YMMV / Star Trek: The Next Generation S5E8 "Unification 2"

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • Spock seems less closed-off to his own emotions, as he seems to express genuine irritation, while speaking to Captain Picard at the beginning of the episode. Perhaps he followed his own realization that "Logic is the beginning of wisdom... ...not the end", in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
  • Judging by Sela's statements "I rather enjoy writing. I don't get to do it often in this job.", it's possible that she never wanted to be an officer in the Romulan military, only signing on out of obligation/pressure by her Romulan father. That could explain how she made it to Commander at such a young age and her stupid decisions during this episode and "Redemption: Part II". So, Data's answer "Perhaps you would be happier in another job." might not be too far from the truth.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • An out-of-universe example: The Romulans' invasion plan, since Russia used basically the same plan to take Crimea in 2014.
  • All of Spock's efforts to reunify Romulus and Vulcan seemed to come to naught in Star Trek (2009) where it was revealed Romulus was destroyed by a Supernova—and then Star Trek: Picard revealed Picard retired because Starfleet was going to evacuate them, but quit when they called off their efforts after a terrorist attack destroyed the fleet intended for it. Though Star Trek: Discovery manages to provide a happy ending for Spock, as it's revealed, in spite of the loss of their planet, his efforts did succeed and both species reunited.
  • In addition, Picard says to Spock "I will be the first to cheer when the Neutral Zone is abolished"; that actually does happen, but the aforementioned circumstances (which involve the collapse of the Romulan Empire) don't leave him cheering.
• Values Resonance: Nowadays, it isn't hard to compare Spock with politicians like Jeremy Corbyn in the UK or Bernie Sanders in the US, as elder statesmen who strike a chord with younger activists hoping to make their world better. Spock's last lines to Picard still resonate thanks to the populist wave of The New '10s.
  Spock: An inexorable evolution toward a Vulcan philosophy has already begun. Like the first Vulcans, these people are struggling to a new enlightenment, and it may take decades or even centuries for them to reach it, but they will reach it... and I must help.

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