Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 3x07 - "Unification III"

[Nerys Myk]

I think this is one of the things I'm struggling with. The timing of everything feels urgent, even though a lot of time has passed. It happened with Unification, and it's happening with The Burn. I'm starting to wonder if going 930 years into the future was a good idea. Maybe it should have only been 800 or 700 years.

A number is just a number. Not sure it really matters.

Vulcans and Romulans are long lived. A few Centuries means something different to them. Both are bound by tradition. Even in real life it takes decades or even centuries for cultures to merge into a harmonious unit, sometimes not even then.

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

The insecure, indecisive ensign is first officer.

I cant wait to read everyone wrap themselves in knots defending this and telling everyone "ya but Kirk did it one time sort of"

Burnhams mother being a Romulan monk is TNG season 7 level crap

 

[CorporalClegg]

Imagine lying on the OR table with all your guts hanging out when the attending puts her scalpel through her hand. And then, in a room full of residents, the chief turns and points to the intern to sew you up on the grounds she got good grades in school.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The insecure, indecisive ensign is first officer.

I cant wait to read everyone wrap themselves in knots defending this and telling everyone "ya but Kirk did it one time sort of"

Burnhams mother being a Romulan monk is TNG season 7 level crap

So far most people agree that Tilly as XO is a bad idea.

Not seeing the problem with Sister Gabby. Are you one of those "she caused the Burn theorists" and are disappointed because that kinda puts the nail in that?

Oh well, XO Tilly will give you the ammunition you need instead.

 

[YouAreDooomed]

So, the Romulans not only join but also plead to stay in the Federation after they had tried to prevent its mere existence (even though they also kinda unintentionally facilitate it) and used every opportunity to destabilise the whole thing... I love the irony.

Not that I dislike the character, however, Tilly as acting XO is a bad choice. I hope it's really just temporary because Saru ponders on if it should be Nilsson or someone else.

Yes they are. In ‘09 it says that a star went supernova which caused a threat to Romulus which sent them to action. It couldn’t have been the Romulus star as they would only have minutes. In Picard it’s said to be Romulus’ star and they had years of knowing about it before it happened.

@thribs is right, the supernova stories are different. It's been discussed before, I even brought it up with Michael Chabon on instagram and he basically admitted they didn't think of a resolution at the time (maybe they have by now).

When Picard clarified the supernova was the Romulan sun, instead of a magical supernova that threatened the galaxy in the 2009 film, it suddenly became unclear how Spock was "saving" Romulus if he turned Romulus' sun into a black hole ensuring it had no light, heat, or energy.

My personal headcanon is that Romulan system was binary and only one of the suns was going supernova.

Do you have a link to Michael Chabon's statement on instagram?
In any case, Picard doesn't clarify WHICH Romulan sun goes nova, it's safe to say the R. Star Empire contains more than one.

 

[C.E. Evans]

There are even politics aboard a starship. Saru made it clear that Tilly would only be "acting first officer," that it would be temporary, and that she still would be an ensign. She would have provisional authority due to her position, but she wasn't going to be leapfrogging over all those above her in rank who worked years to get where they are. While the distinction may be tenuous at best, Saru may have gambled that it would be enough to satisfy those who have otherwise resented Tilly going from ensign to commander. It might also be viewed by most of the Discovery crew that Tilly has just been moved into a better position to aid Saru during their still ongoing process of adapting to the 32nd-Century.

It's also possible that no one else on Saru's shortlist wanted the f--king job.

Ultimately, Saru is the captain and it was his call, for good or bad.

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

Not seeing the problem with Sister Gabby. Are you one of those she caused the Burn theorists and are disappointed because that kinda puts the nail in that?

God no Im glad she didnt cause the burn. I hate small universe stuff in Trek but I also expect it which is why I was joking about TNG season 7 which was terrible for it too

 

[dswynne1]

I gave this episode a "7", due to being more interested in people of Ni'var than in Michael Burnham's angst (where are the Remans?).

Moving forward, it sounds like the "Emerald Chain" may be the big baddies moving forward, due to my suspicion that they may have been the cause of the Burn (I had previously thought that the Romulans were behind it).

 

[Nerys Myk]

God no Im glad she didnt cause the burn. I hate small universe stuff in Trek but I also expect it which is why I was joking about TNG season 7 which was terrible for it too

Someday I'll have to watch Season Seven again. I haven't seen it since 1994.

 

[Noname Given]

True. But this just seems so...unearned. Of all the people. She’s barely been an ensign for a year. She’s shown no evidence that she would be even remotely suited for the role, and there are a number of others who would be better suited. Ie Nilsson who has been in the command chair more often than even Burnham.

I love Discovery, I do...but this is just bizarre.

As unearned as a know it all 14 year old getting a helmsman position, and at 17 getting real; rank WITHOUT ever actually going to the Academy (Oh, and when he DOES finally go, he participates in a cover up of another cadet's death and nearly gets expelled)?
^^^
Yep, Tilly getting an acting 1st officer position after all she's done for and with this crew after two years (and a Federation/Klingon war) is WAY more 'unearned...' -- oh,, wait...

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

Someday I'll have to watch Season Seven again. I haven't seen it since 1994.

I'll sum it up. Geordies mother, Worfs brother, Worfs son,Rikers comander, Datas mother and Beverleys grannies pervy ghost.

Only kidding it has some gems too like Lower Decks and the proto Maquis episodes

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

As unearned as a know it all 14 year old getting a helmsman position, and at 17 getting real; rank WITHOUT ever actually going to the Academy (Oh, and when he DOES finally go, he participates in a cover up of another cadet's death and nearly gets expelled)?
^^^
Yep, Tilly getting an acting 1st officer position after all she's done for and with this crew after two years (and a Federation/Klingon war) is WAY more 'unearned...' -- oh,, wait...

Thank You proved exactly what I said would happen. Straight on crying whataboutery.
Yes Wesley was crap too but the difference is TNG fans can admit that

 

[Bad Thoughts]

About the possibility of Tilly being the executive officer:

• Not everyone on a US Navy ship is qualified to command a vessel. It requires attending surface combat school. The most obvious reflection of this is that the captain of the air group on a carrier would not automatically be able to take over the command of the carrier without having had special training. Someone outranking Tilly would not in and of itself be a better candidate that Tilly, whom we know went through command officers training. Obviously, Star Trek has allowed the conceit that someone with the next highest rank is the next in command.
• Starfleet is not the US Navy. It is, as one Jim Kirk described it, a combined service. Although it uses many Naval traditions, it also borrows some from the Army and Air Force. In other services, the executive officer is not only not necessarily the next highest in rank, sometimes it is a junior officer. In this context, s↕he oversees the fulfillment of the CO's commands, but in a sense does not interfere with the commands of other officers higher in the chain of command.

Tilly might well serve as Saru's adjutant,which would make her similar to an XO in non-naval services. My only real gripe, which is not directly related to Tilly, is that Starfleet should have by now placed additional crew on Discovery, some of whom would have better command experience.

 

[CorporalClegg]

To be fair, the Tilly thing wasn't even the most ridiculous part of the episode. That would be the unabashed reverence for the long-forgotten sibling of an ancient political figure.

Even I am starting to find the Burnham idolization a bit much.

 

[Paul755]

Acting or not Saru really can’t be wrong on ANOTHER first officer. He seemed to already be on thin ice with Vance after last week. Another poor personal choice and Vance may decide Saru isn’t ready and put a new Captain on Discovery with Saru as XO.

 

[Nerys Myk]

To be fair, the Tilly thing wasn't even the most ridiculous part of the episode. That would be the unabashed reverence for the long-forgotten sibling of an ancient political figure.

Even I am starting to find the Burnham idolization a bit much.

From all I can tell all it did was get her in the door. And they were ready to shove her back out the door.

 

[Discofan]

...The crew accept it cos they are written to accept it...

Isn't that always the case?

, that would never happen in a real-life setup.

To paraphrase Uhura:" This isn't real life, this is fantasy."

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

To be fair, the Tilly thing wasn't even the most ridiculous part of the episode. That would be the unabashed reverence for the long-forgotten sibling of an ancient political figure.

Even I am starting to find the Burnham idolization a bit much.

At least having her mother there explains why they believe her. At first I couldnt understand why they were not saying F off to the imposter

 

[Mark 2000]

Another mixed bag of an episode.
- How strange is it that is is a bottle episode? They went all the way to Vulcan and we don’t see any of it.
- Glad we have an answer to my constant question of “why no portals”.
- Bernham’s mom? Really? This universe is super small.
- The quorum makes zero sense. These are a bunch of logicians and the crux of the argument is a giant ad hominem fallacy.
- I liked Bernham’s solution to getting the data by abandoning the request. But, again, this is a purely emotional appeal. It’s silly that it would work on Vulcans.
- Making Tilly XO seems on par with Kirk’s mistake in making Bailey a lieutenant too soon. I fucking love Tilly, but I don’t think she’s ready at all.

 

[MarsWeeps]

Tilly as Number One? Didn't see that coming.

Burnham crying again? Of course she did. I'm starting to think this a deliberate joke by the writers.

Still.... interesting episode, especially seeing what became of the Romulan and Vulcan Reunification, although I don't seem to care for the renaming of the planet.

I gave this one a 7.