Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 8 – “Labyrinths”
Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) meets an Avatar of Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, “Labyrinths”, and her reaction is similar to a classic Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta) joke on The Simpsons. Written by Lauren Wilkinson & Eric J. Robbins and directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8 brought the USS Discovery to the Eternal Gallery and Archive, where the final clue to the ancient treasure of the Progenitors is hidden. It’s also the site of the ultimate test of Michael Burnham’s worthiness to find the Progenitors’ technology.
When Captain Burnham tries to find the final Progenitors clue in “Labyrinths of the Mind,” a novel written by 24th-century Betazoid scientist Dr. Marina Derex, she is pulled into her own mindscape in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8. It’s an elaborate test to evaluate who Michael Burnham really is, and it forces the Captain of the Discovery to confront and admit her innermost fears. However, Michael’s honesty is exactly what Dr. Derex’s test was designed to reveal, and Burnham earns the final clue to complete the Progenitors’ treasure map. Yet Michael also had to deal with Avatar Book, whose introduction to Captain Burnham invited a comparison to a joke from The Simpsons.
When Captain Burnham enters her mindscape in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, “Labyrinths”, she’s surprised to find the program Dr. Derex created to guide her taking the form of Cleveland Booker. When Michael asks the Avatar Book, “Why do you look like you?”, the program replies, “My form was created from your subconscious. So you tell me.” The moment echoes a joke from The Simpsons season 12, episode 15, “Hungry Hungry Homer” when Homer Simpson was on a hunger strike and was visited by the spirit of Cesar Chavez. It led to this hilarious exchange:
Of course, the plot of The Simpsons‘ “Hungry Hungry Homer” couldn’t be more different from Star Trek: Discovery’s “Labyrinths”. Homer went on an ill-fated hunger strike to protest the Springfield Isotopes leaving his hometown. And Cesar Chavez didn’t stick around beyond scolding Homer for equating him with the actor who played the Joker in the 1960s Batman TV show. But the exchange between Captain Burnham and Avatar Book had a hint of the humor that underscores the intergalactic adventure of Star Trek: Discovery season 5.
Captain Michael Burnham isn’t just the central hero of Star Trek: Discovery and the Progenitors treasure hunt always hinged on her. Each clue to the Progenitors’ treasure came with a moral and ethical test that Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery passed. From displaying compassion for other creatures to understanding how to wield powerful technology responsibly, Michael and her friends proved worthy of each test. However, Dr. Derex’s clue may be the most crucial test as it simply proves Captain Burnham is a good person.
Michael Burnham knows herself and, most importantly, she doesn’t delude or lie to herself. The Captain of the Discovery is aware of how others see her, the pressures and burdens she shoulders, but she also realizes her self-worth. Michael isn’t afraid to admit her mistakes, and she does everything possible to rectify her failures. Captain Burnham is the only person in Star Trek: Discovery who could unlock every clue to the Progenitors’ treasure. And, unlike Homer Simpson, Michael Burnham likely knows what Cesar Chavez looks like.
New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream Thursdays on Paramount+
The Simpsons is streaming on Disney+