I was hoping to like this episode more than I did.
-I'm torn about L'ak being a Breen. It was cool to see them unmasked, yet at the same time, I liked the mystery, and I really liked the Trek lit explanation for their inconsistencies. I'm hoping that DISCO incorporates some of that if they explore the Breen more this season, or if the Starfleet Academy series does. The fractiousness that was alluded to is my hope that there are different Breen subspecies, like in the novels, out there. I'm hoping we also see some Breen with snout helmets along with the newer versions (a design I did like too). I did like the gelatinous (?) face more than the organic face though, and I would've been cool with them just being gelatinous like that. The organic face looked more generic to me, more like a Sphere Builder. I would've been fine if he was from that species instead.
-I'm iffy about using the Breen. There's even lesser-known species from Trek lore they could've used to the same effect, though the nods to DS9 (for the most part) in this season are nice to see.
-I'm glad we got the L'ak/Moll backstory, though I felt it was a bit rushed. It was hard for me to buy that they would fall for each other like that the way it was depicted. I also felt that L'ak felt too human right off, and I didn't care for the tired idea that he has to break free from his culture. Maybe if they had threaded the backstory, in flashbacks, over the last several episodes, they could've expanded more on why they fell so hard for each other.
-I'm also iffy on the Moll/Booker relationship, though I thought Booker's rationale was okay, but I was more of a hook was there for Moll to be emotionally involved, because I sense that they are going to make her have doubts or a change of heart for storyline reasons instead of really tying her and Booker together. I wonder if this would've been better to just have Moll actually be Book's sister (by blood or adoption), or even a mentee. I also wonder if it would've been better to make her the same species as Book, though then her arc might repeat what he went through in Season 4.
-I thought the use of the ISS Enterprise was largely a waste. I was really eager to see Mirror SNW characters. But this largely could've been set on any Constitution class ship and it wouldn't have changed the story much. The history behind Dr. Cho would make for an interesting novel, comic, or Short Trek.
-I think not including Rhys on this mission after establishing his love for Constitution-class ships was a missed opportunity.
-I did enjoy the costuming for everyone a lot in this episode.