Would you mind UHURA being promoted to BIG THREE status in next movie?

[Hartzilla2007]

Mr. Laser Beam wrote:

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But Spock and Sarek are clearly still close (they're not estranged like they were when we first met Sarek in TOS). I think Spock will listen to what his dad says.

Yeah and telling Spock going his own way is okay seems to be what Sarek is telling him.

[Agenda]

Mr. Laser Beam wrote:

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Maybe not urgently, though - Orci and Kurtzman have said that the 10,000 survivors of Vulcan is *in addition to* Vulcans who were living offworld at the time, so there could be many more. Probably enough to ensure a viable genetic base even without Spock.

With that many Vulcans left, a single half-Vulcan won't make much of a difference. I don't think it's logical for Spock to be forced - or to force himself - into a relationship he doesn't want, unless there is absolutely no other choice. He'd live the rest of his life in resentment, which wouldn't be good for anybody, including his children.

But Spock and Sarek are clearly still close (they're not estranged like they were when we first met Sarek in TOS). I think Spock will listen to what his dad says.

If Sarek wished for Spock to help rebuild Vulcan society, then Spock chose otherwise, because at the end of the movie he's clearly chosen Starfleet. If Sarek didn't wish for Spock to help rebuild, then I doubt he'd want to force Spock to marry a Vulcan.

[FarStrider]

Mr. Laser Beam wrote:

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I think he would. The genetic diversity that Spock would provide to the Vulcan species at large will always be needed.

You are forgetting that Spock Prime can contribute that same genetic legacy. . .

Mr. Laser Beam wrote:

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But Spock and Sarek are clearly still close (they're not estranged like they were when we first met Sarek in TOS). I think Spock will listen to what his dad says.

Sarek has just admitted to Spock that he married Amanda because he loved her, and that he loves him (something that he never did in the TOS, and regretted in TNG). . . Spock is the only thing of that Sarek has left of Amanda. . . In light of that fact, it doesn't make any sense that he would continue to try to force Spock to be completely Vulcan. . .

[Rusty0918]

If they should have a female in the Big Three, they should put a new one in: Perhaps the chief of security of the USS Enterprise, with rank of lieutenant commander, and NOT wearing a wimpy futuristic drum majorette uniform. Anna Torv or Ali Larter anyone?

[Sci]

Mutara Nebula 1967 wrote:

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Chis Pine's is not the only star on the rise. ZOE S. seems to be everywhere these days!

Personally I would welcome her having a HUGE role in the next movie...even if McCoy has to take a back seat (sorry but Bones was ALWAYS my least favorite of the seven main characters).

Abrams is a smart guy right? If he doesn't capitalize on ZOE as UHURA that would seem to be a missed opportunity.

She already was one of the Big Three in ST09. McCoy wasn't nearly as important a character to ST09 as Uhura was.

[Rusty0918]

Well, Sci, McCoy wasn't featured heavily in any of the other movie posters. In TMP, it was Kirk, Spock, and Ilia, for example.

[FarStrider]

Sci wrote:

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She already was one of the Big Three in ST09. McCoy wasn't nearly as important a character to ST09 as Uhura was.

Everyone needs to go back and read Tara's amazing breakdown of the structure of the movie and how McCoy and Uhura are MIRRORS of each other in terms of character and function in the "47 Klingon Ships and Uhura" thread. . . http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.ph...01#post3668901 She proves that neither McCoy nor Uhura are more important than the other, and they probably even have the same number of scenes and lines if you want to be anal about it. . . It is a brilliant piece of analysis. . . print it out, memorize it, tape it to your computer and when another Uhura vs. the "Big Three" topic comes up, read it again. . . seriously. . .

Hopefully the writers will continue making ALL of the characters integral to the plot. . .

~FS

[JarodRussell]

Paramount says Spock, Kirk and Uhura are the lead characters. Here is proof:

http://www.trekcore.com/specials/alb...uhura_stxi.jpg
http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/a...ers/poster.jpg
http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/a...r_italiano.jpg

You won't find such a photographs and posters with Urban replacing Saldana there.

[Agenda]

The studio was definitely positioning her as a major player in this franchise. Which makes sense. I hate to sound PC, but we need more women in prominent roles in Trek.

[Sabataage]

Beyond Antares wrote:

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The studio was definitely positioning her as a major player in this franchise. Which makes sense. I hate to sound PC, but we need more women in prominent roles in Trek.

Its not 'PC' anymore, its just good writing. BSG fans were in an uproar over RDM and Eick's decision to make Starbuck and Boomer female. But Katee Sackhoff is awesome and old BSG is shite. Abrams & Co. didn't do anything like that. They didn't make Chekov a Pakistani or turn Sulu into a girl. They took a character who was already black woman on the bridge of the Enterprise and simply gave her more to do.

[Pauln6]

Beyond Antares wrote:

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The studio was definitely positioning her as a major player in this franchise. Which makes sense. I hate to sound PC, but we need more women in prominent roles in Trek.

I apologise in advance, but this is my pet hate! It's not PC to call for more women; it's common sense. TOS was pushing the envelope when it featured female officers (never mind a black female officer) but it dropped the ball by featuring too many yeomen (i.e. nco's whose job it was to serve coffee) rather than women in positions of authority.

The problem that Trek has had all along is not just the absence of women in prominent roles but it is the absence of women period. Women form just over half of the human race and yet we see that only about a third of starfleet crew are women and pretty much every Federation species seems to follow this imbalance. The fact that the Federation is always banging on about equality demonstrates that the imbalance isn't a conscious decision by Starfleet but a problem with the writers and casting people.

NuTrek dropped the ball itself by doing little with the recurring women from TOS in spite of there being several simple ways to feature characters like T'Pau, Janice Rand, or Number One, and even though Christine Chapel was a biologist with experience in exo-archaeology and paleobiology from her time with Korby, we see that she is still a nurse in NuTrek who will be little more than McCoy's sidekick even if they decide to give her some lines in the next film.

They are a bit limted because so many of the TOS characters were men. However, apart from Gaila (whose main job was to flash her body in a comic scene) and the two mothers (who pretty much need to be women) the principle new characters (captain & first officers of the Kelvin, Olsen, Keenser, admiral with lines, vulcan scientist with lines) are all men. Even the increase in Uhura's role is almost entirely due to her role as a love interest.

Overall Trek's recent record on equality has been poor compared to many other sci fi franchises. It does ok with a few high profile female characters (usually 2-3 in the main cast and maybe 1-2 recurring guests) but if you do a direct comparison the real ratio is more than 2:1. Not a good effort.

[Cicero]

^ The cast of "The Cage" was somewhat better balanced than the eventual TOS cast was. Two of six main cast members were female (Pike, Number One, Spock, Colt, Tyler, Boyce), and one of those was the first officer and helmsman. The role of the yeoman was also much more active than that eventually assumed by Rand and a rotating cast.

The initial broadcast version of the original series was also slightly better - two of six credited stars and co-stars were still female (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scott, Uhura, Rand), but the roles of the female cast members were greatly reduced, and their personalities were a good deal more emotional and less businesslike.

The show became much more unbalanced later, with the elevation of Sulu, departure of Rand, and introduction of Chekov. This is, unfortunately, the cast balance inherited by the new films - only one of seven credited stars is female.

I would like to see this imbalance addressed somehow (Colt or a female chief of security might fit in nicely; Rand and the later yeoman would be much too young ten years earlier), but I hope Uhura's screen time declines. She was the only major character I disliked in the movie (except Nero).

I found the degree to which she was emotive and emotionally-driven off-putting. Compare her with a male character in the film - Sulu, Chekov, Pike - and the difference is striking. Even the contrast with the female characters of 1964 ("The Cage") is notable. Observe both Number One and Colt in "The Menagerie". They seem similar in demeanor to the male officers - intelligent before emotional, much more like real-life female officers. (Note that Colt is intellectually-driven despite her apparent "very strong female drives".)

I'd hope to see someone more along these lines, or like one of the female leads from the post-TNG series, given a major role (Number One, somehow?), especially as an alternative to a greater focus on Uhura.

[Pauln6]

Rand is actually the same age as Kirk so not too young. Astrobiologist Ann Mulhall is my favourite pick outside the main cast as she was an engineer but can also fill a niche that isn't occupied by any of the main cast.

[daveyNY]

The Very Obvious problem with this, is that GUYS, are writing the screenplays.

Interpret that any way you like.

[Pauln6]

It's true. But why do guys assume that other guys don't want to see more women? Why do they assume that women don't want to see more women? I think the problem is that they new writers seem to view Trek as being some kind of war franchise where you don't use women unless you have a specific reason, which usually equates to mother, love interest, or nurse. There are some chicks in the background, the writers just need to give them more lines and clearer roles and more particularly start showing women in engineering and security.