Synopsis
Burnham agrees to represent the Federation in an intense debate about the release of politically sensitive – but highly valuable – Burn data.
Review
Star Trek: Discovery picks up the pieces of one of Star Trek‘s most impactful two-part stories? Colour us intrigued. When I first saw the title of this episode it was obvious that Discovery was planning to pick up where “Unification II” left off in November 1991.
That two-part episode of The Next Generation proved to be a huge cultural shift in the world of Trek. It brought together the casts of TOS and TNG thanks to an excellent guest starring role by the late Leonard Nimoy as Spock and Picard began the process of bringing the Romulans and the Vulcans together.
In Treks long-running history it’s easy to forget that the Vulcans and the Romulans are distant cousins. Discovery or perhaps more relevantly this episode’s writer, Kirsten Beyer, has such a functioning knowledge of that history that this episode does far more than honour the two hours of television which came before.
Before we get to the good stuff there are a couple of plot contrivances to pick up on. Bringing Mamma Burnham (Sonja Sohn) back in to the fold was one hell of a convenient moment for Michael (Sonequa Martin-Green). Just when she needed someone to help lead her back to who she was before her one-year separation from Discovery.
The reappearance of Dr. Gabrielle Burnham does provide a wonderful and surprising connection to Star Trek: Picard however. But I’ll let you discover that one for yourselves.
For Burnham’s mother to be the one to call her out on her bullshit and show her how to reconnect with Starfleet might be a plot contrivance but it does also feel right. I’m not sure that any other member of the cast, aside from possibly Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), could have achieved the same level of impact.
It also feels a little odd than we never leave the USS Discovery in this episode. Given the scope of season three so far “Unification III” feels like an attempt to tell a meaningful story without spending too much of the budget. It’s not a complaint. It just feels a little odd to be so ship bound.
On the plus side there is a lot to unpack with this episode. The world of 3188 takes a huge jump with the knowledge that Vulcans and Romulans now co-habitate on the newly christened Ni’Var (formerly Vulcan). It seems the work that Spock and Picard began back in the 90s eventually paid off. In paying off that storyline we get an emotional appearance by Leonard Nimoy and a mention of Picard as Burnham finally succumbs to finding out what happened to her brother.
The moment is a wonderful callback to the first two-parts of the story. But it also ties up the remaining plot threads of the past, forming an integral part of Burnham’s journey towards accepting her current situation.
As with plenty of other species in 3188, the Vulcans aren’t overly impressed to see the Federation and aren’t willing to share what could be vital information on the Burn. Burnham is forced to invoke the T’Kal-in-ket, an ancient Vulcan ritual debate which can’t be turned down.
The T’Kal-in-ket is what brings both Romulan and Vulcan delegates to the ship in order to deconstruct Burnham’s personality, her dedication to Starfleet and her scientific exploration of the Burn. The T’Kal-in-ket works perfectly in tandem with Burnham’s emotional imbalance and by the close of the episode she has a restored faith and the information she needs to continue her investigation.
“Unification III” is another shining example of how Discovery can incorporate the diplomacy of old Trek and feature it in perfect harmony with its more contemporary elements.
In a surprising sub-plot Saru (Doug Jones) asks Tilly (Mary Wiseman) to take on the role of acting first officer. Is there nobody else more qualified amongst the entire senior staff than an ensign? Naturally Tilly is unsure what to do and turns to Stamets (Anthony Rapp) who quickly realises he’ll have to star calling his subordinate, sir.
Whilst it does feel like a meteoric rise for Tilly we’ve witnessed her making some tough decisions this season. Standing against Burnham, her best friend, in the last episode clearly cemented her ability to make the tough calls.
The storyline culminates in a wonderful show of family affection for Tilly as Stamets organises the senior team in to a surprise intervention where by they all tell her to take the job. It’s cheesy but the moment brought a smile to my face in a way which only Star Trek can.
Verdict
“Unification III” is one of the most quintessentially Trek episodes of Discovery. It perfectly carries on a story which began in TNG almost three-decades ago and rounds it out in a contemporary and poignant way.
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