9 Ups & 1 Down From Star Trek: Discovery 5.8 — Labyrinths

Perhaps one of the fairer criticisms made about Star Trek: Discovery in its earlier years was that it focussed on the character of Michael Burnham to the detriment of the ensemble. There were, no doubt, one too many voice-overs and logs from Burnham's perspective, replete with sentimental (over-)(self-)analysis. What is notable about season five is that Discovery — as a series — has matured to a point of metacognition on the matter. Burnham has begun to self-analyse her own self-analysis, and, in Labyrinths, that led to some great dialogue of, and in, the mind.

As the virtual Booker tells Burnham, "Your consciousness has been transported into a mindscape — a virtual space created from what your neural activity indicates as the most important place in your life". In other words, Burnham is (mostly) talking to herself, and to a 24th century version of ChatGPT in the guise of her former partner. Cast your mind(scape) back, also, to that little known episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This isn't J.L. on Kataan with the flute, but it was a "nucleonic beam" from a "nucleonic emitter" that caused the Inner — slowly fading — Light effect for Burnham, too.

At first, this particularly peculiar test envisaged by Dr Derex as only a Betazoid could leads Burnham down the rabbit hole of history of Dominion and various other wars, not to mention that of Betazed, Trill and the Mirror Universe. Sat surrounded by a pile of books, Burnham realises she is going the wrong way about things, not that replica Booker has been any help! "Try being proactive next time!" Perhaps 'Labyrinths' is a literal maze? Grab a bucket of sand and let's get going!

In the end, and right back where she started, it's the '…of the Mind' part that's the real test for Burnham. Perhaps the most knowing nod to prior inner-musings comes when Burnham says, with irony, to ersatz Book: "Or maybe, I should go even more psychobabble here…" All of this then adds to the culminating and sublimely acted scene in the Mindscape in which Burnham admits her true feelings, her insecurities, her fears, honestly, and without jargon or rhetoric to hide behind.

"You passed," says the Booker of the Mind as the lights go back up. In her introspection, Burnham has proven herself a worthy protector of the Progenitors' technology, "to do the right thing with so much power". Next step: smashing crystal!