Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 ending explained – What happened to Marie Batel?

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*Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 episode 10.*

In the third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, it’s become evident that the crew aboard the Enterprise is willing to stretch their limits for those they care about, and this sentiment was most powerfully demonstrated in the final episode.

With the thrilling conclusion of the latest season for the Star Trek spin-off, we’ve uncovered Marie Batel’s (played by Melanie Scrofano) destiny, and are eagerly anticipating what lies ahead for the crew, as they prepare to explore even more intriguing alien worlds.

Fortunately, there are still two additional seasons left for us, as production on season 4 has already wrapped up. However, as the series takes a break, let me catch you up on the key details about how Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 concluded.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 ending explained – What happened to Marie Batel?

Marie Batel, who had undergone pioneering treatment due to an infection by Gorn eggs earlier in the season, was metamorphosed into a Beholder statue on Vadia IX in the final episode. This development, though somewhat enigmatic, even for Strange New Worlds, warrants further explanation regarding its origin.

In the fifth episode, the team initially came across a Beholder statue on Vadia IX at an old archaeological location, which later revealed itself to be a time-displaced penitentiary for the Vezda beings.

The inscription states: “Here, the Beholder, guardian of timeless bridges, stands.” As L’an (Christina Chong) observed, the Beholder seemed to emit a vital energy. Furthermore, it was discovered that on a quantum level, the Beholder’s particles were in a state of constant change, existing and not existing simultaneously.

In the same episode, Ensign Dana Gamble (Chris Myers) was tragically taken by the Vezda and they occupied his body on the Enterprise. However, Scotty (Martin Quinn) managed to confine the Vezda within an orb. It was mentioned that if the Vezda had broken free, it could have liberated all the imprisoned Vezda.

Stepping into episode 10 of this captivating series, I find myself bidding farewell to Batel as she prepares to embark on a new journey at the General’s Office. In celebration of her departure, Captain Pike graciously hosts an unforgettable send-off party for our beloved crew member. The room is brimming with familiar faces, but one notable absence is Roger Korby, who’s currently engaged in a mission on Skygowan, endeavoring to assimilate himself into a Vezda-worshipping community on Skygowan, an intriguing development we can’t wait to unravel.

However, concerns arise when Scotty finds out that Dana Gamble’s (Chris Myers) DNA was recreated from emergency backups and departed the ship without anyone noticing. As for his current location, it’s likely he is on Skygowan.

In simpler terms, Pike dispatches a team to Skygowan to interact with Korby, and Nurse Chapel points out that this location seems familiar, reminiscent of Vadia IX. Uhura, played by Celia Rose Gooding, observes that Korby’s device stopped working at a gateway identical to the one on Vadia IX, leading Chapel to suggest that it functions like a teleporter.

Within the Enterprise, Spock (Ethan Peck), Pelia (Carol Kane), and Scotty discover a connection between dimensions, linking Vadia IX to Skygowan. This discovery implies that the entity possessing Gamble may have traveled through this dimension-link to reach the Vezda prison. Consequently, there’s a possibility that this entity could release all the imprisoned Vezda onto Skygowan.

Korby implies there will be additional containment orbs via the gateway, but something captivates M’Benga’s (Babs Olusanmokun) attention instead: he discloses that his life story is inscribed in Swahili on the gate. He proposes it’s a matter of fate – that he needs to impede the Vezda due to his personal connection with Gamble.

However, unbeknownst to M’Benga, Gamble cannot traverse the gateway individually because it is designed for two. Instead, the Vezda within Gamble springs a surprise attack on both of them, forcing them along with itself and M’Benga through the gateway.

Inside, Gamble begins attacking the Beholder statue, causing what seems to be harm to Batel with each strike. The connection between them becomes apparent as they fight, and after Chapel conducts some tests, she uncovers that the genetic profiles of the statue and Batel are an exact match. Somehow, it turns out that Batel is in fact the Beholder.

Towards the end of the episode, Batel reveals her transformation into the Beholder. She explains that the Vezda is inherently malevolent and, having faced numerous hardships, she’s acquired defensive traits from all races that have battled evil. As a result, she now serves as a protector for the entire universe.

Instead of saying “She suggests that she was the one to lock away the Vezda all those aeons ago,” you could rephrase it as “She implies that she might have been the one who confined the Vezda long ago.”

And when Pike asks how that could have happened, Spock could respond by saying, “When we discuss inter-dimensional occurrences, the usual order of cause and effect may be inverted.” This way, the dialogue is more natural and easier to understand.

In the end, Batel understands that she is bound to Vadia IX for life, committing herself to guard the world against wickedness as the Beholder. Meanwhile, Pike accepts that he must part ways with his cherished partner forever.

What happened to the Vezda?

Later on, Batel proceeds to confront Gamble. With a few difficulties in activating the portal, Spock shares his thoughts with Kirk (portrayed by Paul Wesley) via mind melding, enabling both spaceships to launch attacks at the temple. The combined force of their firepower successfully cracks open it.

In response to Pike’s plea for her to stand up against Gamble, Batel shares that her inner radiance, being a combination of her Beholder and Marie Batel identities, outshines the darkness that Gamble possesses.

With relative ease, Batel overpowers Gamble, thereby imprisoning the remainder of the Vezda, and then disappears, now permanently assuming the role of the Benevolent Beholder. This newfound form serves as a watchful protector, preventing malicious forces from wreaking havoc across the universe.

Was Batel and Pike’s alternate life together real?

As a die-hard cinema lover, let me share a fascinating twist in the narrative. Right before Batel squares off against Gamble, we’re momentarily transported into a different realm, exploring an imaginative portrayal of Pike and Batel’s shared life. Whether this depiction mirrored their actual lives is up for debate, but there’s a significant hint towards the end that it was merely a figment of someone’s imagination.

As Batel gears up for a response, we find them and Pike in another imagined life, where they are married and have vowed to cherish every moment they have left before a tragic accident eventually befalls Pike. For their anniversary, Batel gifts Pike an apron with ‘Chef Pike’ emblazoned on it.

In their shared journey, we catch brief moments, such as one instance where Batel and Pike are getting ready for an upcoming event – a three-month training mission from which Pike safely returns. However, he remains perplexed about how he managed to dodge his fate, with Batel implying that Skygowan might be the key. She declares that she manipulated the very fabric of space and time, effectively rewinding everything.

In this lifetime, Pike manages to steer clear of any accidents, which allows him and Batel to celebrate numerous milestones together, including their anniversary, as well as the engagement of their daughter to Eli, Robert April’s son.

However, Pike begins to perceive ghostly tapping sounds that appear inaudible to Batel. Eventually, the narrative unfolds to reveal Batel lying on her deathbed, with Pike by her side during her last moments.

In simpler terms, upon being told by her to open the door, he finds Gamble gazing at him. This moment brings him back to the real world, and then, before Batel confronts the Vezda, he is there.

Upon my return to the USS Enterprise, I stumbled upon an apron – but not the familiar one adorned with ‘Chef Pike’. Instead, it was plain, as if to suggest that my extraordinary adventure aboard the Batel had been nothing more than a fleeting dream.

What happened to the rest of the crew?

After Batel’s defeat of Gamble, the season wraps up pretty quickly.

In a simpler and more conversational style:

Korby expresses his intention to remain on Skygowan and bids farewell to Chapel. Meanwhile, Kirk and Spock’s bond strengthens following their mind meld experience. Pike, however, is sorrowful over the loss of Batel, but finds comfort in Number One’s presence.

Ultimately, it became clear that Korby’s research had discovered numerous previously unexplored planets, providing ample destinations for a voyage lasting five years. With this information, Pike instructed Ortegas to prepare for immediate departure.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is available to stream on Paramount+.

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2025-09-11 17:18