‘Star Trek: Discovery’: Ranking Fan Theories Ahead of Episode 8

It’s hard to believe, but the first half of the first season of Star Trek: Discovery is already headed toward its mid-season finale on November 12. With two episodes left, the pressure is starting to build in the warp cores of Trekkie brains. Not only is Discovery a great and thrilling Star Trek show, it also has one of the hallmarks of contemporary prestige TV such as Westworld and Game of Thrones.

That’s right, this Trek has season-long mysteries that create crazy fan theories that we can’t stop talking about.

Ahead of “Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum,” the mysterious eighth episode of Discovery, here are the biggest fan theories to keep in mind, ranked in order of least to most likely.

Theoretical spoilers ahead.

4. Admiral Cornwell Will Get Shipped to the Penal Colony from “Dagger of the Mind”

In episode 6, Admiral Cornwell was captured by the Klingons after Sarek was unable to complete negotiations. Since then, several fans have noticed that Admiral Cornwell could, in fact, be a character named Lethe from the original series episode, “Dagger of the Mind.” If it’s true, we might see Cornwell’s mind erased in Episode 8. And if she does get her memory erased, she could become “Lethe” who’s found in the Tantalus Penal Colony roughly a decade later by the U.S.S. Enterprise.

3. Lorca Will Reveal He’s from the Mirror Universe

The idea that Lorca is from the Mirror Universe has been running around since his introduction in Episode 3. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a villain. It’s possible and plausible that Lorca is from the Mirror Universe, but also a victim. Perhaps he just prefers this universe to his universe. Still, it will be hard for him to reveal this information to someone who survives. No one in the original series seems to know about the Mirror Universe, which is worrisome for whoever potentially un-covers this fact.

2. The Show Will Hint That This Whole Thing Is Somehow an Alternate Dimension

Various aspects of Star Trek: Discovery don’t entirely jibe with the canon of the original series, at least visually, anyway. Sure, in terms of name-drops, and the general chronology, everything seems to match up, but nothing really looks exactly as it should for some fans. Perhaps this whole shebang is in an alternate dimension, and the latest episode will reveal exactly that.

Producers have promised all canon changes will make sense, and maybe an alternate dimension is the big solution. With Stamets manipulating the cosmos so much already, it seems like this has sort of already been suggested.

1. Lt. Tyler Will Be Revealed to Be Voq the Klingon

This is the big one. Is Lt. Tyler actually a poor Starfleet refugee, or is he a Klingon spy, prosthetically altered to look like a human? Hilariously, the most outrageous Discovery fan theory is also the most plausible. Not only is there a precedent for Klingons disguising themselves as Humans in the original series, there’s also the genetic virus from Enterprise that made so many of them lose their ridges. And then, there’s the very real fact that the actor who supposedly plays Voq seems to be entirely fictitious. If Voq and Tyler are the same person, Discovery will go down in history as the first sci-fi show that unmasks a character as being someone else by putting a literal mask back on them.

But if Tyler isn’t Tyler, it’s going to make that sweet, sweet moment from Episode 7 into a huge bummer.

Star Trek: Discovery airs at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS All Access on Sunday, November 5.

If you liked this article, check out this video of a terrifying theory about Star Trek transporters.