‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Recap – ‘All In’

Written by Shae Rufe

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 408 of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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When last we left Star Trek: Discovery, there were many things about to happen. A vote was cast to either stop the DMA or make First Contact with whom the DMA might belong to. The vote was to make First Contact and that was not a decision Booker and Tarka could stand by. The two, stole experimental equipment and left to destroy the DMA. This left Michael with a near impossible decision, to stop them or not. Sadly, the decision was made for her when President Rillak and Admiral Vance order her to not get involved. Let it be said, however, that Rillak isn’t the only one who can get Michael to bend the rules. Admiral Vance does the same and coerces the captain into finding Booker without directly looking for him. Of course, this leads to Michael tracking Booker down.

Tarka can’t just magically make the weapon that’ll destroy the DMA without isolynium, and in order to get that, he and Booker are going to have to go through some black-market channels. Thankfully, Book knows a guy. He’s not happy about it, but this is their only option. Turns out, last time Book worked with Haz, it didn’t go so well. Lucky for him that Haz is so forgiving. Not really, Haz needs help finding a cheat in his casino, and Tarka is willing to help. The price of isolynium is going up, however, and Haz is a businessman after all. This is where Michael tracks Booker to.
 
It’s sort of a happy coincidence since she needs some star maps that only the Orion’s would have. If we’re being honest here, Haz does like Michael more. Michael doesn’t run into Booker at first, Haz tips her off to him being there, but that’s about as far as he’s willing to go. Being the Captain of a Federation ship doesn’t exactly garner any respect in these parts, but Haz has a good sense of humor about it. The money they brought is enough for the star maps but not the isolynium. That they’ll have to earn the rest while at the casino.

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​It’s not the best situation, Michael has been in worse, and oddly so has Owosekun, whom she brought with her. Owosekun decides that their best bet at tripling their money is to hop in the ring herself and put up a good fight. Whether this is something Joann needs to do for herself or a way to prove herself worthy to the captain, herself, or all of the above, is up for debate. In the end, Joann beats her opponent and Tarka catches the cheat. Haz isn’t about to just hand over the isolynium, not when he can make more money. It’s up to a poker game. Booker, Michael, and two very dangerous people, all fighting for the isolythium in a card game to the possible death. We all knew it was going to just come down to Booker and Michael. Michael lays it all out there. This isn’t going to end well for Booker or Tarka, and they all know it. Michael will put her duties before her heart. Booker just won’t see past his own grief and need for revenge to stop.

Booker wins and takes the isolythium. Michael reports back to Starfleet. While President Rillak is tearing into her over not stopping Booker, Michael reveals that she planted a tracking device on the isolythium. She knew she couldn’t beat Booker, yet it was an opportunity to place a long-range tracker on them and find them and get to them before they can harm the DMA. That’s when Stamets calls them in and reveals that the DMA is linked to an advanced species that the Federation has never made first contact with. In fact, their technological advances are beyond anything the Federation could dream up.
 
As for the DMA? It’s not a weapon. It’s a mining tool used to mine boron from space. Attacking it would be seen as an act of aggression, and if the DMA isn’t a weapon… they better stop Booker and Tarka quick… before they start a war that the known universe wouldn’t stand a chance against.

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