Plot Synopsis: On Romulus Picard and Data meet with Spock, who claims to be trying to reunite the Romulans and Vulcans. While Spock works to achieve his goal, powers within the Romulan government seek to pervert his mission into an invasion of Vulcan.
Plot A and B Analysis: After a 90-second recap of part one, we get our very informative teaser. Spock demands Picard get off Romulus. Picard counters, saying he’s not going anywhere and accuses Spock of “cowboy diplomacy”: trying to do everything himself, instead of through the proper channels. Spock lays out why he’s on Romulus: there’s a new Romulan proconsul who is sympathetic toward the concept of reunification of the Vulcans and Romulans as one people. He again asks Picard to leave as he is unwilling to risk anyone else, given what happened when he got Kirk involved in Klingon peace talks decades ago, but Picard refuses. Plot A is about the potential reunification, plot B involves Riker and company. Spock meets with the proconsul, who seems unbelievably eager to help, but after Spock leaves guess who literally comes out of the closet? Sela! Turns out it’s a trap, there’s a traitor in their midst, and everything has been an elaborate ruse for the Romulan invasion of Vulcan. It involves three Vulcan ships carrying 2,000 Romulans–essentially a Trojan Horse, which is the trail that Riker and the Enterprise have been following. As you may expect, the Romulans lose and the good guys win. Plot A is sufficiently good to hold our interest, but there’s no real tension and slim pickings in the way of memorable scenes. Plot B is less interesting and only seems to exist to give the rest of the crew something to do, and they don’t even get to solve their own mystery!
Favorite Scenes: Most of the scenes that have Spock and Picard conversing are interesting to watch, but there’s an exchange between Spock and Data I really like. It occurs on the Klingon ship, with Spock talking about Picard, saying there’s an almost Vulcan quality to him. Data finds this an interesting observation, as he has used Picard as a role model in his quest to become more human. Spock in turn is intrigued:
Spock: Fascinating. You have an efficient intellect, superior physical skills, no emotional impediments. There are Vulcans who aspire all their lives to achieve what you’ve been given by design.
Data: Hm. You are half human?
Spock: Yes.
Data: Yet you have chosen a Vulcan way of life.
Spock: I have.
Data: In effect, you have abandoned what I have sought all my life.
Perhaps the only funny line in the episode is uttered by Data in talking to Sela in the 33rd minute:
Sela: Excuse me, I’m just finishing up a speech–for you, Mr. Spock. I rather enjoy writing, I don’t get to do it very often in this job.
Data: Perhaps you would be happier in another job?
Use of Cast/Characters: Picard has the most to do, acting as a skeptical counterpoint to Spock’s optimism toward the Romulans, and in the end he mind melds with Spock. Picard has so far absorbed the knowledge of the entire Borg collective, and mind melded with Sarek and Spock. Think about it. That’s perhaps the equivalent of three lifetimes’ worth of experience and knowledge in addition to his own. He’d be kind of superhuman at this point, wouldn’t he? Data helps along the plot and has one good exchange with Spock (not to mention using a Vulcan nerve pinch). Riker helps along the plot too, though it’s interesting to note the Enterprise crew don’t actually solve their mystery which we’ve been following for two episodes. Worf’s main job seems to be singing some Klingon opera. Beverly, Troi and Geordi get about the same, and are barely in the episode. Leonard Nimoy as Spock is pretty riveting, there’s just a gravitas about him and it’s great to see him in action again. He really is the largest character presence in this episode. It’s also nice to see Denise Crosby as Sela again. This is the last time we’ll see Sela, but Denise as Natasha Yar will return in the series finale. Harriet Leider does a decent job as the four-armed piano player Amarie. I also did like the Romulan boy’s performance.
Blu Ray Version: The planet Galorndon Core was color corrected to match its appearance when it was originally seen in the excellent The Enemy. One thing they could also have corrected was the color of the Romulans’ disruptors when Sela and her subordinates use them in the 38th minute. Both before and after this episode disruptors shoot green rays, not bluish-white! There was a clear reflection of the boom operator in the glass pyramid at 41:15 which the Blu-ray team removed–good job.
Nitpicks: Wouldn’t Spock’s Vulcan ears sort of give him away anytime he is in public on Romulus? It’s implied that Vulcans are exceptionally rare there, if they’re seen at all. The lighting is frankly too dark on Romulus for my taste. I suppose they did that for thematic reasons, but I don’t like it. The whole exchange with Riker and the four-armed piano player is a little bit weird, not quite sure I buy it. There is a white-haired space hooker in that bar though, which I find mildly funny.
Overall Impression: Something I never knew was that this two-parter was written in part to help promote Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, which was released less than a month after Unification II aired. Not sure if I like that. Maybe it helps explain why these episodes, while historic for the presence of Spock, are not otherwise noteworthy. It is good to see Sela again, what a pity this is her last appearance! Part two is better than part one, and while I find it interesting and pretty well written, it’s just not all that enjoyable. While it is better than part one I still won’t rate it higher than 3 out of 5 stars.
Behind the Scenes/Trivia: This two-parter was watched by more people than any episode before it, except the pilot. This is something people should know anyway: references to the senate, to a consul and proconsul are derived from the Roman Empire. In fact the entire Romulan Empire is derived from this, and is cast in its image: powerful, having an innate belief in their own superiority and a strict hierarchy that demands absolute loyalty. According to one source the Qualor II piano bar was a major redress of the Enterprise observation lounge, according to another (Larry Nemecek) it was a redress of the cargo bay. As noted above, Unification was written in large part to promote the movie Star Trek VI. The reference in the teaser to Spock’s role in peace talks with a Klingons is a direct reference to that film. The title Unification can have three meanings: the Romulan/Vulcan angle, the unification between Spock and Sarek, and also between the fans of TOS and TNG. The torch has unquestionably been passed. In a rare error, Data uses a contraction when he says “I’ve disconnected certain sensors…” in the 40th minute. Finally, this episode was nominated for an Emmy for Art Direction.
Missable/Unmissable? This episode is equally missable or unmissable as the previous episode, depending on where your opinion lies. The next episode is more fun.