8 Ups & 2 Downs From Star Trek: Discovery 5.7 - Erigah

First of all, I'm evidently not upping the fact that L'ak died! I'm not a monster (on weekdays anyway), and besides, that would be a huge down (and downer) for a character we've already come to love, in spite of his occasionally a-little-quick-on-the-poison dealings. We all have our rebellious phases! Plus, L'ak is also only 'Star Trek dead' at the moment. It ain't over until it's Progenitors tech and over, and until Reno sings during her shift at Red's!

In Erigah, we did learn quite a few things about L'ak (Burnham's power of persuasion is impossible to resist), notably the real reason he's been avoiding his uncle for a bit. As Burnham deduces, and L'ak sheepishly confirms, Primarch Ruhn's not after him to fulfil the Erigah by death — although some of the details are still a little fuzzy and contradictory — nor is he angry he wasn't invited to the wedding (quite the opposite!). In fact, Ruhn needs L'ak to succeed to power because L'ak is, as it happens, "Scion of the Breen Imperium," the "direct descendant of the emperor".

Beyond the politics, the bloodlines, and the power play, there is Moll, and she is the only thing that matters to L'ak in the entire galaxy. Safe to say the feeling's mutual! Their 'love story above all odds' is most definitely one of the highlights of the season. Even L'ak's accidental overdose on tricordrazine was all in an attempt to allow Moll to escape, it would seem.

Oh, and that deathbed scene with L'ak and Moll! Let's just take a moment to note how beautifully played the moment was on the part of Eve Harlow and Elias Toufexis. I'm not crying, my, err, refrigeration suit is leaking! 

Even if our invitation to their nuptials also apparently got lost in subspace, we have to give credit to Moll's bold reveal of her and L'ak's wedded-status-by-matching-branding to the Primarch. Though extremely dangerous, it was equally an extremely smart move given the circumstances. Ruhn called the union "an abomination," but Moll knew he was obliged to take her — along with L'ak's body — with him under Breen tradition. Telling Ruhn about the Progenitors' tech also helped! Starfleet and the Federation had little choice but to let Moll go.