Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 7 – “Erigah”

Yes, that major character death in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, “Erigah,” really happened. Written by M. Raven Metzner and directed by Jon Dudkowski, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7 sees Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis) apprehended by Starfleet, but the Breen arrive at the United Federation of Planets’ doorstep to collect the nephew of Primarch Ruhn (Tony Nappo). Refusing to get caught between the Federation and the Breen, Moll and L’ak enact a desperate plan to escape that tragically backfires.

Moll and L’ak were introduced as Star Trek: Discovery season 5’s villains racing the USS Discovery in the hunt for the ancient treasure of the Progenitors. But Moll and L’ak’s backstory, revealed in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, “Mirrors,” shows them as troubled lovers on the run from the Breen, who placed an Erigah (blood bounty) on their heads. L’ak is a Breen and the nephew of Primarch Ruhn, one of the warlords competing to become the new emperor of the Breen Imperium. Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, “Erigah” clarified L’ak’s true importance to Primarch Ruhn: L’ak is the Scion, a direct blood descendant of the late Breen Emperor. Controlling L’ak would bring validity to whoever becomes the next Emperor of the Breen.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 7 Really Killed Off L’ak

The Scion of the Breen Imperium is dead

L’ak dies in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, “Erigah.” Moll and L’ak were beamed into the USS Discovery’s medical bay so that the grievously injured Breen could receive treatment from Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz). But Moll and L’ak, who only want freedom to be together, decide to escape instead of letting the Federation and the Breen decide their fates. The Breen Scion created a distraction so that Moll break out of sickbay and steal one of Discovery’s shuttles, but L’ak accidentally gave himself a fatal overdose of tricordrizine.

Moll didn’t make it to the USS Discovery’s sickbay, and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) was able to convince her to lay down her phaser and return to the medical bay to see the dying L’ak. Captain Burnham persuaded Primarch Ruhn to allow a Breen physican to treat L’ak but there was no way to save the Scion. L’ak’s death is a tragedy, not just for Moll but for the Federation. Because Moll doesn’t trust the Federation, she told Primarch Ruhn about the Progenitors’ treasure, which means the Breen has now entered the race for the greatest and possibly most destructive power in the galaxy.

What Happens To Moll In Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Moll has one desperate gamble to resurrect L’ak

Moll had a surprise for Primarch Ruhn and the Breen: she and L’ak are married. Because she is the Scion’s wife, Moll was allowed to leave with the Breen, promising to find the Progenitors’ technology for Primarch Ruhn. Moll throwing her lot in with the Breen, who despise her, is her desperate gamble to save L’ak. The Progenitors’ life-giving technology is said to have the power to bring back the dead, and Moll hopes she can resurrect L’ak and the Breen will allow them to leave together in exchange for the Progenitors’ power to conquer the galaxy.

Moll is between a rock and a hard place since she has to lead the Breen to the Progenitors’ treasure without the clues. The Breen’s only gambit is to follow the USS Discovery to the treasure and then overpower them and take it. Then, Moll has to persuade Primarch Ruhn to both let her resurrect L’ak, which would give Primarch Ruhn legitimacy to become Emperor, and hope Ruhn allows them their freedom. However, if Moll stayed on the USS Discovery, the Breen would have attacked the Federation, and she has no way of persuading Starfleet to let her use the Progenitors’ technology to bring back L’ak. The death of L’ak launches Star Trek: Discovery season 5 toward its endgame and the conclusion of the series.

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