Unification III
The seventh episode of the third season. Discovery heads to Ni'var, formerly known as Vulcan, to obtain more data on what may have caused the Burn. Saru decides to assign Tilly as a temporary First Officer. There are many aspects to this episode. The outcome of Spock's efforts towards Vulcan-Romulan reunification was interesting to see. But first, the surprise Burnham and Saru show regarding the relationship between the Vulcans and Romulans was well done, as was Admiral Vance's explanation.
Spore jumping to Ni'var, Discovery takes their government by surprise. Also surprising is the amount of blue on the planet. The Romulans may have contributed to some low level terraforming efforts/recovery from the Pre-Sundering wars. The nature of the Quorum also reminded me of the Minbari Grey Council in Babylon 5, which has a similar structure. The biggest difference being, the Minbari have Caste divsions – Religious, Warrior and Worker; whereas the Ni'Var have entho-cultural divisions – Romulan, Romulo-Vulcan and Vulcan.
The Grey Council also has nine members rather than three. But that isn't really the focus. Burnham's request for the data on the SB19 project threatens to re-open the old divides between the various factions on the planet. That her mother, Gabriel, is a member of the Qowat Milat was a surprise, but it was a pleasant one. Of course, this leads to a confrontation about Michael's motivations and convictions about the cause of the Burn. Has she really changed since the Battle of the Binary Stars?
Spock's legacy regarding Reunification is frequently referred to. Certainly he started the ball rolling, as it were, but many other people, both Vulcan and Romulan continued the work. Interesting that it was the Romulans on Ni'var who wanted to remain part of the Federation rather than the Vulcans. The way some of the crew members were supporting Tilly in the situation she has found herself in was done well. Overall it was a good episode. 8.6/10.
