Synopsis: Captain Picard and Lt. Commander Data find that Ambassador Spock is on Romulus to join an effort to peaceably reunite the Romulan and Vulcan cultures.
In this episode, viewers are treated to witness a change that has occurred in the beloved character of Ambassador Spock. Spock has learned that his human half, that in the past he has so tried to suppress, is in reality a great source of strength to him.
This revelation comes in a conversation that he has with the android officer, Lt. Commander Data. Spock, who has recently learned of his father’s death, tells Data:
“I always had a different vision than my father – – the ability to see beyond pure logic. He considered it weak. But I have discovered it to be a source of extraordinary strength” (Piller & Bole, 1991).
This discovering that a thing that one once thought was a weakness but turns out to be a strength, is at the core of depth psychology as described by Carl (C. G) Jung and then James Hillman. Jung would call this the union of opposites, and this concept can be described as accepting into our conscious rational ego bits of material of our unconscious that rise up to awareness through a complex. The complex not being positive or negative, but merely allows us to see that there is something in our unconscious that needs to be addressed. Having a complex gives us an opportunity to acknowledge these bits of our psyche that we have previously suppressed and integrate these traits into the rational ego, which is how we perceive ourselves.
In the case of “Unification II” Spock appears to have accepted the fact that he can no longer deny all emotions, such as hope, which now drives him to try to unify the Vulcan and Romulan peoples. That an individual that once denied the existence of emotions in himself, even though others could see them in him, and acknowledge them and integrate them into his psyche to become more whole may be the greatest lesson in the entire Star Trek multiverse.
Reference:
Piller, M. (Writer) & Bole C. (Director). (1991, November 9). Unification II (Season 5, Episode 8) [TV series episode]. In G. Roddenberry, R. Berman, & M. Piller (Executive Producers), Star trek: The next generation. Paramount Television.
Original post created 1 October 2021
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