Star Trek: The Next Generation
Summary
Star Trek : The Next Generationexecutive producer Michael Piller felt that the story that brought backStar Trek : The Original Series ' Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ) was " sullen " and " flat . " The two - partTNGstory " Unification " see Captain Jean - Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) place on a covert mission to Romulus to investigate Spock ’s apparent defection to the Romulan Star Empire . TNG ’s " Unification " aired a month beforeStar Trek VI : The Undiscovered Countryhit theatersand therefore helped to taunt the terminal movie for theTOScrew .
In the bookThe Fifty - Year Mission : The Next 25 Years : From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams , executive producer Rick Berman and Michael Piller reflect upon the writing ofSpock’sStar Trek : The Next Generationepisode . Michael Piller , who wrote the teleplay for " Unification II " , was particularly harsh on the episode , trust that he and Berman failed to heighten to the historical social occasion . Read his inverted comma below :
I thought it was a historical chance , and I do n’t believe we give up what the potential of it was . I remember watching it for the first metre edit together and saying , “ This is sour , it ’s bland , who cares , it ’s gabby . ” I ’m a writer who count a big mess on his instincts , and they almost always lead me in a good direction . This time I do n’t think they did . It was our feeling if you ’re going to make for Spock out of retirement , it take to be something of cosmic implication .
TNG’s Spock Episode Set Up His Future Star Trek Appearances
Despite Michael Piller ’s misgivings about his script for Spock ’s show inStar Trek : The Next coevals , it would prove to be tremendously influential . By establishing Spock ’s seeking to reunify the Vulcans and Romulans , " jointure " would become a tremendously important element of post-2000sStar Trek . J.J. Abrams’Star Trekmovie , relinquish almost 18 year after " Unification " aired , revealed that Spock was still work toward a more confirming time to come for Romulus , which was derailed by the Romulan supernova catastrophe .
That tragedy and Spock ’s disappearance intoStar Trek ’s Kelvin Timeline influenced the backstory of Admiral Picard in Patrick Stewart’sStar Trekspinoff . InStar Trek : Discoveryseason 3 , Commander Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin - Green ) mystify to find Spock ’s dream finally become a reality in the appropriately title " Unification III . " While Michael Piller may have believed thatStar Trek : The Next Generationfailed to lend cosmic significance to Spock ’s comeback , the seismic impact of that account can still be felt over 30 years later .
" Unification I , II & III " are available to stream alongside every sequence ofStar Trek : The Next GenerationandStar Trek : Discoveryon Paramount+ .
author : The Fifty - Year Mission : The Next 25 Years : From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams : The perfect , Uncensored , and Unauthorized unwritten History of Star Trekby Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross
