The best Saavik?
- Thread starter F. King Daniel
- Start date
Wait one minute, acting ability has no baring on who was the better Saavik?This is not a discussion of careers here. Saavik, that's all.
And I like Curtis' performance better is all.
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I'm undecided on which Saavik I like better. I wish Saavik had turned up on TNG or DS9.
In terms of acting ability, I would say that Curtis' performance was more polished and more subtle. Having read the TWoK novel, it just isn't the Saavik I wanted to see.
Career-wise I'm not sure that you can judge the women based on which one of them was lucky enough to land a lead role in a sit-com. Alley's comic timing is pretty good mind you, and I'm not sure that Curtis could have portrayed 'kooky' as successfully, so that's not to say Alley didn't deserve to be a success! I'm sure Curtis was busy working, even if she wasn't doing as much television or movie work.
I agree that I cringed every time a desicion to feature Saavik post STIV was nixed. She was a great untapped resource.
Career-wise I'm not sure that you can judge the women based on which one of them was lucky enough to land a lead role in a sit-com. Alley's comic timing is pretty good mind you, and I'm not sure that Curtis could have portrayed 'kooky' as successfully, so that's not to say Alley didn't deserve to be a success! I'm sure Curtis was busy working, even if she wasn't doing as much television or movie work.
I agree that I cringed every time a desicion to feature Saavik post STIV was nixed. She was a great untapped resource.
I was suprised to see Robin Curtis as a Romulan in TNG "Gambit". I kept thinking it would have been much cooler to catch up with an older Saavik.
As an avid new ST fan (due to TMP), I vividly remember the announcement that ST II would feature a young, female Vulcan protege for Spock (and also introduce a young, male, wannabe Kirk) and how Saavik and David would become the new blood of whatever post-ST II life the ST franchise might have. At the time, we knew that it was Paramount's TV arm producing ST II, so we were assuming a new series, or revival of "Phase II", or at least a series of telemovies, and that such an arrangement would give Shatner and Nimoy their "chance to move on" when they were ready. However, the general fan assumption was that Saavik would be a rather flighty "Mary Sue" type, rather like any young female character added to ST fan fic of the day!
In Australia, we had a science fiction media convention in February 1982 and, at that time, "Starlog" had not had anything like the plethora of studio stills they'd had for TMP the same distance out from the US premiere (ST II was destined to open in the US on June 4, 1982, but much later in Sydney). One of the attendees at this con had lots of Japanese connections and she brought with her, hot off the press, a volume of Japanses Super-Visual magazine, which featured several small photos of ST II - our very first glimpses of the new uniforms... and Saavik. Imagine several hundred fans all trying to look at one magazine while the owner held it open.
Our next surprise was an air freighted copy of the Starlog movie magazine special in the June, giving us just enough time to replicate the uniforms for our own premiere night, and of course, Kirstie Alley's voice is the first we hear in ST II. It wasn't anything like we'd imagined and suddenly all concerned that Saavik would be "annoying" dissipated.
The fan buzz around the death of Spock, Nimoy's resistance to do more ST, how Saavik would carry on "Spock's legacy", her appearance as Saavik in Walter Koenig's ST play at the Ultimate Fantasy convention, the rich character backgrounds described and developed further by Vonda McIntyre in the ST II novelization, garnered a lot of support for Kirstie Alley's talents. The thought that a new ST franchise, focusing on romantic leads, Saavik and David - to perpetuate the Kirk & Spock mythos in ways only the slash zines had so far been able to do - were intriguing.
So the recasting (and reimagining) of the Saavik character for ST III took many people by surprise. Suddenly "we can live without Spock because we have this wonderful new character" turned into "Yay! Spock's back! Robin who?" We often wondered if Nimoy had noted the pro-Saavik fan sentiments when he was feeling the yearn to return. And, as director, he was able to have major influence in what unfolded next.
In Australia, we had a science fiction media convention in February 1982 and, at that time, "Starlog" had not had anything like the plethora of studio stills they'd had for TMP the same distance out from the US premiere (ST II was destined to open in the US on June 4, 1982, but much later in Sydney). One of the attendees at this con had lots of Japanese connections and she brought with her, hot off the press, a volume of Japanses Super-Visual magazine, which featured several small photos of ST II - our very first glimpses of the new uniforms... and Saavik. Imagine several hundred fans all trying to look at one magazine while the owner held it open.
Our next surprise was an air freighted copy of the Starlog movie magazine special in the June, giving us just enough time to replicate the uniforms for our own premiere night, and of course, Kirstie Alley's voice is the first we hear in ST II. It wasn't anything like we'd imagined and suddenly all concerned that Saavik would be "annoying" dissipated.
The fan buzz around the death of Spock, Nimoy's resistance to do more ST, how Saavik would carry on "Spock's legacy", her appearance as Saavik in Walter Koenig's ST play at the Ultimate Fantasy convention, the rich character backgrounds described and developed further by Vonda McIntyre in the ST II novelization, garnered a lot of support for Kirstie Alley's talents. The thought that a new ST franchise, focusing on romantic leads, Saavik and David - to perpetuate the Kirk & Spock mythos in ways only the slash zines had so far been able to do - were intriguing.
So the recasting (and reimagining) of the Saavik character for ST III took many people by surprise. Suddenly "we can live without Spock because we have this wonderful new character" turned into "Yay! Spock's back! Robin who?" We often wondered if Nimoy had noted the pro-Saavik fan sentiments when he was feeling the yearn to return. And, as director, he was able to have major influence in what unfolded next.
I had the same thoughts. It's too bad the 24th century shows never did this, but I'm glad the novels did.
I voted for Kirstie, as she originated the role. However, Robin looked more like a Vulcan/Romulan -- I never cared for how they made up Kirstie's eyebrows. Let's be thankful they hadn't come up with the V-shaped forehead bump for the Romulans, as they probably would've added it to Saavik's look. I actually wish that Saavik had been the traitor in TUC -- what a swan song that would've been for the character.
They didn't do anything to them. She has an unusual arch and wasn't keen on having them shaved off for the role. The script didn't specify what Romulans looked like and, indeed, there's a (inaccurate) script note in her introductory scene that explains that her "fair" complexion is due to her Romulan heritage - and that's why she wasn't given the usual LN1 sallow Vulcan makeup used on Spock and most other Vulcans in TOS, TMP and ST II.
Without question Kirstie Alley, I absolutely Hated Robin Curtis' Saavik.
One line, "Captain, David is dead." Ice cold bitch.
One line, "Captain, David is dead." Ice cold bitch.
K.A. by a longshot! i love her as Saavik
Heck, that's why I like her. It's how I'd imagine a Vulcan would react.
As a portrayal of a Vulcan, Curtis' performance is light years ahead of the annoyingly emotive Vulcans from Enterprise. I prefer Alley because she was doing a half-Romulan and that's what I wanted to see at the time. Emotional Vulcans are a dime-a-dozen these days, I'd certainly prefer Curtis to them. I rather like Blalock's brittle performance because at least she looked like she was trying to remain in control but all the other Vulcans seemed irritated, enraged, or panicky much of the time as if it was normal.
O
oliver6419
Guest
In 1991 Robin Curtis played, Carol Pulaki on the day time soap General Hospital. Robin Curtis is best know for playing Lt. Saavik in Star Trek.
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^ Which speaks only to her failed career.
Yes, the line is chilling, but I also voted for Robin Curtis, I thought she really did that character well, and the contrast of having a stark Vulcan in some of those scenes added to their intensity.
