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

Well, this season is all about clues. There might not quite have been a murder in the library, but there were a few Breen dispatched at the end of Booker and Commander Rayner's phasers.

Sure, the duo's choice of bookcases for cover wasn't the most strategic choice — "Think like a hunter," stand like a fisherman? — and from the Breen's perspective on the dreadnought, things did look a little like they were just playing Doom, but overall, the dynamic pairing worked well. President T'Rina would still have a thing or two to say about Rayner's "gelatinous assh*les," nonetheless!

Xenophobia aside, Rayner does make some pretty tough calls with a lot of panache in this episode. His decision to beam everyone, including Captain Burnham, out of there come what may (i.e. the Breen), is, ultimately, the right one, and the only one that will save the most lives.

There wasn't just one Cleveland Booker in Labyrinths either, but two, sorta. This is, therefore, also an UP for the delightfully sarcastic 'mindscape alternate' Book and for David Ajala's take on him (the program). "My brain shoulda picked Tilly," Burnham jokes at one stage. As much as we adore her, it could only ever have been Book by proxy as Burnham's 'guide' through the labyrinth of the mind. In the real world, Book's love for Burnham is evident for all to see. Let's also take a moment to praise Ajala's standout performance in the viewing room when Book receives the Kwejian artefact!