I Want To Know More About Star Trek: Discovery's Eternal Gallery & Archive

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths" ​​​​​

Summary The Eternal Gallery and Archive introduced in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is a must-visit destination for history lovers and sci-fi enthusiasts alike.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths," Captain Burnham faces a mental test while being pursued by the Breen in a race to uncover Progenitor technology.

The Archive's potential in future Star Trek stories is vast, and audiences have many questions that need answers.

The Eternal Gallery and Archive introduced in Star Trek: Discovery needs to become a regular Star Trek destination. In its fifth and final season, Discovery finds Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her crew on an intergalactic treasure hunt for the powerful technology of the Progenitors. Throughout the season, the USS Discovery has been following a series of clues left by five scientists who learned of the Progenitors 800 hundred years ago. Unfortunately, Burnham and her crew are not the only ones searching for this technology. Thanks to her new alliance with the Breen, Moll (Eve Harlow) is hot on Discovery's heels in pursuit of the treasure.

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In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 8, "Labyrinths," the USS Discovery travels to the Eternal Gallery and Archive, an interstellar library located within the infamous Badlands. With its massive collection of writings and artifacts from all over the galaxy, the Archive is a book or history lover's dream. Captain Burnham doesn't have the time to appreciate the sheer scope of the library, however, and she quickly dives into the test created by Betazoid scientist Dr. Marina Derex to acquire the final clue. With Burnham trapped in the labyrinth of her own mind, the Breen catch up to Discovery and threaten the entire Archive. Thankfully, the Gallery survives and will hopefully be revisited in future Star Trek stories.

Written by Lauren Wilkinson and Eric J. Robbins and directed by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Star Trek: Discovery's "Labyrinths" sets up all the pieces for a thrilling series finale.

Related Star Trek: Discovery’s TNG Era Scientists & Progenitors Clues Meanings Explained Star Trek: Discovery revealed the five scientists who hid clues to the Progenitors' treasure, and they all have links to Star Trek's legacy.

Star Trek Needs To Return To Discovery's Eternal Gallery And Archive

"Try the Eternal Gallery and Archive. A mouthful, I know. We just called it the Archive."

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With its vast collection, the Eternal Gallery and Archive would have been helpful for countless missions throughout Star Trek's history. Now that the crew of the USS Discovery knows about it, it would be a shame to let the Archive go to waste. If Spock (Leonard Nimoy) or Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), for example, had known about the Archive, they likely could have spent years wandering its halls. The most logical place for the Archive to pop up next would be on Discovery's upcoming spin-off, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Not only is Starfleet Academy set in Discovery's 32nd century, but it also centers around the education of young Starfleet cadets, which provides the perfect opportunity for a visit to the library.

The Eternal Gallery and Archive moves locations every fifty years.

Considering the word "eternal" is right there in its name, the Archive has been around for a long time and will continue to exist far into the future. This leaves open the opportunity for the crew of the USS Enterprise on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to potentially visit the Archive at some point. The Eternal Gallery and Archive moves locations every fifty years, so it would not have been in the dangerous Badlands during the 23rd century. The real-world filming location of the Archive, Toronto University's Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, is right in Toronto where most of Star Trek on Paramount+'s series are produced.

The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is one of the most important archives of the English-speaking world, and it had never been used as a filming location prior to Star Trek: Discovery.

Star Trek: Discovery's Eternal Gallery And Archive Raises A Lot Of Questions

"The Archive is not responsible for any damage, dismemberment, or death..."

In Star Trek: Discovery's "Labyrinths," Captain Burnham and her crew are focused on finding the final clue quickly and going on their way. When they first arrive, they are greeted by an Efrosian archivist named Hy’Rell (Elena Juatco), but Burnham cuts her off before she can deliver her entire speech. Hy'Rell begins by saying: "The Eternal Gallery and Archive is proud to house the largest known collection of historical and cultural artifacts in the Alpha or Beta Quadrants." While this explains the Archive's purpose, it leaves many questions about the interstellar library unanswered.

Hy'Rell is the first Efrosian seen in Star Trek since the Federation President played by Kurtwood Smith in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

While Hy’Rell seems eager to answer any questions, Burnham doesn't exactly have time to ask how Hy’Rell got her job at the Eternal Gallery and Archive, what Earth items are housed there, or any other questions the viewer may be wondering. Star Trek should revisit the Archive if, for no other reason, than to reveal more about its history and day-to-day operations. An episode of Star Trek: Short Treks, for example, could follow an archivist and show how the Archive acquires its manuscripts or how patrons find the library. While the search for the Progenitors' technology didn't leave much time for Star Trek: Discovery to explore the Eternal Gallery and Archive, a future Trek project should definitely revisit this stunning location.

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