Throw-away comment or sign of something being built up?

[SpocksOddSocks]

Ok, ever since I did a binge watch after the series finished, one particular thing stood as a potential to introduce further backstory for Amanda, but could easily be a throwaway line too.

It's the "Isik for your thoughts" comments. Burnham, on first using it seemed to think an Isik was a Vulcan coin, but wasn't sure. However, when she asks Amanda what an Isik is, age doesn't know, and that it's just something her (obviously non-Vulcan) mother used to say to her.

I know Isiks have been mentioned previously as a form of currency in 24th century Trek (possibly only in DS9, but might need to look this up). But we don't know the origin.

I vaguely remember thinking it was odd watching the final episode as it released - "but wasn't it suggested to be a Vulcan coin... why would Amanda's mother use it in an expression" but quickly forgot about it once we had the final scene, and lots to discuss about where the second series was going. Now, I can't help but think this might be suggestive of an interesting back story to Amanda. Perhaps her parents (out at least mother) are very well travelled in the Trek galaxy. Perhaps there are stories that might include them.

I'm remember talk of how the producers really liked Amanda back when it sounded as if they might trying to get Winona Ryder back for the part.

Has anyone else been wondering about this, or have any thoughts about it at least? Isik for your thoughts.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

The simplest explanation would be that Amanda's mother had some contact with the Vlugtan people where the Isik is their chief form of currency. It's possible that Amanda comes from a well-travelled family, possibly in the diplomatic corps themselves, which may be how she originally met Sarek.

Alternatively, like many humans, it's possible that Amanda's memory is faulty and she has confused an old Vulcan saying from their interactions with the Vlugtan as received wisdom from her mother. Or her mother picked up the saying from interactions with the Vulcans, who also say it. Maybe they were stationed on Vulcan or were frequent guests at the Vulcan embassy on Earth, which could be again how Sarek and Amanda first met.

I doubt there was any intention to go on a deep dive into the backstory of Amanda's parents though. It was most likely just a quirky bit of dialogue to grab your attention as a viewer and to add a bit of flavor to the discussion.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Memory Alpha claims it's a form of Vulcan currency mentioned on DS9:"Rivals".

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Memory Alpha claims it's a form of Vulcan currency mentioned on DS9:"Rivals".

Not Vulcan, Vlugtan. I know, I did a double take as well, but it's a different people entirely.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Not Vulcan, Vlugtan. I know, I did a double take as well, but it's a different people entirely.

Damn! The word "Vulcan" is right below that, referring the DSC thing. I should've done a double take

 

[Lord Garth]

I read it as "Penny for your thoughts" with the first word substituted with "isik". Feels like a throwaway line.

The Vulcan Extremists seem like something that's been laid down to build up to something. Since Discovery was headed to Vulcan to pick up the new Captain there, there might even be a story on Vulcan and that's as good of a time as any to pick up on the subplot, I'd think.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I'd buy that for an Isik!

 

[Awesome Possum]

Feels more like Amanda trying to adapt an old Earth saying to Vulcan. I could see her as a mother who tried to give her children what she felt was the best of Earth with the best of Vulcan. That's why Spock knew so much about Earth's history and culture.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Feels more like Amanda trying to adapt an old Earth saying to Vulcan. I could see her as a mother who tried to give her children what she felt was the best of Earth with the best of Vulcan. That's why Spock knew so much about Earth's history and culture.

It would play into the stuff where Spock says "Only Nixon could go to China" is an ancient Vulcan proverb, or that one of his ancestors was the source of the Sherlock Holmes quote "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Amanda's been telling him old Earth sayings and using dubious sourcing, and Spock plays along as the dutiful son.

 

[F. King Daniel]

She wouldn't understand the equivalent of "penny for your thoughts" because there's no money in her world.

 

[Awesome Possum]

It would play into the stuff where Spock says "Only Nixon could go to China" is an ancient Vulcan proverb, or that one of his ancestors was the source of the Sherlock Holmes quote "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Amanda's been telling him old Earth sayings and using dubious sourcing, and Spock plays along as the dutiful son.

She was probably reading to him and young Spock asked if he was related to Holmes and not wanting to disappoint a child, she said yes and he just never questioned it. Based on reddit threads, it's extremely common to learn that some random fact you heard from your parents just wasn't true and you only found out in your 30s.

She wouldn't understand the equivalent of "penny for your thoughts" because there's no money in her world.

We have all kinds of sayings that have lost their original meanings, yet we still use them. Why wouldn't that continue into the future?

 

[Locutus of Bored]

She wouldn't understand the equivalent of "penny for your thoughts" because there's no money in her world.

They don't work by oil lamp anymore either, but "burning the midnight oil" is still a saying in TNG, or "ignite the midnight petroleum" as Data would say.

 

[dahj]

I'd bet isiks to navy beans that this thread has put more thought into the use of "isik" than the writer of that dialogue did.

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

Not Vulcan, Vlugtan. I know, I did a double take as well, but it's a different people entirely.

The article states that it is the currency preferred by the Vlugtan government, not that it's actually a Vlugtan currency. (Though that does seem the most likely, just means not necessarily a given).

Feels more like Amanda trying to adapt an old Earth saying to Vulcan. I could see her as a mother who tried to give her children what she felt was the best of Earth with the best of Vulcan. That's why Spock knew so much about Earth's history and culture.

The problem here is that Amanda claims her mother used to say it, and doesn't actually know what an Isik is. If it was actually a Vulcan coin, surely, living on Vulcan, she'd know that. The information we have is that it's associated with the Vlugtans, but not necessarily their own.

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

I'd bet isiks to navy beans that this thread has put more thought into the use of "isik" than the writer of that dialogue did.

I'm not so certain. It was used in at least 2 episodes of Disco. Modern Doctor Who does this kind of thing all the time. If it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't have given it a second thought either.

 

[Groppler Zorn]

I'd bet isiks to navy beans that this thread has put more thought into the use of "isik" than the writer of that dialogue did.

If we reenact that moment in history it probably went something like this:

*opens memory alpha*

*types “currency”*

*ignores latinum because too many syllables - has to be duosyllabic like “penny”*

*ignores darsek because Klingon*

*finds “isik”. Ignores rest of article about DS9*

*inserts into script to satisfy fans that we knows what Star Trek is apparently*

I will bet you 5 Bendels that’s what happened.

 

[Horizons96]

I bet that's exactly how it happened... sigh

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

If we reenact that moment in history it probably went something like this:

*opens memory alpha*

*types “currency”*

*ignores latinum because too many syllables - has to be duosyllabic like “penny”*

*ignores darsek because Klingon*

*finds “isik”. Ignores rest of article about DS9*

*inserts into script to satisfy fans that we knows what Star Trek is apparently*

I will bet you 5 Bendels that’s what happened.

I'll take that bet, and raise 20 quatloos and 3 leks .

Seriously, that's quite possible, but I'm still expecting it to come up again it least once.

 

[Mudd]

Random script emission.

 

[Awesome Possum]

The article states that it is the currency preferred by the Vlugtan government, not that it's actually a Vlugtan currency. (Though that does seem the most likely, just means not necessarily a given).



The problem here is that Amanda claims her mother used to say it, and doesn't actually know what an Isik is. If it was actually a Vulcan coin, surely, living on Vulcan, she'd know that. The information we have is that it's associated with the Vlugtans, but not necessarily their own.

You're taking it too seriously.