Number6 said:
Some say that seeing it pushed him over the edge.
He was very, very ill when he saw the final "work print" of ST VI at Paramount's theatrette, having suffered two strokes in the previous year or so. My friend Ernie Over was his fulltime assistant and chauffeur and he told me that Gene's only comment after seeing the film was, "I think the Star Trek fans will like it".
Supposedly, his previous memos regarding the scripts for ST VI mentioned concerns about Saavik being made the traitor, because she was such a popular character of the fans (amusing Meyer no end, because GR had originally been opposed to Saavik in ST II), and the need for so much Klingon blood.
Roddenberry suffered another stroke a day after seeing the workprint and was rushed to hospital, and never returned. Some fans have stated their belief that seeing the film killed him, but he was already very ill.
Gene was quite happy with TMP, IIRC, but would have liked it to have kicked off a series of telemovies to incorporate all the plans for "ST: Phase II", or at least to be able to write the feature film sequel, but Paramount removed him from the executive producer role and commissioned ST II as a telemovie under Harve Bennett.
Roddenberry was opposed to many things about ST II, including Spock's death, Kirk killing the Ceti eel without capturing it for study, and the introduction of Saavik. Majel Barrett made a statement that she would be "unavailable" as Dr Chapel because Gene wasn't part of the active production team. As "Creative Consultant", Gene had to be shown all scripts for his written comments - and comment he did - but nooone
had to listen to him.
With Roddenberry's approval, Susan Sackett leaked the death of Spock (originally to have occurred early in the film) at a UK convention. To plug the leak, Meyer and Bennett invented the Kobayashi Maru scenario, featuring the "deaths" of McCoy, Sulu, Uhura and Spock, and the shifting of Spock's actual sacrifice to the film's climax. In a "Starlog" about a decade later, Bennett actually thanked "that lady" (ie Susan) for the act that made ST II a much better film.
Roddenberry didn't have much to say about ST III or ST IV, IIRC. I think he expressed reluctance about Eddie Murphy in ST IV, though. He was very hesitant about Shatner's ideas for ST V, but Shatner had cleverly tried to link the script into key Roddenberry themes about paradise, false Gods, etc.
Roddenberry and DC Fontana were quite angry about the invention of a Spock sibling for ST V. Fontana had composed many memos during TOS that Spock worked better as a unique character, and the show made sure not to introduce pointed eared brothers and sisters for fear of diminishing Spock's uniqueness. Roddenberry also disliked the McCoy-euthanasing-his-father plot point.
The bits of ST V Roddenberry declared apocryphal were Sybok being the son of Sarek (he'd have preferred he be a trusted teacher/mentor of Spock), and McCoy mercy killing his own father. For ST VI, his comments can really only date back to his reactions to the scripts; he reserved judgment about Starfleet's miltarism, and the spilling of so much Klingon blood. Undoubtedly, he was pleased that Saavik had been morphed into a new character, Valeris.
