Star Trek: Discovery’s Burnham Fight Makes Michael Even More Like Kirk

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange."

Summary Captain Burnham's encounter with her past self in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4 mirrors Kirk's battle with his doppelganger.

Burnham's growth on Discovery highlights similarities to Kirk's brash, action-oriented command style from Star Trek: The Original Series.

In Discovery season 5, Burnham's quest for a powerful treasure brings her closer to the spirit of exploration shared by Kirk in Star Trek.

Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) already has a lot in common with Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), but fighting herself in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4 makes her even more like the Captain of the Enterprise. In its fifth and final season, Star Trek: Discovery follows Captain Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery as they set out in search of a powerful treasure that could reveal secrets about the creation of all humanoid life. With numerous references to Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Discovery season 5 feels more connected to Star Trek's long, rich history.

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Captain Michael Burnham has come a long way in Star Trek: Discovery, and no scene illustrates this better than one in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange." Written by Sean Cochran and directed by Lee Rose, "Face the Strange" finds Burnham and her First Officer, Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie), jumping through the USS Discovery's past and possible future. As they work with Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) to stop the time jumping, Michael and Rayner end up on Discovery during the show's first season, and Michael has a run-in with her past self, Specialist Michael Burnham.

Related Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

Burnham Fighting Herself In Star Trek: Discovery Makes Michael More Like Kirk

Burnham is not the first Starfleet Captain to fight herself.

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In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, Captain Burnam tries to alter events in the past as little as possible, but that becomes more difficult when she accidentally encounters her past self. By this point in the time jumps, Burnham, Rayner, and Stamets have figured out a possible solution, and if they can execute it before the next jump, any changes they make in the past will be erased. Although Captain Burnham tries to convince her younger self to trust her, the Michael Burnham of Star Trek: Discovery season 1 was a very different person. Specialist Burnham cannot see a world where she would ever become Captain of Discovery.

The Michael Burnham of Star Trek: Discovery season 1 Captain Burnham encountered was just weeks removed from her prison sentence as Starfleet's first mutineer.

The two Michael Burnhams are evenly matched in their subsequent fistfight until Captain Burnham takes down her younger self with a Vulcan nerve pinch. This fistfight feels reminiscent of a similar fight Captain Kirk had with his doppelganger. In Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 5, "The Enemy Within," a transporter accident splits Kirk into two individuals. One embodies all of the negative traits of Kirk, while the other has the more positive aspects. The two Kirks end up in a fistfight and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) disables the "evil" Kirk with a Vulcan nerve pinch.

Captain Kirk also brawls with a lookalike in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, when a Chameloid named Martia (Iman) mimics his appearance.

How Star Trek: Discovery’s Captain Burnham Echoes Captain Kirk

Michael Burnham has more in common with James T. Kirk than you might think.

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William Shatner's James T. Kirk, of course, achieved fame as the Captain of the USS Enterprise on Star Trek: The Original Series, with his brash, action-oriented command style. Much like Kirk, Michael is also unafraid to take risks and doesn't hesitate to charge headfirst into dangerous situations if any of her friends are in danger. Both Captains are intelligent and compassionate, and they inspire loyalty in those who follow their commands. In stark contrast to Captains like Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Rayner when he commanded the USS Anteres, Burnham and Kirk have a more relaxed relationship with their crew.

While other members of the USS Discovery's crew have borrowed the spotlight throughout the show's four seasons so far, Discovery has always been Michael's story.

Unlike the Star Trek shows that came before it, Star Trek: Discovery has a clear main character in Michael Burnham. While other members of the USS Discovery's crew have borrowed the spotlight throughout the show, Discovery has always been Michael's story. "Face the Strange" not only adds another similarity between Burnham and Kirk, but also demonstrates how far Michael has come since the earliest days of Star Trek: Discovery. Captain Michael Burnham is one of Star Trek's greatest new characters, and she has a lot in common with Star Trek's first great Captain, James T. Kirk.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream Thursdays on Paramount+.