Star Trek: Discovery: Easter Eggs and References in Season 3, Episode 6, “Scavengers”

Star Trek: Discovery streamed the sixth episode of its third season this week on CBS All Access. Titled “Scavengers,” the episode saw Burnham recruiting Georgiou to join her on a rogue mission to rescue Book from the Emerald Chain, leaving Saru to deal with Admiral Vance. Like so many Star Trek: Discovery episodes before it, “Scavengers” had plenty of references to past Star Trek canon. We’re here to break down some of the most notable Easter eggs and references in the episode.Keep reading to see some of the most exciting Star Trek Easter eggs and references from Star Trek: Discovery Season Three, Episode Six, “Scavengers.”

Star Trek: Discovery stars Sonequa Martin-Green as Commander Michael Burnham, Doug Jones as Commander Saru, Anthony Rapp as Lt. Commander Paul Stamets, Mary Wiseman as Ensign Sylvia Tilly, Wilson Cruz as Dr. Hugh Culber, David Ajala as Cleveland “Book” Booker.

Are you excited for the next episode of Star Trek: Discovery? Let us know in the comments. New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery debut weekly on Thursdays on CBS All Access.

The USS Discovery-A

The Discovery gets an upgrade and a new registry number to match. The upgrade includes all sorts of new, 32nd-century technology, including the programmable matter that allows for the ship to have detached nacelles. 

The ship’s new registry number is NCC-1031-A, keeping in a tradition that began with the introduction of the USS Enterprise-A in the Star Trek: The Original Series movies. The rechristening could be because the ship is practically a new model with all the upgrades, or simply to hide the fact that Discovery broke the temporal accords by coming to the future, though Starfleet does let the crew keep their 900-year-old uniforms. 

Classic Star Trek Planets

There’s a map of the galaxy on display during Admiral Vance’s meeting with some of his top Starfleet officers. On the map are labeled several classic Star Trek planets. Among them are:

• Talos, as seen in “The Cage” and in the second season of Star Trek: Discovery
• Cardassia-Prime
• Bajor
• Trill
• Orion
• Andoria
• Betazed
• Ferenginar

Among others.

Self-Sealing Stem Bolts

Georgiou expresses an interest in “self-stealing stem bolts” while visiting the Emerald Chains facility. This is a call back to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Self-sealing stem bolts were an all-purpose McGuffin in Deep Space Nine. Their exact purpose was unclear, but everyone seemed to want them whenever they could get them. This meant they were involved in Ferengi schemes on more than one occasion.

An Ancient Phaser

When Georgiou asks for pre-2400s tech, the Orion showing her around offers a phaser Starfleet phaser. Georgiou dismisses it.

Technology, it was pre-2400s, though only barely. It was introduced around 2370. First seen in Star Trek: First Contact, this model of phaser would later appear in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager.

Badges

The Emerald Chain has a whole bucket of combadges at the facility where Book is being held. They appear to be a mix of badges from Discovery’s era through the era of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager.

There’s also a Klingon Empire combadge in the pile. That’s interesting since we don’t know what’s become of the Klingons in the 32nd century.

Deep Space Nine References

The action taking place in “Scavengers” seems to be located near Deep Space Nine. Vance’s map suggests that Starfleet’s new headquarters is nestled between Cardassian and Ferengi space, and Book was captured at the Bajoran Exchange. The name suggests is close to Bajor, the planet that Deep Space 9 orbited.

There’s also at least one Bajoran and one Cardassian in the forced labor camp. Those two alien races were prime actors in Deep Space Nine. There’s also a Cardassian officer at Vance’s big Starfleet meeting.

The Other Michael Burnham

The episode has some Mirror Universe references as well. Georgiou has flashes of the Mirror Universe and reminds Michael Burnham that another Burnham once betrayed her.

That other Burnham, of course, Georgiou’s adopted daughter from the Mirror Universe, who fell in with Gabriel Lorca and his attempt to overthrow the emperor. Though presumed dead, Mirror Burnham’s story continued in the comic book Star Trek: Discovery — Succession.