History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E8Unification2

* SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: Sela's grand plan to invade Vulcan is with a grand total of at most 6,000 troops (Geordi says "2,000" at one point and sounds like he's referring to the whole force but might mean that's how many each of the three ships carried). Even if that's only the start of a guerrilla war, one would think that wouldn't be nearly enough to even threaten an entire planet. [[note]]With the reveal of the presence of a cloaked Romulan Warbird after the plan was foiled, it is entirely possible that there were more troops aboard more cloaked ships, and that the 6,000 troops were likely a strike force with a mission to disable key defense systems before the main invasion force took action.[[/note]]
** Oh, and that invasion force is headed for Vulcan at... warp one. [[SciFiWritersHave/NoSenseOfVelocity Shouldn't it take them a couple decades to get there at just the speed of light?]]

** This episode also provides some backstory for [[VideoGame/StarTrekOnline]] in which Sela still hates the Vulcans. D'Tan is also shown here as a teenage boy where in the Video Game, he goes on to be a leader for the new Romulan Republic.

** This episode also provides some backstory for [[VideoGames/StarTrekOnline]] in which Sela still hates the Vulcans. D'Tan is also shown here as a teenage boy where in the Video Game, he goes on to be a leader for the new Romulan Republic.

* HellIsThatNoise: Omag ''really'' doesn't like Klingon opera.
-->'''Omag:''' What is that dreadful noise?!! It sounds like a Bardakian pronghorn-moose!

Picard, Data, and Spock are brought to Sela's office where it is revealed that there are actually three ships full of Romulan Troops that will be sent to Vulcan as the vanguard of the Romulan invasion force. Sela threatens to kill Spock unless Spock makes the announcement about reunification but Spock outright refuses: he surmises that [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness he will be dead anyway once he makes the announcement.]] This only seems to [[VillainousBreakdown enrage Sela further]], she then reveals that she has a backup plan to use a holographic recording of Spock to make the announcement. It's not perfect, as she would rather have Spock delivering the announcement to reduce suspicion, but then again, they only need to confuse the Federation long enough for the Romulan Troops to entrench themselves on Vulcan. Sela then leaves to begin the operation, [[BondVillainStupidity locking Picard, Data, and Spock in the room with the holographic projectors]]. [[LockingMacgyverInTheStoreCupboard Spock then notices that they still have access to her computer terminal and Data immediately gets to work.]] When Sela returns, she finds that the three prisoners are apparently not in the room. They are suddenly accosted by Riker and a security team, but when they fire on the intruders, they realize that the intruders are holographic projections. [[WeNeedADistraction This distraction is enough for Spock and Picard to surprise Sela's security team and knock them out]], with Sela now held by Spock holding one of the disrupters that he obtained from one of the fallen security members. It turns out that Data used the holographic projectors to create false walls to hide himself, Picard, and Spock, enabling them to surprise the Romulans. Data now uses this moment to alter the pre-recorded message of Spock to inform the public that the Vulcan ships are actually an invasion force and must be stopped. The transmission is sent out, but stopped when the Romulans realize the message has been compromised. With her plans now ruined, Sela tells Picard, Data, and Spock that they will never get out of the building alive, but Data has already planned out an escape route and knocks Sela out with a Vulcan Nerve Pinch, to the approval of Spock.

* UncannyValley: In-universe; Data didn't get the holographic Riker's hair quite right.

** Sela's plan for invading Vulcan hinges on this. With Vulcan (and by extension, the Federation) distracted with the notion of reunification, the Romulan Invasion force will begin the first steps to take control of the planet. Also, Sela has a mock distress signal sent to the Enterprise so that it will assist a Federation colony instead of intercepting the hidden invasion force. Data taking control of the holographic projectors ruins those plans in their entirety.

** Spock predicts that Sela will kill him, Picard, and Data even if they cooperate.

** Sela's plans on invading Vulcan hinges on this. With Vulcan (and by extension, the Federation) distracted with the notion of reunification, the Romulan Invasion force will begin the first steps to take control of the planet. Also, Sela has a mock distress signal sent to the Enterprise so that it will assist a Federation colony instead of intercepting the hidden invasion force. Data taking control of the holographic projectors ruins those plans in their entirety.

** As Spock notes, Data was built with what most Vulcans spend all their lives seeking, and yet he wishes to become more human.

Picard and Data return to the Underground Movement where they relay the message to Spock. [[INeverSaidItWasPoison Spock immediately realizes that he has been betrayed]]: the numbers are actually the time in which Spock is supposed to make an announcement regarding reunification the following day. At this point, a number of Romulan Troops burst in, led by Sela. Spock immediately calls out Pardek as working with Sela, given that it was Pardek's idea to come to Romulus. Sela acknowledges Pardek's treachery and tells Spock that his idea of reunification will still happen, but in a different form: the invasion of Vulcan by the Imperial Romulan Fleet. Meanwhile, at Galorndon Core, the Enterprise receives a message ostensibly from Picard saying that Spock's initiative is successful and to await further instructions.

Picard, Data, and Spock are brought to Sela's office where it is revealed that there are actually three ships full of Romulan Troops that will be sent to Vulcan as the vanguard of the Romulan Invasion force. Sela threatens to kill Spock unless Spock makes the announcement about reunification but Spock outright refuses: he surmises that [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness he will be dead anyway once he makes the announcement.]] This only seems to [[VillainousBreakdown enrage Sela further]], she then reveals that she has a backup plan to use a holographic recording of Spock to make the announcement. It's not perfect, as she would rather have Spock delivering the announcement to reduce suspicion, but then again, they only need to confuse the Federation long enough for the Romulan Troops to entrench themselves on Vulcan. Sela then leaves to begin the Operation, [[BondVillainStupidity locking Picard, Data, and Spock in the room with the holographic projectors]]. [[LockingMacgyverInTheStoreCupboard Spock then notices that they still have access to her computer terminal and Data immediately gets to work.]] When Sela returns, she finds that the three prisoners are apparently not in the room. They are suddenly accosted by Riker and a security team, but when they fire on the intruders, they realize that the intruders are holographic projections. [[WeNeedADistraction This distraction is enough for Spock and Picard to surprise Sela's security team and knock them out]], with Sela now held by Spock holding one of the disrupters that he obtained from one of the fallen security members. It turns out that Data used the holographic projectors to create false walls to hide himself, Picard, and Spock, enabling them to surprise the Romulans. Data now uses this moment to alter the pre-recorded message of Spock to inform the public that the Vulcan ships are actually an invasion force and must be stopped. The transmission is sent out, but stopped when the Romulans realize the message has been compromised. With her plans now ruined, Sela tells Picard, Data, and Spock that they will never get out of the building alive, but Data has already planned out an escape route and knocks Sela out with a Vulcan Nerve Pinch, to the approval of Spock.

* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode: This episode helps provide Spock Prime's backstory in [[Film/StarTrek2009 the 2009 reboot]], which, in turn, helps provide Picard's backstory in ''Series/StarTrekPicard''.

* RippedFromTheHeadlines: The Romulan unification movement was inspired by [[TheGreatPoliticsMessUp the unification of East and West Germany only a couple years earlier]].

* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode: This episode helps provide Spock Prime's backstory in [[Film/StarTrek2009 the 2009 reboot]].

* NotSoDifferent: Spock and Data find they're quite similar to one another.

** Oh, and that invasion force is headed for Vulcan at... warp one. [[SciFiWitersHave/NoSenseOfVelocity Shouldn't it take them a couple decades to get there at just the speed of light?]]

* Oh, and that invasion force is headed for Vulcan at... warp one. [[NoSenseOfVelocity Shouldn't it take them a couple decades to get there at just the speed of light?]]

* SciFiWritersHave/NoSenseOfVelocity: That invasion force is headed for Vulcan at... warp one. Shouldn't it take them a couple decades to get there at just the speed of light?

* SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: Sela's grand plan to invade Vulcan is with a grand total of at most 6,000 troops (Geordi says "2,000" at one point and sounds like he's referring to the whole force but might mean that's how many each of the three ships carried). Even if that's only the start of a guerrilla war, one would think that wouldn't be nearly enough to even threaten an entire planet.