Sybok, Burnham, and Spock (Don't worry, not another canon thread)

As the title says, I'm not posting about what is or isn't canon. Or even about small universe syndrome (a pet peeve of mine I'm ignoring here because my personal pet peeves mean less than nothing to the production team).

Just trying to put the pieces together.

Spock was about 35 in TOS I believe.

Sonequa Martin-Green is 32 now.

Sybok is 7 - 14 years older than Spock, since Spock new him as a young, brilliant student and we all know Vulcan breeding timelines.

Discovery is set about 10 years prior to TOS.

Burnham was adopted as a child by Sarek and Amanda, so had to be adopted after Sybok was born.

So when Spock was born Burnham was 10 and Sybok was 14 (give or take).

Which means that Burnham and Sybok spent their formative years together and Burnham likely left for Starfleet while Spock was still a young child, maybe a pre teen if she went to Uni/Vulcan Science Academy before Starfleet, which is a distinct possibility.

So Sybok had a human step mother and a human step sister. That actually helps recon his decision to reject logic for emotions since he was intimately exposed to them in ways few other Vulcan's would be.

It also means Sybok would have been a major part of Burnhams life and his defection from the ways of logic to emotionality would be relatively recent. The family would still be healing from this. Perhaps part of why Burnham and Spock embraced the Vulcan ways so much, sacrificing their Human heritage as much as they could?

If Sybok isn't just ignored and and retconned out of existence like a Winslow family member (did I do that?) and with the seeming importance and ongoing relationship issues of the Sarek/Burnham to the series, then it seems very likely Sybok will have some presence on the show, whether it is in flashbacks, current times meeting with Sarek/Burnham, or brought up in Martin-Green/Frains for your Emmy consideration reel family argument scene.

Any thoughts? Am I missing something else blatantly obvious?

 

I always thought NuSybok was a possibility in the Kelvinverse. But he could at least be mentioned here. There is a small universe syndrome involved no doubt. I hope they don't work T'Pol in as well, though that could be a torch passing moment if she met/knew/was mentored by an elderly T'Pol. There is definitely story telling possibility in being the human middle child between a young, rebelling Sybok already at odds with Sarek and encouraging the same in his adopted sister and a half human younger brother who is struggling with his identity. There is a lot there to explore.

 

I agree that Sybok could not only fit but add to the Spock/Burnham dynamic in flashbacks. Reimagine him as the degenerate brother, maybe he took that drug T'Pol took and lost some of his marbles along with his ability to master his emotions but still has wisdom in his lucid moments. Burnham could have turned to him for help understanding the rigidity of Spock and Sarek.

 

Sybok showing up could be good. Thanks to Laurence Luckinbill, Sybok was one of the best things about STV.

 

To hell with Sybok. Awful character from an awul movie.

Best to pretend he never existed, like TPTB have been doing since 1989.

 

Nah. That's a f'ing lie. Sybok was amazing. The best thing in STV was LL and his performance as Sybok. We need him back, esp given the circumstances.

 

Sybok being Spock's brother didn't really add anything to TFF, but it could finally serve a purpose in DSC. I hope they have the guts to bring him in. I'd rather see Sybok than Mudd.

 

I always thought Sybok was great, and explained why Sarek was often a prick, always pushing his son to be more Vulcan than Vulcan. If he has a prior full-blooded Vulcan son who was exiled for being emotional and trying to convert others, it explains it. It's not "try not to act human[/gay]", he's just afraid he'd lose another son in an intolerant culture.

How Mike Burnham fits in I have no idea. I'll wait to see the show, because I'm not yet sure if she's Spock's adopted sister as the hype says or if it's more she was an orphan mentored by Sarek but not really considered part of the family.

 

I'd be perfectly fine if they'd change Spock's birth year if that makes this work better.

 

Was Sybok ever raised by Sarek and Amanda? I really can't remember.

 

I just watched Final Frontier a couple of nights ago with my son and while nothing is definitely stated either way, I got the impression Sybok was sufficiently nearby to witness some of young Spock's challenges but not living in the same home. But it's vague enough to be taken either way.

 

Yeah, I kinda remembered they were around each other growing up, but maybe Sybok was with his mother. I'm sure the novel was clearer on the subject.

 

^ It was. The novelization says that Sybok was largely raised and influenced by his mother (alone, after her split from Sarek). In fact I believe she even gave him his "Share your pain" power.

 

To each their own. I am one of the few people who liked TFF so that's one of the reasons I'd like to see Sybok back. Just some acknowledgement of the film's existence.

 

The camping g stuff should be edited together as an extra feature for STIV and the rest quietly disposed of...

 

I liked the scenes on the god planet. I thought they felt like classic trek.

 

They just needed to tweak the dialog a bit...

Kirk: Why does God need a starship?
God: I just need it, ok?

I think Sybok can be reimagined because of the new family dynamic in DSC, but I have no desire to honor or even draw attention to that film. I can still remember how angry I was that I took a half day off work to see it opening day.

 

Perhaps like with the Ferengi (Nog) and the Klingons (Alexander) Vulcan kids also grow quickly and unless siblings are the same age; siblings just aren't that close as they might be if they grew up together.

And if there are people employed on this show to specifically sign-post potential canon issues then at we may very well get a Sybok reference at some point.

I do think the Burnham-adoptive daughter business is a little bit awkward though. I'd sooner see a young Sybok as a civilian attache of some kind dabbling with the Vulcan version of the occult. Anyway it'll be interesting to see what they finally do with it.