captain rayner star trek

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Commander Rayner was a male Kellerun Federation Starfleet officer who lived in the 32nd century .

• 1 Early life
• 2.1 Commanding the USS Antares
• 2.2 Executive officer of the USS Discovery
• 3 Alternate timeline
• 4 Awards and honors
• 5 Key dates
• 6.1 Appearances
• 6.2 Background information
• 6.3 External links

Early life [ ]

Rayner lost his family at a young age during the Breen occupation of his homeworld. They were killed by the Breen Primarch Tahal when they rose against her at the Twin Gates . The method used was a slow acting venom from a type of viper called Tau Ceti . It was her favorite way of killing enemies when she wanted to watch them die slowly. Rayner himself would have been killed, but Tahal liked the way he fought, ferocious and relentless which she compared to a Breen. ( DIS : " Face the Strange ", " Erigah ")

Starfleet career [ ]

He had joined Starfleet by the 3160s . During his time in Starfleet, he went on seven Red Directive missions and he served point on four. He also met Charles Vance and began a thirty-year friendship . ( DIS : " Under the Twin Moons ")

Commanding the USS Antares [ ]

As of 3191 , he held the rank of Captain and was assigned to command the USS Antares . ( DIS : " Red Directive ")

During his time commanding the Antares , Rayner always told his crew to think like their enemies and to get out of their heads. Rayner and his crew also had a mutual trust and shorthand. ( DIS : " Under the Twin Moons ", " Jinaal ")

In 3191, he was asked by Fleet Admiral Vance to accept early retirement due to his lack of perspective and willingness to take questionable actions while pursing criminals on an away mission. Such actions could have resulted in substantial loss of life.

Executive officer of the USS Discovery [ ]

Later, Rayner was asked to replace Captain Saru as Captain Michael Burnham 's executive officer . Admiral Vance supported Captain Burnham's choice. Rayner accepted the appointment, but told Captain Burnham that he was not "a yes man." The Captain responded that she was counting on that. ( DIS : " Under the Twin Moons ")

Upon taking the position he was demoted to the rank of Commander . Though he was tasked with acquainting himself with the crew of Discovery , he maintained a curt, distant demeanor with them, asking them to describe something about themselves in 20 words or fewer that could not be gleaned from their personnel files. ( DIS : " Jinaal ")

Alongside Burnham and Paul Stamets , Rayner got caught in time cycling due to Moll and L'ak . While Burnham convinced the bridge crew of the 2256 Discovery to help them, Rayner aided Stamets in engineering and used his personal knowledge of Burnham and Lieutenant Gen Rhys to convince their past selves to stand down. Rayner injured his hand removing the time bug , but seeing Burnham when she first stepped onto Discovery as a former mutineer and how far she had come gave Rayner a new perspective on her. Rayner subsequently got his hand fixed by Dr. Hugh Culber and adopted a less gruff personality. ( DIS : " Face the Strange ")

After tracking the next clue to a wormhole to a pocket of interdimensional space , Burnham decided to go in herself along with Cleveland Booker , leaving Rayner in command of the ship. Rayner expressed reluctance at being left in charge of Discovery and discouraged her from going. During Burnham's absence, Rayner had the crew work on finding a way to boost comms before Burnham used a tractor beam to send a makeshift distress call to Discovery that was inspired by the Ballad of Krul from Rayner's culture. Rayner rallied the crew to find a solution to open the wormhole more continuously, promising the bridge crew Kellerun citrus mash as an incentive for their brainstorming a solution. During the rescue, Rayner took the captain's chair with some visible reluctance, but Discovery successfully opened the wormhole and helped to pull out the ISS Enterprise , much to the crew's surprise as the ship was from the mirror universe . However, Moll and L'ak managed to escape in a Terran warp pod before either the Discovery or the Enterprise could stop them. ( DIS : " Mirrors ")

After the next clue was tracked to Halem'no , Rayner once again took command of the ship while Burnham beamed down to the planet with Tilly. During this time, Rayner allowed Ensign Adira Tal to spend time manning a bridge station, something that they had asked for but was nervous about when the time actually came. Rayner encouraged Adira throughout the ordeal, recognizing that they were blaming themself for the time bug incident and reassuring Adira that it wasn't their fault. With Rayner's encouragement and support, Adira was able to talk Burnham through repairing the High Summit . When Tilly fell into danger, Rayner tried to help find a solution and protested when Burnham decided to reveal herself to the Halem'nites as that would be breaking the Prime Directive . However, Rayner supported her efforts after Burnham explained her reasoning and was willing to face the consequences from Starfleet for breaking the Prime Directive. ( DIS : " Whistlespeak ")

After capturing Moll and L'ak, Discovery returned to the USS Federation only to learn that a Breen dreadnaught carrying a Primarch was on its way. Rayner was vocally opposed to negotiating with the Breen to the point of outright insubordination to Burnham, Vance and President T'Rina , eventually revealing to Burnham his history with Primarch Tahal . When Ruhn arrived, Burnham recognized his dreadnaught as the same ship that she and Rayner had seen in the future while time cycling. During T'Rina 's negotiations with Ruhn, Rayner used his personal knowledge of Tahal to help sell their deception that the Federation was negotiating with her, convincing Ruhn that they actually did know the other Primarch. Following L'ak's death of an accidental tricordrazine overdose , they were forced to turn over his body and Moll to the Breen, but Rayner pointed out that the Federation still had the lead in the treasure hunt as Moll had never had access to the Halem'no map piece. Burnham later commended Rayner on his handling of the situation, recalling her mutiny for similar reasons before the Battle of the Binary Stars . ( DIS : " Erigah ")

After reaching the Eternal Gallery and Archive for the final clue, Rayner beamed over with Culber after Burnham became trapped in a mindscape , leaving Gen Rhys in charge of Discovery . When the Breen invaded the station, Rayner recognized the shield-tunneling technology that they were using and teamed up with Cleveland Booker to fight off the boarding parties. Rayner impressed Booker by thinking like a hunter, something that Rayner admitted came from what he had to do to survive during the Breen occupation of Kellerun. The two men took out a number of Breen before being forced to retreat when Booker was wounded. After beaming back to Discovery with the last clue, Burnham gave the completed map to Ruhn after he swore a tergun to leave the Archive alone and faked Discovery 's destruction as they fled, citing Rayner's previous advice to never turn her back on a Breen. Although both sides were left with the coordinates of where the Progenitors' technology was located, Burnham had learned something inside of the mindscape that Discovery would need to know when they arrived, something that neither Moll or Ruhn knew about. ( DIS : " Labyrinths ")

Alternate timeline [ ]

In an alternate timeline where the Breen had acquired the Progenitors' technology, possibly through purchasing it from Moll and L'ak, Rayner was killed in action. ( DIS : " Face the Strange ")

Awards and honors [ ]

• Citations for distinguished service
• Starfleet Medal of Valor
• Grankite Order of Tactics

Key dates [ ]

• 3160s : Joins Starfleet
• Captain of the USS Antares
• Relieved of command and asked to accept early retirement following the Q'mau Incident
• Demoted to the rank of Commander and made first officer of the USS Discovery

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Red Directive "
• " Under the Twin Moons "
• " Face the Strange "
• " Mirrors "
• " Whistlespeak "

Background information [ ]

Rayner was portrayed by Callum Keith Rennie . His casting of Rayner was announced on 22 October 2022 . [1]

External links [ ]

• Rayner at Wikipedia
• Rayner at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

How Battlestar's Best Cylon Shakes Up Discovery ’s Daring Final Season

Callum Keith Rennie embraces his role as a “space curmudgeon,” in Discovery Season 5.

Callum Keith Rennie is okay with being an outsider. The veteran sci-fi actor — probably best known for his role as the Cylon Leoben in Battlestar Galactica — has crashed the Star Trek: Discovery party in the show’s fifth and final season as Captain Rayner. And for Rennie, his character’s social status and his own feelings about joining the show were uniquely aligned.

“You’re the new kid in school,” Rennie tells Inverse . “You’re uncomfortable. You don’t know who to trust. Rayner is in a place where I am, so I used my own uncomfortability with the experience. He’s got a chip [on his shoulder] and maybe I have a chip at times.”

As Discovery Season 5 heats up, Inverse caught up with Rennie to talk about his Trek experience, his sci-fi career, and which classic Star Trek characters he thinks Captain Rayner is most like.

Mild spoilers ahead for Discovery Season 5, episodes 1-3.

Burnham decides to keep her enemies close, by turning Rayner into her first officer.

Starting with the episode “Red Directive,” the back-talking, seat-of-the-pants Captain Rayner is a Starfleet officer in the long Trek tradition of mean captains. From The Original Series to The Next Generation and Voyager and even the movies, you’ve got your heroic main character captain, and then the bad captain. There’s Decker, the guy who got his entire crew eaten by “The Doomsday Machine,” or Jellico , the bossy captain who took over the Enterprise and told Troi to change her uniform in “Chain of Command.” Usually, these kinds of characters beam out after an episode or two. But in Discovery Season 5, Rayner is around for the long haul.

“It’s really great stuff. I mean, he ran his own ship. He came in to help with a situation and then, the next thing you know, he’s demoted,” Rennie says. “So that’s s**t. That’s not good. At the same time, he’s looking at this past and maybe he’s overstepped boundaries.”

At the end of the second episode, “Under the Twin Moons,” Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) asks Rayner to become her new first officer, now that Saru has departed to become a Federation ambassador. So instead of ditching the rough-around-the-edges officer who caused her trouble, Burnham is embracing the idea of having somebody in the crew who isn’t just going to agree with her all the time. And in the third episode, “Jinaal,” Rayner is confronted with the totally uncomfortable task of getting to know the crew.

And, just like how he got off on the wrong foot with Burnham, Rayner also clashes with the bubbly, upbeat Lt. Tilly (Mary Wiseman). But, in a very optimistic Star Trek-y vibe, it seems that even Rayner and Tilly can find common ground in the end.

Tilly is not having any of Rayner’s bullsh*t.

“I’ve had like had 52 second chances in my real life,” Rennie says. “And those came in many forms, and often by a woman in a position of power. So I get that this is a gift that is offered to this character. I connect with that. “He's already got fired once. What's the worst that can happen?”

Rennie is not the first Battlestar alum to crossover to Discovery. Back in Season 1, fellow Cylon Rekha Sharma played Ellen Landry, Disco’s first security chief. “We haven’t had a chance to talk about that,” Rennie says with a laugh. “But, we of course see each other at conventions all the time.”

From parts in Jessica Jones to The Umbrella Academy , and even the classic X-Files , Rennie clearly knows his way around the sci-fi genre. But, prior to joining Discovery , he admits his Trek fandom was mostly limited to The Original Series .

“I can’t say I’m a Trekkie by any means,” Rennie says “But, as a kid, The Original Series was one of those great shows that offered great hope and examples of how to function in the world as people. One day, you’d be like ‘I’m totally logical like Spock.’ But then, you’d feel like ‘No, I’m Kirk.’ Or ‘I’m flying off the handle like Scotty!’”

Rennie admits that part of his path to discovering how to play Rayner in Discovery was connecting the character’s behavior to Original Series archetypes. “Part of me wanted to say, who can I identify with this guy? So yeah, I guess he’s a bit like Kirk and Bones. He’s a space curmudgeon.”

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 streams new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays.

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‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Adds Callum Keith Rennie & More in Season 5 — Watch Trailer (VIDEO)

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There’s “never a dull moment” on  Star Trek: Discovery , as the new teaser for Season 5 tells us, nor could the casting ever be described as such.

As part of the  Star Trek universe panel at New York Comic Con , Paramount+ not only debuted the new video, which you can watch below, but it also announced new casting: Callum Keith Rennie, Elias Toufexis, and Eve Harlow. You can check out photos of the new characters above and below.

Rennie has joined in the series regular role of Rayner. He is a gruff, smart Starfleet Captain who holds a clear line between commander and crew: He leads, they follow. Rayner’s all about the mission, whatever it may be, and he doesn’t do niceties; his feeling is you get the job done and apologize later. He has a storied track record of wartime success, but in times of peace he struggles. Collaboration is not his strong suit. That said, if it serves the greater good he’s willing to learn… but it won’t be easy.

Harlow plays Moll, a former courier turned outlaw, who is highly intelligent and dangerous, with an impressive strategic mind and a sharp wit. She goes into every situation with a clear plan and stays focused and clear-headed on her goal, even when things go awry. She’s not intimidated by Captain Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) or the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery, and will face down anyone who stands in her way in order for her to get what she wants.

Toufexis’ L’ak is a former courier turned outlaw, who is tough, impulsive and fiercely protective of his beloved partner, Moll. So long as he knows she’s safe, he doesn’t care about collateral damage or its consequences — a perspective that makes him very dangerous at times and will put him on the opposite side of Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery when they come into conflict.

Marni Grossman /Paramount+

In  Star Trek: Discovery Season five, Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncover a mystery that sends them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries. But there are others on the hunt as well… dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it.

Season 5 also stars Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker), and Blu del Barrio (Adira).

'Star Trek: Discovery': See Captain Burnham in Season 5 (PHOTO)

Alex Kurtzman, Michelle Paradise, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers. Kurtzman and Paradise are co-showrunners.

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Star Trek: Discovery's Callum Keith Rennie Shows a New Side of Starfleet

In an interview with CBR, Star Trek: Discovery actor Callum Keith Rennie sheds some light on the ship's battle-hardened new first officer, Rayner.

New in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 is Rayner, a Kellerun Starfleet veteran who started the season captaining the USS Antares -- then nearly got early retirement after brashly endangering thousands. Given a second chance by the once-rebellious Captain Michael Burnham as her new first officer on the USS Discovery , Rayner's curt and no-nonsense approach clashes with the rest of the crew. And with the fate of the entire galaxy hanging in the balance, Rayner will have to learn how to work with them while they, in turn, learn new tricks of the trade from him.

In an interview with CBR, Star Trek: Discovery actor Callum Keith Rennie talks about joining the cast for the Paramount+ drama's final season. He also teases some of Rayner's backstory and explains how his character fits into the show overall. Plus, he reflects on his own lengthy list of sci-fi series credits.

Star Trek: Discovery Actors Doug Jones & David Ajala Prepare for Their Last Adventure

A lot of your scenes in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3, "Jinaal," are opposite Mary Wiseman, and it's fun seeing how bubbly Tilly is juxtaposed with how taciturn Rayner can be. How did you like working with Mary?

Mary is wonderful. I love scenes with her; she's just great. There is that thing, going from fun to stoic Rayner-ville. They're nice bits!

When you were approaching the part of Rayner, was there any line in the script or character description that stood out to you?

It was more because there was a whole bunch of action. I went "That's great! I get to ride a space snowmobile thing? Yes!" It was that he was an action guy and a ship commander -- that was what appealed to me.

You've gotten to be a part of major sci-fi properties like the memorable reboot of Battlestar Galactica and The X-Files . How would you describe getting to be part of Star Trek , and where does Star Trek stand in your own appreciation of the genre?

Things kind of layer in later. You do it and then it sits. I find you do a project, you look at it, and you'll have misgivings about it, missed opportunities or if you should've done this or that. There is so much of that, that it's usually in time that an appreciation of what that was, how that felt and your own personal reaction to it changes. I can easily forget all of the other work that I've ever done – I'm not sure what that is. I have to look at something and go "Oh yeah! That was great!" Maybe that's always moving onto the next thing or the future, rather than being stuck in the past or giving myself a pat on the back. Those shows have meant more to me through time than they did immediately out of the gate. Star Trek will fall into that place; [right] now, it's really recent. I was talking to someone the other day and said "I think I did Californication . I'm not sure if I did any interviews for it at all…" There are some things you just do and it lives its life. I was working on Discovery , forgetting the immense fan following and the history of it , forgetting all of that stuff, and now we're here, and I'm remembering this whole world of 60 years, and now I'm part of that. It's very nice to be on board.

10 Best Star Trek: Discovery Characters, Ranked

Admiral Vance makes references to being friends with Rayner for over 30 years. How much of Rayner's backstory was given to you, and how much did you develop yourself?

There wasn't all that much backstory in the sense of playability. There was only his history through the Burn and conflicts at other times, which may have molded who he was as a young Kellerun. He is holding a type of anger about specific things and specific unfinished business, which has carried on through his career. Trying to Google and get into the history of the Kelleruns, there wasn't much to go on, so it was like "I guess whatever I do will be Kellerun enough!" There wasn't tons, but as the episodes go on, you'll go "Oh, that's why he has such a chip on his shoulder that may have held him in a non-developing place."

What do you think Rayner brings to the Discovery as its new first officer, and what do you think he brings to Star Trek: Discovery in general?

I think he brings conflict and another point-of-view. He brings history and a style that’s not as different from Burnham’s as they like to think, but it’s more ingrained. There’s a gravity to it because, when he comes in, his wings have been clipped. He’s doing that just because he likes Starfleet, and he doesn’t know what else to do and this is better than retirement for him. He also doesn’t know how he’s going to do it, based on him going “I don’t know how to be second-in-command. I don’t know how to do that. Maybe I can learn. The worst that can happen is they can fire me again or send me out to pasture. I’ll try it!” He brings all of his stuff, the good, the bad and the ugly. [He learns] from [Burnham] and she learns from [him]. Some of the stuff [Rayner does] is impulsive and doesn’t have a lot of breaking off into discussion groups to get it done. He just goes and does it on his own.

How Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Connects to TNG's Biggest Open Mystery

You mentioned the action in Discovery standing out to you. How did you want to accentuate that physicality with your performance, and what is the personal appeal of getting to do action for you?

For this particular project, I only had one script to go on, and it was us down on the planet doing a bunch of stuff. [The appeal] is that you're just not a talking head. You get to move around and do stuff. For me, if I get to punch something in the head, I'm still in the game somehow. [ Laughs. ] I still get to do action stuff, even though I'm getting on a bit.

Callum, what else can you tease for Rayner as fans progress deeper into Star Trek: Discovery Season 5?

Nothing; you've got to live and learn it. I watched Episodes 3 and 4 last night and I got a nice reminder of all that stuff. Episode 4 is so great. On first viewing, there was a distance. As I was watching these last night, [I] was like "Oh, I like this! These are really good!" I can't remember that far ahead. There is a moment he gets to, which is a little bit of the old days -- which is exactly what Discovery needs: someone who is a little bit of chaos.

Created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman, Star Trek: Discovery releases new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery moved from being a prequel of The Original Series to the tip of the spear, with its Starfleet cast transported to the 32nd century, where interstellar relations are as fragile as ever.

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Star Trek: Discovery's Finale Apparently Depends on an Easter Egg From Episode 1

Star trek: discovery - what happened to prime gabriel lorca, chris pine gives uninspiring (and unsurprising) update on star trek 4.

• Captain Rayner's backstory will be explored in depth in Season 5, shedding light on his past and motivations.
• Alex Kurtzman hints that an Easter egg from the first episode will play a significant role in the season finale.
• Rayner's encounters with Moll and L'ak will add layers to his character, offering fans a new dimension to explore.

One Star Trek actor has revealed that the ongoing season of Star Trek: Discovery will explore the backstory of his character, giving fans a deeper look at the character’s journey in the above-mentioned universe.

Callum Keith Rennie is a new addition to the world of Star Trek and was introduced as Captain Rayner in the premiere of Season 5. Although it would be interesting to see how his character develops with each passing episode, Rennie has already made it clear that the upcoming episodes of Season 5 will give viewers a chance to know his story in detail. On the other hand, he also shared that two more characters would play a significant role in his storyline.

Alex Kurtzman hinted that the finale season of Star Trek: Discovery would take the audience back to an Easter egg in its first episode.

Speaking in an interview with Screen Rant about Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 and his character, Rennie subtly suggested that Rayner's past is intricately linked to his previous run-ins with both Moll and L'ak . The actor also noted that Rayner’s backstory would let viewers know why he is the way he is. Rennie said, “There's a backstory that kind of lets you know why he's wired the way he's wired, and why the Moll and L’ak thing is getting him in a way that's wound him up, maybe.”

In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, episode 2, Under the Twin Moons , Captain Rayner faced potential expulsion from Starfleet due to insubordination, partly stemming from his fixation on Moll and L'ak. Rayner belongs to a species that made its debut in the lesser-known realm of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Rayner, characterized by his rugged demeanor, resilience, and sharp intellect, is known as a war hero grappling with the challenges of transitioning to a peaceful existence post-Burn. Despite the hurdles, he remains steadfastly committed to upholding the principles of serving the common good. Although not much is known about his character, one of the scenes mentioned that Captain Rayner has received “citations” for his services.

It has already been established that Captain Rayner is an intense man, looking forward to completing his missions. However, the comments made by Rennie make things very interesting. His story would give fans a chance to explore a new dimension of Star Trek , a dimension that has never been seen before. Of course, fans might get to see some familiar faces in Rayner’s backstory, but his encounters with Moll and L’ak in the past promise to enrich his narrative with deeper significance. The third episode of Season 5 is set to premiere on Thursday, April 11, on Paramount Plus and will focus on Michael Burnham and his team trying to pass a dangerous test in order to find their next clue. Fans are already excited about what’s next for the team and can’t wait to see how Captain Rayner plays a significant role in their stories as well.

Star Trek: Discovery is available for streaming on Paramount Plus.

In the heart of Star Trek's multiverse lies a perplexing riddle: where is the real Gabriel Lorca?

Source: Screen Rant

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‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 Reveals New Cast-Members, First Teaser Trailer

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'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Renewed For Season 4 At Paramount+

Bill maher applauds william shatner for controversial 'star trek' interracial kiss, patrick stewart was asked to wear a wig at his 'star trek' audition — a wig that flew by itself from heathrow to lax, tom hardy "never said 'good morning'" or "good night" while filming 'star trek: nemesis,' says patrick stewart.

While we don’t have a premiere date yet,  Star Trek: Discovery did release a first teaser trailer for the currently in production fifth season of the Paramount+ series at New York Comic Con , as well as revealing several new cast-members joining the series. Those characters include Rayner, played Callum Keith Rennie, and Moll and L’ak, played by Eve Harlow and Elias Toufexis.

In the less than a minute long look at the season, we see the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery now in, er, discovering mode after the apocalyptic events of Season 4 (and no, we’re not talking about Ted Cruz losing his mind about Stacey Abrams snagging a role in the Season 4 finale ). Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) is full-on adventuring as she and the crew ride what looks like the  Star Trek version of speeder bikes, and slowly unlock a puzzle box that may or may not release the Cenobites in a tie-in with  Hellraiser . Probably not, though.

As for the new characters, which we see in the trailer, described as a, “gruff, smart Starfleet Captain who holds a clear line between commander and crew – he leads, they follow,” Rayner is a wartime hero who is having problems with Starfleet now entering a new era of peace; and also, isn’t very good at collaborating. Will this bring him to blows with Burnham? Probably. You might recognize Rennie from his roles on  The Umbrella Academy and  Jessica Jones .

Meanwhile, two characters who will definitely come into conflict with Burnham are Moll and L’ak, who both have specific goals that bring them face to face with Burnham and the crew. Harlow is probably best known to fans from her roles on  The 100 and  Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , while Roufexis has had roles on  Shadowhunters and  Blood of Zeus .

Here are the full character bios, per a release provided to Decider by Paramount+, as well as first look photos for the characters:

Callum Keith Rennie joins the cast in a series regular role as Rayner. Rayner is a gruff, smart Starfleet Captain who holds a clear line between commander and crew – he leads, they follow. Rayner’s all about the mission, whatever it may be, and he doesn’t do niceties along the way; his feeling is, you get the job done and apologize later. He has a storied track record of wartime success, but in times of peace he struggles. Collaboration is not his strong suit. That said, if it serves the greater good he’s willing to learn … but it won’t be easy.

Moll is a former courier turned outlaw, who is highly intelligent and dangerous, with an impressive strategic mind and a sharp wit. She goes into every situation with a clear plan and stays focused and clear-headed on her goal, even when things go awry. She’s not intimidated by Captain Burnham or the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery, and will face down anyone who stands in her way in order to get what she wants.

L’ak is a former courier turned outlaw, who is tough, impulsive and fiercely protective of his beloved partner, Moll. So long as he knows she’s safe, he doesn’t care about collateral damage or its consequences – a perspective that makes him very dangerous at times and will put him on the opposite side of Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery when they come into conflict.

…and here’s the synopsis for Season 5:

In season five, Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncover a mystery that sends them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries. But there are others on the hunt as well … dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it.

Along with Martin-Green, returning for Season 5 are Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, Wilson Cruz, David Ajala and Blu del Barrio. Alex Kurtzman, Michelle Paradise, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers. Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise serve as co-showrunners.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 is currently in production in Toronto, with a premiere date TBA.

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'Star Trek: Discovery' season 5 episode 2 sows the seeds of seasonal plot threads (Under the Twin Moons recap)

So far, this fifth and final season hasn't exactly exploded out of the starting blocks, but there's still time, so we remain hopeful

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Star Trek: Discovery" season 5, episode 2

So, as you will have gathered from watching Star Trek: Discovery's episode 1 of season 5 ,  it would appear that the primary plot is based on a past episode of "The Next Generation" (TNG). Yes indeed, no new "Star Trek" show is safe from nostalgia — and very specifically — TNG-era nostalgia. Any storyline, from any previous incarnation of " Star Trek " could've been used, but it cannot denied that it feels like we're being given what Terry Matalas and the other executive producers who are still obsessed with living in the past want, which is to relive their teens. 

The thing is, there's nothing wrong with TNG and if you watch the episode that all of this seems to be stemming from, "The Chase" (S06, E20) it's actually a pretty good installment. And in fact, it has a " Babylon 5 " quality and uses dialogue and straightforward set pieces to tell an interesting, nuanced story. (Aside from at least from one significant plot hole that is not explained.) But that was then — April 1993, to be precise — and this is now. And while it might have been fun to revisit this in a TNG-era movie for example, this ship really has passed. If you need a refresher on how to watch Star Trek: Discovery, you can check out our Star Trek streaming guide for Paramount Plus .

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The episode "The Chase" is a fun explainer as to why all the humanoid aliens look the same. Obviously, it's all to do with budget in the real world, but in the Star Trek universe it's because a super-advanced race of aliens — unofficially referred to as Progenitors — opted to scatter different parts of our DNA across the galaxy, which when fully evolved over millions of years time, came to form humans, Klingons, Cardassians, Romulans and the rest. When DNA strands from all of these races are combined, it unlocked a ancient holographic message. 

Related: 5 things Star Trek: Discovery season 5 needs to fix

"Life evolved on my planet before all others in this part of the galaxy. We left our world, explored the stars, and found none like ourselves. Our civilization thrived for ages, but what is the life of one race, compared to the vast stretches of cosmic time?" the unnamed humanoid alien said. "We knew that one day we would be gone, that nothing of us would survive. So, we left you. Our scientists seeded the primordial oceans of many worlds, where life was in its infancy ... The seed codes also contained this message, which we scattered in fragments on many different worlds. It was our hope that you would have to come together in fellowship and companionship to hear this message."

The potential of this was pretty big, but it was never followed up. It was rumored there might even be a connection to the Changling race and it was talked about in chat groups ... 15 years ago . And while this was a certainly an opportunity left open-ended, ready to be revisited after having been found by writers scrambling for ideas, it's also interesting to note that "The Chase" was directed by Jonathan Frakes, who as we know, is still very much involved with Nu-Trek.

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Back to "Discovery" season 5, episode 2 and possibly the biggest single, burning question is, will Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) met a death as utterly pointless as Captain Shaw, Huw and Cristóbal Rios? And now with Captain Saru (Doug Jones) leaving the USS Discovery and Raynor taking his place as first officer, Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) now at least has an antagonist close by for this adventure.

 —   Watch the bittersweet trailer for 'Star Trek: Discovery's final season (video)

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This second episode feels a little less lost than the season premiere, although it relies rather heavily on the classic bureaucracy trope, something, you'd have to believe we'd really been able to get past in the 32nd century. Guess not. Staying with Rayner though, if his appointment to become the new First Officer of the USS Discovery just turns out to be another underused, Tarka-style antagonist, it will be a spectacular missed opportunity. But, "Discovery" does keep us guessing, that much is certain. Who'd have thought an socially awkward alien would cause all the dilithium in the galaxy to explode ? 

There are some interesting set pieces in this episode, but let's hope we don't dwell on the whole breadcrumb-trail to alien artifacts theme too long. Also, where the blazes does the energy and the matter come from to instantly form replacement phasers? Just wonderin' like. But, on the plus side, Grudge is back and so is Zora.  

In other "Star Trek" news, production on the new "Star Trek: Section 31" television movie starring Michelle Yeoh has started principal photography. Paramount Plus posted a pic on Instagram and Variety released a still. In addition to Yeoh, the cast includes Omari Hardwick ("Powers"), Kacey Rohl ("Hannibal"), Emmy Award winner Sam Richardson ("Ted Lasso"), Sven Ruygrok ("One Piece"), Robert Kazinsky ("Pacific Rim"), Humberly Gonzalez ("Ginny & Georgia") and James Hiroyuki Liao ("Barry").

However, the most interesting news is that the story appears to be set in the "lost era" of "Star Trek" — between the events of the Kirk-era movie, "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" and the TV series TNG. Arguably the most underused and interesting field of opportunity within the "Star Trek" franchise...and Kacey Rohl ("Arrow") has also joined the project as a young Rachel Garrett, the future captain of the USS Enterprise-C, from the epic TNG episode "Yesterday's Enterprise" (S03, E15) where the character was previously portrayed by Tricia O’Neil.

The fifth and final season of "Star Trek: Discovery" and every episode of every "Star Trek" show — with the exception of "Star Trek: Prodigy" — currently streams exclusively on Paramount Plus in the US while "Prodigy" has found a new home o n Netflix.  

Internationally, the shows are available on Paramount Plus in Australia, Latin America, the UK and South Korea, as well as on Pluto TV in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel. They also stream on Paramount Plus in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In Canada, they air on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and stream on Crave.

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When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.

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Star Trek: Discovery's Commander Rayner Tragedy Echoes Strange New Worlds' La'an

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 7 - "Erigah"

• Commander Rayner and La'an share tragic pasts, becoming valuable assets for Starfleet.
• Both survivors use their experiences to help fight against Breen and Gorn threats.
• Mentors play a crucial role in helping them heal and grow beyond their traumatic pasts.

Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie), the new Kellerun First Officer on Star Trek: Discovery , finally opens up about his tragic past in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7 , "Erigah", and it draws surprising parallels to the history of USS Enterprise Security Officer Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . Commander Rayner's practical perspective stands in contrast to Captain Michael Burnham's (Sonequa Martin-Green) steadfast idealism, making Burnham and Rayner one of the best Captain and First Officer pairs in Star Trek: Discovery and its ever-changing command lineup. Rayner was quiet about personal details, however, until Discovery 's plot demanded it.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds spun off from Star Trek: Discovery season 2, following the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and the USS Enterprise crew, and included both familiar characters like Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) and brand-new characters with familiar names, like Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh . La'an is, in fact, a descendant of the infamous Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban), but La'an's connection to Star Trek 's infamous dictator is just one thing that influences Lt. Noonien-Singh's character. La'an's personal history is both more compelling and more tragic than being related to Khan, with details doled out carefully throughout Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' first 2 seasons.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5's Callum Keith Rennie On Captain Rayner Challenging Burnham's Authority

Screen Rant interviews Callum Keith Rennie about how his new character, Captain Rayner, fits into Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Commander Rayner's Breen Backstory Matches La'an Noonien-Singh Surviving The Gorn

Rayner and la'an provide valuable intel for starfleet's survival.

Star Trek: Discovery 's Commander Rayner and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh are both their families' sole survivors of devastation wracked by enemies Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets know almost nothing about. While Federation representatives weigh options for handling the imminent Breen threat in Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah", Commander Rayner tells Captain Michael Burnham that the Breen gutted the Kellerun homeworld to use as an outpost, killing Rayner's entire family in the process. Similarly, La'an reveals to Captain Pike that the Gorn used the entire complement of the SS Puget Sound as either food or breeding sacks, with La'an alone surviving as a warning from the Gorn.

La'an was captured by the Gorn again in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' season 2 finale, "Hegemony."

The Federation has an advantage in facing these violent and otherwise mysterious alien species because Rayner and La'an know how the Breen and the Gorn, respectively, operate, despite being traumatized by the horrors they experienced. Rayner knows well that Kellerun was devastated under the leadership of Breen Primarch Tahal, and even provides specific details to legitimize the Federation's bluff to stall the Breen forces demanding L'ak (Elias Toufexis). La'an's expertise helps the Enterprise survive a Gorn encounter in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 4, "Memento Mori", and shapes the plan to rescue Gorn attack survivors in Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 9, "All Those Who Wander".

The Kellerun didn't have it easy in their first appearance, either. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 13, "Armageddon Game", the Kellerun home world was already ravaged by Harvesters, biological weapons used in the war against the T'Lani.

How Traumatic Backstories Shaped Rayner in Star Trek: Discovery and La'an in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Starfleet mentors help la'an and rayner overcome their tragic pasts.

Commander Rayner in Star Trek: Discovery and Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds were severely impacted by the trauma they experienced as survivors of deadly alien massacres, and that pain manifests in very similar ways for both of them. Rayner and La'an appear standoffish and brusque, building intentional emotional walls between themselves and anyone who might want to get close to them. Both have a strong respect for rules and regulations, because rules keep people safe, and also trust in their own judgment over anyone else's, regardless of whether Breen or Gorn are involved or not, thanks to their own heightened sensitivity to danger.

Fortunately, both La'an Noonien-Singh and Rayner have Starfleet mentors who take a personal interest in helping them heal the damage from their pasts . Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) sees a mirror of her own difficult past in La'an's struggles to relate to the world. Michael Burnham went from Starfleet's first mutineer to Discovery's captain thanks to second chances, so Burnham extends the dismissed Captain Rayner an offer to be Discovery's First Officer. Through the support of others and new chances to help, both Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' La'an Noonien-Singh and Star Trek: Discovery 's Rayner have opportunities to grow beyond their traumatic pasts and truly thrive instead of just surviving.

Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Writers Alex Kurtzman

Where To Watch Paramount+

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Cast Bruce Horak, Celia Rose Gooding, Jess Bush, Melissa Navia, Ethan Peck, Babs Olusanmokun, Rebecca Romijn, Paul Wesley, Christina Chong, Anson Mount

Writers Bill Wolkoff, Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers

Star Trek: Discovery Continues A Famous Trek Tradition

Spoiler shields up! This article discusses events up to and including episode 3 of "Star Trek: Discovery" season 5.

Who knew we'd been watching an origin story? Last week, "Discovery" dropped the surprise reveal that the newly-introduced (former) Captain Rayner had been carefully maneuvered by the writing team to serve as a potential replacement to Mr. Saru (Doug Jones) in the position of Number One, despite firmly establishing himself as something of an antagonistic and far more reckless counterpoint to Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) during their near-disastrous away mission. It isn't every day that a Starfleet vessel recruits a new bridge officer at the onset of a critical assignment of top priority, let alone someone who was only just forced into early retirement after a scathing inquiry into his actions. But Burnham saw something in him (even if Ensign Tilly still can't figure out what that is) and with Saru off playing politics as a Starfleet diplomat, Rayner was exactly the wild card that the Discovery needed.

In the midst of all this, this final season has brought a classic "Star Trek" tradition right back to the fore: the weight and responsibility of a ship's Number One.

To date, this role has been filled at one point or another in "Discovery" by Saru, Una Chin-Riley ("Strange New Worlds" star Rebecca Romijn), and even Burnham herself. Various other "Trek" shows have seen many famous faces come and go, all adding their own unique flavor and leadership approach to complement their respective captains. Here, however, the prickly dynamic between Burnham and Rayner adds a much more combative twist than any we've previously seen. Time will tell if this turns out for the better or worse.

A Captain's only as good as their Number One

Where's Commander Will Riker when you need him? Considered by many to be the gold standard for Number Ones, the famous "The Next Generation" hero embodied all the ideals of Starfleet while never once letting Captain Jean-Luc Picard down — even though he disagreed with his friend and even questioned his orders on several occasions. What Commander Rayner has brought to this season of "Discovery," however, is something else entirely.

To his credit, it's not like Rayner ever pretended to be anything but what he is.  If even a thirty-year friendship with Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr) couldn't prevent him from changing his mind about his methods and his vision for Starfleet — episode 2 establishes that he views diplomacy as a fruitless endeavor when the organization ought to be preparing for war, instead — what hope could Burnham or anyone else on the Discovery have of tempering his more volatile instincts? Although Rayner is forced to make certain strides in episode 3 to connect with his new crew, the results are pretty much exactly what we'd expect them to be. As he puts it himself early on with Burnham, "Connection is not exactly where my skillset lies."

We've yet to see how Rayner fares under Burnham's command while out in the field, where his ability to mesh with his Captain and augment her leadership style will be truly tested. Spock's cool-headed logic balanced out Captain Kirk's need for action, while Riker's decisiveness oftentimes brought out the best in Picard's tendency towards caution. What happens when Burnham's already-reckless unstoppable force meets the immovable object that is Rayner's disregard for rules and protocol? We can't wait to find out.

New episodes of "Star Trek: Discovery" stream on Paramount+ every Thursday.

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Meet Star Trek: Discovery’s NEW Captain

New York Comic Con’s Star Trek Universe panel has brought some great reveals. While many are focused on Star Trek: Picard Season 3 , there were big reveals from Discovery . Series stars, such as Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz, were joined by Sonequa Martin-Green on a video link. They’re still filming season 5 right now. So, who is Star Trek: Discovery’s NEW Captain?

Actor Callum Keith Rennie is set to play Starfleet Captain Rayner. He’ll be featured in the upcoming Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 . However, he is not the only new cast addition, as Eve Harlow and Elias Tourfexis join Captain Burnham’s adventures. Fear not; Oded Fehr returns as (Dad)Admiral Charles Vance. Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 is still filming and is not expected until late 2023.

Rennie is well known for his role in Battlestar Galactica . He’s a British-born Canadian actor known for his role as “Lew Ashby” on the Showtime series Californication . As noted, he’s frequently cast as the bad guy in movies and series. Therefore, might that be a hint at his role in Discovery ? However, as he is a Captain, might we know what starship he will command?

A New Star Trek Adventure

Star Trek: Discovery is now in its fifth year. However, the momentum of the show is still going. The upcoming season looks to take a different route from the typical story of a galaxy-ending event. Captain Burnham is on a treasure hunt. It would seem. David Cronenberg’s mysterious character of Kovich has presented Burnham with the “greatest treasure in the known galaxy”.

Eve Harlow plays “Moll” while Elias Toufexis plays “L’ak”. Both are former couriers in the galaxy. David Ajala’s “Book” is also a former courier. Additionally, Captain Burnham herself became a courier while awaiting the USS Discovery’s arrival into the future. These two new characters find themselves on the other side of the law.

Star Trek: Discovery’s NEW Captain appears to be a tough one. Captain Rayner is self-described as “gruff”. However, it seems he is a man having a very hard time transitioning from a time of war to a time of peace. Perhaps Captain Burnham can relate to this? She did serve somewhat in the Klingon – Federation War. Well, she started it.

Discovery’s Future Is Soon!

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 is still in production. According to Sonqua Martin-Green, they were still filming the morning of the New York Comic Con panel. As such, fans should expect the fifth season sometime in late 2023. We’ll need to wait to see more of S tar Trek: Discovery’s new Captain for now.

The core cast includes Martin-Green, Doug Jones (Saru), Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker) and Blu del Barrio (Adira). Additionally, they’re joined by Oded Fehr as Admiral Vance and Chelah Horsdal as President Rillak.

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'Star Trek: Discovery's Crew Needs a Trial By Fire to Connect With Captain Rayner, Says Callum Keith Rennie

"Who's gonna come up with the solution at the right time under duress? Everyone's a backseat driver until you're in the arena."

The Big Picture

• As the new XO on Discovery, Rayner's priority remains on Moll and L'ak, Callum Keith Rennie explains.
• Rennie says that the crew won't really get to know their new second officer until they go through a crisis together.
• We'll see more Rayner and Tilly scenes in Discovery Season 5.

With Captain Burnham out on a very important away mission to Trill in the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery , "Jinaal," the crew are left in the capable-if-presently-single-minded hands of their new first officer, Captain Rayner. Ahead of the episode, I sat down to speak with actor Callum Keith Rennie about Rayner's new role as second in command. As the new XO, Rayner is tasked with getting to know the crew in this episode, however, his priority remains on Moll and L'ak.

During his brief meetings with each crewmember, Stamets delivered the revelation that the thing they're after may very well be able to bring someone back from the dead. When asked if that knowledge altered Rayner's motivation at all — he seems like someone whose lost people — Rennie confirmed he's got tunnel vision for antagonists Moll and L'ak. He said: "His thing is a Moll and L’ak. That's his thing: get the bad guys. That's it. He was sort of given an under-the-table direction — “at any cost” — because of what they're holding, what they're doing, what they threaten. So, that's his thing. He sticks to his priority."

While Rayner gave each crew member approximately 20 words to introduce themselves, Rennie felt that Rayner would have even fewer for himself. "I don't have 20 words," he joked. "He knows full well that anybody saying anything about themselves is one thing, and that ain't real. That's just them talking." For Rayner, actions speak louder than words. Rennie explained:

"The participation or you're in the trenches and you're fighting a battle, or you're overcoming something with someone, you'll learn about them. But someone telling you about themselves, there's nothing. That's just facts, and it will always be facts until you do something with them, until you endure something with them, until you accomplish something with them. So, I don't have the 20 words. I’d just say, “F— you, I’m not saying 20 words.”"

Rayner's Relationship With Tilly Will Come Back

Tilly got her moment to put Rayner in his place in Episode 3, and when asked if that combative yet understanding, connection will come back, Rennie confirmed that it "pops up a few times." Rennie also had high praise for his co-star . Of Mary Wiseman he said, "Mary's amazing to be in a scene with, and she's delightful and great. I can't say enough about her." He went on to explaine Rayner's fish out of water experience. "But there's the part of me going, “Okay, hang on. Let me get this straight: I'm a commander of the Antares , and then I go to help Burnham because they're in a bit of a crisis, and then all of a sudden I lose my job and I now have to listen to other people tell me what to do? Not cool.” [Laughs]

The Discovery crew won't really get to know Rayner until they go through a major experience with him . Rennie noted, "They haven't been through a thing yet. You don’t know what’s what… yet ." Rayner wants to see who the crew is when it's do or die, Rennie explained, "Yeah, who's gonna make the right call? Who's gonna come up with the solution at the right time under duress? Everyone's a backseat driver until you're in the arena."

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery arrive on Paramount+ every Thursday. Stay tuned at Collider for our full chat with Rennie.

Star Trek: Discovery

Taking place almost a decade before Captain Kirk's Enterprise, the USS Discovery charts a course to uncover new worlds and life forms.

Watch on Paramount+

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Published May 17, 2024

RECAP | Star Trek: Discovery 508 - 'Labyrinths'

Long will he reign!

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains story details and plot points for Star Trek: Discovery.

StarTrek.com

Previously, Paul Stamets reminds Sylvia Tilly that they must get to the Progenitors' power first and keep it safe , with their latest clue — a metallic card with a Betazoid text inscription of Labyrinths of the Mind on it — as the most important thing to the Federation at the moment. Focusing on the clue, Tilly and Adira seek out Jett Reno, due to her illustrious past, on how can they locate the very specific handwritten Betazoid manuscript. The engineer suggests they try the Eternal Gallery and Archive, which changes its location every 50 years or so. Its current location may be in the Badlands.

Unfortunately for Discovery , a Breen dreadnaught is heading their way with Primarch Ruhn demanding the fugitives Moll and L'ak handed over to them, lest the Federation risk a war with the Breen Imperium. Burnham deduces Ruhn cannot assume command without L'ak, who reveals he's the Scion — the direct descendant of the late Breen emperor. However, he succumbs to his injuries following a skirmish with Burnham and exacerbated by an overdose of tricordrazine.

In L'ak's final moments, his wife tearfully tells him this was not how their story was supposed to end. Moll strikes a desperate deal with L'ak's uncle telling him the Federation is hiding a power so strong they won't need the Scion to claim the throne. She can help him secure that power if they take her with them. Ruhn tells the Federation the price to avoid war with the Imperium is to hand over Moll. Nhan relays Dr. Vellek's belief that since the Progenitor technology could be used to create life, it might also be used to revive the dead, which is what Moll is truly after. Despite Book's pleas to not hand Moll over to the Breen, T'Rina states that there is much to be lost if the Federation keeps her.

In Episode 8 of Star Trek: Discovery , " Labyrinths ," when Captain Burnham is trapped within a "mindscape" designed to test her worthiness to retrieve the Progenitor's powerful technology, Book, Rayner, and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery must hold off the Breen long enough for her to escape.

• Moll (Malinne Ravel)
• Primarch Ruhn
• Michael Burnham
• Sylvia Tilly
• William Christopher
• Hy'Rell
• Cleveland "Book" Booker
• Dr. Hugh Culber
• Paul Stamets
• Lorna Jemison

• Breen Dreadnaught
• U.S.S. Discovery -A
• The Badlands
• The Eternal Gallery and Archive

Legions of Breen soldiers strike their truncheons against the deck of Primarch Ruhn's flagship, its cavernous shuttlebay buzzing with smaller vessels. On a platform far above, Ruhn presides over L'ak's funeral, his nephew's face masked by a helmet and his body covered by a sheet bearing the Breen Imperium's symbol. Moll steps forward, quietly promising L'ak's lifeless form that she will fix this. Ruhn silences his troops and states that, while the Scion defied them in life, they will nevertheless honor him in death. The Primarch orders Lieutenant Arisar to remove Moll from L'ak's side, but the Breen officer does so with a surprisingly compassionate demeanor.

Ruhn begins speaking in Moll's language as a courtesy to her, announcing that L'ak's murder will galvanize the other factions behind them. With the power promised to them by Moll — L'ak's joined — they will defeat all who stand against them. A soldier initiates a chant of "For the Scion!," but his subordinates' devotion to L'ak infuriates Ruhn. Sensing the discord, Moll cries out that she can bring their Scion back. Helmeted heads turn to her in unison as she details the potential for the Progenitors ' tech, citing Dr. Vellek's belief that it could "renew life." The courier raises her shackled hands, requesting that the Primarch set her free so that she may assist in the noble quest to restore the Scion. Under the scrutinous gaze of his troops, Ruhn acquiesces. However, once the cuffs are removed, the Primarch whispers in Moll's ear and threatens to eviscerate her if she ever speaks to his soldiers again. Her value to him does not extend beyond her ability to help him obtain the Progenitors' technology

"Labyrinths"

The U.S.S. Discovery -A jumps to the Badlands, where a communications buoy beeps in close proximity to the largest plasma storm in the quadrant. On the Bridge, Captain Michael Burnham gathers with Commander Rayner, Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly, and her Bridge crew — Lieutenant Commanders Gen Rhys and Asha, as well as Lieutenants Linus, Christopher, Gallo, and Naya. Tilly describes the Badlands as kind of beautiful in a twisted sort of way. Gallo notes the presence of the communications beacon, and Naya reports that it is made from the same alloy as the Betazoid library card. As Tilly transmits a scan of the card to the beacon, Rayner mentions that Ruhn is almost assuredly on his way there.

The Archive hails Discovery , and a robed Efrosian figure* appears on the Bridge in holographic form. Hy'Rell, one of the sworn order who tend to the Eternal Gallery and Archive, prepares to deliver a cheery speech which describes the Archive as having the largest known collection of historical and cultural artifacts in the Alpha or Beta Quadrants. Aware that the Breen are in pursuit, Captain Burnham politely interrupts and explains they are in a hurry. Unperturbed, Hy'Rell sends coordinates and velocity adjustments, though she warns them to precisely follow her instructions — the Archive is not responsible for any damage, dismemberment, or death that may result from their failure to do so. The hologram of their guest vanishes, and Rayner wonders whether her comment was a joke.

The Discovery heads into the tumultuous, orange-hued plasma storm, its Bridge crew listening as Hy'Rell's voice recounts how the Archive has made its home in the Badlands for nearly a century and uses its uniquely treacherous environs to help protect its collection. As the storm rocks the ship, Burnham requests that the archivist permit them to focus on their journey. Sparks fly, radiation levels rise, and shields drop to 75 percent. Hy'Rell tells them to cut engines, so the ship coasts on its current momentum. Energy discharges strike Discovery and bridge stations flicker, all while radiation levels continue to rise and shields fall to 25 percent. The raucous turbulence ceases as the vessel reaches an oasis within the Badlands.

Discovery approaches the Archive, a gigantic-yet-elegant facility with tall spires and large domes awash in a blue glow. The ship took a beating, but Rayner relays that there are no significant injuries or damage. High levels of Cherenkov radiation — a byproduct of the plasma activity — will prevent them from cloaking, but the Breen won't be able to cloak either. Archivist Hy'Rell returns, overjoyed to see that the visitors made it all in one piece. She will have the Archive lower its shields, but has a small favor to ask. Scans show that there is a Kwejian aboard Discovery , and the Archive has an item from Kwejian in its possession. As it is one of the last remaining artifacts from the planet, they request for Cleveland "Book" Booker to accompany the captain and provide some context on the piece. Burnham promises to check with Book, then stands and hands the conn over to Rayner.

Soon after, Book responds to Burnham's call and enters the Ready Room. The captain conveys the Archive's appeal regarding the Kwejian artifact, and after a moment of disbelief passes, Book appears pleased to accept. He reflects back to when the Federation transferred Moll into Breen custody and apologizes for his outburst. Burnham stands by her tough decision to support the move, though she emphasizes that she does care about Book and what is important to him. Her statement is met with silence, so she leads him to the exit.

Countless stacks of books and artifacts extend to unimaginable heights — and depths — within the Archive's immense library as numerous archivists traverse its floors. Hy'Rell escorts Burnham and Book through the aisles, seemingly unconcerned about the looming Breen threat. The Breen are contributing members of the Archive, and the facility has extensive experience in dealing with cultures in active conflict with one another. The Archive is here to serve everyone, as long as everyone follows the rules. Those who disobey will be sent to the dungeon — well, it's actually more of an oubliette . Burnham and Book exchange quizzical looks before being guided to one of the Archive's many viewing rooms. 

A thick bound book — Labyrinths of the Mind , the manuscript the captain had requested — sits on a simple wooden table. The Archive's records indicate that Burnham is the first person to have come looking for the tome, which was written by Dr. Marina Derex of Betazed. An accomplished neuroscientist, Derex became an archivist later in life and lived out the remainder of her days in The Archive. Hy'Rell walks Book out in order to take him to another viewing room, leaving Burnham to comb through the text's paper pages. She finds a metal panel concealed within and touches her finger to its center. Light radiates across it…

Meanwhile, Book and Hy'Rell arrive in an identical space. The archivist is amused at the idea of a "Book" visiting her at the library for a change, turning to gesture toward a small case that sits on the room's table. Book wraps his hands around the box, smiling as he realizes it's made of Tuli wood. Emotion overwhelms him as he opens it, only to discover that it contains a cutting of a Kwejian World Root. Hy'Rell tells Book that the item was given to the Archive long ago, and they had recently moved it to a place of honor — it is part of every archivist's sacred duty to ensure that cultures that are lost are never forgotten. Book is free to take the World Root with him, as the Archive considers it his right as one of the last living Kwejian. He holds the box to his chest, agreeing to return someday to let them know what has become of it. Book and Hy'Rell proceed back to Burnham's room and are startled to find the captain lying unconscious on the floor…

Burnham opens her eyes, visibly confused and completely alone in her viewing room. In fact, the entire Archive is devoid of other lifeforms, and Discovery does not answer her hail. She calls out once again, though she is shocked when she hears someone making a shushing sound behind her. Burnham turns to find Book reading a book while wearing an archivist's robe. The captain gives the situation some thought and deduces that this isn't real. "Archivist Book" confirms that her consciousness has been transported into a mindscape, a virtual space created from what her neural activity indicates as the most important place in her life.** Archivist Book is a program fashioned by Dr. Derex, and his form was generated from Burnham's subconscious. The captain gazes around the library, recognizing that this is a test — as with the other clues, she must pass in order to get out. Burnham claims she's ready, so Archivist Book directs a desk lamp in her direction…

…just as Dr. Hugh Culber evaluates Captain Burnham's physical body in the real world. She's stable and still unconscious in her viewing room, where Commander Rayner stands with Book and Hy'Rell to inquire what happened. Culber notices what appears to be some sort of nucleonic emitter connected to Burnham's frontal lobe, and it seems to be running a program in her mind.** Transporting her to Discovery could disrupt the nucleonic beam, which might be fatal. Determined to go in after her, Book presses the metallic transmitter hidden in the manuscript, but there is no reaction. The doctor hypothesizes that, since each clue has had a challenge so far, they must assume that this is another test. Unwilling to sit around, Rayner springs into action, sending Hy'Rell for biographical data on Derex.

Within the captain's mind, Burnham wanders the library's enormous collection alongside Archivist Book, who relays that — while the clue is the objective — she needs to figure out the test on her own. Sadly, the manifestation is not allowed to give hints, though he might be able to answer some yes or no questions, depending on what the questions are. Growing frustrated, Michael mutters that her mind should've picked Tilly as her archivist. She perseveres, reasoning that Derex would've included a way to narrow the search. Burnham spots a cabinet which catalogs the library's collection by topic and is enthused by the "HISTORY" section.  

The scientists started the clue trail during the Dominion War , but Jinaal said they wanted it found during a time of peace. The only way to make progress like that happen is by learning from the past — "those who learn history aren't doomed to repeat it" — so Burnham intends to read The Archive's books on the Dominion War. Her archivist slows her momentum when he mentions that, should Burnham fail, the mindscape will shut down and her brain functions will cease. He's apologetic over the security precaution, but Burnham credits Jinaal's willingness to let an itronok devour her as a sign of the extent to which the scientists wished to protect the Progenitors' tech. This is her last chance to turn back and guarantee her own survival, yet the captain is resolute and wishes to continue.

Hy'Rell rushes into the Archive's actual viewing room, presenting Book with a device containing Dr. Derex's biographical data and a list of all materials she accessed during her residence. Book skims through the information, disheartened by the number of texts that Derex had opened while serving as an archivist. Hy'Rell has more bad news — the Breen Dreadnaught has arrived at the beacon. Rayner insists they refuse entry to the Breen, but the Archive does not want to be perceived as taking sides. The commander contacts Discovery and orders the ship to go to Red Alert.

In the Breen Dreadnaught's command area, Moll listens as Primarch Ruhn converses with Hy'Rell in a ferocious manner. The Breen tracked Discovery 's jump signal here, and Ruhn takes a menacing tone with the archivist. Hy'Rell's patience is clearly waning, and she points to the many priceless Breen artifacts, which are kept in The Archive. The Primarch draws concerned looks from Moll and his subordinates when he threatens to turn the library and its collection into ash should his demands not be met. Hy'Rell denies the request and suspends Breen privileges, ending her commentary by saying, "May you gain knowledge elsewhere." The channel is closed, but the Breen have already tracked her signal.

Ruhn commands his crew to enter the plasma storm, but they are hesitant. Moll seizes the chance and remarks that L'ak once told her the Breen have great reverence for their culture and history — but Ruhn does not. In order to locate the Progenitors' tech, the item they seek must be combined with the other clues in Discovery 's possession. The Primarch is irritated that Moll has waited to tell him that they need to recover those clues from the Federation ship, and he reaches out to grab the human by the throat. She falls to her knees, and he cautions her not to test his patience again. Moll catches her breath, stealing a look at Lieutenant Arisar, who — despite his helmeted visage — is clearly bothered by Ruhn's outburst.

Trapped within the confines of her own mind, Captain Burnham believes the library's lights have gradually been getting dimmer. She's seated on the floor, surrounded by various books that she’s pulled from the shelves. Archivist Book is too busy reading to pay much attention to her observation, but the captain voices her inability to find any pertinent information in any texts concerning the Dominion War, Betazed history, Trill history, or the Mirror Universe. She turns to her archivist, and he confirms that she's going the wrong way. Burnham is annoyed that he didn't alert her to this earlier, though he reiterates that this is her mindscape — he can help her, but he cannot solve it for her.

Burnham's focus returns to the task at hand, questioning why her subconscious chose the Archive for the test. It's the mission! The mission is here, and that is her priority. Speaking proactively, Archivist Book says that she may be onto something. He holds up Labyrinths of the Mind , causing the captain to assume that the library itself is a maze. She must find her way back to the reading room where this all started in order to retrieve the clue, right? There are mathematical methods for solving mazes, including Trémaux's algorithm. In need of a way to mark her path and eliminate routes, Burnham is pleased when the archivist manifests a sand-filled bucket. She's grateful for this "helpful" version of Book, though he states that Archivist Tilly would have been just as frustrating. Burnham sets to work, pouring sand to denote her path through the aisles.

As Dr. Culber continues to keep a close watch over the captain's body in the real-world Archive, Book and Rayner dive into Derex's reading list — A Comprehensive Guide to Talaxian Hairstyles , Hupyrian Folk Tales , Euclidean geometry — the neuroscientist seemed to have loved to learn new things. A discordant alarm suddenly rings out, and Hy'Rell scrambles back into the room. The Archive's conversation with the Breen did not go well, so the facility has raised its shields. Transport back to Discovery will be impossible for the time being. Book follows the archivist out to assist her in preparing defenses, while Rayner checks in with the Bridge. The Breen Dreadnaught has been detected about two minutes out, and the Federation ship will need to find a way to conceal itself. Unable to cloak, Discovery uses natural cover and retreats back into the plasma storm just before its Breen counterpart emerges into the oasis.

Additional lights fade out in the captain’s mindscape, where Burnham has narrowed down her search for the exit with the bucket of sand and her holopadd's mapping function. She endeavors to eliminate more routes, breathing a sigh of relief when she finally spies the door to her destination. Triumph transforms into tragedy upon entry, as she finds herself back in her subconscious' reading room rather than its reality-based counterpart. Archivist Book chastises her for pursuing an incorrect solution, proclaiming that the scientists who hid the clues did not ask for her. They wanted the technology in the right hands where it could be protected, but who is to say Burnham is one of the "good guys." The captain permits his words to sink in, then comes to the realization that the library's lights are going out. Speaking in an ominous tone, the archivist acknowledges that Burnham is running out of time.

In the physical realm, an urgent notification beeps from Dr. Culber's medical equipment. He informs Rayner that Burnham's cortisol levels are rising — whatever she's experiencing in her mind, she's stressed and scared. The viewing room quakes and its lights flicker. The Breen Dreadnaught has established an energy connection between itself and the Archive. A rotating green beam looks to be drilling into the Archive's shields. The first officer recognizes it as shield-tunneling technology designed to get troops inside and recalls Book to aid him in delaying the Breen forces.

Within the captain's mindscape, the library's shelves are bathed in deep shadow. As Book pages through the manuscript, Burnham paces in an effort to discern what the test may actually be. A glimpse of Labyrinths of the Mind sparks an idea — is she the test? It's her mind, and it picked a construct of Book as her guide because she had spoken to him earlier and was unable to fix things. She goes "more psychobabble" — must she admit that her job is everything or that not completing the mission will leave her uncertain of who she is — desperately grasping for any hint of how to get the clue. Archivist Book's stoic face initially remains unchanged, though he concedes that she has yet to deduce the answer. More lights shut down, but the captain pursues her train of thought. Burnham must go out every day and prove why she deserves her uniform and rank — that she can be counted on and won't fail again. Archivist Book considers her use of the word "again," evoking a harsh retort from the captain and prompting her to opt to find her own way out.

As Discovery hides within the plasma storms, Commander Paul Stamets collaborates with Commander Jett Reno and Ensign Adira Tal in Engineering. How can they disrupt shield-tunneling technology they've never encountered before from a species they know almost nothing about? Adira analyzes a schematic of the Breen Dreadnaught, highlighting that the tunnel has a periodic fluctuation. They're using a harmonic resonance — Adira and Stamets call out in unison — to match the Archive shield frequency ! If they make the Breen system think the frequency has changed, it would remodulate and close the tunnel. However, the Breen use difficult-to-hack base duodeca coding.

Reno weighs in, referencing all the odd jobs she had and remembering her stint fixing comms relays near Hysperia.*** She laughs — Hysperians really know how to party. She utilized concentrated positron beams to make remote repairs, which could be set to pulse at any frequency. If they direct such a beam to where the tunnel meets the Archive's shields and set it to a different frequency — Adira and Stamets together again — the tunnel would automatically close ! The astromycologist praises Reno, who replies with, "I live to serve." As the plasma storm continues to rattle Discovery , they get to work implementing their solution.

Phasers drawn, Rayner and Book navigate the Archive's aisles in a bid to buy their science team time. Guessing the Breen will assault them in groups of four, they select a tactical position with clear sightlines and adequate cover. Book declares that Rayner thinks like a hunter, and the first officer responds that he had to in order to survive the Breen. Stamets communicates that the tunnel has been closed, but some of the soldiers made it into the library. Rayner and Book steel themselves for battle.

On the Breen Dreadnaught, Primarch Ruhn orders his subordinates to repair the tunnel. Moll directs them to a status hologram, which maps Breen invaders within the Archive. A soldier's signal disappears as someone commences with dispatching Ruhn's forces. They tap into the helmet feeds of his boarding party, only to see Book and Rayner taking down Breen — who the Kellerun refers to as "gelatinous assholes" — one by one. Ruhn denies Moll's plea to send her to confront Starfleet, preferring instead to sacrifice as many of his troops as it takes. Moll employs the Primarch's indifference to her advantage, telling Arisar that Ruhn does not "give a shit" about L'ak or any of the Breen under his command.

Rayner and Book burst into the Archive's reading room. The Kwejian has been shot, and the first officer provides support to assist him through the door. Culber inspects the wound — it's a blast to Book's abdominal cavity, and it must be treated in Discovery 's Sickbay. The bad news flows in — Captain Burnham's status is unchanged, the Breen have nearly repaired the tunnel, and Discovery is being battered by the plasma storm. Rayner concentrates, concluding that they'll give the captain five more minutes to regain consciousness. If she's not awake by then, Starfleet will evacuate. The clue won't matter if they’re all dead. Book objects to the notion of putting Michael at risk by transporting her, but Rayner apologetically feels this is the only way.

The captain's mindscape is submerged in near complete darkness, as the only illumination emanates from the light fixtures embedded in the room's wooden table. Burnham returns and takes a seat. There's nothing else for her to do, and she confesses that she does not want to die in here. Archivist Book asks if she is afraid of death. Burnham admits she is afraid of a lot, but not of death. She recounts her fear of failing and of not being enough — a good enough captain, friend, partner. Her voice just a whisper, she divulges that the fear sometimes drives her, and she hates how small, weak, and ashamed that makes her feel. Burnham brushes away a tear, disclosing that she's working on it. The captain finds relief in saying it out loud, even if the archivist isn't actually Book. Burnham wishes she had told the real Book that is why she pulled back, but she was too afraid to do so.

Resigned to her fate, the captain asks Archivist Book what the true test was. He simply closes the manuscript before him and declares that she has passed. The Archive's lights pulse back to life, and awe covers Burnham's face. The archivist clarifies — if she is to be the one to protect what the Progenitors left behind, she will need to know and be honest with herself. Reflecting on fear, guilt, and whatever else she may be vulnerable to indicates that Burnham can be trusted to do the right thing with so much power. The manifestation thanks and congratulates her, proclaiming that there is a crystal in Viewing Room 7. When the captain wakes up, she just needs to go in, get it, and break it open. Burnham stands to leave, but the archivist says he must share one last thing about her final destination — the way to get through it.

Captain Burnham's eyes blink open in the physical realm, and Book moves swiftly past Culber to embrace her. As Rayner provides her with a status update on the Breen, Burnham springs into action and guides them to Viewing Room 7. With seconds left until Breen reinforcements reach them, the captain grabs a delicate crystal and smashes it on the floor to reveal the final clue. Breen soldiers transport in and start to fire, but Discovery beams Burnham, Rayner, Book, and Culber out before the deadly energy blasts can strike them.

Burnham and Rayner materialize on Discovery 's Bridge, while Book and Culber are sent down to Sickbay. With the room awash in the plasma storm's glow, Burnham secures herself in the captain's chair and orders Commander Lorna Jemison to have Gallo's team route all available power to the ops station. Its shields bolstered, Discovery charges into the oasis to defend the Archive. Burnham's hails the Breen Dreadnaught and attempts to redirect the Imperium's attention to the Starfleet vessel. Ruhn threatens to destroy the Archive and its 1,000 innocent inhabitants if Discovery does not beam over the entire set of clues. The Dreadnaught charges an energy weapon and emits an explosive warning shot into one of the Archive's domes that causes significant injuries to its residents.

Backed into a corner, Discovery 's Bridge crew looks to their captain for guidance. Burnham mulls over her next move, ultimately requiring Ruhn to swear a tergun — a sacred Breen oath — and promise he will not harm the Archive any further. Incredulous, Ruhn nevertheless takes a moment to consider it. The Primarch speaks to Moll and Arisar on the Dreadnaught, vowing that the Federation's compassion has always been its weakness — to save the few, they will risk the many. Ruhn reopens communications with Burnham, granting her the tergun in exchange for the clues. The captain tells him to stand by for transport.

Tilly beams onto the Bridge with the key containing the other four clues, and Burnham fits the last one into place. Energy crackles up the device's sides, and then the key projects a vast map containing the coordinates to the Progenitors' technology. They make a copy of the map for Stamets and ready themselves for a jump. The captain orders her crew to prepare to vent Discovery 's Main Shuttlebay and all plasma from both nacelles. The completed device is transported to Ruhn aboard his Dreadnaught, and Moll authenticates it. Satisfied with the map, the Primarch commands his ship to fire on Discovery . Moll objects, stating that a war with the Federation could draw all Breen factions in and cause them to turn against "us." Offended that Moll considers herself a Breen, Ruhn clarifies that she is the wife of the dead Scion.

The Dreadnought locks onto Discovery — on the Bridge, Burnham readies her crew to vent plasma and make a spore jump simultaneously. Two beams from the Breen ship stretch out and rip into Discovery , and the Starfleet vessel returns fire as its structural integrity begins to weaken. Shields start to collapse, and Discovery jumps just as incoming Dreadnaught blasts ignite the vented plasma.

Discovery emerges from its spore jump with significant damage to its hull. Burnham and her senior staff compose themselves after the harrowing ordeal and find that they've arrived 22 light-years off target. The Breen assault caused the spore drive to malfunction, and the ship can't jump again until it is fixed. Asha reports that the warp drive is also down, but considering it will take the Breen Dreadnaught roughly six hours to reach the map coordinates at maximum warp, the captain gives her team five hours to make repairs. Rayner commends Burnham's gambit to make Ruhn believe they are dead. She offers a knowing smile and replies, "Someone once told me never turn my back on a Breen." The captain learned a piece of vital information in her mindscape, and she can't imagine the Primarch ever figuring it out. But Moll?

On the Dreadnought's command deck, Ruhn and Moll gaze at a scan of Discovery 's last position. Debris and traces of warp plasma convince them that the Starfleet ship has been destroyed. Moll appears disheartened, but the Primarch turns his ire on the Archive. His order to fire upon the library provokes Moll, who demands that he set course for the coordinates — the goal is L'ak. Ruhn retorts that the goal is whatever he says it is, and he executes a Breen soldier who tries to voice dissent over his order to confine Moll. The human refuses to be silenced, relaying that destroying the Archive would also incite other Breen factions to pursue Ruhn as revenge for his dishonor. Even though he has yet to acquire it, the Primarch is relying on the Progenitors' technology to keep his foes at bay.

Ruhn materializes his staff, responding to Moll's pressure by pronouncing that he does not need L'ak — or her — any longer. Moll underscores his admission, pointing out that he does not give a damn about his Scion, his oaths, or the lives of his soldiers. Speaking to Ruhn's soldiers, she asks if L'ak would ever be this selfish. L'ak loves her, but he left the Breen because of Ruhn. The Primarch moves aggressively towards her, but Lieutenant Arisar draws his own weapon to defend Moll. The human pivots and kicks Ruhn, stealing his staff from him and discharging two lethal blasts into him. Ruhn's soldiers take aim at Moll and form a circle around her.

Moll assesses her situation, and asserts that she is the wife of L'ak — Scion and true ruler of the Imperium. Turning to Arisar, she pledges that they will get L'ak back and says, "Long will he reign!" She lifts Ruhn's staff in triumphant fashion. Arisar hesitates, then chooses to respond by raising his arm and repeating her words. The other Breen soldiers follow suit, striking their weapons on the deck and following Moll's lead with chants of "Long will he reign!"

* Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home — The Efrosians, a humanoid species part of the Federation, first appeared in this film, with an Efrosian member later serving as Federation President in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .

** " The Inner Light " — When Captain Jean-Luc Picard is hit by a nucleonic beam, the captain finds himself as a resident of Kataan, living out an entire lifetime. However, it turns out this lifetime was in actuality just 20 minutes of a simulation in his own mindscape.

*** " Where Pleasant Fountains Lie " — The Cerritos chief engineer, Andy Billups, was revealed to be Hysperian crown prince, next in line for the throne. His homeworld Hysperia preferred to rename everything technological to sound like magic.

• Written by Lauren Wilkinson & Eric J. Robbins
• Directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour

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Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance writer, author, and consultant who has contributed articles to StarTrek.com, Star Trek Explorer, and Star Trek Magazine, as well as to Star Wars Insider and StarWars.com. Learn more about Jay by visiting JayStobie.com or finding him on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms at @StobiesGalaxy.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Navigates Its Way Through In “Labyrinths”

| May 16, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 69 comments so far

“Labyrinths”

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 8 – Debuted Thursday, May 16, 2024 Written by Lauren Wilkinson & Eric J. Robbins Directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour

A taut episode full of action and emotional tension starts the run up to the finale.

Ruhn’s refrigeration chic fell flat at the Met Gala

WARNING: Spoilers below!

“Let’s go get that final clue.”

The Breen mourn the loss of L’ak, and Primarch Ruhn sees an opportunity to rally the other Flights behind avenging the Scion with the assistance of Progenitor tech. Moll spots potential in driving a wedge between the would-be emperor and his crew. One step ahead, The Disco arrives at the Badlands and doorstep to the final clue. They are greeted by a jovial archivist Hy’Rell, who provides a fun running commentary as the crew tries to focus on not getting roasted navigating their way through the plasma storms. When they arrive at the oasis around the beautiful Eternal Gallery and Archive, Hy’Rell extends an invitation to the Discovery’s resident Kwejian to see an artifact of that doomed species, so the captain invites Book to come along, making it clear she has no regrets about handing over Moll last week as she was just doing her job. Inside the huge space library, Hy’Rell brushes off concerns about the Breen as she presents the captain with the original Betazed manuscript for Dr. Derex’s Labyrinths of the Mind (title alert!). Burnham leafs through the ancient tome and finds an ornate metal plate that glows when she touches it. Book soon returns after being gifted with that artifact (a cutting of the Kwejian World Root) only to find Michael down, laid out on the carpet. That’s got to be against library rules.

Patrons are advised to not get trapped in mindscapes while in the library.

“Everything is here for a reason.”

Michael wakes and is quickly shushed by Book, now wearing Archivist Robes. She is in a mindscape and he is a program designed by the former Archivist, but the specifics come from her subconscious. This isn’t her first map piece rodeo, so Michael confidently sets off to pass the newest test. Meanwhile, Rayner and Culber arrive in the real world and the doctor works out what’s happening and reports that it’s not safe to interfere: They will need to just see where this goes. Attempting to narrow down her search, Michael figures the clue must be in the history section, thinking like a group of Dominion War-era scientists concerned about the future not repeating mistakes, but she is running out of time, as the Mindbrary is slowly shutting down—and if she doesn’t figure it out, she will get shut down with it… permanently. Adding to the tension, the Breen are closing in and Ruhn doesn’t care for Hy’Rell’s “request denied” to enter the library. In the mindscape, Michael is getting nowhere and growing frustrated with Avatar Book. Wait. Book? She’s inside a book, specifically “Labyrinths of the Mind”… It’s a maze! Duh! The avatar hands her a bucket of sand so she can math her way out. Things in the real world ratchet up as Rayner orders the Disco to hide in the storm before the Breen show up. Michael finally makes her way to the heart of the maze, only to find that smug avatar and no clue prize. The walls are literally closing in and this guy makes it clear she has yet to pass the real test: Can she be trusted with the awesome power of the Progenitor tech? “I’m running out of time, aren’t I?” Yep. Gulp.

I’m in a book, reading books guided by a Book… going to need to talk to Culber to sort all this out.

“You don’t mess around, do you?”

Exasperated, Michael decries the “psychobabble” of the situation, telling that judgy avatar just where he can stick his virtual opinions. Meanwhile, the Breen arrive, firing a shield tunneling thingie to transport soldiers into the library. The Disco Geek Squad assembles and quickly comes up up with a way to disrupt the big Breen beam, but that will only buy a little time as Rayner and Book take out a few helmet heads and taunt the rest. On the Dreadnaught, Moll uses Ruhn’s lack of concern for his soldiers as she sidles up to his top lieutenant, sowing more seeds of doubt over the Primarch’s devotion to the Scion. Or maybe she just has a thing for Jell-O. After blowing off steam, Michael returns to the last room of the shrinking virtual reality and gets real with Avatar Book. She isn’t afraid of death but admits to her fear of failing the mission, opening the floodgates of her fear of failure, of not being a good enough captain, friend, or partner. She buries the shame of her fear, but in this vulnerable moment, she regrets avoiding telling real Book about how she felt. Wow, being a moment away from being snuffed out of reality can be cathartic. So, by the way, what was Dr. Derex’s test? Surprise! By being honest with herself she proved herself worthy and passed the test, and Avatar Book reveals the location of the last piece of the map in the real library. He also clues her in on one more thing she is going to need to know when she gets to the final destination. Who would have guessed the key to a Betazed test would be about feelings?

I make this look good.

“You are in no position to bargain.”

The captain awakes into chaos, time running out before the Breen overrun the place. She quickly finds the last piece of the map and they beam out before getting zapped by gelatinous goons. On the Disco, she orders the ship to reveal itself to give the Breen a new target. Ruhn demands the map or he will keep killing innocent space librarians. She agrees… but only if he will swear to a Tergun—a sacred Breen oath—to not harm the Archive. Tilly quickly puts the map together so they can get the coordinates of the Progenitor tech before sending the map over to the Breen to do the same. Against Moll’s objections, the Primarch starts firing and Captain Burnham uses some sleight of hand with a spore jump and the simultaneous release of debris and plasma, fooling the Breen into thinking Discovery was destroyed. But the Starfleet ship emerges hours from the Progenitor target, severely damaged. Before pursuing, Ruhn decides to destroy the Archive, which happens to include some priceless Breen artifacts. Moll now makes her big political move, rallying the Breen crew behind her cause to resurrect the Scion with Progenitor tech, denouncing Ruhn for going against a Tergun and trying to destroy Breen cultural relics. Lt. Arisar wavers, then faces off with Ruhn. Moll uses the moment to kill the Primarch, announcing “I am the wife of L’ak, Scion and true ruler of the Imperium. We will get him back. Long will he reign.” Arisar backs her play as the throng of bucket-heads joins her rallying cry and we fade to black. Well played. Lady Macbeth can learn a few things from this former courier.

It’s my map now.

It’s all in your mind.

“Labyrinths of the Mind” was another tightly wound episode that perfectly balanced sci-fi action with huge emotional drama. The escalation within and without the mindscape was paced well as the drama came to various tipping points. The serenely beautiful library location proved the perfect backdrop for a deep exploration of the series’ focal character with a heart-wrenching and vulnerable performance from Sonequa Martin-Green. Once again, this final season ties into the show’s beginnings by reflecting on Burnham’s past. The mindscape is classic Trek, with a big nod to “The Inner Light” and other episodes about the captain being tested, particularly reminiscent of  Voyager ‘s “Sacred Ground” and Captain Janeway’s (incorrect) assumptions about the test she had to undergo to save Kes’ life. The Breen confrontation also evoked classics, with elements of “Balance of Terror” and other moments. It was also very Trek to give David Ajala double duty playing Dr. Derex’s avatar, although he made some curious acting choices to differentiate the character as he guided Michael to her epiphany. The episode certainly leans into Discovery ’s DNA of an exploration of character feelings, but in this case it all worked as a way to tie into the season plot arc which has also turned into Burnham’s epic journey of self-discovery, all to prove her worthiness.

This was an episode that stands on its own well, with a visit to a unique new location, memorable guest star, and a clear beginning and end, but it also moved the season plot arc along in a big way. Michael’s ultimate test brought with it the culmination of the map, the season’s MacGuffin. However, it again is a bit disappointing that we didn’t meet the final three 24th-century scientists, unless we are to see Book’s mindscape avatar as a version of Dr. Derex. It was a bit of a surprise that immediately after completing the map, Burnham handed it over to the bad guys as a bargaining chip to save the Archive, but that fits with her compassion—and don’t forget, she has key info the Breen don’t. Culber’s season arc of spiritual awakening also got a little nod when the man of science took that leap of faith that this was all part of a plan and Burnham was in good hands, even though she was under the mind control of an old alien tome. Book’s arc may also be set up with the gift of the Kwejian world root , which feels like something that could pay off later, especially with the power of creation promised by the Progenitor tech. And with all this big drama, the episode still found time to lighten the mood, continuing the season’s welcome pivot in tone and style. Elena Juatco was a delight as Hy’Rell, believably delivering a quirky but strict librarian, and it’s just fun to have her as an Efrosian , a memorable but rarely seen Star Trek species. The brief scenes with the Stamets, Reno, and Adira team technobabbling their way through the crisis was very fun Star Trek… and of course Reno used to party with Hysperians .

You know for librarians, you wear surprisingly loud outfits.

It’s not easy being Breen.

This was another episode that revealed more about the inner workings of Breen society and technology, as well as the cool open-plan interior design of their massive ship. The killing of the Primarch was a bit of a surprise, although he won’t necessarily be missed as Ruhn was a fairly one-note villain. Moll’s Lady Macbeth manipulation of the Primarch’s second-in-command shows a new level of cunning and sets her up as the real big bad of the season. The motivation of Breen is still a bit mysterious, so we will have to take it on faith that Moll was able to use what she learned from L’ak to be able to manipulate Arisar into backing her coup. There were subtle hints this was coming throughout the episode, and Arisar was introduced in the previous to set up this confrontation, but the fact that all the helmeted Breen look the same makes this thread hard to follow. Arisar’s uniform did have some tiny differences, but they should have been more pronounced to differentiate the character who became so pivotal to Moll’s plot.

The episode also continued the season’s welcome trend of finely weaving in elements of Trek lore without going over the top. Putting the Archive inside the Badlands was a nice touch, giving us a 21st century VFX update to the classic dangerous location featured previously in DS9 and Voyager . Referencing a nucleonic beam was the only overt nod to the Kataan probe of “The Inner Light.” You don’t need to namedrop Captain Picard to evoke the vibe of that classic TNG episode. And the nods didn’t stop there with plenty of classic technobabble and even that Lower Decks reference from Reno, whose backstory continues to get filled in with delightful new details.

What? You can’t tell us all apart? That’s kind of racist.

Final thoughts

Season 5 of Discovery continues to be a welcome change as it ramps up nicely towards what has been described as a big 2-episode finale. Can’t wait for next week’s first part, directed by Jonathan Frakes.

Arisar tries to impress Moll with his air piano routine.

• This is the Star Trek debut for director Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour , who recently directed for Shogun .
• This is the fifth episode in a row without Doug Jones, but he has confirmed Saru will return.
• The episode included a new bridge crew officer: Cmdr. Lorna Jemison (Zahra Bentham), likely named in honor of NASA astronaut Mae Jemison who once played a member of the Enterprise crew in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .
• The Discovery couldn’t cloak due to Cherenkov radiation , which is a real thing (the radiation, not cloaking).
• The world root cuttings came in a box made of Tuli wood , the same wood Book used to decorate his old ship.
• Dr. Derex’s reading list included A Comprehensive Guide to Talaxian Hairstyles ,  Hupyrian Folk Tales , and Euclidean Geometry…  two Trek things and one real thing.
• The Laybryths of the Mind manuscript may be our first view of Betazed written language.
• Disrupting the Breen shield tunneling weapon is the latest use Star Trek has found for positron beams .
• Ejecting debris as they did in “ Balance of Terror ” was often used in World War II movies like Run Silent, Run Deep , and it is based on real Naval doctrine of the time.
• Breen coding is “dodeca” or base-12 .
• The Eternal Archive was filmed at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto.

Welcome to Space Toronto!

More to come

Every Friday, the TrekMovie.com All Access Star Trek Podcast  covers the latest news in the Star Trek Universe and discusses the latest episode. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify ,  Pocket Casts ,  Stitcher and is part of the TrekMovie Podcast Network.

The fifth and final season of  Discovery debuted with two episodes on Thursday, April 4 exclusively on Paramount+  in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Austria.  Discovery  will also premiere on April 4 on Paramount+ in Canada and will be broadcast on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada. The rest of the 10-episode final season will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays. Season 5 debuts on SkyShowtime in select European countries on April 5.

Keep up with news about the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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Still wish we could see the Klingons before the show ends.

“Again with the Klingons….

Mr. Scott, give me full power!”

“I can’t reach the controls!”

I have to agree. I really do want to know what happened to the Empire, aside from a screen graphic showing Klingon Empire.

Hopefully they’ll show up in Academy.

It is with great irony the show that started with the biggest Klingon storyline ever has basically treated them like they don’t even exist anymore.

It is really really odd

Believe me, you don’t want Michelle Paradise writing you 32nd century Klingons into canon.

Reviewers need to skim our site here to find their titles and splash lines, they’d probably clean up!

The episode was great. I enjoyed the story and the character development for Burnham was great.

I knew as soon as Primarch Ruhn issued the order to destroy the library even after finding out that it had Breen artifacts that he his death was near. Though i expected his 2nd in command that Moll was talking too would be the one to kill him and not Moll.

Book seeing the Kwejian World Root from his Homeworld was sweet and it was nice that he got to take it with him. Though in his place i would of kept it at the Library instead.

I loved the spore jump sequence with them exploding the warp plasma at the same time that was really cool looking.from now on I’m calling it the Burnham Maneuver. Also the badlands looked awesome too.

I can’t wait to see what is in store for the next 2 episodes.

Books? Seems very speciesist to think all the aliens in the universe write down on paper in books .

What a great episode this one was! Discovery felt like the Star Trek I remember. The cast, writers, and director really did an excellent job with it. The story was engaging with a clear beginning and end. It also had the right amount of problem solving with the crew and a nice amount of sci-fi technobabble. I love when the crew works together like that in all of the Star Trek shows.

I was drawn in from the start and was feeling the tension the characters were under. The episode had a satisfying conclusion while advancing the season’s main story. DS9’s format of mixing standalone episodes with a serialized arc really works well for Star Trek.

Well done with this one Discovery!

No amount of technobabble is a “nice” amount; it just reflects lazy writing.

To each their own. Growing up as a nerd kid watching TNG and beyond, the technobabble gave me fodder for my imaginary storylines in the Trek universe. At times, it has been lazy writing (no doubt) for a quick and easily resolution. But to me, it made it feel real and made me want to be like those on the Enterprise, DS9, Discovery, etc. who used their brains to come up with creative solutions – even if they had little to no basis in reality.

Sooooo… you are saying that there should be no technobabble at all? In Star Trek? Hmmm… using your reasoning, all Star Trek (especially TNG, DS9) has lazy writing? I would think that technobabble is the norm in all Science Fiction and does not equate to lazy writing.

Without technobabble there would never have been the concept of WARP and thus the many many scientists working to make it reality. Also I would called terminology like “Heisenberg Compensators” intelligent when you consider Heisenberg was a real life scientist and his theories directly relate to one of the biggest issues with Transporters. That is the exact opposite of lazy writing IMHO

Good episode. Wonder what will happen on the last two. Curious will past characters from other shows make an appearance.

This was a fairly good episode, albeit just a tad formulaic.

I loved the library itself and that was a gorgeous location from the moment they first arrived there until the moment they left. I’m happy that it survived the encounter because it would be cool to see it show up again at some point. I enjoyed seeing it in other ways as Michael explored the labyrinth, but the final test was predictable.

Who didn’t see the Breen Premarch turn back on the deal after getting what he wanted? I didn’t expect that Mol would take over the Breen though at the end of the episode. I know they alluded to her influence, but really expected that the Breen she was speaking with would be the one to take over.

I think that was the best episode of the season so far. What a comeback after the past several duds.

So Michael Burnham solved the riddle of the week by whining about her own shortcomings… That’s just not very satisfying.

But it’s classic Burnham….

Lord this is a dumb show “Holey Shit ” really ?

Well this show is ,so finally the truth .

Every book in the universe and all colloquial books …..because all intelligent life writes humanoid design books .

Are you saying Trek reached BATMAN FOREVER lows? (“holey metal gratings, Batman!’)

This Show makes Batman Forever the Shakespear of Batman films

I dunno why Clooney gets all the Flak when Kilmer was just as bad lol

You know what else is a human concept that all non humans in the franchise still somehow adhere to? The gender binary! And yet nobody whines about that. Only when people stray outside of it.

There are a couple exceptions to the binary gender. The J’naii (one gender) and the Visions (3 genders) are two. Granted not that many but…

Technically I think the Changelings have no gender considering they are the epitome of the franchises non-humanoid races.

I enjoyed the episode, but the mystery was a dud. Cool set, cool idea.. the episode was overall fun, and it works great right up to the reveal… which is my big fear about how all of this gets solved. Like with anything JJ does.. the lead up is much more enticing than the payoff. But in the context of the show overall, it’s a top tier episode. Faint praise perhaps, but at least I’m enjoying it. Hy-rell was a pretty cool character and performance.

Also.. didn’t mean to imply that this was something JJ Abrams is behind.. just saying they treat the mystery just like he does.

Honestly before the season aired the mystery had me very intrigued. But once we found out what it was it has been SUCH a slow burn to get to the truth…

This one was a big fat yawn for me. I see what they were going for and there was stuff I liked but the dream thing is stuff we seen a million times before. I just don’t really buy how easy it’s been to get these clues. Yes it’s a TV show so things have to keep moving but they figure everything out in an hour. And Burnham admitting she’s scared of failing is all it takes? But I do laugh thinking anyone from the Breen could ever get these clues on their own based on the tests lol.

And while I did like Hy’Rell as a character the way they have these characters talk on these shows sometimes takes me out of the story because everyone sounds like they are in 2024. She literally sounds like my neighbors 20 year old daughter.

I just think about all the old arguments how you can’t go ‘forward’ in Star Trek because everyone would be too unrelatable. And yet here we are in the 32nd century and everyone talks like they are in a TikTok video lol. But this isn’t Discovery issue alone, just modern Trek in general.

Sadly I think this season has lost me overall although it’s probably my second favorite season lol.

But it’s great so many people are really liking it. Two episodes to go. Hopefully it will go out with a bang.

I had the same reaction to Hy’rell’s voice… but that was only one of many quibbles (careful… they, too, breed) I had with this episode.

Yeah at this point it is what it is I guess. No one in Star Trek, alien or not, rarely sounds like anything but human most of the time but do they all have to sound like they were raised in the valley?

It’s just so common these days on these shows.

But if this is the LEAST of Discovery problems it can’t be that bad I guess.

That’s another thing they probably needed more than the between season hiatus to think through properly – style of dialogue. Maybe they had a discussion and it was judged that it would be too weird to change things, but it strikes me as something worthy of a linguist or two being hired to do a deep dive proposal for.

All the Berman era shows have had stylized dialogue which was very precise but inflexible and not always relatable as how people would talk. But it’s the future so we let it slide a lot. It only really became a problem for me when it was carried over to Enterprise, where theoretically humans should talk a lot more like we do. That’s one reason I like Trip so much – the character is allowed to have a less formal way of speaking at times and Connor Trinneer has a gift for naturalizing that dialogue.

But now we have Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds which veer hard into quite casual dialogue and Discovery which goes between being very contemporary and giving characters lines that broach into melodrama and feel artificial in a different way than did 90s Trek.

Yet I prefer this, the dialogue on Kurtzman era is too current and definitely not colloquialisms we would be using in a couple hundred years or a thousand years. We won’t be like today.

I doubt people from the 17th century or the 12th century sounded like we do today.

They should not be sounding like millennials or like characters from Buffy or Marvel.

Making them relatable rather than aspirational is an issue I have. People want to see themselves, on Trek I want characters who are aspirational. I am nothing like Kirk or Picard but their values and dedication to their crews have been inspiring to me, and made me a better human.

That’s why the Darmok episode of TNG was so brilliant. The Universal Translator did in fact work. Everyone was speaking English. The problem was it seemed like even though the words were human everything was coming out as essentially jibberish!

It’s a big universe out there, somone who reads a lot of books must also love TikTok!

Lol this made my day! Thank you.

In 60s Trek they talked liked they were in the 60’s also so modern Trek is following that trend. We just need to remember this isn’t hard Sci Fi here and Trek does feel more space fantasy than an actual realistic future at times. You really need to switch off some times to enjoy the nonsense. And this goes for all Trek Series and films.

No one ever said “groovy” on TOS

Not a terrible episode but I wish we could go one week without some weeping. This has to be the weepiest show in history.

There’s always room for Jell-o.

The battle within the mind setup is pretty basic and far less interesting than the writers think it is. Far less courageous of a dramatic choice, too. They commit to getting Burnham & Book on the archive at the same time and then duck out of that interpersonal conflict/resolution by having Burnham talk to her own psyche represented as Book. Most writers are introverts, sure, and so they probably don’t like to have tough conversations in their real lives, but this was the dopiest way to get Burnham to an obvious point. Burnham never showing weakness is not the same thing as talking to someone you care about and having a realization in the moment. The siloing of these emotional beats is immature when it’s not simply melodramatic. Once again, they did sort of the least compelling version of their own idea.

I don’t disagree. And to top it off, proving her worth is by admitting to her fear to fail? In other words, the best way to protect the progenitor tech is to give it to someone who has to overcome the fear of failure. Does that mean that she needs to accept that she may not be the one to protect the tech and ultimately let it fall into the wrong hands? I know this is over-thinking it a bit, but wouldn’t proving her worth fall more into showing that she is pure of heart and strong enough to take on the tech and NOT fail?

They hit a home run with this episode. I loved it.

The internal logic of this episode (and this entire quest) makes no sense. For example, why have these elaborate tests to judge the character of the people involved if 5 minutes later the puzzle piece and the knowledge can be given away to villains? My only guess is this will end with some “Raiders of the Lost Ark” type thing where trying to use the tech outside of a specific set of circumstances results in a similar consequence as the Nazis getting their faces melted.

If not, then this meant the decision in the last episode to give Moll over to the Breen was beyond dumb. Since the Breen had no problem committing an act of war and destroying Discovery that whole avoiding a war thing from the last episode goes out the window, by giving Moll to them and her helping lead them to the next clue they put the archive in jeopardy themselves, and why not alter the puzzle pieces or damage the damn thing before beaming it over? The Breen have no idea what the condition of the artifacts are.

Also, Discovery is damaged, but doesn’t it have these things called shuttles?!? Get in a warp capable shuttle and head for the destination with an away team while they repair the ship.

This episode also exemplified something that drives me nuts about “Discovery,” in that every single crisis has to devolve into connecting to a test of Burnham’s personal life and character. Why can’t it just be this character confronting alien weirdness and how she deals with that weirdness shows us something about her character? But instead the writers always have to make this stuff explicit (and weepy) where they underline her expressing how it connects to her past, her relationship with Book, or her own thoughts.

Shuttlecraft aren’t delivered until Tuesday.

I am not sure why people don’t remember this… THE SHOW IS SUPPOSED TO BE BASED AROUND MICHAEL. That was the whole premise of the show. It is not an ensemble show. It goes not have other leads except that of Michael. So yeah, every single crisis does devolve into connecting to a test of Burnham’s personal life and character

Doesn’t mean we have to like it even if we accept and know it. Burnham is a Mary Sue, as far as I’m concerned, and has often ruined what would have otherwise been great episodes because we are constantly reminded that SHE is the only one who can save the universe. It’s the reason why the writers can dump Saru, Owo, and Detmer and write like they were never even there. It was a bad choice back in season 1, even if Sonequa is a pretty good actress. They got close to course-correcting with Pike and his interaction with the crew, but after that, it just went right back to square one.

The writers have not “dumped” Saru, Owo and Detmer. The actors were not available. Plain and simple. But having a show that focuses on one main character does have its advantages. It’s nice to be able to see that “other” crew members on the ship exist.

I am guessing you don’t like having a woman as a focus or having a person that shows feeling. But I get it.

If you pause this episode exactly when Michael figures out she’s in a maze… it’s the middle point of the episode.

I love it when the Breen hack into the Archive’s camera and Rayner is calling them assholes.

I really enjoy Michael’s soliloquy/revelation. It has something this show has sorely needed – a sense of Michael’s inner life. Somehow up to this moment, over all the previous seasons, we never had a real moment where we learn what she thinks of herself. This doesn’t erase the past, or make it more watchable, but it put her inner purpose on context… for the next few episodes.

I am very excited to find out whatever she now knows about how to handle the Progenitors tech.

Moll protected the archive and the people inside it. If I’m making a prediction, she’s not going to be a villan when this is all over. In fact, I wonder if something is going to happen that goes way beyond reviving La’ak – perhaps all the Breen will be freed from whatever “binds” them to their rigid hierarchy. Perhaps 🤔

Discovery dead in the water – gorgeous.

My main disappointment was there was not a sufficient love of having too many books and not knowing what to do with them.

Maybe I’m mis-remembering, but I feel like Michael has one of those moments at least once (if not multiple times) a season. She’s had intimate discussions with Tilly from season 1, some pretty emotional moments with both boyfriends, personal discussions with Amanda, some deep moments with Spock, and multiple scenes of self reflection with Saru. Maybe they weren’t as obvious as this episode, but I do feel like Michael has self-analyzed throughout the show.

Maybe you’re right, but if so, is this the first time such a scene resonated for itself and not just as a plot point? It was quiet.

I liked this episode, much like I did 5×4. It was nicely paced, not too flashy and was a good character piece for Burnham. Though does go a tad too weepy and the test was rather convoluted. Also good to see continuing bridge crew interactions this season, with Gen Rhys taking the bridge again. The writers are learning that smaller scale events are far more effective story and stake wise. For example, the Breen attack on the library was far more impactful then say thousands of ships going pew! pew! (see earlier seasons/eps like 2×14 etc).

Shame they are finally finding their feet as the show is wrapping. Again, Rayner was great in this episode and the chemistry with Burnham is spot on. If only Rayner was in it since they fist travelled to the 32nd century. Oh and the Efrosian Hy’Rell was lovely. Perfect for Starfleet cadets to maybe pay a visit one day.

Of all the marvels of the 32nd century. The Federation still cant take out the Breen….

If the Federation can advance after recovering from the Burn, so can the Breen

Well to be fair it’s not like the Breen didn’t have the same amount of time to grow in capability. The real epic fail of the 32nd century is that the 23rd century derelict ship is somehow their only hope. And they still haven’t figured out how to get past the need for WARP or Dilithium.

Rewatched last night with the Mrs. I think I have a crush on Hy-rell…. she has a bit of that upper midwestern nice as can be demeanor, crossed with sexy intellectual / librarian vibe. She was great.

What a fantastic episode. It was very enjoyable to watch. This season has really been fantastic… definitely the best season since they jumped to the future. I really loved the scene with Book and the artifact. Was a great add to the story. I can’t believe there are only 2 episodes left. I may have to restart the series again. Going to be a while before we get SNW and the Section 31 movie.

For those questioning why alien cultures would have books…why not? Especially in the world of Star Trek where there are many similar aliens to humans. There is a fantastic movie that explores this, Arrival. I recently read an article on the topic of aliens and communication with them and if they could have a written language. Here’s a quote from the article:

“Written language develops into a powerful linguistic force in Chiang’s story (ARRIVAL), in unexpected ways. The aliens’ speech, a “spoken” language labelled Heptapod A, sounds “vaguely like that of a wet dog shaking the water out of its fur.” Not the easiest speech to mimic. So Dr. Louise Banks, assuming the well-travelled, high-tech aliens, despite their many legs, must have a writing system, resorts to trying to figure out their written symbols in order to learn this language in a more regular, pen-to-paper form. She discovers, to her surprise, that the aliens have a kind of semasiographic writing system, known as Heptapod B, that is so different from its speech form that it constitutes another, completely separate language, unrelated to the aliens’ spoken language. It has no real words, instead, it uses a well-thought-out calligraphic assemblage of ideogram symbols along a preconceived line.”

https://daily.jstor.org/is-writing-a-technology-or-a-language-lets-ask-some-aliens/

The critique I seem to be picking up on is the design of the books in this season, not necessarily the fact that each species would have a written language. I think some people (me included) just feel like all the books in this episode along with the journal from episode 1 are just the same as what we’re used to here on Earth. Pretty much every significant alien species on Star Trek has had some sort of written language displayed at some point – even if it’s just a control console on a space ship. But even those consoles have had different and sometimes very unique layouts. Wouldn’t books or other written works also have some alien nuances to them?

I would assume that every alien culture had a written language before verbal language. And I am sure it started somewhat like ours… cave drawings to tree-type bark to scrolls to binding a bunch of paper together. Unless, maybe, you need to have something triangular or round… but I would think that mathematics comes into play with why books are the shape they are in. Seems logical to me.

Ya know I never personally had the idea that no paper books should exist in the future. ESP considering we as a society are known for keeping and cherishing old thing if for no other reason than sentimental.

There is one caveat I have tho. The Enterprise EP where Daniels takes Archer into the future… They find what remains of StarFleet headquarters and… BOOKS! Daniels specifically says these shouldn’t be here. Tho I suppose he cou;d have been reconnect to mean they should be in the archives instead?

In our new home, my wife has set up a room as her personal library. She’s an avid reader. We have a 12 foot ceiling in that room. The book cases go right to the top. 3 or the 4 walls have book cases. She has thousands of books. It puts my own book collection to shame. I think there will always be books in the future. And I do think that alien cultures have books as well. We can only speculate that they look like ours. Much like Discovery did. Looking at all other Trek series, it showed alien cultures having books.

Another “main character undergoes another truth revealing whatever” ?

Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery's rhys is starfleet's next great captain.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Star trek: discovery’s spore drive - how it works & why it’s controversial, star trek actor kurtwood smith has 2 shoutouts in discovery season 5, says writer.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 8 - "Labyrinths"

• Lt. Commander Gen Rhys proves himself as Acting Captain, successfully leading the USS Discovery against the Breen.
• Discovery pays off Rhys' increasing importance as a member of the bridge crew.
• Star Trek: Discovery continues to build up strong homegrown Captains, and Rhys shows he is a future leader.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 established that Starfleet's next great starship Captain is Lt. Commander Gen Rhys (Patrick Kwok-Choon). Written by Lauren Wilkinson & Eric J. Robbins and directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths" brought Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery to the Eternal Gallery and Archive in the Badlands where the final clue to the Progenitors' treasure is hidden. The USS Discovery's Chief Tactical Officer, Rhys becomes the lynchpin of keeping the USS Discovery safe from the Breen's Sixth Flight led by Primarch Ruhn (Tony Nappo).

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths," Captain Burnham is incapacitated by the final clue, a book called "Labyrinths of the Mind" written by Betazoid scientist Dr. Marina Derex . Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) beams to the Eternal Gallery and Archive with Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) to help the Captain. Trapped in her mindscape. Michael faces her innermost fears with an avatar of Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) and proves herself worthy of the Progenitors' treasure. This leaves Lt. Commander Gen Rhys in command of the USS Discovery when Primarch Ruhn's Breen attacks the Archive, and Rhys rose to the challenge .

As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

Lt. Commander Gen Rys Is Star Trek: Discovery’s Next Great Captain

Rhys makes a fine acting captain.

Lt. Commander Gen Rhys was excellent as Acting Captain of the USS Discovery in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths" . Rhys followed his orders to keep Discovery safe from the Breen, with the challenge of being unable to cloak in the Badlands. Rhys gambled that the Badlands' plasma energies would scramble the Breen's sensors, and he ordered the USS Discovery into the storms. With Rhys in command, Discovery weathered the Badlands and successfully rescued Captain Burnham, Commander Rayner, and the away team, beaming them and the final Progenitors' clue safely aboard the ship.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 3, "Jinaal" revealed that Gen Rhys is a "ship-head" who loves 23rd century Constitution Class starships.

Rhys proving his mettle as a starship Captain pays off his increasing importance in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. Rhys was spotlighted in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange" when his younger self joined Specialist Michael Burnham to confront Commander Rayner and Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) during the episode's time travel to the 23rd century. Rhys is a standout among the USS Discovery's bridge crew, and his performance in "Labyrinths" shows Gen is on track to become Captain of his own starship one day.

Patrick Kwok-Choon (@KWOK-ROCK) revealed on X that his wife was in labor while he was filming Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8 , which makes his performance even more impressive. Check out his post below:

Star Trek: Discovery Made 2 Great Captains Already

Discovery's captain track record is excellent.

A revolving Captain's chair was a hallmark of Star Trek: Discovery 's first few seasons, but the series was building up two great homegrown Captains . The first great Captain Star Trek: Discovery made was Saru (Doug Jones) . The first Kelpien in Starfleet, Saru distinguished himself as First Officer and Acting Captain before he was formally promoted to the USS Discovery's center seat. Of course, Star Trek: Discovery is the story of Michael Burnham earning the Captain's chair, and "Labyrinths" delved into Burnham's inner fears of not being good enough and questioning who she is if she's not pursuing missions as Discovery's Captain.

Rhys is clearly ready to move up the command track and become a Number One.

It's actually curious that Captain Burnham didn't immediately consider Lt. Commander Gen Rhys to be the USS Discovery's new First Officer before selecting Commander Rayner. Rhys is clearly ready to move up the command track and become a Number One. Gen is obviously trusted to command the USS Discovery in Burnham and Rayner's absence, and he passes each test with flying colors. Perhaps Rhys distinguishing himself as Acting Captain in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, will lead to him becoming Captain Gen Rhys some day.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+