The Spock/Uhura romance in STID was disappointing.

[ALF]

[Shrug] the romance in any Star Trek is disappointing. Star Trek doesn't really do romance well - period. Not even close, really. It's either the stuff of nightmares (Data/Borg Queen) or daydreaming about watching something else (Torres/Paris).
Things Trek does do great:

• Sci-fi escapism
• Cerebral reflection of metaphysics
• Shuttle crashes
• Being abducted/trapped by aliens

 

[Trekkin]

How about Edith Keeler?

Admittedly, that character didn't have the issue of having to work in a long term romance arc.

 

[Malaika]

it's true that you generally don't expect some quality-writing romance from trek, or any series/movies in this genre for that matter, that's why I was surprised by how well done S/U is in the reboot. For my expectations when it comes to romantic subplots in this genre (and when the characters aren't both the protagonists), they handle it quite well and with more depth compared to other movies (past and recent). Probably, the kind of characters also help in that regard.
They kind of are the Han/Leia of this trek in that the romance isn't a token romance but it isn't the be all and end of the story either and(or because) in both 'the hero' of the story doesn't get the main romantic subplot that is instead given to his sidekick friend.
(though for some it is up to debate whatever Spock stole the protagonist spot from Kirk or they're equal protagonists)

How about Edith Keeler?

Admittedly, that character didn't have the issue of having to work in a long term romance arc.

the Kirk/Edith thing was well done but also a faint reminder for me that at the time a male protagonist like Kirk was allowed to love a woman only if she wouldn't stay for longer than one episode (cue Grace Lee Whitney's words about why she got fired and Rand vanished. Those were the 60s man)

 

[Nerys Myk]

How about Edith Keeler?

Admittedly, that character didn't have the issue of having to work in a long term romance arc.

Since Kirk was her employee at the soup kitchen, it was unprofessional and innappropriate for her to engage in a romantic relationship with him.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

How about Edith Keeler?

Admittedly, that character didn't have the issue of having to work in a long term romance arc.

Since Kirk was her employee at the soup kitchen, it was unprofessional and innappropriate for her to engage in a romantic relationship with him.

Snap!

 

[Amaris]

How about Edith Keeler?

Admittedly, that character didn't have the issue of having to work in a long term romance arc.

Since Kirk was her employee at the soup kitchen, it was unprofessional and innappropriate for her to engage in a romantic relationship with him.

Snap!

Sweep!
Mop!
Fold!
Dust!
Invent! (that one's Spock's)

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

[non sequitur line quotation has been excised]

 

[Malaika]

How about Edith Keeler?

Admittedly, that character didn't have the issue of having to work in a long term romance arc.

Since Kirk was her employee at the soup kitchen, it was unprofessional and innappropriate for her to engage in a romantic relationship with him.

Snap!

+1 whoa!


-------------------


bringing back the main topic, some fans in other sites seem to be resigned about the fact that Pegg will do nothing with it [the romance] in trek3 because it's not 'his thing', or that the movie will mostly pander to tos fans only (??) and thus push Uhura back to the background - or marginalize Sulu and Uhura (there is this, a bit stretchy IMO, theory that the omaze videos show the way the characters are 'grouped' in the whole movie and thus you won't see the dynamics from the first movies like S/U, or Kirk/Bones or Kirk/Uhura and Kirk/Uhura/Spock. Quinto also seemed to imply that the movie is less the Kirk/Spock show)
That concern seems to be exacerbated by the latest news about filming because according to some sites it seems that only the guys will take part of the filming next week in Dubai, where they are supposed to film a big part of the movie (rumors say so, it's very possible they just film some scenes there and then move to another place for the rest)
To be fair though, and it's mentioned in the comments section of this article too, Zoe Saldana made a post over her facebook page that doesn't indicate she is done with her scenes in trek, at all
Some people seem to make a bit of confusion because I honestly think that scenes are never filmed in chronological order anyway SO even if Zoe doesn't take part of the filming in Dubai, sure I'd find it weird if they really will film a big part of the movie there ( regardless the television series, like one of the comments mentioned, often doing that kind of thing with the characters. It doesn't matter, the movies are a different thing), but it wouldn't mean that we suddenly don't see Uhura in the end of the movie.


Honestly, I have no idea about what the writers will do in the next movie. I mean, if I were to write the story I'd have plenty of ideas because I think you can do a lot of things with the characters still. I think the first movie had an enormous potential and they can tell many new stories without having to necessarily get 'ideas' from the previous movies or the episodes.
Also, with this romance specifically, I honestly think the writers hadn't had enough 'fun' - so to speak - with the fact that he's half alien (beside the fact that he has a hard time expressing his feelings. But that's nothing new) The fact that Quinto often said he'd like to see them explore the pon farr plot I think is more about him wanting to explore Spock's alieness and bits from vulcan culture, than anything else.
Even just simple things like making him speak in vulcan for a chance.. either way, I'd find it hard to believe someone doesn't know what to do with it. In that case, then perhaps they aren't able to make the existing friendships interesting either since they are even more taken for granted and can be as predictable once you have established them IMO.

I never made it a mystery here that the idea of Pegg writing the script didn't really fill me with hope and excitement for this movie, even less when it comes to the female characters. I hope I'm wrong. I won't repeat myself because last time I did I seemed to 'offend' some Pegg supporters here, or came across as a hater which I'm not.
I could be perfectly all wrong about him and maybe he'll surprise me, but, so far, the things he had said and his previous scripts don't make me hopeful about certain aspects.

I think, for me, my best hope is that regardless what the new creative team thinks about the previous movies, they were able to put aside, perhaps, their own biases and do what's the best for the story and respect the integrity of these characters the way they had been developed so far.
I really hope that the writers didn't think that the best idea to celebrate the 50th anniversary is giving to fans a caricature of the original characters. I'd like for them to celebrate the spirit of the series but this doesn't necessarily mean 'let's turn this into tos'.
I also hope that Urban's McCoy isn't relegated, once again, to making an impersonation of the original character. I'd like to see him do something I couldn't imagine the old character doing and yet it makes perfect sense for this version of him.
I'd, perhaps, prefer it if ZQ had said he interacted with Sulu - example - the most ( "Have you disengaged the external inertial dampener?" ) because it would be a new thing .. while the Spock/McCoy dynamic is one of my favorite things from tos, I don't feel the need to see it getting duplicated at any cost in the reboot too.
I don't think the characters necessarily have to be stuck in old dynamics only, and more than anything I'd like it if the writers let this reboot be its own thing for good.
Old fans will like or dislike it regardless if it's a carbon copy of tos, if everyone had wanted the reboot to be totally like tos I don't think the first movie would have been so successful and embraced by critics and fans.

 

[borgboy]

You had me at Quinto wants to explore the pon farr plot.

 

[fireproof78]

I think the romance plot (such that it is-what an odd turn of phrase) will be just fine. I see both Quinto and Saldana wanting to continue that on (based upon what I have read). Regardless of Pegg's personal limitations as a writer, which I don't think are an issue, he has a co-writer, input from fellow cast members and Justin Lin to provide guidance.

I'll be surprised if there is not more romance, regardless of what direction it takes.

 

[JediKnightButler]

I never really understood the introduction of the Spock/Uhuru romance in the Abramsverse and it just seemed inappropriate in the context of the first movie- where he was an instructor and she was just a trainee- though I've managed to overlook it for the most part. Some of their banter in STID was sort of fun to watch- with Kirk getting annoyed being in the middle of one of their arguments while on their way to Kronos- but their relationship still seemed a bit, I dunno, unlikely. The only crew pairing that I can recall that was remotely hinted at in TOS was Uhura/Scotty in TFF.

 

[BillJ]

The only crew pairing that I can recall that was remotely hinted at in TOS was Uhura/Scotty in TFF.

Except some flirtatious moments in "The Man Trap" and "Charlie X". While one may not like the relationship, it clearly wasn't something that Orci and Kurtzman pulled out of their collective rear ends.

 

[Terok Nor]

If it was Nimoy's Spock with Nichols' Uhura I'd be grossed out a little since I look at the original crew as family but since it's an alternate universe it's no biggy. This is just like Sisko having sex with The Intendant and Jadzia in the Mirror Universe. Or indeed the Mirror Sisko being involved with both ladies in the first place.

The fact Quinto's Spock reminds me so much of Nimoy's Spock would be off putting only if Saldana's Uhura reminded me even slightly of Nichols' Uhura. I'm not saying she's a bad actress but I don't think "Uhura" when she plays the role. It's fine though. It's a new take on the character and an alternate reality so I have nothing against the romance or the Saldana version on their own merits.

 

[JediKnightButler]

The only crew pairing that I can recall that was remotely hinted at in TOS was Uhura/Scotty in TFF.

Except some flirtatious moments in "The Man Trap" and "Charlie X". While one may not like the relationship, it clearly wasn't something that Orci and Kurtzman pulled out of their collective rear ends.

Well, I haven't seen "The Man Trap" and it's been a long time since I've seen "Charlie X", so I guess that I don't remember that.

 

[Malaika]

why the romance..
I said it before but I, for one (following some things Orci said too) think they wanted to explore a scenario where Spock essentially finds himself in a human/vulcan relationship just like his parents. This gives him an unique perspective about his father and the vulcans (and thus makes them have something in common, if you want to see it that way) that Tos Spock didn't have. It's also a missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to Spock's character because we never saw him in this kind of relationship (and thus you don't know what to expect from him nor can predict the story using tos). A reboot is a reboot and I think you're supposed to add things too the characters, not write mere impersonations of the original ones with the same exact dynamics retold over and over (and I personally dislike this idea that some fans have that Spock should be allowed to show emotions only for his mommy or his male friends)
Orci once joked that 'boys marry their mothers' and thus since his mother was human, he's likely to fall for a human lady. In this case a human lady who shows him that it's ok to have feelings and embrace them, but at the same time she's able to keep her cool as a human and she's focused, intelligent, and can appreciate his logic. Somehow, I can see Uhura being the kind of girl who would decide to spend her saturday in the long range sensor lab rather than watching a movie with her boyfriend, or what have you ...

as for the relationship being 'inappropriate'.. I dunno but like others had already said before, it's a bit pretentious since we are talking about a fictional world many many years in the future and there is just no proof that their kind of relationship would be considered like that in the context of the story, even less that she still was one of his students when they started dating. Furthermore, Spock got recently graduated himself (they say it in the movie), he's only few years older than her and it isn't even super far fetched (if one wants to speculate) to think they might have met each other and become friends when he was still a cadet in his last year and she had just joined starfleet.


and honestly this is star trek if you are a writer and you want to have a romantic subplot what's more interesting and fitting for the theme of the story? Developing a romance between a human and... another human, or have one between the iconic alien and a human from the united states of Africa? Idk..

The only crew pairing that I can recall that was remotely hinted at in TOS was Uhura/Scotty in TFF.

Except some flirtatious moments in "The Man Trap" and "Charlie X". While one may not like the relationship, it clearly wasn't something that Orci and Kurtzman pulled out of their collective rear ends.

Uhura flirted with Spock in tos (he even recited Byron to her ) at least (see this video) , but she never showed any interest in Scotty until TFF when Sybok manipulated her. Wouldn't call it a 'romance'... Nichols herself said that there was nothing but friendship between them.

Nichols also said this about Spock/Uhura in the reboot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQrHIQhvWNo

Nichelle: Gene Roddenberry originally did not want to write a science fiction film. He wanted to write about the human condition between men and women of all races that reflected American and reflected out to the world. Thereby have high drama.​

[then she talks about Uhura, how she auditioned for the role by reading Spock's character]

(..) And I decided then from the character that I read [Spock] that I wanted to be very much like that character but in a feminine way. And Gene said, and I was sharing this with George (Takei) the other day, when I told him that I thought of Spock as my mentor. Because if you remember, Uhura was the only one he was able to teach the Vulcan lyre to and she sang and spooffed on Spock. Now, you could have never had a love scene in 63 between Uhura and Spock but there were several hints and Gene was one in the kind of beginning to follow that and he wanted to do episodes if we had gone past the third year, because this is about the 3rd year we were talking, he wanted to do episodes that got into all of the stars life so that you had not one star or two stars and supporting cast, which we really are not. *laugh* But that was the essence of that. And, JJ was a big Star Trek fan and he invited me to lunch and I told him about creating the character. Whether he got and what my relationship with Spock, um, whether he got that idea from there I don't know. If he took it and ran with it and thought "Wow". And, having said that, it might very well have been coming from exactly where Walter really realized it that had you all sitting here going "What was that?" "When did that happen?" So, um, it shocked me a bit. ​

tl; dr: she was surprised by the romance in the reboot just like anyone (**) It never happened in the series (and in that sense, it worked as shock value if that really was JJ's intent) but at the same time, she's clearly saying that it wasn't far fetched in tos because there are several hints that Roddenberry himself had originally wanted to develop something too ( e.g., why certain scenes) but those were the 60s and he couldn't do that. (she said something similar here too)
Even the Kirk/Uhura kiss (that, she said in other interviews, was originally written between her and Spock) that was forced was something that Rodenberry&co could BARELY do, and even that was controversial at the time. It figures if they could do in tos what the reboot is doing with the characters..
So Spock/Uhura in tos was all in the intent, but nothing really happened and it all remained in the realm of subtext.. enough, though, to be used as inspiration for the reboot. Especially since, anyway, the story in the reboot isn't just a remake but it is happening into another reality so call it 'what if' if you want to but it makes sense. It's the most inspired and canon based 'change' for me, especially if compared to killing off Kirk's dad and Amanda .. or the destruction of Vulcan.. or british Khan...

-----------------------------------------
(**) Nimoy himself said he was surprised and had his 'what' moment when read the script but then loved it on screen and he approved, he even said it was his favorite part in the movie; and was jealous of Zachary
To read more about his opinions check here, here, here, here . I love when he said 'There is no way in the world that a Star Trek film will please every Star Trek follower or fan, no way. And to try to would be a death sentence, you just can’t.' he hit the nail on the head. )

 

[Crazy Eddie]

The only crew pairing that I can recall that was remotely hinted at in TOS was Uhura/Scotty in TFF.

Except some flirtatious moments in "The Man Trap" and "Charlie X". While one may not like the relationship, it clearly wasn't something that Orci and Kurtzman pulled out of their collective rear ends.

Well, I haven't seen "The Man Trap" and it's been a long time since I've seen "Charlie X", so I guess that I don't remember that.

You also don't seem to remember that we already covered this earlier in this very thread, not once but twice.

Observe:

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.
CREWMAN [OC]: Transporter room to Bridge. Landing party returning. They report one death.
SPOCK: Bridge acknowledging.
UHURA: I don't believe it.
SPOCK: Explain.
UHURA: You explain. That means that somebody is dead and you just sit there. It could be Captain Kirk. He's the closest thing you have to a friend.
SPOCK: Lieutenant, my demonstration of concern will not change what happened. The transporter room is very well-manned and they will call if they need my assistance.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

Even the Kirk/Uhura kiss (that, she said in other interviews, was originally written between her and Spock) that was forced was something that Rodenberry&co could BARELY do, and even that was controversial at the time

There's something I realized a long time ago watching "The Man Trap." It's bothered me ever since, not in the way of something disturbing so much as a "Huh... how weird" thing.

Earlier in the episode, we see Uhura seriously coming on to Spock, and Spock -- in true Spockian fashion -- shoots her down like a clay pigeon. There's no real point to this scene except to establish that Uhura is lonely and/or horny, but also seems drawn to Spock for some reason.

40 minutes later, we see Uhura again, this time wandering into the shape-shifting salt vampire, which promptly transforms into a tall beefy black guy and starts chatting her up. He remarks about how she seems lonely and was "thinking about someone like me."

It hit me at some point that the latter scene is most likely a re-write; Rodenberry intended for the monster to transform into Spock -- who was still on Uhura's mind despite his earlier rejection -- and that the only reason she would have been suspicious of this is because the creature doesn't ACT like Spock at all.

The reason for the rewrite is kind of obvious: Spock may be an alien, but he's a WHITE alien; a 1960s studio audience would have a serious problem with that setup, so the earlier Chekov's gun of Uhura having a crush on Spock wound up being utterly meaningless even though they never actually took it out of the episode.

And it wasn't even the last time Rodenberry tried to slip something subversive into Uhura's dialog:

SULU: I'll protect you, fair maiden.
UHURA: Sorry, neither!

 

[Malaika]

In that scene Spock’s getting a bit, ehm, hot under the collar…
if one wants to read too much into it, they could say that he didn't deny her being 'an attractive young lady', only that vulcan has a moon
(besides, we know thank to Kollos later that he indeed finds her attractive/beautiful)

It hit me at some point that the latter scene is most likely a re-write; Rodenberry intended for the monster to transform into Spock -- who was still on Uhura's mind despite his earlier rejection -- and that the only reason she would have been suspicious of this is because the creature doesn't ACT like Spock at all.

The reason for the rewrite is kind of obvious: Spock may be an alien, but he's a WHITE alien; a 1960s studio audience would have a serious problem with that setup

It's interesting that even much much later in another series, you see that the actress who played Tuvok's wife was a person of color like the actor playing him. That seemed to be.. kind of automatic.

This is the classic 'real life perspective vs fictional perspective' discussion. It doesn't matter that in the fictional reality racism doesn't exist or that, probably, the one discriminated would be more Spock, as an alien, than Uhura (and you could say that Spock is an allegory about poc or mixed people): the people who watch these characters will still see a white man kissing a black woman.
There are people who, even nowadays, have a problem with Spock/Uhura in the reboot because it's an interracial couple (not to even mention those who have a problem with Quinto playing Spock because the actor is gay in real life).
Some issues like sexism and racism are not exclusive to the 60s.. if even in our time some people have their own issues clouding their judgment of what it is, really, just a fictional relationship, it figures how bad it was in the 60s..

And it wasn't even the last time Rodenberry tried to slip something subversive into Uhura's dialog:

SULU: I'll protect you, fair maiden.
UHURA: Sorry, neither!

that is my fav in a tv-show from the 60s she's basically telling him that she's not a virgin
from the same scene/episode there is an example of Spock's sense of humor when he says (talking about Sulu): Take D'Artagnan here to Sickbay.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

from the same scene/episode there is an example of Spock's sense of humor when he says (talking about Sulu): Take D'Artagnan here to Sickbay.

That is my third favorite Spock line of all time.

Coming in a close second is this gem:

SPOCK: The child was named Leonard James Akaar?
MCCOY: Has a kind of a ring to it, don't you think, James?
KIRK: Yes. I think it's a name destined to go down in galactic history, Leonard. What do you think, Spock?
SPOCK: I think you're both going to be insufferably pleased with yourselves for at least a month, Sir.

Of course, the number one Spock line of all time:

Sir, there's a multi-legged creature crawling on your shoulder.

* PINCH *

These are reminders to me that alot of Trek fans are taking TOS a lot more seriously than TOS ever took itself. This was the age of overly dramatic theatrical performances, pithy one-liners and over-the-top love scenes with random alien skirts. The reboot movies not only follow in that pattern, they actually managed to improve the characterization of what was essentially an ancillary character.

 

[BillJ]

These are reminders to me that alot of Trek fans are taking TOS a lot more seriously than TOS ever took itself. This was the age of overly dramatic theatrical performances, pithy one-liners and over-the-top love scenes with random alien skirts. The reboot movies not only follow in that pattern, they actually managed to improve the characterization of what was essentially an ancillary character.

A BIG +1!