Discovery visits the Eternal Gallery and Archive to find the final clue, with the Breen following close behind.
Tropes:
- Art Evolution: The Badlands in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager was pink colored smokey tunnels on the top and bottom with deadly plasma funnels forming between the layers (achieved through cloud tanks and CGI of the time period). Here (with modern CGI effects), it's depicted as an orange gigantic, chaotic storm of plasma with a stable blue eye at the center and very few corridors of safe passage, enough to inflict heavy damage to more advanced starships. A line indicates it's become even more dangerous after 800 years.
- Asshole Victim: After he spent pretty much his entire time onscreen finding dogs to kick, recklessly endangering the lives of his soldiers, casually risking all-out war with the Federation and intending to destroy the Archive just because — even though there were priceless Breen artifacts on board and after having sworn a sacred oath not to do so — it's safe to assume nobody's going to be mourning Primarch Ruhn much after Moll kills him.
- Bait-and-Switch: The Archive curator advises Discovery that she will not prevent the Breen from coming aboard, as they have as much right to visit as the Federation and have even donated artifacts to them from time to time. The audience could easily be forgiven for assuming that the Breen will arrive and conduct their own search/bargaining with the Archive and legitimately obtain the puzzle piece before Discovery can. Primarch Ruhn decides it would be much better to Leeroy Jenkins his way onto the Archive and kill anyone who gets in his way, putting the curator's immediate loyalty firmly with Burnham and Discovery.
- Benevolent A.I.: The test program avatar wants seekers to succeed and is willing to be helpful within the bounds of its restrictions. It also warns Burnham that failing means death and offers her a chance to back out before committing.
- Bond One-Liner: After Rayner takes out a Breen soldier.Rayner: There's more of that down here, you gelatinous assholes!
- Bond Villain Stupidity: Defied. Primarch Ruhn is prepared to provoke the Federation, the other Breen factions, and basically the entire galaxy because he believes the Progenitor technology will make him too powerful to challenge. Moll points out that he doesn't have it yet.
- The Bus Came Back:
- The Efrosians make their return to Star Trek after a 33 year absence following their last appearance in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
- The Badlands likewise make their return to Star Trek after a 25 year absence following their final appearance on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 1999.
- Continuity Nod: Reno mentions that Hysperians know how to party. We've seen a glimpse of that on Star Trek: Lower Decks, suggesting that she's into Ren Fairs.
- Deliberate Injury Gambit: With the Breen Dreadnaught ready to destroy the Eternal Archive to force Discovery to relinquish the completed Progenitor map, Burnham copies the map and then beams it over, knowing the Breen will attack them once they have it. Burnham then has Discovery prepare to vent warp plasma and the shuttlebays at the same moment as their spore jump, while allowing the Breen to fire upon them until moments before their shields would fail. The result is an exploding cloud of debris that makes it appear to the Breen as if they were destroyed mid-jump. A combination of the stunt and having to endure the Breen attacks, however, mean the ship is still badly damaged and their jump is thrown off by 22 light-years, but in Faking the Dead Burnham hopes that the Breen would not be in a rush to the final location and spare the Archive (which was almost still a casualty due to Ruhn's ego, but a last-second mutiny saved it).
- Dispense with the Pleasantries: Downplayed — Hy'Rell has a welcoming speech for guests which Burnham tries to skip, since she's in a hurry and the speech is rather distracting when Discovery is, y'know, trying not to explode.Hy'Rell: I’ll be explaining how to get into the Archive in a moment, but first, there’s a little speech we like to give. The Eternal Gallery and Archive is proud to house the largest known collection of historical and cultural artifacts in the Alpha or Beta Quadrants.
Burnham: I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’re in a bit of hurry.
Hy'Rell: Of course. We can talk while we travel.
Hy'Rell: The Archive has made its home in the Badlands for nearly a century. These uniquely treacherous conditions help us protect our collection. Archivists, such as myself, come from a wide array of backgrounds. We have devoted our lives to the preservation of galactic knowledge.
Burnham: We appreciate the information, but if you don't mind, we need to focus. - Even Evil Has Standards: The Breen are notorious for being brutal and having no regard for alien life. But when Primarch Ruhn talks of destroying the Eternal Archive for his petty ego everyone starts shifting uncomfortably, knowing this would antagonize the entire Quadrant against them. When Moll kills him in self-defense they seem more relieved than angry.
- Evil Is Petty: Burnham forces Primarch Ruhn to swear a sacred "tergun" oath to spare the Archive and its inhabitants if Discovery hands over the completed map, only to then betray his oath and turn his weapons on the Archive after he thinks he's destroyed Discovery, seemingly out of spite for Burnham invoking Breen culture against him in the first place. Moll is able to use that to talk his lieutenant into betraying him, then kills him when he's distracted.
- Faking the Dead: Burnham has the warp plasma and shuttlebays vented while Discovery jumps to the final clue, to create the appearance that the Breen destroyed them. Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of severe damage to Discovery and their jump being thrown off by 22 light-years, leaving them in a Race Against the Clock to repair their engines before the Breen reach the location by conventional warp.
- Finish Dialogue in Unison: Adira and Stamets do this twice while figuring out how to stop the Breen from breaking through the Archive's shields, to Reno's delight.Adira: Wait, look at this. Their tunnel has a periodic fluctuation. It's, uh, 8.4 times per second.
Stamets: Yeah. They're –- they're using harmonic resonance...
Stamets and Adira: To match the Archive's shield frequency!
Reno: I love when you two do that.
Stamets: We-we could direct a positron beam right to where the tunnel meets the Archive’s shields, and then, if we set the beam to a different frequency...
Reno: That’s it. Do it again.
Stamets and Adira: The tunnel would automatically close! - A Form You Are Comfortable With: The test program takes the form of the Archive and its avatar the form of Book, the former because the mission is what Burnham is focused on and the latter because of her unresolved issues with Book.
- Gallows Humor: Hy'Rell may be sweet, but she has a somewhat offbeat sense of humor.Hy'Rell: The Eternal Gallery and Archive is proud to house the largest known collection of historical and cultural artifacts in the Alpha or Beta Quadrants. As this is your first visit into the Archive, please follow my instructions precisely and do not deviate. The Archive is not responsible for any damage, dismemberment, or death that may result in your failure to do so.
Rayner: Was that meant as a joke?
Burnham: I guess we'll find out.
Hy'Rell: We are here to serve everyone as long as everyone follows the rules.
Book: And if they don't?
Hy'Rell: Why, we send them to the dungeon, of course. Just kidding, we don't actually have a dungeon here. It's really more of an oubliette. - Great Big Library of Everything: The Eternal Gallery and Archive is a city-sized repository of books and artifacts—some mundane, some unique and priceless—from a great number of cultures both living and gone.
- Hostage for MacGuffin: Ruhn demands the clues from Discovery or he'll destroy the Archive, knowing Starfleet will prioritize the few over the many.
- I Lied: Primarch Ruhn swears an oath not to destroy the Archive if Discovery gives him the clues, only to immediately break that oath when he thinks they've been destroyed.
- It's All About Me: Primarch Ruhn only cares about securing the Progenitor technology and ruling the Breen, regardless of what he has to destroy or the oaths he has to break to get there.
- Manly Tears: Book sheds a few tears when he sees that the Archive has a cutting from the World Root, effectively the last physical remnant of Kwejian.
- Needle in a Stack of Needles: Subverted, twice.
- Burnham initially assumes the test is to find the clue in the myriad books in the simulated library, and immediately starts trying to narrow down her search. It's only after she's wasted a lot of time poring through history books that she realizes she's got the wrong idea.
- Similarly, Book and Rayner assume the clue must be hidden in the library and go over all the places Dr. Derex visited as an archivist, only to be dismayed to find her reading list is so vast as to be useless, especially under a time crunch. They're also on the wrong track, as she actually hid the clue in a crystal decoration in one of the visitor rooms.
- Oddly Small Organization: Hy'Rell appears to be the only caretaker of the entire facility, as she answers hails, personally escorts visitors to items of interest and attends to minor clerical work on the side. Later in the episode it's said the facility had a staff of 1,000 people, though given the purpose of an archive and the size of it it makes a little sense we only see her. It may be that her job is seeing to visitors, as the Archive would for obvious reasons not be frequented by patrons given how dangerous it is to even reach.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Moll has no problem getting into a firefight with Discovery's crew to secure the final clue, but she draws the line at Ruhn's order to destroy Discovery because they'd be declaring war on the Federation before they've secured the Progenitor technology. Ruhn ignores her.
- Race Against the Clock: After Discovery's narrow escape from the Breen, it's projected that it will take the Breen six hours to reach the location on the map. Discovery is much closer, but is presently adrift. They have to effect repairs within five hours lest the Breen overtake them.
- Secret Test of Character: The test for the final clue is a mental prison that requires a specific action to escape, but the test program can't reveal what the test is other than explaining when the subject is on the wrong track. When Burnham finally gives up and admits her failings, it turns out to be the correct answer: anyone who would protect the Progenitors' technology must be able to be honest about themselves, even those things they'd rather not admit to.
- Silk Hiding Steel: Hy'Rell the archivist is inherently bubbly and quite friendly to the crew of Discovery, but when the Breen start threatening her, she politely but coldly tells them to get lost.Hy'Rell: Hello. I’m Hy’Rell, one of the sworn order who tend—
Ruhn: We tracked a Starfleet jump signature to this location. They seek an item which belongs to me.
Hy'Rell: As a matter of policy, when it comes to conflicts between our visitors, the Archive does not—
Ruhn: I hope, for your sake, that it remains in your possession.
Hy'Rell: (Beat) Sir, in light of the fact that we have several priceless Breen artifacts in our Archive, I'll do you the courtesy to suggest that you rephrase your request.
Ruhn: Give it to me! Or the Archive and its contents will be made ash.
Hy'Rell: (voice hardens) Your request is denied, and all Breen privileges are suspended until further notice. May you gain knowledge elsewhere. - Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Even with no doubt incredibly advanced computer systems and dedicated staff, it's still very possible for priceless artifacts to be incompletely or incorrectly labelled, and languish in storage to be rediscovered only much later by chance. Mind you, we don't know how much the Archive was originally told about the cutting, but it looks like they only knew it was from Kwejian.
- Switch to English: Ruhn starts L'ak's funeral in Breen language before switching to English for Moll's benefit.
- Talking to the Dead: Moll talks to L'ak's body at his funeral,Moll: I'll fix this. I promise.
- Teleportation Rescue: Burnham and her team find the final clue just before the Breen beam into the room. Discovery beams them back just before they get blasted.
- Villain Ball: Ruhn does absolutely everything he can think of to get himself killed until Moll finally obliges him. First, he swears a sacred "tergun" oath to not harm the Archive in exchange for Discovery giving him the map. Then once he has what he wants, he orders Discovery to be destroyed despite Moll's warning that it's a declaration of war against the Federation. Once he believes Discovery has been vaporized, he then orders the Archive destroyed anyway, boasting that the Progenitor tech will give him the strength to wipe out any other Breen factions who will seek revenge on him as an oathbreaker and defiler of their culture. He then shoots a subordinate for having the audacity to hesitate in obeying the order. Moll calls him out and kills him in the name of the Scion whom she intends to resurrect. Ruhn's entire crew sides with her after seeing how little of a damn he gave about the Scion, his oaths, and even Breen lives.
- Win to Exit: The test program traps seekers in a mental world and tasks them with completing a test in order to escape, without any guide as to what the test is supposed to be. The worthy are told where the clue is. Unworthy seekers die.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Once Ruhn has the clues, he declares he has no need of Moll and tries to kill her. Fortunately for her, his blatant disregard for Breen culture or oaths makes his lieutenant pull a gun on him, and Moll uses that moment to kill him instead.
