One of the biggest events in the Star Trek movie was the destruction of Vulcan and this has got Star Trek’s new Spock Zachary Quinto wondering what his character may be doing to help the remaining Vulcan race in the sequel.
Quinto thinks Spock wants to rebuild the Vulcan race
The Star Trek stars still haven’t seen a script for the sequel, but that doesn’t stop them from imagining what they may be up to once the film gets going. Recently Zoe Saldana said that she was hoping for Uhura take her relationship with Spock to the next level and "hook up." And in a new interview Zachary Quinto appears to be on the same page, however he (fittingly) uses somewhat more academic terminology:
Where do you think your character is in the second film, where do you think his character journey is going?
I wonder about that. I would imagine (this is just speculative), his planet’s been destroyed, he feels a real imperative to rebuild his race. But he’s in love with a human. There’s probably some potential conflict in that dynamic, I would not be surprised, and I would be intrigued and excited by that if that were the case. Again, I have such implicit trust in all of those guys: Damon, Bob and Alex, and J.J. I feel like they’re going to take us where we need to go. And we’re going to follow them whole-heartedly.
Do you think they’ll keep the romance story alive with you, and do you want them to?
I do think [so]. I don’t see how they could just drop it. It may be fraught, I don’t know!
Where is Spock now? He’s one of the last few Vulcans
He’s not the only Vulcan, I think I said, "Of my planet’s nearly 6 billion inhabitants, approximately 10,000 have survived." He’s not the only one. But the odds aren’t great. He has a bit of a cultural imperative to [help].
Quinto thinks Spock Spock has a "cultural imperitive" to help keep the Vulan race going…
More from Quinto at io9.
Spock is half human, so getting busy with Uhura should not be a problem..
I seem to remember a li’l line from a recent Trek; “Fortunately, you can be in two places at once.” We already have a Spock on he job.
How long does it take a planet with inhabitants who have a once-every-seven-years mating cycle to amass a population of nearly six billion? I would think it would take some time. Would Vulcans increase the rate of reproduction as a “logical” necessity for repopulating their species? That would give Spock the incentive to get busy … ; )
Oddly enough, I wasn’t quite as upset with alternate universe Vulcan being destroyed as I was prime universe’s Romulus being destroyed.
It just seemed that from all the way back to their first appearance in “Balance of Terror” to seeing them fight alongside the Federation in DS9 and “Nemesis,” the Romulans were the work-in-progress race of Star Trek—from xenophobic warmongers to a shaky wartime alliance to a borderline friendship between cultures.
And for me that’s what Trek is all about: the hard work toward friendship… not a star suddenly exploding and setting up cross-universe plot points… and DVD sales.
Based on this, I say let Quinto write the script and schedule production to start this Fall. He seems to have a lot better idea of how to move forward than the Supreme Court has at this point.
@2, exactly. Maybe Zach didn’t pay attention to that little bit.
On another note, I seriously hope they do drop the thing with him and Uhura, it felt totally conjured up to me and others I’ve talked to. If you want to get technical, they wouldn’t be able to sustain a relationship anyways as he’s her superior officer.
@3 Vulcans can mate at times other than the Ponn Farr. The Ponn Farr is more of a “Screw or DIE” time period.
If Pon-farr is indeed an unbreakable 7-year cycle, logic dictates that there be a whole lotta artificial insemination taking place on that Vulcan colony in the JJverse. Sort of like taking one for the team, I suppose.
PLL&P,
The Vulcanista
#6 that didnt stop Riker and Troi from rekindling a old relationship when he was her superior officer.
The did more than sustain it, by getting married and then continuing to go on and be her superior officer when he was promoted to captain the Titan and she still served under him
though i do want to see them drop the spock uhura thing.
#6 No no no It can work. There are some office/work romances that lead to more than a work relationship. It was fun to see a little part of his human side come through with Spock. (I got this one, Keachick, heehee)
Also it will help appeal to the females who really like chick flicks and are dragged to the theater by their Trek loving men. LOL I personally don’t care much for “chick flicks” and I drag my husband to see all the Sci-Fi and Action movies! hahaha
I think it was a clever idea to involve the many elements/emotions into this movie, it will appeal to a larger population, sell more tickets and keep Trek going even longer. Just my opinion of course.
The thing is, the Vulcan pon farr cycle is tied directly to the planet. Its inhabitants have a strong urge to return to the home-world and mate. What happens when that home-world is no longer there? Does it usher in premature pon farr cycles? I really hope the team is not having trouble coming up with a story to tell with as many conundrums as they left open. There are some very huge problems that have been created, and they need to be dealt with. I like Quinto’s speculations especially when reading the entire article.
Don’t mind Spock/Uhura. It could be intriguing if built upon correctly.
@ 10. Charla
“I think it was a clever idea to involve the many elements/emotions into this movie, it will appeal to a larger population, sell more tickets and keep Trek going even longer. Just my opinion of course.”
I agree.
Star Trek II: The Search For Vulcan
7 – Thanks. I know mostly the TOS mythos and not so much from the spin-offs. Boy, Ted Sturgeon came up with some unique ideas about sexuality in his novels and in “Amok Time.” Thanks for the clarification.
Hooking Up- no. Second movie here, people. Let’s take it a little slower.
Star Trek 12: A Hard Vulcan is Good to Find
Sorry…really, I am…
The question is, could Romulins help populate the Vulcan culture. I can imagine Prime Spock staring a new Vulcan home world and bringing in Romulins and Humans as a new Vulcan culture while the new Spock emotions is still bitter about the lost of his mother.
If i recall correctly, Voyager (and maybe TNG) indicated that once every 7 years was the “Forced” period of mating. But they could do it more often.
come to think of it, i believe it was voyager, in the ep where Tuvok was being stalked by the alien woman from the resort program.
There is also old Spock and sperm donations. So please don’t make preserving his genes a problem in the next movie. It is easily done.
But personally I think the other Vulcans would prefer, if he doesn’t get any children. They were already opposed to him as a hybrid. I think they would be even less tolerant with diluting the Vulcan race now, that only so few are left. I really don’t think they like hybrids, even only 1/4 humans/ 3/4 Vulcans ones. Most Vulcans came across as very racist in the last movie.
Either way I really hope we won’t see any marriage/baby story lines involving Spock and Uhura. The Enterprise is no place for babies/children running around. That was really ridiculous in TNG! And I don’t think they would want a child growing up without parents somewhere else.
They are also still both very young and at the beginning of their career. Especially Uhura gave the impression, that she worked very hard for her career and doesn’t want to stay on earth playing loving mother any time soon. I mean she is only in her early 20s!
Personally I even think marriage would be too early at this point in time. They are still very young and who knows how long they are already together? Uhura was at the academy for maybe four years. I really doubt a relationship started at once. I just don’t see them together for more than 1-2 years. Marriage would be all be too fast.
Young people normally don’t marry after knowing each other for only a relative short time, at least not the responsible ones. There is no need to hurry because of any biological clock ticking. They can take their time getting to know each other better and finding out for sure, if they belong forever together or better not. Often young people don’t marry someone they are together with in their early 20s. Maybe Spock and Uhura will also find out, that they have other interests in the long term.
I loved nu star trek and nu spock!
Look, I’m fine with Uhura getting a bigger role in the sequel. But I also want to see some Kirk-Spock-McCoy moments with McCoy getting more time in the sequel than last time. I don’t want Spock and Uhura “hooking up” because Spock is supposed to have this inner struggle between his human and Vulcan halves, while Uhura needs to be seen doing her job. Spock and Uhura can be good, close friends without needing a romance.
And if they want a “big four” with Uhura included, I’m okay with that. But I don’t want to see McCoy replaced by Uhura!
Spock Prime didn’t want young Spock to spend the rest of his life “rebuilding” Vulcan society because Spock Prime would be able to do it. (read: Spock Prime wants to spend his final years getting busy with the ladies)
And if I hear any more about Zoe Saldana wanting Uhura to be a kick-ass action hero ballbuster, I think I’ll lose it. Uhura is supposed to be a communications officer, one who is strong through her intellect and talents. I want to see her decipher codes, and translate alien languages. And display the same kind of wit she had in “The Search For Spock” when she ordered the ensign into the closet.
I don’t want Zoe Saldana turning Uhura into another Neytiri from “Avatar”, or a female action fighter like in “The Losers” or “Colombiana”. If I wanted that, I’ll just watch those movies!
If Vulcan is destroyed in the past how can Nero go back and destroy it? Time travel is always a bad idea unless it’s Star Trek IV.
@ 5. MJ
I say let Shatner write the script.
#24
Time travel doen’t work like that in star trek universe. With the theory of an infinity number of parallel universes (see TNG episode Parallels) Nero came from a different universe where Vulcan was not destroyed or better Nero created a new (alternative) universe (which runs parallel with the prime universe) when he came back in time and destroyed Vucan.
#24.
Uhhh, because Nero travelled back in time BEFORE he destroyed Vulcan, and after creating the alternate timeline.
#25.
Good God no! I love William Shatner, but he just wasn’t meant to direct!
@ 24
Nero created a new alternative universe with going back to the past. It is another time travel theory and not like in the “Back to the Future” movies.
Damn! I meant to say that “Nero created a new timeline when he travelled back in time BEFORE destroying Vulcan”.
@ 24
In the “Back to the Future” movies the universe is like one long street. You can only go back and forth on it. And whatever you do on the older part of the street will influence, how the newer part will look like.
In the new Star Trek movie it is different. The universe consists of tons of streets. All the time streets have branches, which go in different directions and look different. The Star Trek series played in one street. Nero went back on it and build a side road. The new movie shows this side road since Nero’s appearance.
But I understand, why you are confused. In Star Trek 4 it looks more like they used the “Back to the Future” time travel theory, because they seemed to be back, where they left. I mean with the new movie Star Trek time travel theory, it would have made more sense, if they appeared BEFORE the probe arrived at earth. That would have prevented its attack.
In the TOS episode “The City on the Edge of Forever”, it looks even more like the “Back to the future” theory. After McCoy went through the portal, their known present is gone, but it is there again, when they let Edith Keeler die. That wouldn’t have happened, with the alternative universe theory. McCoy wouldn’t have changed the future, where Kirk, Spock and so on were in. Earth wouldn’t have been gone. They wouldn’t have to let Edith Keeler die, because McCoy would have only created a new alternative universe, when he rescued her and would have not influenced the future, where his friend were.
According to the new movie, it is impossible to change the past of your own timeline. You can only create a new alternative universe/timeline.
Star Trek is really inconsistent in this regard. I guess they change it all the time to suit their story line. ;-)
I can’t wait for the sequel
So find I keep explaining this and I’s getting old. Spock/Uhura was slightly absurd. First of all, if we remember Amok Time, Spock was supposed to be bonded with T’Pring. I know this is an alternate universe, but I see no logical reason why that would be changed in Spock’s life. And i highly doubt Spock would cheat on his almost-wife. Second, if Spock was an instructor at Starfleet Academy and Uhura a cadet, chances for Spock to break regulations and date a cadet are almost inexistent considering that fact that he is Vulcan an does not react on emotion, but follows logic and regulations. And third, Uhura is an amazing character. She did not have enough impact in TOS but the simple fact that she was there was big. Now, we all complain about how sexist it was that her role was not bigger, and yet we’re in 2009 and we have a new Uhura that is assigned on the Enterprise because she’s dating her superior officer. Sexist much? She’s the only woman on the bridge, why not just let her character be built separately, with the strong and wonderful personality we all know she has, not orbiting a guy and being defined solely through that relationship. And it’s not hard to drop the whole thing, because it was slightly ambiguous.
I would also like it it they stuck to the classic triunvirate, cause that interaction is just hilarious, especially because the new McCoy is more full of life. The thing I always liked about TOS was that they would all hook up with different chicks on different planets, but at the end of the day, they were all married to their jobs, and maybe that is something that should be perpetuated in the new movies as well.
On a different not, about rebuilding the race, if Spock is hybrid, chances are he is sterile. By rebuilding the race, I would think more he was talking about the culture, so Spock Prime can easily take care of that.
So lets get Spock and Uhura making babies, and also Kirk and Rand. Scott and Keenser can set up home together and adopt and Chekov will surely be next in line to find a cute little space babe. She’ll likely have vampiristic tendencies (just to keep the youth market on board) and she’ll give up the blood sucking for love and making babies.
So, after all of that is done, in twenty years we will truly have Star Trek: The Next Generation. :-D
The mentioned conflict would be very interesting! I could also imagine, a Spock in that timeline would try to be more vulkan than human. Like Worf, who decided to be “more honorable” etc. as he thought an ideal Klingon would be, because he did not experience so much other Klingons. My personal wish for Spock is, he will stay together with Uhura, but let them go through difficult times. After all he could also remember his mother and his feelings for her. So he could find a good balance between his wish to beware his vulkan heritage and living together with a human. End-Scene of Star Trek 12: two crying babys and Spock rising an eye-brow, saying: “I never was so aware of the fact, human beings are capable to produce more than two babys at once!”
#31 I think you are going to have to!
OH, i mean… they could have more than twins in the end ;)
#31 Resistance is futile. We are Viacom. You will have to wait until we think it is time to enjoy you with the new Star Trek Movie.
X) Sorry, had to make this.
Was it only 10,000? I kind of hope we’re not seeing too much of New Vulcan. Or anything at all. It just doesn’t seem compelling to me. They’ll be fine – they can certainly take care of themselves. And, I’m hoping to God that there’s not a hidden menace on their new world(s) — we’ve seen that movie.
Incidentally, just saw Cowboys and Aliens and it was… okay. Better than I’d expected, but certainly a formulaic summer movie. But a decent one. I’m still hoping for Adam Beach in this next Trek.
Paul Dano as Charlie X (he’s too old, since Charlie would be a young kid at the end of Trek 09.. and really, I don’t want to see the character again)?
There was one thing I wished they had touched on more. In Immunity Syndrome, Spock was quite affected by the death of 400 Vulcans via telepathic link. I wanted Nu Spock to be “completely” freaked by sensing the death of 6 billion vulcans. :)
Good source of dramatic struggle, along with the loss of his mother.
I would have liked to have seen him at his wits end which would have supported his reaction to Kirk prodding him. But the way it played out, it felt more like a rehash of the brawl in the transporter room in “Paradise Syndrome”
“Zachary Quinto Thinks Spock Should Be Rebuilding The Vulcan Race”
Well………STOP “THINKING” ABOUT IT!!!
STOP GIVING INTERVIEWS!!! GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!!!!
:))
1. TOS had MANY instances where you see how skilled and cross-trained the Federation is. Life-science, medical, you name it; if the more qualified guy dies they pick up the pieces and do THEIR job. There’s something wonderful in that model that Uhura kicking ass can be consistent with.
2. I’m very glad Quinto isn’t writing the next movie because I don’t think the urge to repopulate is really what should drive Spock and Uhura apart. As I’ve mentioned previously the depiction of Spock in the last film was flawed. He was a technician, not a scientist. His love of science was missing. And the truth of Vulcan’s violent nature and the need to be at peace to control himself was sadly missing. Vulcan nature is not EASY. Trust in love is not easy. You don’t need something as superficial and 1-dimensional as “repopulating the species to have conflict in the Spock-Uhura relationship.
“End-Scene of Star Trek 12: two crying babys and Spock rising an eye-brow, saying: ‘I never was so aware of the fact, human beings are capable to produce more than two babys at once!’ ”
Renesmee and Giovanna , sparkling in the sunlight , glowing through the lens flares ( and in 3D ) , were thus born……..
Dmduncan is begging for it . Don’t let him down…
:)
32. If Spock is hybrid, chances are he is sterile
Why? And, I’m hoping rebuilding Vulcan doesn’t mean literally repopulating the race.
Spock didn’t act much like a Vulcan in the last movie. He showed his emotions all the time for everyone plain to see. That kissing scene in front of other people didn’t help. I think a lot of humans wouldn’t even kiss at their work place in front of their co-workers!
If they will continue with Spock/Uhura, that must stop. Spock shouldn’t show his love publicly. I think it is even inappropriate for Uhura. He is after all her boss and Starfleet is a military. So no more mooning eyes from her, while they are on the bridge.
Personally I would still prefer, if they break up on cordial terms. I think showing scenes with them in private settings a waste of valuable movie time. I am not interested in their relationship and prefer to see other things and movie time is limited.
I also would prefer it, if not half of Uhura’s scenes would be about her being a girlfriend or love interest again. Spock had overall much more scenes, so his boyfriend scenes were a much smaller part of his role, so he was defined less by them. But Uhura isn’t a main character and I really doubt, she will get as much screen time as Kirk and Spock in the next movie. I want that she is much more characterized as a separate being and not only as the appendix of a main character.
That is another reason, why I hope they break up. If they stay together, I think Uhura’s scenes will be again to a large part girlfriend scenes. As she is unfortunately the only main female character, that doesn’t left much time for showing women doing something professional, which is really pathetic. I mean even TOS had with Chapel and Rand more female characters, which were showed working.
#23
Exactly, stick to kirk, spock, mccoy and they will be fine, the other characters can get supportive roles or it would turn into cheesy xmen film where every star gets their turn to shine, and would seemed forced. Jack of all trades, masters of none.
#44
Yea spock n uhura should be just friends, spock belongs to kirk and mccoy.
#32
Exactly
@42. Aurore.
Yeah.
Spock, Kirk and McCoy should just be friends .
Spock belongs to himself ( and Uhura ).
:)
Can we all please remember that these are not real people – they are dramatic devices? They have emotional roles to play. Spocks is “the lonely outsider”. The very root of Spocks appeal is NOT just his logic – it is his uniqueness and loneliness as a “half-breed” who doesn’t fit in anywhere and who CHOOSES not to return the obvious love of Chapel.
That’s why lonely and unloved geeks have always loved Spock. It’s why Clark Kent is such a necessary device for Superman. It allows the reader/viewer to rationalize they they COULD be strong, or popular, or loved, but they DARE not, because of their innate superiority, of course. It’s so lonely being better than everybody else…. See why geeks feel connected?
Anyway… that’s why the Uhura romance is the most dramatically STUPID move in the entire movie. There were plenty of storytelling flaws (the terrible idea of marooning Kirk, the ice planet meeting coincidences, the unfunny Kirk injection side-effects, the completely unclear parallel universe explanation, Nero’s missing years, etc) but those are all flaws of craft. The Uhura romance was a flaw of talent, and complete misunderstanding of why anyone even cares about the character to begin with.
44. For all the talk of making Uhura a more important character in the last one, you’re absolutely right — she was the girlfriend/love interest/object of desire. I’d argue that Trek 09 was more sexist than TOS.
There’s mom who has a baby and can’t manage to raise him without her dead husband, so she marries a deadbeat jerk and then essentially abandons her kid; Uhura who gets ogled, is involved with an instructor and has exceptional aural (tee hee) sensitivity; the needy, promiscuous Orion who apparently got duped (and whom Kirk can’t even tell apart from other Orion girls); one or two ineffectual female crew members (the transporter officer who can’t beam up Kirk and Sulu, the other who panics that the ship won’t make it to safety) and Spock’s beatific mother, who, of course, dies, but doesn’t do much else.
Heck, even characters mentioned by name only — Ensign McKenna, Dr.
Prurie — are men.