'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 3 Episode 8: Will Burnham leave Starfleet for Book? Here's why we think so
Michael Burnham is the heart of 'Star Trek: Discovery', there's no doubt about that. Most of the plot points involve her, and the ones that don't... well, they find a way to get her into the fold. In the latest season, Burnham has been busy puzzling out the mystery of the Burn, along with trying to get back into the rigid rules of Discovery, as well as maintaining a blossoming romantic relationship with Book (David Ajala). However, lately, there have been several hints about Burnham's restlessness, especially after she went rogue and decided to take on an unsanctioned mission that led her into trouble with Saru as well as the Federation. Burnham does wrong things for the right reasons and it usually explodes in her face.
Burnham has an issue with facing authority, and she has constantly bent the rules of Starfleet. Remember how she was responsible for a mutiny aboard the Shenzhou after a conflict with Captain Georgiou about the best way to approach contact with the Klingons? She was even tried and convicted for mutiny after the event, becoming the first-ever Starfleet officer to be court-martialed for the offense at the time. However, she got her second chance when she joined the USS Discovery, though she bent and broke the rules throughout season 1. She was a little more sedate in Season 1, but her flouting-authority issue seems to have come back with a vengeance in Season 3.
She doesn't even feel at home at Starfleet, as she admitted in the previous episode. The question that's rising is, could Burnham be moving away from Starfleet...and would Book be the one to coax her to do so? It's quite possible that Burnham might just give up Starfleet for Book. We've already seen how she disobeyed Saru's direct orders to go and rescue Book, proving that she can prioritize romance over duty any day. If Burnham is forced to make the choice between Starfleet and Book, she just might go with Book. That would be fun to watch.
Burnham had lived alone for a year in the 32nd century without Discovery, and she is more used to do things her way. She doesn't want rules imposed on her anymore and doesn't seem to be rattled by a subsequent demotion for her actions either. Burnham has been teetering on the edge for a while now, and it's quite a strong belief that she just might snap at the climax, and leave Starfleet for good.
