Well, that's the difference between movies and TV. Today, you can have character development in a TV show that slowly and elegantly unfolds. That's not the case in movies, especially when you don't know for sure there will be more than one. The way I see it, owing to yet unspecified alterations in the timeline, grownup Spock in the film had already become a bit more human than Spock was in TOS. Otherwise, I don't think he would be developing a romantic relationship with someone. Then, the traumatic events involving his mother and Vulcan gave him the push he needed to accept the integration that was already in process. But, I agree that the integration is not complete. He's not Spock Prime yet.
Ooo! Ooo! I know what happened! The filmmakers actually thought about what might happen to a very curious, observant, and intelligent alien individual who spent four-plus years living, working, and learning alongside humans at a majority-human Science!-and-badassery magnet-school like Starfleet Academy!
Here's a hint: it wouldn't involve that individual remaining mostly clueless about human habits and customs or making constant value judgments about how "illogical" they are years into his career alongside humans.
That was one of those things that always bugged me about Spock's characterization in TOS...
I agree. But I interpreted it differently, I never thought he was really clueless about human behaviour, but that he was intentionally and stubbornly insisting on his Vulcanity and trying to deny his humanity so much, somewhat as an overcompensation, somewhat as a reaction to being perceived as different, an 'other' by humans. He must have had many opportunities to face prejudice and racial slurs - even in Starfleet - and he reacted to it by insults of his own and judging humans as 'illogical'.
I saw him as similar to many diaspora people in real life, who tend to become very nationalistic only after living for some time abroad, even if they never had been when they were still living in their own country (or - even more ironically - if they never felt that happy or accepted 'back home' when they were still living there). The more time they spent with people from a different culture, the more they resort to their own, and the more they insist on their pride in their background and their home country - not so much from nostalgia, more so as a proud reaction to feeling as an outsider. Ironically, the majority of these people never actually try to return to their home country, and they most probably don't even want to, much as they like to talk about how great it is.
Still... TOS made Spock very complex, but they never developed him, because the characters had to undergo the reset button, and this bugged me, too. He had to start growing and learning to accept himself as he is - something they only started in the movies. I agree that Picard/Sarek mind meld was the crucial moment. Spock Prime in this movie is the end result of that development.
Bottom line - Spock had a lot of development in this movie, but this is not all there is to it, because character development has to be seen throughout the show and all the movies. This movie completed the potrayal of Spock but showing two very different versions of the same character: young Spock, angstier, angrier and having more problems with self-control than TOS Spock, and, on the other hand, old Spock, who has finally resolved all those issues that used to trouble him, and who is calm, warm and serene the way he never was before.
The only quibble I had, as I've said a thousand times now, is that if Spock had been the one suggesting to Kirk that they offer rescue to Nero, and sited the diplomatic implications of doing it, it would've been some stunning growth in his character. Now, if Nero refused and they destroyed him, sobeit.
As it is, as someone posted a long time back, Quinto came as close to being Sylar as he had at any time in the movie. (And, I find it interesting that Kirk and Spock were bathed in that devilish red light when they had the conversation.)
As I think of it, what may be going through Spock's mind at that time is the conversation he had with his father on the transporter pad. Spock acted on a feeling. The problem is, we can't have both Kirk and Spock being impulsive.
Why do you see that as impulsive? Spock's stance was, IMO, the logical one. You are facing a crazy maniac bent on revenge, who has already desroyed a planet and killed 6 billion people, and who is trying to destroy another planet and commit another genocide. He is well-armed and very dangerous. You have the chance to blow him up and save the galaxy... or, on the other hand, you can play it nice and offer him mercy, which doesn't really have benefits other than perhaps making you look like a lovely person, but could present a risk of the aforementioned madman and war criminal or his crew tricking you or attacking you. What is the logical thing to do?
Spock - Reconciling his emotional and logical selves will be his arc. To amp up the conflict, the writers destroyed Vulcan and threw Spock together with the one female character in all of Trek who they can't get rid of via the usual expedient of death or break-up. Even if Spock and Uhura break up, she's still going to be around so the emotional issues will remain. If they just wanted a disposable romance for Spock, they could have invented a female character for the movie. The fact that they chose Uhura tells me that this is part of some long-term plan.
We didn't see any progress on this arc in this movie because this movie was all about amping the conflict. Now that elements are introduced to make emotional reconciliation even harder for Spock, they can start telling how he overcomes even these obstacles. No doubt the next time Spock encounters Romulans, there will be issues. Something will happen with Uhura - maybe she's in danger, maybe there's a rival (not Kirk please God), I don't know, but another shoe is going to drop.
The rest of the characters won't get major arcs - there wouldn't be time anyway, unless they somehow get this story back on TV with these characters and actors. But since they've strikingly changed Uhura, they need to devote some time to her development. The others can just be themselves.
I am happy that there was no disposable love interest - I am so fed up with that plot device...
I don't understand why people say that they've strikingly changed Uhura? How is she changed?
People can't agree how similar or different this Uhura is different from TOS Uhura, because,as I've noticed, they have different ideas what TOS Uhura was like. I think this Uhura takes the best from TOS Uhura and developes it, ie. IMO the character is faithful to TOS Uhura when she got lines and when she was at least somewhat well-written.
