Reviewers praised Babs Olusanmokun's performance as M'Benga for its "gravitas" and "nuance". However, some critics found the ending—where M'Benga kills Dak'Rah and avoids punishment—to be a "well-intended misstep" that felt too violent for the show's usual tone. Analysis of Discovery [S2E8]: "If Memory Serves"
The episode uses a malfunctioning biobed as a metaphor for M'Benga’s own fractured mental state and PTSD.
It challenges the typical Federation optimism. Captain Pike represents "the privilege of believing in what’s best in people," while M'Benga represents the "hellfire" where those principles don't always apply.