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It takes the whole season and a lot of bad calls for her to come back around.
On top of all that, Martin-Green herself welcomed a second child in July.
The star hopped on the phone with Vulture to help us decode her characters journey to the top.
Its something weve believed in very firmly.
I think it makes [being a captain] that much more impactful.
I have to admit, I was surprised by how Michael ended up there.
Can you give us a little insight into her journey this season?
Did you do any character-building work to fill in that big blank?Oh, absolutely.
There is freedom and joy in it.
Lets fast-forward a little bit to last weekspenultimate episode.
We hear some harsh truths about the Federation coming from Osyraa at the negotiating table.
But this week, in the finale, Michael kills her.
We were ready to sacrifice.
Thats who we are; these are honorable people.
So with that in mind, nothing is easy.
You see the fight that it takes.
The finale is very much the beginning.
We are not done at all.
How did you end up working on this?Well, its very much what you just said.
It excites me to think they can fit into the story, to experience it in a new way.
For lots ofStar Trekactors, these shows are career-defining projects.
Ive talked about this before, but you want to do things that have impact.
You cant predict impact.
But something likeStar Trek, it already has impact.
I will always be driven by what inspires me.
But I do certainly always want to look for, you know, what carbonates my heart.
I really like that turn of phrase, What carbonates my heart.Thank you.
Burnham, I would hope, impacts me as much as I impact Burnham.
Lets get a little speculative.
A genie grants you, Sonequa, one wish for Michaels future, plotwise.
Maybe its a one-off episode, a plot arc the skys the limit.
If you could pick one thing for her to experience, what would it be?Oh my.
The first thing that comes to mind is more of Burnhams life on Earth before Vulcan.
It would also be really cool to see [more] worlds colliding.
He would be a riot.
In the beginning, the insubordination comes from Burnham believing that she is serving the needs of the many.
Shes willing to give it all up her career, her freedom because she thinks shes saving everyone.
She learns thats not the way to do it; youre not supposed to operate as an island.
She realizes that the choice to betray him will have consequences.Yeah, we dont leave stones unturned.
If its introduced, its going to be dealt with.
And all of these things are being dealt with right before your very eyes.
Because like everyone, Im going through those struggles in my own life.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
