no choice but to kill the person who can disrupt his new cushy life.
Thinking about it, either M’Benga dies or he dies. Let’s say M’Benga spares his life and exposes him for the coward that he is. He tried to kill civilians! His own people too! The Federation could never allow him to continue his cushy life and his fellow Klingons would never allow him to live after finding out. To not make that attempt to kill M’Benga first would be an illogical choice.
Also other questions to consider:
Did M’Benga hold back during the sparring so as not to give away his abilities?
How threatening was Rah? What if Rah had just said something like “I’m going to make sure no one knows the real story” and M’Benga takes that to mean Rah will kill him at the first justifiable opportunity? So might as well defend himself now?
M’Benga would have to know exactly where to stab so that the 2nd Klingon heart doesn’t keep him alive. Otherwise what are the chances of hitting that right spot by luck?
The characterization of Dak’Rah subverted my expectations. I was expecting him to continue to be portrayed as Legate Ghemor was - truly remorseful and wanting to do better to change his society. I was reminded throughout the episode of the one in DS9 where Kira had to listen to the dying Cardassian’s life story. She got pretty angry at lives lost that he was culpable for but ultimately was able to forgive him.
Juxtaposed with this episode, the reveal that Rah is antithesis of honour and a huge coward turns the story from the trope of forgiveness is for the victim to “do some people just deserve to die for the evil they’ve done?”
Would Pike have pulled the trigger if it not for the happy coincidence of gaining his memory back? (Doylist explanation being that the writers can’t just have our highly esteemed captain straight up murder a guy). High Lord Zacarias begging for his life like a little pissant sure thought he was capable of it. Was Quark right? Starve humans of their desires long enough and they will be worse than the Klingons and Cardassians. It didn’t take Pike very long to go fucking nuts!
Even Pike seems shaken at what his stance was when he came out of his amnesia.
Alternately, another interpretation of that scene I had is that when Humans do remember that they are supposed to be kind forgiving people, there is indeed a chance for redemption and it was kind of a nice juxtapose that the Zac knew he didn’t have to goad Pike into pulling the trigger. Even when he’s dejected and says that he’s done a lot against his duties and the law, he was ready to face the consequences than cowardly escape them with death. Klingons want to “die with honour” but it seems like humans prefer to live with honour.
One thought just occurred to me… let’s say “Khan Noonien Singh” as a real person was made up because Roddenberry just didn’t want to let the execs win. Why would he then name Dr. Soong what he did in TNG? He couldn’t have liked those strings of syllables that much…?
I’m pretty sure an actor appeared in Time’s Arrow