Unveiling Spock's Star Trek File: Michael Burnham's Omission Sparks Controversy! (Updated)
Spock's official Starfleet file mysteriously excludes any mention of Michael Burnham, raising questions about their unrecorded connection in Star Trek: Discovery
@timothypeel1's recent Tweet includes a revised service record for Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 4. This updated record notably includes mention of Michael Burnham, Spock's adopted sister from Star Trek: Discovery (Sonequa Martin-Green). In the episode titled "Among the Lotus Eaters," Spock distributes the crew of the USS Enterprise their service records on PADDs to help them regain their memories after being affected by radiation on the planet Rigel VII. Within Spock's service record, there are interesting details about his family members. Jörg Hillebrand (@gaghyogi49), a researcher for Star Trek: Picard season 3, originally shared a photo of Spock's service record, to which Timothy Peel (@timothypeel1) provided a clear and readable photo in response. Take a look at the Tweet below:
Why Spock's Starfleet Service Record Omits Star Trek: Discovery's Michael Burnham
Spock's service record demonstrates a remarkable sense of logic, yet there are two notable details that pique interest. Firstly, we find the mention of Sybok as Spock's half-brother, implying that Starfleet is well-aware of this renegade Vulcan heretic. Secondly, it is intriguing to observe the absence of any reference to the former Commander (now Captain) Michael Burnham of the USS Discovery, who happens to be Spock's adopted sister.
It is likely that Michael Burnham's absence from Spock's Starfleet service record occurred because Spock, being Vulcan, purged any mention of his sister and her starship from the databanks. The finale of Star Trek: Discovery season 2 resulted in Burnham and the USS Discovery traveling to the 32nd century in order to safeguard the 23rd century against the destructive A.I. known as Control, belonging to Section 31. According to the official record provided to Starfleet, the Discovery was destroyed along with its crew, including Burnham. This served to hide the truth about what truly happened to the Discovery, a secret known to only a select few within Starfleet. It is possible that Spock intentionally erased any references to Burnham from Starfleet, as evidenced by his service record. However, another possibility exists: since Burnham was adopted, Starfleet may not have considered her a blood relative of Spock's and therefore not included her in his records.
Sybok's presence in Spock's service record can be logically explained. Sybok is actually Spock's older brother and the son of Ambassador Sarek. Although Sybok is considered a Vulcan criminal, it is understandable that he would still be listed as part of Spock's immediate family. Captain Kirk was unaware of Spock's brother until their encounter in Star Trek V, as Sybok was a topic that Spock had never discussed until then. Sybok has been reintroduced in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 and may make a return in season 2, but his status as Spock's brother is well-documented by Starfleet. Catch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 streaming on Paramount+ every Thursday.
Source: Twitter
