Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Summary

  • Cleveland Booker and Moll have a complicated connection, tied to her estranged relationship with his mentor, Booker IV.
  • The USS Discovery races against Moll and L'ak to find ancient Progenitors' treasure, linked to humanoid life creation in the galaxy.
  • Book aims to connect with Moll, as he seeks redemption and a sense of family after enduring unimaginable personal loss.

Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) and Moll (Eve Harlow) have a connection in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 that's more complicated than mere family ties. Book returns to the USS Discovery and reunites with his former flame, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) after making restitution for betraying the United Federation of Planets in Star Trek: Discovery season 4. Burnham recruited Book's expertise to find two villainous couriers, Moll and L'ak (Elias Toufexis), but Cleveland's investigation into the couple quickly gets personal.

Moll and L'ak are in a race with the USS Discovery to find the ancient treasure of the Progenitors in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, which is a sequel to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "The Chase." In the 24th century, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D, along with Cardiassians, Romulans, and Klingons, found a recording left by an ancient humanoid (Salome Jens), whose race created all humanoid life in the galaxy billions of years ago. Now called the Progenitors, this life-giving technology is the prize the USS Discovery must acquire to safeguard against Moll and L'ak selling it to the highest bidder. Cleveland Booker's involvement, however, could be the key in stopping L'ak and Moll.

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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.

Moll and Book are the closest thing to family they have left

Cleveland Booker isn't related to Moll, but he does know who the human female courier is. Moll's real name is Malinne Booker, and she is the daughter of Book's mentor, Cleveland Booker IV. Book was born on the planet Kwejian and his real name is Tareckx, but he took his mentor's name upon the elder Cleveland's death. This was not long before Book meets Commander Michael Burnham, who was newly arrived in the 32nd century at the beginning of Star Trek: Discovery season 3. Cleveland Booker IV taught Book everything he knows about being a courier, but at the cost of being estranged from his own daughter.

It stands to reason that Malinne, now known as Moll, became a courier like her father to escape her life and circumstances.

Book never met Malinne but he knew of her through Cleveland Booker IV, who spoke of his daughter constantly. Booker IV left Malinne behind when she was seven years old to keep her safe from his dangerous life as a courier, which involved encounters with intergalactic criminal organizations like the Emerald Chain. While Star Trek: Discovery season 5 hasn't revealed how Moll met her lover, L'ak, and why they are hunting the Progenitors' treasure, it stands to reason that Malinne, now known as Moll, became a courier like her father to escape her life and circumstances.

Booker thinks Moll is now "the closest thing to family" he has left because of their relationship with Cleveland Booker IV.

Why Book Needs To Connect With Moll In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Book needs Moll in his life, and vice versa

Cleveland Booker is making it his personal mission to connect with Moll. She now knows who Book is and that he took her father's name after Cleveland contacted Moll and L'ak in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2. If Moll feels resentment toward her father for abandoning her as a child, getting to know the Kwejian now calling himself 'Cleveland Booker' is the last thing Moll would want. However, for Book, reaching out to his mentor's daughter means even more to him than honoring Cleveland Booker IV.

The possibility of forming a relationship with Cleveland Booker IV's daughter is a hope Book must pursue.

Book has been on an even keel since his return in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, but Cleveland has endured unimaginable personal loss. Book's homeworld of Kwejian was destroyed in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, and all of his blood relatives were killed. Book also ended his romance with Michael Burnham to pursue his vengeance against the Dark Matter Anomaly, which led to his imprisonment by the Federation. Book does not believe he and Michael will rekindle their romance, but the possibility of forming a relationship with Cleveland Booker IV's daughter is a hope Book must pursue. And maybe Book can save Moll from whatever tragedy finding the Progenitors' treasure will reap in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+