Michael Burnham is the fictional protagonist on Star Trek: Discovery portrayed by American actress Sonequa Martin-Green.
51 Facts About Michael Burnham
2.
Michael Burnham originally appears as the First Officer of USS Shenzhou under Philippa Georgiou until she commits mutiny, for which she is stripped of rank and sent to prison for life.
3.
Michael Burnham is revealed as the adoptive sister to Spock.
4.
Michael Burnham is an orphan after her parents are killed by Klingons, until she is taken in by Sarek.
5.
Michael Burnham was born to human parents, who were killed when she was a child during a Klingon raid on a Human-Vulcan research facility on Doctari Alpha, where the family lived.
6.
Michael Burnham was then adopted by the Vulcan ambassador Sarek and his human wife Amanda, who are the biological parents of Starfleet officer Spock, and moved to the Vulcan homeworld.
7.
Michael Burnham was the first human to attend both the Vulcan Learning Center and Vulcan Science Academy, training as a xenoanthropologist.
8.
The decision to make Michael Burnham related to the history of original series character Spock was controversial.
9.
The series opens with Shenzhou encountering the Klingons, with Michael Burnham committing an act of mutiny, breaking Starfleet regulations to give the order to fire first, in an attempt to save her captain and ship against the Klingons.
10.
Michael Burnham is convicted of mutiny, stripped of rank, and sentenced to life in prison.
11.
Michael Burnham is met with hostility among the Discovery crew, being viewed as responsible for starting the war with the Klingons.
12.
Michael Burnham overcomes her fear of opening the last will of Georgiou through Tilly's coercion.
13.
Michael Burnham learns Georgiou left her with a telescope, a prized possession handed down through her family for hundreds of years, noting Burnham as a curious explorer and believing she has her own command at this point.
14.
Saru is outraged at Michael Burnham for turning the spore-drive offline without his knowledge, and searching for compatible DNA sequences to replace Ripper.
15.
Michael Burnham suggests a human host replacement would be possible, but Saru disregards her point, calling her a predator.
16.
Later, Michael Burnham asks if he is afraid of her, but he tells her he is jealous because he wanted to learn everything from Georgiou and she did instead, and rather than she become captain and teach him, her actions led him to be unprepared as acting captain for today.
17.
Michael Burnham gives Saru the telescope Georgiou gave her, feeling she doesn't deserve it.
18.
In "Lethe", Sarek is almost killed and Michael Burnham is forced to save him.
19.
Michael Burnham discovers he chose his biological son Spock over her, as Sarek was only given the option of sending one child to the Vulcan Expeditionary Group, with the Vulcans considering both children "experiments".
20.
The decision is ultimately pointless as Spock chose Starfleet, after Michael Burnham was forced to go.
21.
Sarek pretends to be unaware, but Michael Burnham can tell he is lying, saying he can do better.
22.
Michael Burnham says they will have the conversation one day, and leaves calling him "father" to spite him after he said they were technically not family because they are not related.
23.
Michael Burnham develops a friendship with Ash Tyler, who helps her through Sarek attempting to push her away.
24.
Michael Burnham appears uncomfortable as, during this time, a party is occurring and she struggles with her romantic feelings for Tyler.
25.
Stamets, the only one aware of the time loop, warns Michael Burnham while helping her with her feelings for Tyler.
26.
Michael Burnham manipulates Mudd into turning back time again to save him, revealing who she is and how high a prize she is for the Klingons.
27.
Michael Burnham kills herself to convince Mudd to do so, although the next time around, Burnham successfully tricks Mudd and he is sent away.
28.
In "Into the Forest I Go", Michael Burnham convinces Lorca to let her enter the Klingon Sarcophagus ship, where Michael Burnham gets into a fight with Kol, ultimately escaping and retrieving Philippa's badge.
29.
Michael Burnham learns she earned the rank of captain on the ISS Shenzhou.
30.
Michael Burnham's shuttlecraft was destroyed during this operation and she is presumed dead.
31.
Michael Burnham is forced to disguise as her Terran counterpart on the ISS Shenzhou in order to retrieve the data files on the Constitution-class USS Defiant, to uncover how it crossed into the mirror universe's past.
32.
In "The Wolf Inside", Michael Burnham becomes increasingly agitated with her facade as Mirror Michael Burnham, and questions how long you can keep a facade up until you actually become something you initially weren't.
33.
Michael Burnham is alarmed by Mirror Saru, who is a nameless slave in this universe, and decides to name him Saru in honor of her friend.
34.
Michael Burnham is tasked to destroy a rebel base on the planet Harlak.
35.
Mirror Sarek is taken aback by Michael Burnham's memories, and concludes she is a compassionate person who means them no harm.
36.
Michael Burnham becomes curious of Voq's ability to forge alliances with other alien races, in order to find the solution to the Klingon war in her universe.
37.
Michael Burnham is confused, but then realizes Tyler is the one she fought at the Binary Stars.
38.
Michael Burnham is unable to defend herself, and Mirror Saru arrives and attacks Tyler, saving her.
39.
In "Vaulting Ambition", Michael Burnham and Lorca are transported to the ISS Charon, as the revelation that Georgiou is the emperor weighs down on her, making her feel the situation is a reckoning for her betrayal of her own Georgiou.
40.
Michael Burnham is left shocked by this revelation of her mirror counterpart's betrayal as well.
41.
Later, Michael Burnham reveals prior to her execution that she is from another universe, using Prime Philippa's insignia as proof.
42.
Michael Burnham tells Lorca she will stay in exchange for Discoverys safe passage home, but it is a ruse, as Georgiou and Michael Burnham begin attacking and killing Lorca's men.
43.
Michael Burnham then allows Burnham to go back home, with her reign as emperor gone given Lorca's rebellion, deciding to die killing Lorca's men.
44.
However, Michael Burnham saves Georgiou at the last minute, holding onto her, as they are transported back to the Discovery and into the prime universe.
45.
Michael Burnham reveals to Admiral Cornwell and Sarek about the arrival of their guest, Emperor Georgiou.
46.
Michael Burnham asks Cornwell to give Emperor Georgiou political asylum, feeling sympathy for her, despite not being her Georgiou.
47.
Later, Tilly convinces Michael Burnham to confront Ash, who is fully recovered with dual memories, feeling deep remorse for Voq's actions.
48.
Ultimately, Michael Burnham is forced to stop Georgiou's genocidal attack on the Klingon home planet, outraged at Cornwell and Starfleet for enabling the act.
49.
Michael Burnham manipulates Georgiou to give her the explosive device, by telling her if she doesn't, she will have to watch her daughter die again.
50.
Michael Burnham offers L'Rell a peace treaty, to call off the Klingons' planned invasion on Earth in exchange for the device as a measure of peace and diplomacy in order to end the war.
51.
Michael Burnham is fully reinstated as a Commander in Starfleet, her record is expunged, she is pardoned by the Federation President, and she becomes the Chief Science Officer for the Discovery.