Top 5 Easter eggs from Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, Episode 7

4. Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, Episode 7 Easter egg: Unification III

The official title of Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 7 is “Unification III,” which is a direct call back to the Star Trek: The Next Generation two-parter “Unification I” and “Unification II,” This episode is effectively a continuation of that storyline. During that era, the Federation war with the Romulans was reaching a critical stage. The only way to stop it was for Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) to propose a diplomatic solution.

The Romulans and Vulcans share common ancestors, a fact unknown to the crew of Discovery. Spock believed that unifying the two people would bring peace. In this episode, we learn that Spock was eventually successful.

Ni’Var was formerly Vulcan, and the planet has broken away from the Federation in the interest of protecting the Romulans. The planet is now home to both Vulcans and Romulans, but Reunification has not been peaceful. Romulan-Vulcan insurgents disrupt the peace; Romulan councilors continue to be antagonistic, and the Vulcan President T’Rina (Tara Rosling) is inflexible.

I didn’t like that the people of Ni’Var no longer hold true to Spock’s maxim of “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,” That being said, the Federation’s neglect of the Romulan people (as seen on Star Trek: Picard) makes the change in their view understandable.

But the episode title doesn’t reflect the past—this is about the future. The unification in question is less about keeping the Vulcans and Romulans together, and more about keeping Burnham with her family.

Another possible unification hinted at is when the President of Ni’Var and Saru form an intellectual friendship. Saru even makes the Vulcan peace sign, and you can see Doug Jones struggling to get his fingers straight; I love it! Perhaps Saru has already paved the first steps towards Ni’Var’s reunion with the Federation.

3. Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, Episode 7 Easter egg: Spock

You don’t need to be a Star Trek fan to recognize Mr. Spock. The character has a legacy that spans generations and has grown even more over the decades. Leonard Nimoy’s lasting impact has seen the character appear—or be name-dropped—in almost every franchise property.

This episode feels like a celebration of Spock and everything he stood for, not just as a character on screen, but as a reflection of the utopian ideals of the franchise creator, Gene Roddenberry.

Burnham is Spock’s adoptive sister, and the two shared a close bond till Burnham’s desire to protect her little brother led to a rift between them. The siblings reunited in the second season of Star Trek: Discovery, and both had to make the difficult decision of letting each other go so that Burnham could leave for the future.

In this episode, we see a flashback to young Burnham and Spock playing together, as well as Burnham’s final conversation with her brother (Ethan Peck) before she said goodbye. For the first time, Burnham sees her brother as an old man in a recording from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. And fans see the three Spocks of this timeline all in one episode.

You can feel the pride Burnham has in her brother’s accomplishments, but the emotional core of the episode was how the writers drove home that Burnham’s influence shaped Spock into the legend he has become. Even in the 21^st century, it’s not often that entertainment media writes women as idols and people to be admired. So, I love the nod to how Burnham’s huge heart led to Spock’s diplomacy.

And, who doesn’t love Book’s description of Burnham and Spock as ‘chronic over-achievers’? That man is a gem!