rating: ****
the story: Burnham visits Vulcan, I mean Ni’Var!
review: Sometimes I really have to face the fact that as far as resilience goes I always expect characters to give up, which is what I seem to think my choice would be. “Unification III” is in some respects a story about whether Burnham would give up (on Starfleet) after what happened last episode. Spoiler alert: she does not.
The title, when I first saw it listed for the season, seemed to suggest it would be some sort of follow-up to the two-part Next Generation episode “Unification,” where Spock, well, attempts to work at reuniting Vulcans and Romulans. And that’s exactly what it is. Except, like a lot of things this season, it’s something that already happened. They’re back, haltingly, together, and yes, they renamed Vulcan! (But to be fair, as iconic as it is, being Vulcan from the planet Vulcan was literally the most simplistic world-building...ever.)
So when the crew travels there to learn more about an abandoned project that seems to have been the reason the planet left the Federation, convinced that its failure was a huge sticking point in the loss of easy access to warp drive (if not the cause itself), it’s pointed out Burnham would probably be an ideal emissary, being the adopted sister of Spock.
Then the episode essentially becomes a referendum on Michael Burnham.
The most unexpected, and most unexpectedly welcome for me, development is that it also becomes Burnham’s reunion with her mom, the one who originally piloted the Red Angel and was possibly lost forever. Well, she wasn’t. She traveled to Ni’Var and joined the Romulan sect introduced in Picard absolute candor, warriors for lost causes). And for me, she feels far more natural and welcome a presence, so I’m very glad this happened. (Might even smooth over future viewings of the second season!)
But yeah, it’s really Burnham coming to peace with herself, the stuff that’s happened this season, and really the whole series. It’s that kind of episode. It’s wrapped up in stuff that’ll interest viewers in a more general sense, with something even better in the center. This is how I define a classic.
Some fans quibble how Saru decides naming Tilly as his new first officer. But looking back on how career advancement did (and didn’t) happen in Voyager, I think it’s worth reconsidering such a stance, and Saru’s reasoning itself is sound. If you’re going to have a character be a regular, besides, you probably ought to have a little faith in their career prospects. And, well, Nog moved rapidly through the ranks of Starfleet, too. In less regimented days, field promotions were common. It’s another of those problems fans will have only if they really want to.
criteria analysis:
>franchise - A historic moment in Star Trek lore has happened, and we even get to see footage of Leonard Nimoy to help celebrate.
>series - Not only the season arc is affirmed in general, but for one character in particular.
>character - Being Michael Burnham, who is forced to decide how much she wants to continue working within the system, becoming a symbol of the value the Federation still represents in the process.
>essential - Absolutely! A milestone in every regard.
notable guest-stars:
Oded Fehr (Vance)
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