best episodes of Star Trek: Discovery poster

Follow the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself.

5 Seasons
65 Episodes
Ended
Sci-Fi & Fantasy Action & Adventure Drama
Cast & Characters
episode image If Memory Serves
8.2/10 (4440 votes)

#1 If Memory Serves

S2:E8

Spock and Burnham head to Talos IV, where the process of healing Spock forces the siblings to confront their troubled past. Stamets desperately tries to reconnect with Hugh, while Tyler struggles to shed the crew's suspicions of him due to his past as Voq.

episode image Such Sweet Sorrow (2)
8.2/10 (5180 votes)

#2 Such Sweet Sorrow (2)

S2:E14

The U.S.S. Discovery battles against Control in a fight not only for their lives but for the future, with a little help from some unexpected friends. Spock and Burnham discern vital new connections between the red signals while Burnham faces one of life’s harshest truths: the right decisions are often the hardest to make.

episode image Vaulting Ambition
8.1/10 (5050 votes)

#3 Vaulting Ambition

S1:E12

Burnham heads to the ISS Charon with a special "gift" for the Emperor. With the help of an unexpected source, Stamets gains clarity while trapped inside the mycelial network. Saru asks for L'Rell's help.

episode image What's Past is Prologue
8.1/10 (4855 votes)

#4 What's Past is Prologue

S1:E13

Lorca plans to move forward with a coup against the Emperor, propelling Burnham to make a quick decision to save not only herself, but the U.S.S. Discovery.

episode image Into the Forest I Go
7.9/10 (5288 votes)

#5 Into the Forest I Go

S1:E9

Bypassing Starfleet's orders, Lorca uses the U.S.S. Discovery crew's ultimate asset, the ship itself, in an effort to end the war with the Klingons once and for all.

episode image Project Daedalus
7.9/10 (4022 votes)

#6 Project Daedalus

S2:E9

When the Discovery crew infiltrates Section 31's headquarters, suspicions arise that the crew may have a traitor in their midst. Burnham tries to help Spock but her efforts don't go as planned.

episode image Despite Yourself
7.8/10 (5144 votes)

#7 Despite Yourself

S1:E10

While in unfamiliar territory, the U.S.S. Discovery crew is forced to get creative in their next efforts to survive opposing and unprecedented forces and return home.

episode image The Wolf Inside
7.8/10 (4687 votes)

#8 The Wolf Inside

S1:E11

The crew continues their guise, and Burnham is ordered on a merciless mission to end the resistance in hopes of returning home. Meanwhile, Tilly works on restoring Stamets’ neurofunction.

episode image New Eden
7.8/10 (4838 votes)

#9 New Eden

S2:E2

A new signal appears, prompting Stamets' emotional return to the mycelial network and leading Burnham, Pike and Owosekun to a pre-warp planet, where they face a complex ethical dilemma. Tilly's overeagerness lands her in trouble but when the planet - and Discovery's landing party - are threatened, her curiosity may be the one thing that can save them.

episode image Context Is for Kings
7.7/10 (6939 votes)

#10 Context Is for Kings

S1:E3

Burnham finds herself aboard the U.S.S. Discovery where she quickly realizes things are not as they seem, including the mysterious Captain Gabriel Lorca.

episode image The Sound of Thunder
7.7/10 (4054 votes)

#11 The Sound of Thunder

S2:E6

When a new signal appears over Saru's home planet, Burnham, Saru and the crew embark on a perilous mission that puts Saru in danger and raises questions about the Red Angel's intentions. Hugh struggles to come to terms with his new reality.

episode image Through the Valley of Shadows
7.6/10 (3468 votes)

#12 Through the Valley of Shadows

S2:E12

A fourth signal leads the U.S.S. Discovery to a world where Pike is forced to make a life-changing choice. Burnham and Spock investigate a Section 31 ship gone rogue, leading to a discovery with catastrophic consequences.

episode image Battle at the Binary Stars
7.5/10 (7445 votes)

#13 Battle at the Binary Stars

S1:E2

Face to face with Klingon vessels, the U.S.S. Shenzhou prepares for the possibility of war if negotiations fail. Amidst the turmoil, Burnham looks back to her Vulcan upbringing for guidance.

episode image Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad
7.5/10 (5893 votes)

#14 Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad

S1:E7

As the U.S.S. Discovery crew attempts to let loose at a party, an unwelcome visitor comes aboard bringing about a problematic and twisted sequence of events.

episode image The War Without, The War Within
7.5/10 (4130 votes)

#15 The War Without, The War Within

S1:E14

Burnham and the U.S.S. Discovery crew are faced with the harsh reality of the war during their absence. In order to move forward, Starfleet must use unconventional tactics and sources to take their next action against the Klingons.

episode image Brother
7.4/10 (5279 votes)

#16 Brother

S2:E1

After answering a distress signal from the U.S.S. Enterprise, the U.S.S. Discovery welcomes aboard Captain Christopher Pike and begins a new mission to investigate the meaning behind seven mysterious red signals. Michael Burnham grapples with her past growing up on Vulcan with her foster parents and brother Spock.

episode image Choose Your Pain
7.3/10 (5839 votes)

#17 Choose Your Pain

S1:E5

Lorca unexpectedly finds himself in the company of a prisoner of war, Starfleet Lieutenant Ash Tyler, and a notorious intergalactic criminal, Harry Mudd. Meanwhile, Burnham voices her concerns about the repercussions of the spore drive jumps on “Ripper.”

episode image Lethe
7.3/10 (5440 votes)

#18 Lethe

S1:E6

The U.S.S. Discovery crew is intrigued by new addition, Lt. Ash Tyler. Sarek seeks Burnham's help, rekindling memories from her past. Admiral Cornwell questions Lorca's tactics.

episode image An Obol for Charon
7.3/10 (4222 votes)

#19 An Obol for Charon

S2:E4

A mysterious sphere threatens the U.S.S. Discovery even as May, in her original form, implements a plan that puts Tilly's life in danger. Saru and Burnham's bond grows when Saru is forced to acknowledge a deeply unsettling Kelpien truth. Pike receives new intel on Spock from a loyal friend.

episode image Light and Shadows
7.3/10 (3665 votes)

#20 Light and Shadows

S2:E7

Burnham goes to Vulcan in search of Spock, where she unearths surprising family secrets. In researching what is left of the Red Angel's signal over Kaminar, Pike and Tyler end up in battle with time itself. Georgiou has a few tricks up her sleeve for Leland and Section 31.

episode image Such Sweet Sorrow (1)
7.3/10 (3941 votes)

#21 Such Sweet Sorrow (1)

S2:E13

When the U.S.S. Discovery's crucial mission does not go according to plan, Burnham realizes what must ultimately be done. The crew prepares for the battle of a lifetime as Leland's Control ships get closer.

episode image That Hope Is You (1)
7.3/10 (5226 votes)

#22 That Hope Is You (1)

S3:E1

Arriving 930 years in the future, Burnham navigates a galaxy she no longer recognizes while searching for the rest of the U.S.S. Discovery crew.

episode image Die Trying
7.3/10 (3692 votes)

#23 Die Trying

S3:E5

After reuniting with what remains of Starfleet and the Federation, the U.S.S. Discovery and its crew must prove that a 930 year old crew and starship are exactly what this new future needs.

episode image The Vulcan Hello
7.2/10 (8238 votes)

#24 The Vulcan Hello

S1:E1

While patrolling Federation space, the U.S.S. Shenzhou encounters an object of unknown origin, putting First Officer Michael Burnham to her greatest test yet.

episode image The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry
7.2/10 (5932 votes)

#25 The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry

S1:E4

With tensions and stakes high as Starfleet continues in their efforts to end the war with Klingons, Burnham begins to settle in to her new position aboard the U.S.S. Discovery.

episode image The Red Angel
7.2/10 (3780 votes)

#26 The Red Angel

S2:E10

Burnham is stunned when she learns her ties to Section 31 run deeper than she ever fathomed. Armed with the identity of the Red Angel, the U.S.S. Discovery goes to work on its most critical mission to date.

episode image Perpetual Infinity
7.2/10 (3554 votes)

#27 Perpetual Infinity

S2:E11

Burnham receives the reunion she's been longing for, but it doesn't go quite as she imagined. Georgiou and Tyler sense a disturbing change in Leland.

episode image Far from Home
7.2/10 (4087 votes)

#28 Far from Home

S3:E2

The crew of the Discovery races to repair their ship after they crash. Tilly & Saru make a first contact looking for Burnham.

episode image People of Earth
7.2/10 (3871 votes)

#29 People of Earth

S3:E3

Reunited with Burnham, Discovery heads to Earth to find out what has happened to the Federation in the last thousand years.

episode image Will You Take My Hand?
7.1/10 (4622 votes)

#30 Will You Take My Hand?

S1:E15

With Georgiou at the helm of the plan to end the Klingon war once and for all, the U.S.S. Discovery crew struggles to fathom and tolerate her hostile tactics. Memories of past hardships are rekindled within Burnham.

episode image Face the Strange
7.1/10 (1544 votes)

#31 Face the Strange

S5:E4

On the way to the next clue, the U.S.S. Discovery is sabotaged by a mysterious weapon, leaving Captain Burnham, Rayner, and Stamets as the only crew members who can possibly save the ship in time.

episode image Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum
6.8/10 (4881 votes)

#32 Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum

S1:E8

The U.S.S. Discovery is tasked with a high priority mission to planet Pahvo and learn the science behind the Klingon's cloaking technology.

episode image There is a Tide…
6.8/10 (3246 votes)

#33 There is a Tide…

S3:E12

After capturing the U.S.S. Discovery, Osyraa seeks a meeting with Admiral Vance while Burnham and the crew must overcome unimaginable odds as they attempt to regain command of their ship.

episode image Species Ten-C
6.7/10 (2223 votes)

#34 Species Ten-C

S4:E12

As the DMA approaches Earth and Ni’Var, Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery attempt to make First Contact with the powerful species responsible before it’s too late.

episode image Point of Light
6.6/10 (4361 votes)

#35 Point of Light

S2:E3

A surprise visitor to the U.S.S. Discovery brings shocking news about Spock and dredges up past regrets for Burnham. Following the asteroid incident, Tilly struggles to keep a grip on her reality. L'Rell's authority on Qo'noS is threatened.

episode image Saints of Imperfection
6.6/10 (4266 votes)

#36 Saints of Imperfection

S2:E5

Burnham and the crew navigate a dangerous alien landscape in a race against time to save Tilly's life, but Stamets is not at all prepared for what they find in the process. Section 31 is assigned to help track down Spock, much to Pike's dismay.

episode image Scavengers
6.6/10 (3513 votes)

#37 Scavengers

S3:E6

After receiving a message from Book, Burnham and Georgiou embark on a rogue mission to find him, leaving Saru to pick up the pieces with Admiral Vance. Meanwhile, Stamets forms an unexpected bond with Adira.

episode image Unification III
6.5/10 (3972 votes)

#38 Unification III

S3:E7

While grappling with the fallout of her recent actions, and what her future might hold, Burnham agrees to represent the Federation in an intense debate about the release of politically sensitive - but highly valuable - Burn data.

episode image That Hope Is You (2)
6.5/10 (3986 votes)

#39 That Hope Is You (2)

S3:E13

As the Emerald Chain tightens its grip and the mystery of the Burn is finally solved, Burnham and the crew have one last chance to save themselves - and the Federation.

episode image Lagrange Point
6.5/10 (1245 votes)

#40 Lagrange Point

S5:E9

After Moll and the Breen capture a mysterious structure that contains the Progenitors' power, Captain Burnham must lead a covert mission to retrieve it before the Breen figure out how to use it.

Cast & Chracters

character image Michael Burnham

Michael Burnham

Actor: Sonequa Martin-Green
character image Saru

Saru

Actor: Doug Jones
character image Sylvia Tilly

Sylvia Tilly

Actor: Mary Wiseman
character image Paul Stamets

Paul Stamets

Actor: Anthony Rapp
character image Dr. Hugh Culber

Dr. Hugh Culber

Actor: Wilson Cruz
character image Adira Tal

Adira Tal

Actor: Blu del Barrio
character image Cleveland 'Book' Booker

Cleveland 'Book' Booker

Actor: David Ajala
character image Rayner

Rayner

Actor: Callum Keith Rennie

The highest rated episode of Star Trek: Discovery is "If Memory Serves" (S2E8) with a rating of 8.20.

This episode received 4,440 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "All Is Possible" (S4E4) with a rating of 5.20.

This episode received 3,307 votes.

The highest rated episode is "Vaulting Ambition" (S1E12) with a rating of 8.10.

This episode received 5,050 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" (S1E8) with a rating of 6.80.

This episode received 4,881 votes.

The highest rated episode is "If Memory Serves" (S2E8) with a rating of 8.20.

This episode received 4,440 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "Point of Light" (S2E3) with a rating of 6.60.

This episode received 4,361 votes.

The highest rated episode is "That Hope Is You (1)" (S3E1) with a rating of 7.30.

This episode received 5,226 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "The Sanctuary" (S3E8) with a rating of 5.80.

This episode received 3,797 votes.

The highest rated episode is "Species Ten-C" (S4E12) with a rating of 6.70.

This episode received 2,223 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "All Is Possible" (S4E4) with a rating of 5.20.

This episode received 3,307 votes.

The highest rated episode is "Face the Strange" (S5E4) with a rating of 7.10.

This episode received 1,544 votes.


The lowest rated episode is "Whistlespeak" (S5E6) with a rating of 5.70.

This episode received 1,450 votes.

Name Department Job
Ralph McQuarrie Art Conceptual Design
Alex Yewon Crew Score Engineer
Aaron Baiers Production Executive Producer
Alex Kurtzman Production Executive Producer
Craig Shapiro Production Executive Producer
Elizabeth Kruger Production Executive Producer
Frank Siracusa Production Executive Producer
Heather Kadin Production Executive Producer
John Weber Production Executive Producer
Kenneth Lin Production Executive Producer
Michelle Paradise Production Executive Producer
Olatunde Osunsanmi Production Executive Producer
Rod Roddenberry Production Executive Producer
Trevor Roth Production Executive Producer
Alexander Courage Sound Music

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