Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 3 opens with the crew gearing up for a journey to Trill, in search of the next clue in their quest. Culber and Book convene with Captain Burnham to discuss the potential perils awaiting them. They delve into the background of Moll, while Burnham's former lover insists on joining the Trill landing party, despite not belonging to Starfleet.
Elsewhere, Adira and Tilly's detective work uncovers a Trill spot pattern on the mysterious map puzzle piece, leading them to a 24th-century Trill named Jinaal. Shortly after, Rayner joins the crew, and Burnham assigns him the task of getting acquainted with every member.
As the team arrives on Trill, Burnham, accompanied by Adira, Culber, and Book, descend into the Caves of Mak'ala to meet an ancient Trill. Jinaal reveals that the next clue lies nearby and escorts Burnham and Book to retrieve it. They arrive at a canyon, where Jinaal shares the story of how he, Dr. Vellek, and four other scientists discovered Progenitor technology but deemed it too hazardous to hand over to the Federation during the Dominion War.
Meanwhile, at Starfleet, Saru is settling into his new office, assisted by his fiancée, T'Rina. They plan to make their wedding announcement before delving into a resource meeting. During the meeting, Saru passionately advocates for increased allocations to the small worlds he represents, eventually reaching a compromise with those voicing concerns.
However, concerns arise about the potential impact of their wedding announcement on Ni'Var politics. When Saru discusses these issues with T'Rina, she reacts poorly.
Back on Trill, the team faces a monstrous challenge. As a second monster emerges to create obstacles, Burnham bravely heads to the rock marked with the clue symbol, determined to retrieve the coveted prize.
Burnham carefully holstered her phaser, displaying utmost respect towards the now-calmed Intronoks. Book mirrored her actions, communicating their sole intention to depart as they retreated. Shortly after, they stumbled upon Dr. Hugh Jinaal perched on a boulder, cracking a jest, "I see you survived."
It transpired that Jinaal had deliberately lured them to the nest, suggesting they arm their phasers. By choosing to connect instead of firing, they had successfully passed another test. Jinaal had been willing to sacrifice them just to discern if there was a spark of "goodness" within them. However, their survival had earned them the coveted prize: the clue and the second map fragment, concealed beneath another rock.
Culber returned to the ship to recuperate from his possession. As Burnham caught up with him in the lounge, they pondered the profound spiritual implications of their journey and their quest for the technology of the gods.
Back at the headquarters, Saru tendered an apology to T'Rina for all the political entanglements that had hindered their progress, and they reconciled.
The episode drew to a close in the caves of Trill, where Bix returned to the symbiont pool. Adira and Gray exchanged farewells, revealing that Moll had disguised herself as a Trill. Before Adira beamed back to the Discovery, Moll slyly slipped something onto her sleeve.
