Spoilers Why is Sarek Such a Bad Father?

[Commishsleer]

Hi just hopped over here from the TOS Forum.
I've only watched Discovery Season 1. And not even every episode because I'm too tight to pay for Paramount+ and are watching it on free TV. So I've just watched the first two episodes of Season 2 and frankly I can't believe what a bad father Sarek is.
I just shoved Spoilers in front of this thread because its frankly a thrill. You don't get to do that in the TOS Forum and also I'm going to ask specific questions about Season 2 and am not sure it comes under Spoilers but if in doubt...

So in Season 2 Michael asks why Sarek adopted/fostered her and I'll summarise that as him saying I needed a human plaything for Spock that wasn't his mother. And Sarek hadn't seen Spock for years and didn't even try to visit him while he'll do anything go anywhere to visit Michael. So since Michael knows she's the favourite child she can ignore Sarek's idiocy I suppose.
Is Discovery still in the TOS Universe in season 2? This would explain Sarek never talking to Spock.

Anyway does Sarek stop being a total jerk? Is putting me off watching the rest of the series. Or is he not a total jerk and its shown in those episodes I missed or potential future episodes. Future to me past episodes to you.

Just want to mention how fantastic the effects are. It seems movie quality to me.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Sarek's terrible parenting is a feature of Star Trek, but a bug. Just look at the weight he put on Spock in the 2009 movie for decades because he wouldn't admit he loved Amanda, until she was dead.

 

[fireproof78]

Is Discovery still in the TOS Universe in season 2? This would explain Sarek never talking to Spock.

Yes, it is and explores Spock's past, and his struggles with Michael and how that impacted the familial relationship. It at least gives context to Sarek being a poor father because Sarek being a poor father is something that comes from TOS. It takes 18 years for them to talk as father and son, because of the school that Spock chose. That's it. That's all the explanation we had. And they don't really have a full mending until Star Trek IV. I don't see that as good parenting even before DSC happened. Even ST 09 offered a better resolution.

 

[Ronald Held]

Isn't good parenting culturally defined?

 

[Tuskin38]

hat's it. That's all the explanation we had. And they don't really have a full mending until Star Trek IV.

And then they become strained again when Spock decided to go to Romulus.

 

[Richard S. Ta]

I just shoved Spoilers in front of this thread because its frankly a thrill.

I love this sentence!

 

[Kor]

Minor spoiler: There comes a point in the series where we don't see Sarek anymore.

Kor

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Y It takes 18 years for them to talk as father and son, because of the school that Spock chose.

I can actually see Sarek's side on this. He had to choose only one of his children for the Vulcan Expeditionary Group, so he chose Spock...who joined Starfleet instead, thus rendering Sarek's decision futile and making him feel a ton of guilt over having misled Michael and having to tell her that she'd been rejected.

And I don't see Sarek as a bad father. Never have, never will. He and Spock had a troubled relationship, true, but Sarek clearly loved BOTH his children and tried to do right by them both.

 

[fireproof78]

I can actually see Sarek's side on this. He had to choose only one of his children for the Vulcan Expeditionary Group, so he chose Spock...who joined Starfleet instead, thus rendering Sarek's decision futile and making him feel a ton of guilt over having misled Michael and having to tell her that she'd been rejected.

That's with new information. Before that, in TOS, Sarek was just a stuck up prideful man. So was Spock.

And I don't see Sarek as a bad father. Never have, never will. He and Spock had a troubled relationship, true, but Sarek clearly loved BOTH his children and tried to do right by them both.

How is it right to turn your back on your son for 18 years? That's some bullshit right there.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

That's with new information.

Well, this IS the DSC forum…

Before that, in TOS, Sarek was just a stuck up prideful man. So was Spock.

Exactly. They’re BOTH guilty. Doesn’t make Sarek a bad father, or Spock a bad son…

 

[The Wormhole]

Sarek is a pretty lousy father, but then so's every father on Star Trek besides fathers seen on DS9. Which is a pretty depressing statistic all things considered.

 

[fireproof78]

Well, this IS the DSC forum…

And?

I'm speaking to my opinion that was formed even prior to DSC. 2009 manage to alleviate it somewhat.

Exactly. They’re BOTH guilty. Doesn’t make Sarek a bad father, or Spock a bad son…

With due respect, I disagree, strongly. Sarek is treated as a wise man, one whose counsel is appreciated, and a capable negotiator. While Spock is equally intelligent, Sarek has the benefit from years of experience, including with Sybok and the difficulties there. That they are both guilty doesn't alleviate Sarek of responsibility as being the elder, and the one who initiate the separation in the first place.

 

[Birb-of-Prey]

As Vulcan fathers go, he's quite warm and emotionally available.

 

[Bynar0110]

I guess Sybok was disowned for rejecting logic.

 

[Commishsleer]

Exactly. They’re BOTH guilty. Doesn’t make Sarek a bad father, or Spock a bad son… [/QUOTE]

OK so we wanted my son to do Medicine at university and he did it for a year and dropped out.
So if I disowned him and didn't speak to him for 18 years would we both be equally guilty?
Would my son be a bad son for not doing as I wanted? I mean he didn't even have to put up with people looking down on him and making his life miserable every day. Bloody ingrate! I think I will disown him.

In TOS Spock was quite willing to speak to his father and mother and it was his parents who accepted that it was OK for Sarek to disown his son.
In Discovery Sarek told Michael that Spock was a bit Cra Cra ands he hadn't spoken to him for years. And even though he could have gone to the Enterprise he had better things to do than visit his son.

 

[fireproof78]

As Vulcan fathers go, he's quite warm and emotionally available.

Except, Spock is not Vulcan, nor did he marry a Vulcan.

 

[Takeru]

Some people are just bad parents, there's not always a deeper reason.

 

[Birb-of-Prey]

Except, Spock is not Vulcan, nor did he marry a Vulcan.

We were talking about Sarek.

 

[fireproof78]

We so were talking about Sarek.

Yes. So was I.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

OK so we wanted my son to do Medicine at university and he did it for a year and dropped out.
So if I disowned him and didn't speak to him for 18 years would we both be equally guilty?

Let's say that you have two children, both of whom wanted to be doctors, but you are told that only one of them could be accepted to medical school. You have to choose which one.. So you do choose one, and you have to LIE to the other one and tell them they were rejected - and the one you DO choose, drops out and opts for something else entirely. You'd be kind of torn up about that, wouldn't you?

That is exactly what happened with Sarek. He doesn't have anything against Starfleet, as such. And if this whole thing with Michael had never happened, I doubt he'd even have a problem with Spock joining Starfleet. The problem is Sarek had to LIE to Michael about her application to the Vulcan Expeditionary Group supposedly being rejected, and on top of that, Spock's decision to enlist in the fleet made the whole thing futile in the first place. Given this, I can understand why Sarek might be just a wee bit pissed about it.