Uhura and Scotty, why did people hate the Idea so much?

Discussion in 'Star Trek Movies I-X' started by Tribble puncher, Feb 11, 2018.

  1. Tribble puncher

    Tribble puncher Captain Captain

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    They've known each other for 20+ years by ST:V, Scotty even said she was the most understanding woman he knew, which would suggest that he has probably confided things in her off camera. Maybe Uhura likes a guy thats good with his hands, I'm sure they have Space Viagra in the 23rd century so I doubt age would be a problem. :lol: Anyway, ultimately it was pointless as far as the films went, but I can't help but wonder if it would have been continued in some fashion to the next film had fan reaction not been so negative. (I do remember hearing some people thought it was a terrible idea when the film came out, even among my nerdy friends in high school)
     
  2. Kronos

    Kronos Admiral Admiral

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    I think fans just didn't like the idea of anyone in the crew pairing up, like high school BS, see the new ST movies for that ;)
     
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  3. Pauln6

    Pauln6 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Uhura was very underrated got very little respect as a character generally. She has a limited role on screen and almost no character growth in the movies except for her great comic turn in STIII. Personally, I think making her character growth about a relationship with a member of the male cast would have been very lazy unless it was used to add an emotional dimension to the drama. To achieve that though they would also have had to give her something more to do and based on past Trek history, that would more likely have involved putting her in peril to give the male more to do. Pretty much like the dynamic in the recent Planet of the Apes reboot.

    It's a shame they didn't allow her to branch out after STIII. Fans might also have been more willing to accept a romantic sub plot if it had been built up, like Saavik and Spock.
     
  4. Commishsleer

    Commishsleer Commodore Commodore

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    What? Saavik and Spock. Is that a thing? Am I the only one around here to say aaaarrrrgggghhh.

    Uhura and Scotty - Too little, too late. Otherwise I wouldn't have a problem with it.
     
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  5. Pauln6

    Pauln6 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Even in TWoK, the lingering looks and tears at Spock's funeral were intended to imply Saavik had a bit of a thing for him, even if the potential romance with David was brought more to the fore. STIII slam dunked it (literally) when she helps him out with his Ponn Farr, and her embarrassed aversion to his gaze in STIV was intentional too, especially as she was unofficially pregnant. Plus he practically drools all over Valeris in STVI and she's basically Saavik too.
     
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  6. F. King Daniel

    F. King Daniel Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I think it just came out of nowhere and they'd displayed zero chemistry for 20 years.

    Uhura and Spock was a much better fit, and tied into some banter from early episodes.
     
  7. Captain Clark Terrell

    Captain Clark Terrell Commodore Commodore

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    It was completely random. Otherwise, I’d have been fine with it.
     
  8. C.E. Evans

    C.E. Evans Admiral Admiral

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    I do think that much of the problem some people had with Scotty and Uhura was that it did really come of nowhere. I do remember reading an old magazine article about it that it was an attempt to do something "a little different" with those characters instead of just having the movie focus solely on Kirk, Spock, & McCoy from beginning to end. There may have been an idea that their relationship started shortly after the Enterprise-A left Spacedock in Star Trek IV. The fact that it was totally absent in Star Trek VI could suggest that it may not have been all that serious from the start and didn't really change anything in regards to their friendship, IMO.
     
  9. UncleRogi

    UncleRogi Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I think it was thrown in by Shatner to make us all feel warm and nostalgic, now that HE was in
    charge, and knew how to do Trek RIGHT!

    It was ego, IMO.

    :wtf:
     
  10. Tribble puncher

    Tribble puncher Captain Captain

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    You know, Maybe they could have worked in a couple of short scenes where Scotty and Uhura were minding the ship, and had conversed, Maybe Scotty reveals something to Uhura while telling a story about his younger days and it makes Her fall for him a little, I do agree, Scotty and Uhura just pops out of nowhere from our perspective, but on the other hand, sometimes real crushes have a habit of doing that. I mean, they are all getting old by that point, maybe Uhura was starting to think about that little cottage on the hill, and was wanting someone to spend her retirement comfortably with. But yeah, I do agree that from a movie perspective, it wasn't handled that great.
     
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  11. Qonundrum

    Qonundrum Vice Admiral Admiral

    Or maybe Scotty hid his interests in lieu of both of them working not just in the same department but on the Bridge. We did see the result of "Balance of Terror" with the to-be wedded couple and problems therein.

    20 years later and he's realized he'd made a mistake - never mind how many women turned him down before and the idea life partner was there all along...

    But, yeah, in STV it seemed thrown in at random, no build-up given.
     
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  12. Malaika

    Malaika Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    it's about context too. Yes, it came out of nowhere but my biggest issue with it is that the only scene that implies a 'romantic interest' from either part is one where she was manipulated by Sybok, and Scotty rejects her because he understands she isn't herself. There is no mutual attraction or romance here. Spock's brother just manipulated her feelings of regrets over focusing too much on a career only and too little on her personal life, and it washed over the first of her friends she interacts with in that moment and she cared about (the writers of the comic interpreted it this way as well). From my perspective, it's like romanticizing the Kirk/Uhura kiss when, actually, both characters did something against their will and for nowadays standards, it wouldn't be that 'progressive' that a white guy is allowed to kiss a black woman only if forced.

    Ultimately, as confirmed by Nichelle Nichols herself (in an interview from here and others), the script, the novelization and even the comics from the time, they were just friends and it wasn't even really intended, by tptb, to get interpreted as romance. I'll concede that while the first scene where she brings him lunch may be ambiguos for characters you aren't used to see being affectionate to each other that way (but then, you are talking about a movie that is almost entirely founded on the 'random' factor), even that one was rationalized by Nichelle as being some sort of homage to her friendship with James, and in particular the concerns she had for his health. [I'll mention that, in the novelization, Uhura's loneliness there is emphasized full force because she had no one to spend her shoreleave with. Scotty heard she wanted to see Scotland alone so he originally proposed to accompany her but then forgot about it and she lost her shuttle]

    The only character Uhura shows hints of attraction for while being herself is Spock and THAT'S because they had originally wanted to explore a relationship between them, but those were the 60s and an interracial couple, even if the actor is a Jewish guy playing an alien, was out of question (and I guess by the movies era it was too late and/or still considered too controversial, not to mention that out of the secondary characters marginalized by the Kirk/Spock show, she probably was the most underused especially when they introduced new female characters). Remember the Kirk/Uhura HAD to be forced, and even if forced it was barely, barely (if you read behind the scenes stuff), allowed by the network.
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2018
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  13. 2takesfrakes

    2takesfrakes Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Watching two old fatties pawing eachother was not a plus, where the Scotty/Uhura romance was concerned. What's more? Pairing these 2nd bananas like that, out of the blue, comes across as simply "busy work" because they're otherwise useless to the story -- that they're only so much extra baggage ... a needless side-story that could've easily been excised had it not been for overt sentimentality of the Trekkies.
     
  14. Tenacity

    Tenacity Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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  15. Kronos

    Kronos Admiral Admiral

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    When you only have two Vulcans of course it's a thing
     
  16. Commishsleer

    Commishsleer Commodore Commodore

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    Yuk!
    Spock is now grabbing them as they leave the Academy. Its awful.
    I know in Hollywood rich old men pick up younger women every day.
    But I thought Spock was better than that.

    I honestly thought that Spock was a father figure to Saavik. Which makes what happened on the Genesis planet really bad. I even hated it when Kirk was trying half-hearted moves on her in TWOK and was McCoy joining in?
     
  17. Nyotarules

    Nyotarules Vice Admiral Moderator

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    ^When you are a race that can live for over 200 years, anyone above 25 is fair game. As Tuvok said in VOY the Vulcan libido increases with age
     
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  18. Nyotarules

    Nyotarules Vice Admiral Moderator

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    Uhura/Scotty - not a hater of the idea if it was developed over time, but they were never a 'thing', neither in TOS/TAS or the movies.
     
  19. Bry_Sinclair

    Bry_Sinclair Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Never hated the idea, would've been the relationship I'd have preferred in NuTrek.
     
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  20. WraithDukat

    WraithDukat Captain Captain

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    Because it came completely out of no where.
     
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