WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, Episode 6, "Scavengers," now streaming on CBS All Access.
After several episodes of searching for the Federation, the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery finally found home last week. And though it was far from a slight adjustment for our main characters, by episode's end, it was clear they were getting settled into the new normal of the 32nd century. This week's episode, "Scavengers," furthers that narrative, showing that though Discovery has found the Federation, some issues within the crew make it far from united.
"Scavengers" opens three weeks after the events of Episode 5, as the Discovery has been fully integrated technologically into its new time period. That includes detachable nacelles, multi-purpose combadges and impressive holo-displays made from programmable matter. Captain Saru (Doug Jones) also has a seat at the table of Admiral Vance (Oded Fehr), who plans to use the ship and its spore drive as a rapid responder. And it may get a use out of it very soon, as the planet Argeth is on watch for an incoming attack from the Orion-Andorian syndicate known as the "Emerald Chain."
Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) has her eyes away from Argeth, though, when Book's (David Ajala) ship arrives at Federation headquarters without its captain. A message dated three weeks ago indicates Book heard word of a ship's black box located on a nearby planet, and that he would be seeking it out. However, his absence indicates the mission went poorly.
The black box is a big deal for Michael. Much like an airplane, a space ship's black box tracks the last moments of the craft before it goes down. For the past year, she has been collecting black boxes of all the ships that exploded during "The Burn" to see if they were indeed simultaneous. If they weren't, it means there could be an origin point for the disaster that changed the universe as we know it.
Michael immediately springs into action, asking Saru to use the Discovery to find Book and the black box. But the captain denies her request, pointing out the ship needs to be on hand at a moment's notice for Vance. Michael eventually relents to her superior, but makes a beeline for Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). She makes it clear to the former Terran empress: Whether with a crew or not, she's going to go get Book.
Georgiou joins Michael on her rogue mission, as they pilot Book's ship to his known location. On the way, Georgiou teases Michael about her feelings for the courier. But the ribbing is interrupted by a series of mysterious flashes (or perhaps flashbacks) that show her standing over a dead body, her hands covered in blood. Before she can dote too long on that strangeness, they've arrived at their location. They get hailed by Orion Tolor (Ian Lake) who immediately turns them away. But Georgiou puts on airs, negging the green-skinned man until he allows them access to their salvage yard and the cargo therein.
Back aboard the Discovery, the crew faces awkward encounters of various magnitudes. Tilly (Mary Wiseman) runs afoul of Book's cat, Grudge, discovering Michael's absence as she tries to handle the feline. In the engine room, Adira (Blu Del Barrio) is keeping to themselves, much to the chagrin of their boyfriend Gray (Ian Alexander). According to the deceased Trill, Adira has neglected to explore the ship or make bonds with any of the Discovery crew. Their conversation is interrupted by Stamets (Anthony Rapp), who walks in complaining about the disorganization of things. Adira is able to get back on his good side, though, by introducing a new spore interface that uses nanogel instead of the obtrusive implants previously used.
Michael and Georgiou tour the salvage yard, under the guise of a captain and servant seeking ship parts. The tour-giving Tolor is the nephew of Osyraa, the powerful leader of the syndicate. He is in charge of the planet, including its group of slave prisoners. Among those incarcerated is Book, who is trying to keep his head down when he sees Michael. They all get a demonstration in the cruelty of the Emerald Chain, as they watch another prisoner get decapitated by the perimeter fence as punishment for stealing water rations.
Michael and Book get some alone time, where he chides her for coming to get him. He has the black box and has been plotting his own escape, hitching a ride on a transport ship during a shift change. He and Michael make a plan for the jailbreak, and Georgiou gets the assist by destroying a drone to create a weapon to help bring down the perimeter fence. Unfortunately, their deeds are quickly noticed, and they're subdued.
It seems Saru has discovered Michael's absence as well, and goes to Tilly for advice. He's angry at his number one for defying his orders, saying it evokes her rogue attitude from their days together on the Shenzhou. Surprisingly, the ensign takes the captain's side in this conflict. She encourages Saru to rat Michael out to Vance, as her actions have put the entire ship and crew's reputation in jeopardy. Despite her sympathies towards Michael, Tilly's growing experience on the ship has led her to judge with her head over her heart in this instance.
A captured Michael and Georgiou are taken into Tolor's office, where he reveals he found their dilithium supplies. While Michael talks him out of killing them, Book pulls a space Attica and begins the jailbreak. He does so alongside Ryn (Noah Averbach-Katz, real-life husband of Mary Wiseman), an Andorian sympathizer who was maimed and punished for his attempts at rebellion against the Emerald Chain. As the prisoners wait for the perimeter fence to go down, Georgiou and Michael fight Tolor. Just when all hope seems lost as another bout of Georgiou's flashes cause her to momentarily pass out, she gets enough wherewithal to bring down the fence, as the prisoners make way to the transport ship and away from the planet.
Book arrives back aboard his ship alongside Ryn, who took a phaser hit for him during the escape. As the two men tend to their wounds, Georgiou destroys the salvage yard, as well as the ships carrying the Syndicate. Michael confronts her about her spaciness, and the Terran reveals some surprising vulnerability as she admits she doesn't know what's happening to her. But those walls don't stay down for long, as she makes Michael swear to secrecy, and even invokes the name of her Mirror Universe counterpart when speaking about her lack of trust for anyone named Michael Burnham.
In the Discovery mess hall, Stamets surprisingly sits down with Adira, who is mid-conversation with Gray. They decide to open up about their situation, and they picked the right person to tell, as Stamets empathizes with not only holding onto someone you love, but believing in the impossible when it comes to life and death. He gives some encouraging words to Adira and becomes their first true friend aboard the ship. Later, Stamets talks with Culber (Wilson Cruz) about the situation. The bedroom conversation turns therapeutic, as Culber makes Stamets realize his desire to assist Adira comes from seeing himself in the young prodigy.
Book's ship arrives back to Discovery, as Ryn's wounds are tended to. Aboard a turbo lift, things get intimate between Book and Michael, as he apologizes and thanks her for saving his life. As she says she has no regrets for what she did, you can cut the romantic tension with a bat'leth. And despite a momentary pause in the mood from a transporting Linus, the two kiss, finally acting on the feelings both have denied for so long.
Unfortunately, the episode does not end so happily for Michael. Saru did indeed tell Vance about what she did. And though Vance admits intel on "The Burn" would have been valuable for him once upon a time, he predictably digs into her for abandoning her crew and undermining her captain's orders. In response, she tells him she believes that the Federation can never be whole again until the source of "The Burn" has been discovered. But Vance curtly dismisses the idea, leaving Saru and Michael alone.
Now it's Saru's turn to speak, and it's clear the breach of trust has hit him hard. Though he sympathizes with Michael's actions, he now firmly realizes that they can never go back to before, including their dynamic. As a result, he demotes Michael from her position of First Officer. Though tearful, she tells him he's doing the right thing. Saru assures her they will all eventually find the answers they're looking for before walking away, leaving Michael contemplatively holding her Starfleet badge.
Saru's words in that final scene ring true for not just Michael, but Star Trek: Discovery as a whole. With the Federation now found, it begs the question of whether things can go back to things as they were. But the characters this episode have proven they are far from the people they were in the 22nd century. Whether it's Michael ditching Starfleet for her new beau, Stamets becoming a listening ear or Georgiou beginning to lose her composure, it's clear that the "new normal" is far from it.
Streaming on CBS All Access, Star Trek: Discovery stars Sonequa Martin-Green as Commander Michael Burnham, Doug Jones as Commander Saru, Anthony Rapp as Lt. Commander Paul Stamets, Mary Wiseman as Ensign Sylvia Tilly, Wilson Cruz as Dr. Hugh Culber, David Ajala as Cleveland "Book" Booker, Blu del Barrio as Adira, Ian Alexander as Gray, Tig Notaro as Chief Engineer Reno and Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou. New episodes of Season 3 air on Thursdays.