Balance of Terror

In "Balance of Terror," we're told that no one knows what Romulans look like. Considering that Romulans had infiltrated Vulcan and that there was a reunification movement active at the time (per ST:ENT), did Spock know what Romulans looked like and just not reveal that? (Sorry if this has been asked and answered before. I did a search and could not find an answer.)

 

No, he did not.

 

No. Spock had no knowledge of what the Romulans looked like. He was just as confused as the other humans on the Enterprise once visual contact was made.

 

I guess I am wondering why he didn't, then. Was the information about the infiltration of the High Command not made public? Was the reunification group so small that the information that the Romulans were a sundered group of Vulcans kept secret? Did the information just die with those who knew it?

 

You would have to ask the producers of ENT.

 

Spock did not seem to be in the know, nor did anyone else on the Enterprise seem to know. This doesn't mean that there weren't some, in Federation or in Vulcan levels of government or uniformed service, who knew but kept it secret.

 

The Original Series is not responsible for spin-off yarns creating contradictions. When the spin-offs contradict TOS, I would say either the spin-off is apocryphal, or it takes place in an alternate timeline/continuity.

You can't reconcile every Superman movie and TV series, and they're honest about it. The difference is that modern Trek wants it both ways: they do anything they please, whatsoever, and still claim that it's all in one continuity with TOS.

In my view, TNG, DS9, and VOY did a very good job of abiding history, but ENT was a prequel that wanted all the freedom and latitude of a "future" story where anything can happen. And after ENT, the franchise didn't get more honest, it got less.

 

Above his pay grade.

 

Why would it be shared?

 

Sarek might know, but he might not be in the loop.

 

Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding!!! Well said, and how I've been feeling about it too.

 

It's fiction. None of it is "honest"

 

I just thought that since the matriarch of Spock's clan was T'Pau, and his family was "important," he might know.

 

Such secrets would be "need to know."

 

Why would T'Pau or anyone else know? All we saw with no one else in the room was young Shaw was a Romulan undercover agent and V'las worked with him. As far as we know, no one else knows that the Romulans were involved.

 

Vulcans are not known for their openness. It's shocking how much the Federation database lacked about a founding species. Vulcan inner eyelid? Nope, not in the medical records. Pon Farr? Not in the medical records. McCoy was always stumped by Spock's "Vulcan" physiology. Rarely was it because Spock was a unique hybrid.

Katras? Doesn't appear to be common knowledge. Spock being related to T'pau? Spock's dad being an ambassador and major player in Federation politics? Apparently none of this is worth noting in Spock personnel file or even on a simple Google search.

So, yeah, it's believable Vulcan high command or whatever it's called would know the truth about the Romulans and keep it secret. T'pol knew how to correct Hoshi's pronunciation of Romulan. She knew more than the Enterprise crew.

 

Sharing highly sensitive information based on familial connections is not logical.
I don’t think the exact nature of T’Pau’s connection to Spock’s family has ever been revealed. She might have been a “plant” by T’Pring, knowing that her strict traditional beliefs would allow T’Pring’s plan to go through unquestioned.

 

Your retcon is calling

 

Exactly this! I don't know if it was in the writing, the acting, or both, but T'Pol obviously knew something was off with Romulans in ENT S2 Minefield. Maybe she didn't know what exactly, but she sure acted like it was one of the murkier sides of Vulcanity and best moved on from without a lot of explanation.

It always gave me the same vibe as someone's loud aunt IRL who wants everyone to have a good time at the summer family picnic...as long as no one brings up that one cousin. "It's something about tax fraud, a burning warehouse and a U-Haul full of drugs, but never mind, did you hear Dave is an accountant now?" sort of deal. So, it's totally possible to me that T'Pol knows it's a taboo subject, but doesn't know anything else beyond that. Logical or not, those Vulcans have a lot of layers of secrecy, insider intrigue, and shadow politics...sort of like the Romul...oh never mind.

 

This.