I'm sure everyone can attest to the fact that all this points about Uhura doing stuff in the previous movie I've argued almost as long as I've been on this forum. She's not promoted to chief communications officer, she just relieved an officer only had to try listening in in order to keep his station. Figuring out that Klingon signal may be nice, but in no way does the film show her thinking it was anything important outside of dorm room chatter. She's there for Kirk's benefit. And I still say she slowed Spock down in rescuing the Vulcan council and his family that lead to his mother's death. If only he had two extra seconds.
So a scene between a serious Spock and a playful Uhura is nothing compared to Uhura stabbing Klingons in the balls. Forgive me if I don't share your idea of low bar standards, but it takes more to make a character like Uhura interesting than having her be an action girl who also happens to be one of the lead male character's girlfriend. Yeah, she can shoot bad guys, but so can anyone else.
Compare that with Uhura's conversation in "The Man Trap:"
SPOCK: Miss Uhura, your last sub-space log contained an error in the frequencies column.
UHURA: Mister Spock, sometimes I think if I hear that word frequency once more, I'll cry.
SPOCK: Cry?
UHURA: I was just trying to start a conversation.
SPOCK: Well, since it is illogical for a communications officer to resent the word frequency, I have no answer.
UHURA: No, you have an answer. I'm an illogical woman who's beginning to feel too much a part of that communications console. Why don't you tell me I'm an attractive young lady, or ask me if I've ever been in love? Tell me how your planet Vulcan looks on a lazy evening when the moon is full.
SPOCK: Vulcan has no moon, Miss Uhura.
UHURA: I'm not surprised, Mister Spock.
^ It seems to me that the bar is set pretty low as far as Spock/Uhura relations, but I think that their current dynamic is actually a TREMENDOUS improvement.
So a scene between a serious Spock and a playful Uhura is nothing compared to Uhura stabbing Klingons in the balls. Forgive me if I don't share your idea of low bar standards, but it takes more to make a character like Uhura interesting than having her be an action girl who also happens to be one of the lead male character's girlfriend. Yeah, she can shoot bad guys, but so can anyone else.