Unification III: Discovery S03 E07

Using the tertiary moniker for an episode of Discovery is a ballsy move especially from a series that has divided fandom so strongly.

Unification is a classic piece of The Next Generation; the reappearance of Spock, the death of Sarek and the possibly coming together of the Vulcans and Romulans after centuries apart. To use Unification as the title means you have to do it right and respect the franchise’s past like no other moment, maybe even more than returning to Talos IV.

Well-known and highly regarded Trek novelist Kirsten Beyer is the one on writing duty for this one and I believe that is the wisest decision that may have been made in the three seasons Discovery has existed. Beyer has an immense knowledge and understanding of Star Trek which comes out in every second of this week’s instalment. 

Turns out that Burnham has been right after all, the Burn wasn’t an instantaneous event across the whole galaxy but something that had a distinct origin point as alluded to in Scavengers. She also happens to have found out that there was an experiment underway with numerous reference points across the galaxy called SB-19. At the moment Burnham can calculate to some degree the X and Y of the origin point but the enhanced data that would come from SB-19 would triangulate that down to a specific location. Thing is, Vance isn’t in a position to provide the data because SB-19 is locked down by the people who were conducting it.

The experiment was a way of finding a new way of traversing space due to the ever shrinking dilithium resource that was only confounded further by the Burn which the originators of SB-19 believe may have been caused by them. 

Who did establish SB-19? Well it came from the planet Ni’Var or as we all know it in the 22nd, 23rd and 24th Centuries...Vulcan. Like Earth it too has seceded from the Federation and there has been no contact for about 100 years. The other thing is that - and you might guess this from the title of the episode - Ni’Var is also home to the Romulans, the culmination of the process begun by Ambassador Spock 700 years in the past.

Yes, Discovery has absolutely blown the doors off on this one and a trip to Ni’Var is on the cards to bring Spock’s sister back home in the hope that she can convince the Vulcans and Romulans to part with their research data from SB-19. Of course they’re not super keen on passing it to the Federation and so Burnham invokes T’Kol Unket, by which she has to prove her case for the Burn not originating with the Vulcans and Romulans without question. No big ask then.

Powerhouse is a word that I don’t use lightly but jeez, this episode is unreal and there’s not a fist fight or phaser blast for the whole hour. If anything, this episode encapsulates Star Trek and specifically Discovery at its very best. Well written dialogue, solid performances and a believable story that has a big impact on the overall story of the year.

The return of the Romulans and Vulcans to Star Trek and the 32nd Century should not be underestimated and just seeing the two races on screen and working together is incredible to see. Ok, some of their views might differ but this is a natural progression of a story that has evolved since Balance of Terror in 1966. Its 54 years in the making and worth every second. Spock of course makes a return even if it is through a flashback to season two and also back to Unification thus linking the two series and two stories furthermore. It’s an emotional point to see Leonard Nimoy once again as Spock and because the excerpt from Admiral Jean-Luc Picard’s log defines the episode and the journey. Who knew that those few lines would come to fruition on screen 29 years later?

But that’s not all this episode owes to Picard or should I actually italicise that to Picard. Remember those warrior nuns from Absolute Candor? Well they’re back as well and it turns out that Burnham’s mum didn’t die but instead ended up far from home, taken in by the group and became one of their own. Now she is reunited with her daughter to act as her advocate during the T’Kol Uket. 

The reunion is as touching as you could hope for but as with all parental visits in Star Trek it’s less than perfect with Gabrielle Burnham now ardently practising the ways of the Qowat Milat right down to the letter in regards to Absolute Candor. 

The sequence of Burnham reviewing Spock’s legacy in relation to the Romulans is more than effective to prod at a few feels and make even the most Vulcan of fans try and wipe that speck of dust out of their eye and avoid a true Burnham Blub but the whole episode is an emotional ride because of the importance brought on this moment and this need to review the SB-19 data. It’s a very, very talky episode that you will need to pay attention and follow to understand the logic to the endgame but it does pay off.

As a character piece on Burnham it’s excellent and some of her best development for an age. Yes, there’s a few years but for the most part we get to know her a bit more deeply when it comes to the relationship she has with her mother and Book although strangely the two never meet and Michael never discusses either with the other. How odd.

The president of Ni’Var has some exceptional interactions with Saru particularly at the end when she reveals that she would like to develop the relationship further however she is also a huge fountain of in-universe information - the Romulans were the ones who didn’t want to leave the Federation rather than the  Vulcans as well as the choice to step away from established phrases and stuck-in -the-mud beliefs  since it seems that the Federation should have been focusing on the needs of the few rather than stretching itself ridiculously thin and attempting to work at the needs of the many. The Federation thought it could cope and it couldn’t which meant that the Burn was even more catastrophic.

Another thing with the three menbers of the quorum - we have three very different attitudes on show. A Romulan pro-Burnham, a Vulcan anti-Burnham and a second Romulan on the fence. The Vulcan(s) for one seem a lot more emotional than ever before although I suspect that might be the Romulans rubbing off on them and also freeing themselves from a binder full of catchy phrases for every occasion. The Romulans too now seem more thoughtful and, dare I say it, as calculating as ever so it looks like they've come off better from this new relationship however did we catch the note of the uprisings in the Romulo-Vulcan settlements? Seems like there's still some work to be done out in the regions...

As if the main story won’t kick you in the nuts enough, then Saru is in the process of choosing his new first officer and in the style of Pokemon, he drops it on Tilly that ‘I choose you!’ ... as a temporary stand in while he balances the books. Before you all fly off the handle and point out that Sylvia Tilly is still an ensign, yea that is addressed as is the fact that she’s not even passed her command training programme although I don’t know how she’ll be able to nip back and hand it in before the deadline passes.

Saru’s points for choosing her are fairly sound but there is a vast gap when it comes to experience that others on the bridge would be far better suited for. Tilly will remain an ensign but her position on the ship will be elevated. Discussing it with Stamets helps to iron out some of the kinks but in turn he has to include the bridge staff to reassure the ensign that accepting Captain Saru’s proposal is the right thing to do.

I’m not convinced that this is the right choice but I respect the show’s decision to give Tilly a shot and who knows, maybe this will be the further making of the character and provide Mary Wiseman with more to do than help everyone else out. This promotion is a big thing on the ship and running it along side such a huge Star Trek moment as the return of the Romulans and Vulcans is a risk but it hasn’t diluted the episode in fact it’s helped balance the hour and keep both lines on track.

But let’s. It lose sight of the bigger picture here. Burnham now has the data from the SB-19 experiment which indicates that, with a bit of technical fandangling we should have a firm answer as to where the origin of the Burn was and who is behind the state of the galaxy.

Unification III is a worthy sequel to The Next Generation’s 25th anniversary two-parter and while time wise it doesn’t directly follow, it does honour and continue the legacy from the story. For me this has been the high of the season so far. 

How did you rate Unification III?

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