A surprise visitor to the U.S.S. Discovery brings shocking news about Spock and dredges up past regrets for Burnham. Following the asteroid incident, Tilly struggles to keep a grip on her reality. Chancellor L’Rell’s authority on Qo’noS is threatened.

Sonequa Martin-Green (Commander Michael Burnham)
Doug Jones (Commander Saru)
Anthony Rapp (Lt. Cmdr. Paul Stamets)
Mary Wiseman (Ensign Sylvia Tilly)
Shazad Latif (Ash Tyler)
Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike)

Michelle Yeoh (Philippa Georgiou)

Mia Kirshner (Amanda Grayson)
Alan van Sprang (Captain Leland)
Mary Chieffo (Chancellor L'Rell)
Kenneth Mitchell (Kol-Sha)
Bahia Watson (May Ahearn)

Hannah Cheesman (Lt. Cmdr. Airiam)
Emily Coutts (Lt. Keyla Detmer)
Patrick Kwok-Choon (Lt. Gen Rhys)
Oyin Oladejo (Lt. Joann Owosekun)
Ronnie Rowe Jr. (Lt. Ronald Bryce)
Julianne Grossman (Discovery Computer)
Xavier Sotelo (Captain Diego Vela)
David Benjamin Tomlinson (Lt. Linus)
Pay Chen (Starfleet Psychiatrist)

• This episode marks the first on-screen appearance of Section 31 operative Captain Leland. He appeared in a deleted scene from the Season 1 finale, "Will You Take My Hand?".
  
• Captain Vela of Starbase 5 informs Pike that Spock's case is classified. He is wanted for murder, after killing three doctors and fleeing.
  
• Chancellor L'Rell announces the construction of the new Klingon D7 Battlecruiser, flying under the newly unified Klingon Empire banner.
  
• It is revealed that L'Rell was pregnant with Voq's child before he was transformed into Tyler. The child was removed and incubated ex-utero, and she hadn't met him until this episode. He is very small, and inherited Voq's albinism.
  
• When Kol-Sha discovers the child, and Tyler has been in contact with Burnham, he attempts to take control of the Empire. Before he can kill Tyler and L'Rell, Georgiou beams in and saves them. Since Section 31 wants to keep the Empire united under L'Rell, Georgiou convinces her that she can't do that with Tyler and the child.
  
• After faking the death of Tyler and the child, Tyler and Georgiou bring him to the monastery on Boreth, first seen in the TNG episode "Rightful Heir". Georgiou recruits Tyler into Section 31.
  
• Burnham discovers images of the Red Angel in Spock's data. Amanda tells her of Spock seeing the angel as a child, the night Burnham tried to run away from home, after the extremists bombed the Vulcan Learning Center. The Red Angel told Spock where to find Burnham.
  
• The Klingons now have hair. The in-show reason is the Klingons shave their heads during wartime. Now that the armistice his been signed with the Federation, they are growing their hair again.
  
• Kenneth Mitchell appears as Kol-Sha, father of his Season 1 character, Kol.