star trek ii saavik

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Lieutenant junior grade Saavik was a Vulcan Starfleet officer who, in the mid- 2280s , served aboard both the USS Enterprise and the USS Grissom . Of particular note was her involvement with the failed Genesis project .

• 1 Service record
• 3 Memorable quotes
• 4 Key dates
• 5.1 Appearances
• 5.2.1 Origins and concept
• 5.2.2 First film appearance
• 5.2.3 Loss of actress
• 5.2.4 Drafts of second appearance
• 5.2.5 Casting a new actress
• 5.2.6 Debut of second actress
• 5.2.7 Final film appearance
• 5.2.8 After-effects
• 5.3 Apocrypha
• 5.4 External links

Service record [ ]

In March of 2285 , Saavik was a Starfleet cadet and, while mentored by Spock at Starfleet Academy , she underwent the Kobayashi Maru scenario . Despite an in-depth awareness of Starfleet regulations , she chose – during the test – to violate the Neutral Zone Treaty by venturing across the Klingon Neutral Zone in an attempt to rescue the freighter Kobayashi Maru , an action that resulted in the simulated deaths of all other officers in the bridge simulator. Afterwards, Saavik related to Admiral Kirk that she doubted the non-winnable simulation had been a fair test of her command abilities, though Saavik also conceded that she had not considered how possible such a situation was in reality.

Standing next to Uhura , Saavik cries at Spock's funeral

Saavik was thereafter assigned aboard the Enterprise as navigator under Admiral Kirk, firstly in a training cruise that was then prematurely terminated so that the ship and crew could respond to the Genesis crisis. During these missions, Saavik was the highest-ranking cadet from a training crew on board the vessel. As such, she occasionally occupied the ship's command chair and was even permitted to supervise the vessel's departure from spacedock , which she had never done before.

Saavik assisting the regenerated Spock to endure pon farr

Saavik struggled to become acquainted with Human personality traits and was inquisitive as to how Kirk had handled the Kobayashi Maru scenario. At this stage in her career, she often quoted Starfleet regulations and was surprised by the way Kirk occasionally bent those rules, questioning several of the commands he gave her. Saavik's mettle – as a prospective officer-of-the-line – was actually tested when the Enterprise was unexpectedly engaged in a drawn-out battle with the commandeered USS Reliant . Though she acquitted herself well under the stress of battle, she was admonished by Admiral Kirk that knowing regulations by heart was not enough and that she still needed to learn "why things work on a starship." As an away team member on one particular away mission amid the battle, Saavik visited both the Regula I space station and the Genesis cave , the latter of which was beneath the surface of Regula . She concluded that – as Kirk's method of beating the Kobayashi Maru test had been to cheat the system – he had never faced death. Saavik's mentor, Spock, was killed during the closing stages of the battle . Despite her Vulcan stoicism, Saavik wept at Spock's funeral. ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

Saavik held prisoner by Kruge , along with David Marcus and a young Spock

Later that year, Saavik was transferred to the Grissom , where she further studied the Genesis planet along with Kirk's son, David Marcus . There, they found the body of Captain Spock, who was believed lost. When Saavik and David found him, Spock's regenerated body was physiologically that of a child, but he aged rapidly. Saavik helped Spock through the agonies of pon farr by mating with him. Afterwards, she and her companions were captured by Klingons. Though a d'k tahg -wielding Klingon officer attempted to murder Saavik, her life was saved by David, whose intervention in these circumstances resulted in him being violently killed by the Klingon. Saavik returned to Vulcan with the Enterprise crew, to reintegrate Spock's katra into his body, in 2285. ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock )

Saavik bidding farewell to Spock

In 2286 , Saavik explained to Kirk how his son had died bravely saving her as well as Spock from the Klingons. She remained on Vulcan with Spock's mother, Amanda Grayson , when the Enterprise crew – together with Captain Spock – returned home for Earth . ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )

In 2401 , there was a shuttlecraft Saavik carried aboard the USS Titan -A . ( PIC : " The Next Generation ", " Disengage ")

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Any suggestions, Admiral? " " Prayer , Mister Saavik. The Klingons don't take prisoners. "

" How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life, wouldn't you say? " " As I indicated, Admiral, that thought did not occur to me. " " Well, now you have something new to think about. Carry on. "

" He's never what I expect, sir. " " What surprises you, lieutenant? " " He's so… Human. " " Nobody's perfect, Saavik. "

Key dates [ ]

• Assigned to the USS Enterprise
• Takes part in the Battle of the Mutara Nebula
• Assigned to the USS Grissom as science officer

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Background information [ ]

Origins and concept [ ].

According to Executive Producer Harve Bennett , the character of Saavik was created by Samuel A. Peeples and was the only element from a script he wrote for Star Trek II that was kept in the final film, which was from a story co-written by Bennett and Jack B. Sowards , and a screenplay that was written by Sowards. Recalled Bennett, " I went right back to Jack's script [and] inserted Saavik. " ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 266) According to the William Shatner and Chris Kreski book Star Trek Movie Memories (pp. 111 & 112), however, Saavik was absent from Peeples' script draft and was instead introduced in a previous draft wherein the young Vulcan began "a rather steamy relationship" with Kirk's son, David. The book Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before (p. 74) states that Theodore Sturgeon was responsible for contributing the character of Saavik.

According to the book The Making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (pp. 37, 38 & 221), a conceptual progenitor of Saavik was a Vulcan male science officer with the name Wicks (a name differing from those of all previous male Vulcans seen in the original series, who instead had names beginning with "S"). Wicks, a science officer aboard the Enterprise under Captain Spock as well as an advanced student of Spock's, was introduced in a nineteen-page outline that Jack B. Sowards wrote for the second Star Trek film. In that version of the story, Wicks gave Admiral Kirk a difficult time when the admiral visited the ship after Spock died, Wicks calling Kirk illogical for expecting a Vulcan to have a sense of humor.

It seems clear from The Making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (pp. 38, 39, and 40) that Mr. Wicks developed into "Savik" in a later, six-page story treatment, in which he was still a male Vulcan aboard the Enterprise , with Spock as his commanding officer. However, the character was now referred to as the ship's first officer. Savik was also, according to the reference book (p. 43), included in a script draft titled Star Trek: The Omega System , in which it was more than implied that Savik had emotional capabilities and tendencies. Although the book (pp. 47, 51, and 52) credits these versions of the character as having been devised by Harve Bennett and Jack Sowards, it states that "an outside writer" was responsible for writing an outline that was dated 18 July 1981 and featured Savik, for the first time, as a half- Romulan , half-Vulcan woman, though she was also referred to as a doctor in the same outline. As can be seen in the book (p. 48), the character's name was changed to its eventual configuration of Saavik by 30 October 1981 .

It might be postulated (as it is in Star Trek Magazine  issue 155 , p. 61) that it is probable Saavik was initially intended to be a successor of Spock – with her manning the Enterprise 's science station in the third film – at a time when Spock actor Leonard Nimoy was reluctant to continue appearing in Star Trek , though the reasoning why this option was not taken was likely as a result of Nimoy having a change of heart shortly prior to the making of the third movie. According to Harve Bennett, however, Saavik's future was uncertain during the writing of Star Trek II . " I had no idea what the future of Saavik might be, " he said. ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 268)

In the production history of Star Trek , Saavik was the first Vulcan female whose name did not begin with the letter "T," alternate to such characters as T'Pau and T'Pring from TOS : " Amok Time ". Names beginning with an "S" sound had previously been the exclusive domain of Vulcan males, including Spock, Sarek , and Surak . ( text commentary , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD ) (Later, two more female Vulcans did receive names beginning with "S": Dr. Selar in TNG and Sakonna in DS9 .)

The script for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan notes that, " Lt. Saavik is young and beautiful. She is half Vulcan and half Romulan. In appearance she is Vulcan with pointed ears, but her skin is fair and she has none of the expressionless facial immobility of a Vulcan. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 155 , p. 62) Spock had a line where he stated this fact to Kirk in scene 5 after the Kobayashi Maru test, " She's half Romulan, Jim. The admixture makes her more volatile than – me, for example. " Spock's actually filmed line was however trimmed from the scene and not included in the theatrical version, the 1985 television version, or the 2002 Director's Edition DVD release, nor on any of their home media formats. The line was included though, in a contemporary (prior to the "Wrath of Khan" moniker addition) promotional short, voiced by William Shatner . [2]

In Star Trek II , Saavik is commonly referred to as " mister ," a form of respectful military address. Normally applied to subordinates, the title is said in the film by Admiral Kirk and Captain Spock in reference to Saavik.

The Star Trek Chronology theorizes that Saavik entered the Academy in 2281 , believing the Kobayashi Maru test to be something taken by upperclassmen, though neither has been confirmed.

First film appearance [ ]

Saavik actress Kirstie Alley with director Nicholas Meyer

In Star Trek II , Saavik was played by Kirstie Alley . Before she was cast in the part, Director Nicholas Meyer had almost made up his mind about another young performer. ( The Making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , p. 207) This alternative actress was Kim Cattrall (who later appeared as Valeris in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ); she proved unavailable for the role, which preceded Alley's casting. ( Star Trek Movie Memories , pp. 123-124) Nick Meyer said of Alley, " She auditioned for me, along with many others. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD)

A long-time fan of Star Trek: The Original Series who had spent years of occasionally play-acting that she was Spock's daughter, Kirstie Alley was extremely excited when she was told about the Saavik role. " I went in and acted like Spock, " remembered the actress, " then Nick Meyer said, 'Boy, you have him down. Did you know that?' " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 170) Alley told Meyer about her fixation on Spock. ( The View from the Bridge , hardback ed., p. 99) Meyer recalled, " I saw her, and I said, 'This is her. This is Saavik.' And I never thought about it. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD ) According to Alley, she auditioned four times for Star Trek II . She was 117 pounds after her third audition and attended her fourth audition three days after finding out that her mother had just died in a car crash, an experience that had caused the actress' weight to reduce to 113 pounds. Alley stated, " Nicholas Meyer told me on the spot that I had the role. I always thought that was very kind of him. " ( How to Lose Your Ass and Regain Your Life , pp. 96 & 100) The director particularly liked the way Alley moved and felt that the combination of her together with Leonard Nimoy looked perfect. ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 60) Harve Bennett remarked, " Nicholas Meyer saw something in her, and I think he saw it correctly. " ( Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before , p. 75)

Even while sleeping, Kirstie Alley undergoes the physical transformation into Saavik

During the making of Star Trek II , Saavik's pointed ears were often applied to Kirstie Alley in the very early hours of each morning. Noted Uhura actress Nichelle Nichols , " Being Vulcan, she joined Leonard [Nimoy] and me for our predawn makeup calls. " ( Beyond Uhura , p. 248) In fact, Alley was so fond of Saavik's pointed ears that, allegedly, the actress repeatedly took the ear prosthetics home with her and wore them to sleep at night. Nick Meyer noted, " She wouldn't take them off. " (audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD) " I always wondered who she slept with, and it turned out it was the ears, " jested Meyer. (audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (2009 DVD / Blu-ray) ) Years later, Meyer theorized that, while this account from Alley may have been true, her reasoning for having told him this might alternatively have been that she had actually wanted a later makeup call. ( The View from the Bridge , interior photographs) Despite having pointy Vulcan ears, the actress' eyebrows were not characteristically slanted like other Vulcans seen up to that time.

Nick Meyer made a concerted effort to embody realism and avoid overt sexuality in Kirstie Alley's depiction of Saavik, which was the actress' first film role. " She was getting advice from all sides, and the studio kept trying to make it more of a 'tits and ass' performance, " recalled the director. " I said, 'No, no, no. That's real. You're in the Navy. You're a pro. Just do your job. You're good; you're at the top of your class there.' " ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 61)

Kirstie Alley was somewhat uncertain if other fans would accept a Vulcan female and she endeavored not to make the unemotional female character seem too much like "a bitch," by concentrating on the emotionality of Saavik's Romulan heritage, which accounts for her crying on screen at one point. ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 170) Nichelle Nichols said about the performance decision to show Saavik shedding tears, " That was Kirstie's idea, a beautiful touch. " ( Beyond Uhura , p. 251) However, William Shatner was alarmed by this behavior during filming and asked Meyer if he was going to "let her do that." ( The View from the Bridge , hardback ed., p. 118) The director related, " [Shatner] said, 'Well, Vulcans can't cry.' I said, 'Yeah, well, that's why it's going to be so distressing when this one does.' " (audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (2009 DVD / Blu-ray) )

Nick Meyer believed Kirstie Alley succeeded in channeling the reserved emotionality of Saavik's Vulcan aspect in the film, generally. The director commented, " She gave a very actor performance, because none of her own, sort of, impish humor is present in this. What you see in Cheers and so forth, her comic timing. None of that. She was a Vulcan. " (audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD) Meyer also thought Alley was "very good" at portraying Saavik. (audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (2009 DVD/Blu-ray) ) He conceded, " My favorite thing about her was that you had the feeling of the staggering, competent Lt. Saavik, and that was important to me. That was what I wanted to get across. I think the performance is much more interesting for that reason. " ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 61) Leonard Nimoy was also impressed with Alley's performance as Saavik, believing her inclusion in the production to have been "fortunate." " Her performance – or, perhaps more correctly, presence – was simply amazing, " Nimoy raved. He went on to remark that, even though playing Saavik involved the first work Alley did in front of a camera, "she delivered her lines like a seasoned pro." ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., pp. 200 & 202) On the other hand, Gene Roddenberry purportedly once said that he thought Alley was "too Beverly Hills" for Star Trek . ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 61) When asked if there was any Human in Saavik's apparently Vulcan-Romulan background, Roddenberry stated, " I'm afraid not. I thought it might be nice if there was but that's not their plan. As a matter of fact, my recommendation to them is that they make her even a bit more alien in her dialogue as we did with Mr. Spock. I thought a few times too often she sounded like an American girl who had just laid down her tennis racket, and I think you have to build in those mysteries and those mysterious ways, especially when you have aliens. " ("Chapter 8: Trek on the Big Screen", The Man Who Created Star Trek: Gene Roddenberry )

Scenes deleted from Star Trek II included one wherein Spock made note to Kirk of Saavik's half-Romulan heritage and another in which she was introduced to David Marcus, hinting at an unspoken flirtation between them. [3] As scripted in a draft that featured both these scenes and was dated 18 January 1982 , an extension to a conversation that, in the movie, Spock and Saavik have in the Vulcan language included Spock telling Saavik, " You must control your prejudices and remember that as a Vulcan as well as a Romulan you are forever a stranger in a strange land. " The same script draft also incorporated some more ultimately deleted material concerning Saavik's connection to David Marcus. ( The Making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , pp. 53, 55 & 62)

It was Nick Meyer who removed the idea of Saavik being half-Romulan. He explained, " I didn't see that it made any difference. There was nothing about her that was Romulan, so let her be Vulcan. " ( Enterprise Incidents , issue #14, p. 62) Still, the notion of her mixed heritage has lingered on into the script of The Search for Spock where a script annotation for scene 229 stated that "[e]ven a half-Vulcan has a breaking point", though it has remained unspoken in the movie.

The excised flirtatious component of Saavik's relationship with David was connected to a fascination that Saavik is implied as having with Kirk in the film, such as a suggestion that she made her appearance less formal for Kirk's benefit. Producer Robert Sallin confirmed that this was an intentional implication, stating, " Yes, it was meant to be subtle. Another branch of a story which, if you'd allowed it to go, would get in the way. " Sallin also accounted for the decision to insert the beginnings of a romance between Saavik and David Marcus, rather than between her and Kirk. " As many young women would, " proposed Sallin, " she would realize that the older man might not be obtainable, and look who's here as a very reasonable substitute. " ( The Making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , pp. 60 & 61) Nick Meyer thought the intrigue involving Saavik was very successful. " The romance was very, very slight, " he observed, " and I liked it. I thought it was funny in the movie because here's Saavik, who is half-way in love with Admiral Kirk, and she knows that's completely inappropriate. The moment she finds out that Admiral Kirk has a son–it just makes a heck of a lot of sense to her. " Meyer also noted that the scene deletions ultimately effected the depiction of Saavik's connection with David. " She never learned that he was Kirk's son until the end of the movie in the final version, so all that [earlier] stuff didn't make any sense any more. " ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 60)

The flirtation was to take place at the start of scene 247, and the meaningful glances Saavik and David exchange are not lost on a fatherly Kirk, who amusingly remarks, " Ah, she's learning by doing ," referring to an earlier discussion he had with Saavik in the turbolift on the Human condition in scene 52. This take was slated for replacement with a more businesslike one, with Saavik herself trying her hand at humor, but neither had been included in any of the movie versions (or their home media format derivatives), though the original, actually filmed, take has also been featured in the aforementioned promotional short. [4] That original one went a long way explaining the obvious warm friendly relationship Saavik and David enjoyed in The Search for Spock .

Loss of actress [ ]

By the time Star Trek III started to be planned, Paramount Pictures had neglected to negotiate a sequel clause as part of Kirstie Alley's contract for the Star Trek films. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 33) Leonard Nimoy (who was assigned to direct the third film) later explained, " Frankly, Paramount's Business Affairs had dropped the ball on her contract for Wrath of Khan . She'd been a total newcomer then, and Paramount had been within its rights to insert an option clause in her contract that required her to perform in a sequel for a predetermined price. But the company had neglected to do it–so Kirstie was now a free agent! " ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., pp. 224-225)

With Leonard Nimoy having been highly impressed by Kirstie Alley's portrayal of Saavik in Star Trek II , he and Harve Bennett were eager for the third film to feature the actress making a comeback appearance in the role. " And she was just as eager to return, " said Nimoy. " We contacted her while the script was still in the works, and the salary we discussed was reasonable. " Much to Nimoy and Bennett's relief, it seemed as though the contract negotiations would work smoothly. ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., pp. 224-225)

However, Kirstie Alley's agent thereafter requested a massive salary increase for the actress to reappear as Saavik in the new film. This option was declined – due to the financial demands – by Harve Bennett and Leonard Nimoy. In numerous statements, Bennett publicly claimed that Alley had demanded an enormous fee. The actress herself later dismissed this notion, also relating that she had felt surprised by the rejection of her reprising the role and that Paramount had never presented a counter offer to her. ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 61) " They offered me less money than they did for Star Trek II," the actress alleged, " so I figured they weren't very interested in [keeping] me for Saavik. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 45) Nimoy contended, " [Alley's agent] quoted a price that was so far beyond our reach that it left me slack-jawed. I'm sure neither he nor Kirstie realized it, but the salary he wanted for her second Star Trek appearance was higher than what was being paid to De Kelley after seventeen years! We couldn't agree to the price on either budgetary or ethical grounds, but Kirstie and her agent held firm. " ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 225) Nimoy also claimed, " We just couldn't afford her. She'd been paid a decent sum for Star Trek II for a beginner, and I think the studio was prepared to pay her more than twice that much for III." ( Star Trek Movie Memories , pp. 174 & 176)

According to Nimoy, the rise in Kirstie Alley's requested salary was directly influenced by the amount the character is featured in the movie, which the actress' agent referred to upon calling the studio back to ask for the increased figure. ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 225) The fact that Nimoy and Harve Bennett were plotting the story for Star Trek III while these financial negotiations were ongoing continued to have an impact on how Saavik was depicted in the film. " There were several things we thought about, " said Bennett. " One was that Saavik didn't have to appear at all; she could be on leave. But we needed someone in the crew to replace Vulcan knowledge, and that ultimately decided us that she had to be in the story. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 33) Bennett continued, " We didn't want to cut [her] scenes, so we decided to recast the character and keep the part. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 45) This decision was made rapidly after the negotiations with Alley broke down. Nimoy offered, " I think it was clear to us that we wanted to continue the Saavik idea because of her potential relationship with Spock. I was looking for an actress who could fill this slot [....] I was sorry that we had lost Kirstie Alley [though], she was valuable. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 18) Nimoy also said, " We had no choice but to search for a new Saavik. " ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 225)

Drafts of second appearance [ ]

An early story outline that Harve Bennett wrote for Star Trek III featured Saavik returning to the Genesis planet as a member of the Enterprise crew, abandoning the ship for the safety of the planet due to attacking Romulan miners. During a tender moment on the surface of Genesis, Saavik directly confessed to Kirk her love for him. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 30)

The idea of having Saavik bond with a young Spock via pon farr was suggested by Gene Roddenberry . ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , 3rd ed., p. 89) Both Leonard Nimoy and Harve Bennett agreed with the idea, the latter of whom later recounted, " I said [to Nimoy], 'Hey man, you do this. Whatever you think is right.' We knew it had to be simple and restrained. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 33) As it had been during the scripting of Star Trek II , Saavik's ultimate fate was undetermined at the time Star Trek III was written. " I had no idea what the future of Saavik might be, " noted Bennett. ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 46) For this reason, it was decided that Saavik would not die, along with David Marcus, in Star Trek III . Bennett stated, " We were passing the knife over Saavik just like the Klingon in the film. " ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 234)

When Saavik is first introduced in the script of Star Trek III , it is said she is " looking radiant, is wearing her hair down these days, but is as intense and efficient as ever. " The same script simply notes that Saavik is "half-Vulcan," rather than specifying her other half as Romulan. [5]

Casting a new actress [ ]

Saavik was played by Robin Curtis in Star Trek III and Star Trek IV , one of only a few instances where a main character in Star Trek was played by a different performer from the one who originated the role. ( text commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD ) " It was actually a very gentle process, " Curtis noted about how she came to be cast in the part. [6] (X) Originally, her connection to Star Trek III was arranged by Elza Bergeron (one of three casting directors on Star Trek III ), who had been attempting to find a suitable project for Curtis since the spring of 1982 . It was now one year later. ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray ) Curtis recalled, " I went in and I met the casting people at Paramount, and I had a very nice, congenial meeting, if you will, with the casting people. " [7] (X)

The members of the casting department set up a meeting that Robin Curtis had with Leonard Nimoy, a day or so later. [8] (X) " This meeting was unusual in many respects, but one in particular was that he met with me one-on-one, " said Curtis, " and he engendered a very comfortable meeting, where I felt very forthcoming, you know, and we were able to, I think, accomplish something in the brief time we spent together, and a part of that time was spent reviewing the material. He explained to me who this character was and what the back-story was a little bit, so I would understand what it was I was talking about. " With permission from Curtis, Nimoy then taped her audition. " And so there took place a lovely exchange of scenes, " the actress continued. " We did the scenes together, he directed me [and] he got it all on tape. " The fact that Nimoy recorded the audition saved Curtis from having to return for any further auditions for the role. ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray ) For his part, Nimoy reminisced, " I was very pleased to find Robin, who I thought had a sense of containment, but at the same time you could see there was an inner light going on. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 18)

At this point, Robin Curtis' casting as Saavik was imminent. She related, " I don't think I met anyone again until I screen-tested almost, maybe, six to eight weeks later. And that almost felt like just a matter of exercise, like, 'Let's have fun now. Let's see what this character might look like if you were to play her because, you know, we think you're going to play her,' kind of thing, you know, and that's what it felt like, that day. And then I was called, I believe the next day, [with news] that I'd got the part and this was absolutely a very thrilling moment. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray ) It was early August 1983 by the time Curtis was cast as Saavik. ( Star Trek Movie Memories , p. 176)

Debut of second actress [ ]

Saavik's makeup design was changed, introducing slanted Vulcan eyebrows to the character's facial appearance, when Robin Curtis assumed the role for Star Trek III . She did not find her prosthetic Vulcan ears uncomfortable. " Not at all, " she remarked. " You could barely tell they were there, once they were glued to you. No, not at all [...] They were completely... you couldn't feel them at all once they were on. They were just this weightless, nothing bit of latex stuff. " [9] (X) Unlike Kirstie Alley, Curtis was not permitted to keep wearing her ears after the end of each day's filming. Due to this, Curtis was ultimately slightly envious of Alley, laughing, " I'm sorta jealous she got away with it, but I hope she had fun. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD ) The daily removal of the prosthetic ears, in Curtis' case, required a very strong chemical. She was not only instructed that she couldn't take the ear prosthetics home with her but was also cautioned to rub Neosporin on her own real ears every night, as the danger of a skin infection might have made the daily application of the faux ears extremely problematic. ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD ; [10] (X) ) Some of the production crew approached Curtis very stealthily and confessed that they found the ears particularly appealing. " Some of the guys implied that they were a little bit of a turn on, " Curtis noted. ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD )

Whereas Nick Meyer had permitted Kirstie Alley to be more emotionally expressive, Leonard Nimoy focused Robin Curtis' performance on the Vulcan side of Saavik's ancestry. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 155 , p. 62) Curtis was eager for such a distinction to be made. She later admitted, " I did want to keep things fairly separate between myself and Kirstie Alley. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 45) To her relief, Curtis found that the transition between Alley and herself was not an awkward changeover, for which she credited Harve Bennett and especially the director. ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD ) Curtis opined, " I think Leonard set an example that everyone followed and that is to say I was never made to feel like I had to fill someone else's shoes. Never for a moment was I made to feel like that and I think that was really Leonard's approach to the whole thing. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 46)

In fact, not only was Curtis spared having to emulate the earlier performance, she also didn't even need to view it. " [Kirstie Alley's] name was never mentioned once to me, " Curtis recalled. " In fact, my sense of it was that we were starting new. No one ever said, 'You see, in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , we established that David and Saavik had a flirtation.' " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 6 , p. 49) Without broaching the characters' dalliance in the deleted scene from the previous film, the topic of this character dynamic was introduced to Curtis by David Marcus actor Merritt Butrick . Curtis felt that the switch of actress was very important to him, later remarking, " I think of everyone he had the most invested in the fact that another actress had played the character [...] He was very forthcoming and generous about what sort of subtle dynamic they might have established between one another, or the characters if you will, and to let me in on that in case there was anything of which I wanted to partake or carry on. You know, he suggested that their characters had a minor flirtation, that kind of thing. " [11]

Adopting the Vulcan role and making it her own was a difficult assignment for Curtis. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 49) Even though she was familiar with Leonard Nimoy's depiction of Spock in Star Trek: The Original Series , Curtis felt that her familiarity with Vulcans generally was "not to the extent that I felt remotely like I could play the part." [12] (X) " The whole world was a new one for me, and it was odd to step into it as a Vulcan, " she clarified. " The kind of person I am is about the farthest thing from a Vulcan you can get. My family were big expressers of love and celebration, so yes it was very strange to step into this world and step into it as a Vulcan. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 6 , p. 49) Curtis also stated, " It was so hard [...] I was never quite sure if I was doing it right. It always felt very robotic and unnatural and inhuman, if you will, to try to be a Vulcan. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 49) Along with the minimalism of emotion, Curtis additionally appropriated the formality of the character's dialogue, another factor that she found to be challenging. [13] She reflected, " I was so anxious about doing a good job that I wanted to be perceived as someone very serious and all that good stuff. " [14]

To help accommodate Curtis' transition into the part, some advice was given to the performer from her acting coach at the time, such as instructing her to practice her lines of dialogue in front of a mirror and "don't use any aspect of my facial muscles," Curtis later remembered. " Like the edge of my eyes, the corners of my lips – all the things that we move involuntarily when we talk. Practice keeping still. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 49) Curtis heeded this advice. " I would look into the mirror and I would try to even express the simplest thing that my character might say without emoting, without moving my face in any way, " she said. ("Captain's Log", Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray )

Robin Curtis being directed by Leonard Nimoy on the set of Star Trek III

Leonard Nimoy also aided Curtis, for which the actress was thankful. She stated, " He gave me a lot of input [...] He guided me every step of the way. " [15] (X) For instance, the director gave Curtis some helpful notes that influenced her performance, such as saying that Vulcans exhibit a thousand years of wisdom behind the eyes. ("Captain's Log", Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray ) The actress reckoned, " Those are things that although, you know – I hate to claim that I have that, or achieved that, those are the things I […] strived to do in the project. " [16] (X) Concerning the director's involvement, Curtis elaborated, " I relied heavily on Leonard Nimoy to guide me through my own discomfort […] I only allowed what [he] allowed me to leak out. He made a promise to me and kept it: he promised to never take me out to the end of a limb and leave me dangling there. Leonard promised to direct me very closely and he did just that. I have always been grateful to him for that. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 49) Curtis invested a great deal of faith in Nimoy, taking seriously the suggestions he made to her. She remarked, " I was not one of those actors who came to the set and said, 'Well now, you know, I think this is the way we should play this character, Mister Nimoy.' " ("Captain's Log", Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray ) Consequently, Curtis regarded much of her own portrayal of Saavik as having been a collaboration between Nimoy and herself. ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD )

The scene in which Saavik has a pon farr experience with a young Spock was almost deleted, as Paramount feared that it might draw laughs. However, it remained once Paramount realized that it was not being interpreted as humorous by preview audiences. ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , 3rd ed., p. 89)

Ultimately, Curtis was proud of her own debut depiction of Saavik. " I think, somehow, even though I did my best to remain so self-contained, " she critiqued, " something was always coming through, anyway. And I think that that's what ultimately worked, in some cases. " ("Captain's Log", Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray ) She further declared, " For a gal with ants in her pants, I guess I did pretty well. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 49) Leonard Nimoy felt likewise, remarking, " I thought Robin Curtis did it very well […] It worked out quite well. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 18) He also enthused, " [She] delivered a lovely, sensitive performance as Saavik. " ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 226) Harve Bennett's opinion of the second portrayal of Saavik was more mediocre, rating the production team's attempt to follow Kirstie Alley with Robin Curtis as having been "about even." ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 120)

Kirstie Alley witnessed her successor's portrayal of Saavik in Star Trek III and revealed thereafter, " I thought [Robin Curtis] was at a real disadvantage playing a role someone else established, especially with Star Trek , which has an enormous following. I think she did a fine job. I have no problem with what she was doing except that, when I saw the film, I said, 'She isn't Saavik, I am. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 45) Ronald D. Moore , who later worked on several of the Star Trek spin-off series , commented on the contemporaneous fan response to Curtis' first appearance as Saavik and shared his own related opinions; " Kirstie Alley really had owned that role in Wrath of Khan , and I think there was a sort of a universal feeling among the fans of, 'Oh, really? We wanted Kirstie back' […] It's too bad [she didn't do Star Trek III ] because the role of Saavik is a pretty important one in this film […] It would have been great if Kirstie had been able to continue that role […] [Robin Curtis] does play a Vulcan very well. I mean, Robin sells, she's got the Vulcan thing down, and not every actor or actress can do that, has sort of been my experience. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray) )

Final film appearance [ ]

One reason why Saavik remains on Vulcan in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is because writing her into the film's Earth -based events proved too difficult. " The mechanics of IV made it impossible to bring Saavik along, " asserted Harve Bennett, " because when we finally evolved the story we had enough bodies, and Saavik in the 20th century [Earth setting] would have become yet another ear to hide. That would have become complicated, and if there is anything I like to do in storytelling, I like to keep things simple... Too many movies fail because they are complex. " ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 270) Leonard Nimoy elaborated, " I can't honestly tell you that that was a conscious decision, to get her out of the way or anything like that. It just seemed as though she'd be extraneous on this trip. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD )

Detailing another reason why Saavik stays on Vulcan near the start of Star Trek IV , Leonard Nimoy explained that, rather than including her in the majority of the film, it seemed " more interesting to leave her behind with the potential information that she was expecting Spock's child. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD ) In fact, the scripts for Star Trek IV included more than an implication that the reason Saavik remains on Vulcan is that, while Spock was undergoing pon farr on the Genesis planet, he had sexual intercourse with Saavik to eliminate its effects, and in doing so had impregnated her. Peter Krikes , who originally co-wrote the film's script with Steve Meerson , offered, " There was a scene with Kirk on the Bridge of the Bird-of-Prey. They cut out five lines where Kirk says to Saavik, 'Have you told him yet?' And she says, 'No. I'm taking a maternity leave ' […] All they did was cut out five lines of dialogue, and you lost that whole thing, which, I believe, will turn up in a Harve Bennett script in a couple of years. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 64)

Indeed, Harve Bennett adopted this idea, prior to its omission. " On the Saavik pregnancy I wrote in two scenes, " Bennett stated. ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 270) As written in the revised shooting script, Kirk first assures Saavik, on the Bird-of-Prey's bridge, " Your leave has been granted for good and proper cause, " and then asks how she is feeling. After Saavik answers that she is "well," Kirk replies, " You will be in good hands here. " [17] Bennett recalled another scripted exchange of dialogue, which does not appear in the revised shooting script; " There's another line. 'Does Spock know?' 'No.' " ( The Star Trek Interview Book , pp. 270 & 271) The revised shooting script does, in common with the movie, include a scene where Saavik and Amanda Grayson are standing on Vulcan, watching the Bird-of-Prey leave the planet. [18] " That's the third piece, " said Bennett, " and that's interesting […] I said, 'Put it in. Let people talk about it' [...] I threw in everything... and I figured maybe, even if we get just one line in, 'Are you all right? You'll be well cared for here, here's where you belong...' The combination of the whole scene, and then Spock's entrance [which remains in the film], 'Good day to you, sir,' 'Saavik,' 'Live long and prosper,' is powerful because it is Stella Dallas . It is, 'I bravely leave you now, to bear your child, and you don't know it.' And then she goes out and we have the third element, 'Mother and daughter-in-law.' " ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 271)

As foreseen in the revised shooting script of Star Trek IV , Saavik differs from how she is represented in the film in a couple of other ways, too. For instance, Saavik, in the script, is said to be "dressed in Vulcan attire." [19] However, she is shown wearing a Starfleet uniform in the film.

Robin Curtis and Leonard Nimoy on the set of Star Trek IV , with Amanda Grayson actress Jane Wyatt

Robin Curtis thought that returning to the role of Saavik for Star Trek IV was not as tough as the previous film had been. " I think it was a little easier because I was a year and a half older and a little more relaxed with everyone and a little more practiced in that style of acting, " Curtis observed. [20]

According to Harve Bennett, the scene in which Saavik discusses her pregnancy with Kirk was filmed but was ultimately deleted because Leonard Nimoy (who returned as director for Star Trek IV ) was, in Bennett's words, "always very uncomfortable" about it. Despite agreeing with this deletion for several reasons, Bennett also thought that, without the scene, the footage of Saavik with Amanda, watching the Bird-of-Prey depart, "no longer has the same impact." Additionally, the scene deletion, in Bennett's view, left the question of Saavik's pregnancy open to interpretation. " Those who wish to read it will read it, and those who don't see it, won't, " he supposed. ( The Star Trek Interview Book , pp. 270 & 271) However, Robin Curtis learned indirectly of this story possibility. " It was never discussed with me, not on any formal or informal basis, " she related. " Certainly I was just as much a... I don't know if I can say participant, but a receiver of the rumor and the scuttlebutt at the time. People really seemed to think Saavik's pregnancy was going to be a great idea and I got caught up in it. Not that I expected it to happen, but just that I felt I had so little knowledge of Star Trek and the fans seemed to have so much, I thought they must know what they're talking about and this is obviously where this is leading. However, that clearly isn't where it led and it was a bit of an adjustment for me. Nothing serious in the scheme of life, however I was somewhat disappointed about it. " [21] Curtis was also regretful that the sexual aspect of Saavik's relationship with Spock was not firmly established on-screen, saying, " I think it would have been interesting to pursue a relationship between Saavik and Spock, and the possibility to have an offspring. That struck me as an interesting thing to play as an actor. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 84)

One version of the script would have revealed that Valeris was Spock's daughter with Saavik, also named Saavik after her mother. [22]

After-effects [ ]

Robin Curtis wished Saavik had reappeared in canon after the on-screen events of Star Trek IV , or that Saavik's role in those events had ended differently. " Saavik could have achieved all kinds of things, " Curtis speculated. " It has been very unfortunate that the character just got left in the dust. I wish there would have been a better finality to that character, or at least a more exciting way to leave her. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 84)

Early drafts of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country featured Saavik in a traitorous role eventually filled by Valeris . Writer Mark Rosenthal originally wanted Saavik to have a romance with Kirk, leading to them producing a Vulcan-Human hybrid like Spock, a plot point that Rosenthal felt would have brought a satisfying conclusion to the TOS series of films. He reckoned that this dynamic evolved into a romance between Spock and Saavik instead, before their relationship returned to that of mentor and protégée (à la their connection in Star Trek II ). ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 106)

Gene Roddenberry expressed concerns about turning Saavik into a traitor in Star Trek VI , feeling that she had become a "too beloved" character in his universe. When informed of this, Nick Meyer (who had no love lost for Roddenberry ever since Meyer came aboard for Star Trek II , which had been obtusely opposed by the former) met his concerns with disdain, derisively remarking, " I wrote the character of Saavik in STAR TREK II . That wasn't a Gene Roddenberry character. If he doesn't like what I'm doing, maybe he should give the money he's [making off my films] back. Then maybe I'll care what he has to say. " Without bothering to get back to Roddenberry, Meyer pushed ahead. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 22, No. 5, p. 31)

Not having been fond of Robin Curtis' performances as Saavik, Nick Meyer wanted Kirstie Alley to reprise the role in Star Trek VI . ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 61) Producers Ralph Winter and Steven-Charles Jaffe , similarly to Meyer, didn't consider Curtis for an encore, so Alley seemed like the only suitable alternative; as Winter has phrased it, " Why try recasting a third time? That's really stretching it. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 22, No. 5, p. 31) Leonard Nimoy agreed with Meyer on this point, though Alley turned out to be unavailable. " Unfortunately, the price she now commanded was well beyond the realm of Star Trek VI 's budgetary possibility, " Nimoy remembered. ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 319) Once again, Alley declined to appear. Meyer explained, " Absent Kirstie Alley, we decided it would be better to introduce a new character. " ( The View from the Bridge , pp. 203 & 212) Nimoy recollected, " Once Kirstie proved unavailable, we began to reconsider the plot twist that the heretofore loyal Saavik had betrayed the Federation and engaged in a murder conspiracy. Would Star Trek audiences rebel at the notion that Saavik was a traitor? […] We finally decided that the Saavik we knew wouldn't be capable of making this switch in loyalties. " ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 319) Hence, the eventual decision to substitute the Saavik character was made for reasons entirely unrelated to Gene Roddenberry's earlier concerns, concerning the alteration of making Saavik a traitor to Starfleet. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 22, No. 5, p. 31) Ultimately, Meyer was regretful that Saavik wasn't included in Star Trek VI , romantically connected with Spock. Meyer posited, " [Saavik's] backstory from the other films would have made this especially poignant […] In an ideal world Valeris should have been the stalwart Saavik, a character we had already come to love. And trust. This would have sharpened the pain of her betrayal. " ( The View from the Bridge , pp. 203 & 212)

Not even being considered for a possible return of Saavik proved to be painful for Robin Curtis. " Paramount led me to believe that Saavik was being groomed for more participation, that they were finally trying to include some younger regular characters in the movies. Many fans were excited about the prospects of a romantic pregnancy storyline, " Curtis stated, adding her feelings about the snubbing; " That hurt a little bit. It was a far too emotional situation for me to pursue it, to be aggressive enough to call and question why I wasn't considered for the part. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 22, No. 3, p. 26)

When she was finally cast for the role of Valeris, Kim Cattrall (ironically, the same actress who had been considered to play Saavik in Star Trek II ) initially refused the role as she was under the false impression that she had to portray yet another incarnation of Saavik, but jumped at the opportunity when she learned that that was not to be the case, as she considered Saavik "just a girl," whereas she considered Valeris "a woman." ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 22, No. 5, p. 31; Star Trek Movie Memories , 1995 ed., pp. 374-375)

Captain Morgan Bateson and the female officer standing beside him

A particular female bridge officer who is shown standing next to Captain Morgan Bateson on the USS Bozeman in TNG : " Cause And Effect " was originally intended to be Saavik but, once again, the scheduling couldn't be worked out. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 195)) Bateson was played by Kelsey Grammer , a co-star of Kirstie Alley's while both had been regular actors on the series Cheers .

One of Robin Curtis' Saavik costumes from Star Trek III was sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [23]

Apocrypha [ ]

Kirstie Alley did play Saavik one other time, in a play set between Star Trek II and Star Trek III – "The Machiavellian Principle", written by Walter Koenig for the ambitious "Ultimate Fantasy" convention (aka "Ultimate Fiasco", aka "The Con of Wrath"). It also starred James Doohan , Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols and George Takei , with a walk-on role by William Shatner as "the Admiral". The script, as published by Creation Conventions in a 1987 booklet called "Through the Looking Glass", misspells the name as "Savik".

Saavik had many non- canon adventures in various licensed comics , novels , and games . She first appeared in novels in the novelization of Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan . She was picked up as an ongoing character for the DC Comics series, volume 1 from issue #1 (" The Wormhole Connection ") until #36 (" The Apocalypse Scenario! "), which was a tie-in to the Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home comic special, where Saavik remained behind after Kirk's departure from Vulcan. Saavik also appeared in the Star Trek III: The Search for Spock comic adaptation, an entry in Who's Who in Star Trek issue #2, and two of the annuals : #1, " All Those Years Ago... ", and #3, " Retrospect ".

In the second volume DC series, Saavik made a guest appearance in #25 (" Class Reunion ") and then joined the cast, as a USS Enterprise -A bridge officer, starting with #35 (" Divide... and Conquer "), for the remainder of the series, including the associated Annual s after that point, as well as Star Trek Specials , including one story where Saavik is at odds with Valeris over the former training the latter to take a bridge position. In Tales of the Dominion War , Saavik and Spock have married and are still together after Spock has left on his covert mission to Romulus . In The Lives of Dax , Saavik assists Tobin Dax in a transwarp experiment, and recommends safety procedures that would have averted his shuttle accident.

Saavik's history before Star Trek II was mentioned in two issues of DC's first comic series, #7 (" Pon Farr ") and #8 (" Blood Fever "), and was expanded upon in Marvel Comics ' Star Trek: Untold Voyages series, as well as the Pocket Books novels Dwellers in the Crucible and The Pandora Principle . Details like ages, dates and costumes differ between the three companies' versions of her story. In the Star Trek: Titan novel Taking Wing , Tuvok , under the guise of a Romulan , greets Spock and gives him greetings from "his wife," Captain Saavik, indicating her return to Starfleet after her stay on Vulcan as well as their marriage in the Josepha Sherman/Susan Shwartz novel Vulcan's Heart .

In the novelization of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock by Vonda N. McIntyre , Saavik is described as having a sexual relationship with Kirk's son, David Marcus (a carryover from the abandoned relationship planned for Wrath of Khan ). McIntyre also wrote further subtext into Saavik's motivations for staying on Vulcan in the Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home novelization.

The events following Saavik's exile on Vulcan in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home are explained in the novel Unspoken Truth by Margaret Wander Bonanno .

Despite the fact that Saavik provided the conceptual basis for Valeris, in the novelization of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , they are two separate characters, having befriended each other on Vulcan. It is said they felt a kinship due to the fact that neither had a "proper" Vulcan name nor had experienced a traditionally Vulcan upbringing, with both having chosen to adopt such Vulcan tradition later in life.

According to the video game Star Trek: Starship Creator , Saavik's parents were named Sivak and T'Pala.

External links [ ]

• Saavik at StarTrek.com
• Saavik at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Saavik at Wikipedia
• 1 Abdullah bin al-Hussein

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

• Memory Beta articles sourced from episodes and movies
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• Genetic hybrids
• Starfleet personnel
• Starfleet personnel (23rd century)
• Starfleet personnel (24th century)
• Starfleet cadets
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• Starfleet helmsmen and flight controllers
• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) personnel
• USS Grissom (NCC-638) personnel
• HMS Bounty personnel
• USS Excelsior personnel
• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) personnel
• 2264 births
• View history
• 1.1 Early years
• 1.2.1 After the Enterprise
• 1.3.1.1 The USS Alliance
• 1.3.2 Other alternate realities
• 2.1 Connections
• 2.2.1 Appearances
• 2.3 External link

Biography [ ]

Early years [ ].

Saavik was born on the planet Hellguard in 2264 . Saavik had a harsh childhood living on Hellguard, a planet which bordered the Romulan Neutral Zone . In the Romulan language , her name means "little cat ." Her life changed in 2274 when the Vulcan vessel Symmetry arrived and she was rescued by Commander Spock . Spock took a leave of absence and began to teach Saavik the Vulcan way of life, but had great difficulty with her. After a year of living on Dantria IV , Spock decided to take Saavik to Vulcan where he would care for her with the help of Sarek and Amanda . ( TOS novel : The Pandora Principle ; TOS - Untold Voyages comic : " Worlds Collide ")

In accordance with Vulcan traditions, Sarek arranged for Saavik to be bonded to a young Vulcan boy named Xon , whose original bond-mate had tragically died in an accident. ( TOS - Saavik's Story comic : " Pon Far! ")

Saavik was given an excellent upbringing on Vulcan and soon embraced the Vulcan way of life, but decided that she wanted to follow Spock into Starfleet and entered Starfleet Academy in 2281 , assigned to live in Residence Complex Three . Her time at the Academy was not the easiest, and many of her classmates viewed her as an enemy, but she became a valuable resource for Starfleet in interpreting intelligence data and putting many myths to rest about Romulan psychology. She also forged a friendship with Cadet Peter Preston , whom she tutored in Advanced Theoretical Mathematics. ( TOS novels : The Pandora Principle , The Captain's Daughter ; TOS novelization : The Wrath of Khan )

Starfleet career [ ]

Saavik in 2286

Saavik was granted her commission while still studying at Starfleet Academy. In 2285 , as a Lieutenant, junior grade , she served as navigator of the USS Enterprise under Admiral James T. Kirk on their mission to recover the Genesis Device . ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

After Spock's death, she replaced him as science officer on board the Enterprise . Kirk had some trouble in dealing with this change, treating her differently because of his grief. After they both conversed with Dr McCoy on the matter, Kirk relented his attitude towards Saavik, allowing her to acompany him on an away team to investigate a wormhole stabilised by the Klingons. There they found a highly-armed Klingon space station . ( TOS comic : " The Wormhole Connection ") Finding that the Klingon leadership had been influenced into attacking the Federation by Excalbians , Saavik acompanied Kirk to Organia , where he persuaded the Excalibians to release their influence on the galactic leadership and fight the Organians instead. ( TOS comic : " Deadly Allies ")

Soon after, Saavik began to feel the effects of pon farr , the Vulcan mating urge. She sought out Xon, who was working undercover for Starfleet Intelligence with the Romulan Star Empire , to the galactic barrier where the Romulans were trying to duplicate the experiment that gave Gary Mitchell his god -like powers. With the assistance of the Enterprise , Saavik and Xon defeated the Romulan plot. With the needs of their Pon-Farr sated, Saavik and Xon returned to their respective assignments. ( TOS - Saavik's Story comic : " Blood Fever ")

That same year, she transferred to the USS Grissom , along with Doctor David Marcus . The two discovered the reborn and rapidly maturing Spock on the surface of the Genesis Planet , where they were stranded after the destruction of the Grissom by Klingons . Saavik helped guide the young Spock through the pon farr , and accompanied him, and the former crew of the Enterprise , back to Vulcan to be rejoined with his katra . ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ) Saavik remained on Vulcan following Spock's departure, wishing Kirk well on his journey back to Earth. ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )

In 2289, Saavik participated in a secret, extralegal mission aboard the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A involving Commander Kor of the Klingon Empire and a representative of the Romulan Star Empire , in an attempt to end the threat of an extragalactic life-form responsible for the destruction of the USS Farragut some thirty-two years earlier ( TOS comic : " Debt of Honor "). The following year, 2290 , following the promotion of Hikaru Sulu to Captain of the USS Excelsior , Saavik rejoined the Enterprise crew, this time serving on the Enterprise -A full time. ( TOS comic : " Tests of Courage ")

On stardate 8625.2, Lieutenant Saavik and Captain Spock were part of a diplomatic mission to Mardelva . During an attempted coup on the planet, their shuttle was caught in the crossfire and crashed on the planet's surface. ( TOS comic : " Deceptions ")

On stardate 8748.4, Saavik was assigned an undercover mission into Romulan space to retrieve Professor David Erikson , who was attempting to defect from the Federation. ( TOS comic : " Renegade ")

At some point prior to 2290 , Saavik served aboard the USS Whipple , where the starship encountered stellar energy pulse phenomena on several occasions. Also, before 2291, Saavik had also briefly served on the Oberth -class starship USS Tinian . ( ST comics : " Runaway ", " A Question of Loyalty ")

In the year 2291 , she was present when the Enterprise -A was sent to the planet Mestiko to retrieve a weapon stolen by a local terrorist group called the Torye . ( TOS - Mere Anarchy eBook : The Blood-Dimmed Tide )

She served on the Enterprise-A for two years before a disagreement with Spock about his new protégé, Valeris , prompted her to request a transfer. ( TOS comic : " A Question of Loyalty ")

In 2293 , Saavik attended James T. Kirk 's memorial service in the grounds of Starfleet Academy , along with many other former Enterprise crewmembers. ( TOS - Crucible novel : The Fire and the Rose ).

After the Enterprise [ ]

Saavik was an eyewitness to the events of the Tomed Incident in 2311 . During that time, a child ran from her in terror at the sight of her "Romulan" features.

Saavik made her way up through the ranks, and by the year 2329 , Saavik had become the first officer of the USS Armstrong . She held that post until at least 2344 .

She and Spock had remained close over the years, and their relationship eventually grew beyond camaraderie into something more. In 2329, the couple became betrothed in a formal ceremony on planet Vulcan that was attended by Admiral Leonard McCoy and Lieutenant Jean-Luc Picard .

In 2344 , she was sent to the Romulan Star Empire on an unofficial assignment by Captain Uhura of Starfleet Intelligence to retrieve Spock, who had answered a mysterious summons from the Romulan commander Charvanek . When Saavik arrived on Romulus , she found the Romulan capital in a state of turmoil.

The mad Praetor Draleth was planning on launching an unprovoked attack on the Klingon colony at Narendra III in order to start a quadrant-wide war. Spock instructed Saavik to leave Romulus and raise the alarm for Narendra while Spock (who was suffering from the beginning stages of Pon-Farr ) and his ally Ruanek took care of Draleth.

Saavik managed to reach the USS Enterprise -C , who went on to defend Narendra, while sending Saavik back to Vulcan, where she was soon reunited with Spock. Soon after, the couple were officially married in another ceremony, this one attended by both McCoy and Uhura. ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Heart )

Alternate realities [ ]

First splinter timeline [ ], the uss alliance [ ].

Saavik eventually rose to the rank of captain, and was content for a time to command science vessels while the Federation was at peace. When the war with the Dominion broke out in 2373 , she requested command of a combat-worthy vessel, and was given command of the USS Alliance .

At some point during the war in 2374 she was injured in ship-to-ship combat and transferred to home duty on Vulcan. Her former first officer, Captain Howe , sent her a "get well cactus" that she described to Spock as "a superfluous xerophyte".

While on Vulcan, Saavik accepted command of the planet's defences. ( ST short story : " Blood Sacrifice ")

In early 2377, she led a diverse convoy of vessels into the space of the mysterious Watraii , who had announced plans for a genocidal war against the Romulan Star Empire. In this first encounter, Admiral Pavel Chekov was believed to have been killed in a transporter accident. ( TOS - Vulcan's Soul novel : Exodus )

After it was discovered by Uhura that Chekov had not been killed, but was instead languishing in a Watraii prison cell, Saavik took the Alliance back into Watraii space for a rescue operation. The effort was successful, but Saavik had to deal with the immediate consequences of the rescue operation. ( TOS - Vulcan's Soul novels : Exiles , Epiphany )

As of 2379 , Saavik was still in command of the Alliance . ( TTN novel : Taking Wing )

Other alternate realities [ ]

The crew of the USS Enterprise -A in an alternate timeline

In an alternate timeline created when Yeoman J. Mia Colt was sent forward in time from 2254 to 2293 after her tricorder scans released the tachyon energy contained in an Algolian artifact known as a Keepsake, Saavik served as a junior science officer aboard the USS Enterprise -A .

In 2293 , she was killed during a battle between the Enterprise -A and a Klingon bird-of-prey commanded by General Chang and three Klingon battle cruisers in orbit of Algol II . Shortly thereafter, Pike activated the self-destruct sequence . As the Enterprise was destroyed, Colt entered the Well of Tomorrows on Algol II and was returned to 2254, thereby restoring the proper timeline. ( EV comics : " Future Tense, Part Two ", " Futures, Part Three ", " Now and Then ")

Appendices [ ]

Connections [ ], appearances and references [ ], appearances [ ], external link [ ].

• Saavik article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• 1 The Chase
• 2 Preserver (race)
• 3 Tzenkethi

Saavik (Kirstie Alley)

Character analysis.

The introduction of Lieutenant Saavik is one of the biggest red herrings in movie history. We open with her voice entering a log in the Enterprise records as captain, then show her in Kirk's vaunted chair while the rest of the Trek crew—the familiar gang we all know from the series—go about their duties.

And we're baffled. Who is this woman? Why is she in command of the Enterprise ? Where's Kirk?

But—gotcha!—it's all just a simulation, and Saavik is still undergoing training. When we meet her, we understand instinctively that she's not a part of the crew, her youthful ambition standing in marked contrast to the more weathered wisdom of her fellow officers.

And "ambition" is the best word to describe Saavik. She's bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to get out there and show the galaxy what she's made of. We can see that in her obvious frustration at failing the Kobayashi Maru test. Like Kirk, she doesn't like to lose.

SAAVIK: I don't believe this was a fair test of my command abilities. KIRK: And why not? SAAVIK: Because...there was no way to win.

She's also is a bit of a stickler for military protocol, which we learn when the Reliant first appears onscreen.

SAAVIK: Sir, may I quote General Order Twelve, "On the approach of any vessel, when communications have not been established..." SPOCK: Lieutenant, the Admiral is well aware of the regulations.

She might be little too brash and eager…but she's definitely right. In other words, she has the makings of a first-rate Starfleet officer. And as a younger character (and a Vulcan to boot), she makes the easiest and most direct representation of the entire crew of trainees: the people who Spock will mold and shape into heroes.

On a subtler note, she's also a good audience surrogate—especially for people who might not be super-familiar with the Star Trek canon. This lets her ask the questions that they people watching the film are asking…and even make observations about characters that the hard-core Trek fans know by heart.

SAAVIK: (in Vulcan) He's never what I expect, sir. SPOCK: (in Vulcan) What surprises you, Lieutenant? SAAVIK: He's so ...human. SPOCK: (in Vulcan) Nobody's perfect, Saavik.

Her fresh observations, along with her dedication to excel and do her duty, helps Star Trek II pull off its greatest trick: looking at these characters with fresh eyes and showing how the old warriors of the original series pass the torch on to the next generation of officers.

Next generation…hmm. Now that's a good title.

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W hy's T his F unny?

Saavik stayed a key Star Trek universe character

By mike poteet | jul 16, 2021.

Saavik leads a storied Starfleet career in licensed Star Trek fiction.

When I read our own Rachel Carrington’s recent article about the fate Lieutenant Saavik almost suffered in Star Trek III , I could only think, “Thank goodness they didn’t kill her. If they had, I might never have become a footnote in Star Trek book history!”

My story in Pocket Books’ 1999 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds II anthology (shameless plug alert: still available in e-book and makes a great gift) features Saavik in a starring role.

It’s set years after the events on Genesis, and in it, I danced as close as I dared to the idea Saavik had borne Spock’s child—another originally planned “fate” for Saavik that never came to pass.

(I won’t even dignify the idea she could have turned traitor  in Star Trek VI  with further discussion!)

Saavik didn’t get to stick around onscreen after Star Trek IV . But I’m not the only fan who’s wanted to know more about Spock’s protégé since her hasty, never satisfactorily explained exit from the franchise.

Fortunately, several professional Trek fiction authors have been happy to fill in the gaps in our knowledge and continue her story.

Saavik sees intrigue among the Romulans and marries Spock

Famously, the script of and some deleted scenes from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan establish Saavik is half-Romulan.

Vonda N. McIntyre’s movie novelizations and Carolyn Clowes’ 1990 novel The Pandora Principle  elaborated on the character’s traumatic past. Spock rescued her from a failed Romulan colony known as Hellguard. (I’ve often wondered whether this canonically abandoned backstory influenced Tasha Yar’s when Star Trek: The Next Generation was developing.)

In her fifth and final Trek novel, Unspoken Truth (2010), the late Margaret Wander Bonanno shows us Saavik again confronting her past. In an interview before the book was published, Bonanno described it as “a bit of a murder mystery, a bit of a spy novel, with a love affair tossed in for seasoning.” Set immediately after The Voyage Home,  the book follows Saavik as she investigates who is behind the killings of her fellow Hellguard survivors.

Something about this character must inspire stories of intrigue. Several novels—for example, Howard Weinstein’s novella “The Blood-Dimmed Tide,” his contribution to the 40th-anniversary series Mere Anarchy (2006)—as well as DC Comics’ second Trek run (1989-95) place her aboard the Enterprise , NCC-1701-A during the post- Voyage Home era. Several of the missions she completes in these tales are clandestine in nature. Perhaps they reflect, consciously or unconsciously, the character’s conspicuous absence onscreen!

Among Star Trek tie-in authors, Josepha Sherman and Susan Schwartz have developed Saavik’s story the most.

Vulcan’s Heart (1999) was Sherman and Schwartz’s follow-up to their Vulcan’s Forge (1997). It begins with a betrothal between Spock and Saavik—the “wedding” Captain Picard mentions, in the TNG episode “Sarek,” he attended as “a young lieutenant.”

Fifteen years later, Saavik undertakes a covert mission (again!) to locate Spock on Romulus. There, she and he uncover the Praetor’s plan to attack Narendra III (the pivotal battle in TNG ’s “Yesterday’s Enterprise”), while also dealing with the onset of pon farr. The book ends with the couple’s actual wedding.

In the authors’  Vulcan’s Soul trilogy (2004-07), Captain Saavik commands the USS Alliance during the Dominion War. In their short story “Blood Sacrifice,” part of the 2004 anthology Tales of the Dominion War , she spearheads the defense of Vulcan itself.

How wonderful to see the young cadet once so frustrated by the Kobyashi Maru test now an experienced captain with her own command!

After the war, Saavik is involved in conflict with a new threat: the militaristic Vulcanoid race the Watraii, from whom she and the Alliance rescue then-Admiral Pavel Chekov.

As you can see, while Harve Bennett and company didn’t know what to do with Saavik after The Search for Spock , a host of talented prose and comic authors have had no shortage of fascinating ideas.

Will some future Trek production bring Saavik back for more adventures on the final frontier

Could Robin Curtis  be persuaded to return to acting for a Saavik series on Paramount Plus?

Would Kirstie Alley want to revisit the role that helped make her a star nearly 40 years ago?

Or might we see yet a third actor play the part?

As a never-say-die Saavik fan, I choose to believe, as her mentor (and eventual husband) was fond of saying, “There are always possibilities!”

(Many thanks to the Memory Beta wiki for refreshing my memory about and clueing me in on several Saavik appearances in Trek literature!)

Next. Originally, Lt. Saavik was going to die in Search for Spock. dark

Kirstie Alley made Star Trek better

Known for comedy later in her career, Kirstie Alley’s contribution to science fiction was transformative.

Kirstie Alley , famous for her hilarious comedy skills in Cheers, Look Who’s Talking and Desperate Housewives, has died at the age of 71. Her controversial political views in the 21st century were a disappointment to many of her biggest fans, but the legacy of her work as a unique and talented actress endures. And for science fiction fans, she also changed the Star Trek franchise for the better. Here’s why Alley was dynamite in 1982’s The Wrath of Khan, and how that film launched her entire career.

In 1981, as Kirstie Alley was in her final round of auditions to play Saavik in Star Trek II , her parents were in a car accident . Her mother was killed instantly and her father was hospitalized. Director Nicholas Meyer believed in Alley and specifically waited to make a final decision on casting, despite the fact that this huge tragedy delayed the entire process. As she revealed in 1982 to People Magazine , she considered dropping the film altogether but was encouraged to keep going by her sister and brother. Eventually, Alley gave her agent an ultimatum: “You call Paramount and tell them my mother is dead, my father is dying. And if they want to see me, I’ll see them Wednesday... This is the greatest tragedy of my life. But if I get Star Trek, that will be my happiest day.”

Director Nicholas Meyer pushed Paramount to wait, and Alley got the part.

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Alley had been a Star Trek fan as a child and told Meyer that she liked her prosthetic Vulcan ears so much that she even slept with them on. When Alley watched the 1960s series as a young girl, she had imagined herself as “Spock’s daughter.”

In The Wrath of Khan , Alley’s character, Saavik, does almost come across as Spock’s child. As a young woman who is new to Starfleet, Saavik is presented to the audience as a kind of inversion of Spock. Instead of being super-logical, this Saavik is a bit hotheaded, and even says “damn” in the now-famous opening scene in which the Enterprise is seemingly overwhelmed by Klingons. In dialogue cut from the final film, we learn Saavik is half-Vulcan and half-Romulan, which partially explains her impulsiveness. (This detail was included in all the press material at the time and is explored in both the novelization and various subsequent Trek books and comics.) As she later said , “I owe my career to a casting agent that I looked half Vulcan and half Romulan.”

As Saavik, Alley opens what is often considered to be the best Star Trek movie of all time, and when Spock dies at the end of the film, she sheds a single tear, letting us know the new resident Vulcan on the Enterprise is a little bit more like us. And because The Wrath of Khan is essentially a film about aging and legacy, Saavik is, in some ways, the most important character. As Kirk, Spock, and Bones contemplate getting older, Saavik is clearly introduced to the audience as the next generation. She’s in the captain’s chair at the start of the film, and if you squint, you could imagine an alternate universe in which we got to see Saavik get her own starship. Without Kirstie Alley’s performance as Saavik in The Wrath of Khan , none of the emotional beats work. She’s the voice of the younger generation, questioning Kirk and Spock’s methods, but also letting a casual viewer fall in love with these characters through her eyes.

Much has been written and said about why Kirstie Alley didn’t return for Star Trek III , and was instead, replaced by Robin Curtis. The most common explanation is that her agent pushed for an amount of money that Paramount couldn’t afford and that Search for Spock director Leonard Nimoy worried would put the film over budget. In 2016, at the Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, Alley admitted on stage that to this day, she felt like the details and exact reasons for her being recast were murky.

Kirstie Alley commands the Enterprise in The Wrath of Khan .

In The Search for Spock , Curtis’ version of Saavik took the character in a new direction, which was decidedly more Vulcan-like. Everything about Robin Curtis’ version of the character is wonderful, but Kirstie Alley’s version is, for some fans, still a bit more rock and roll. In The Wrath of Khan, Alley plays Saavik as young and naive, but she’s not innocent. You get the sense from Alley’s performance that Saavik is as dangerous as she is competent.

Because The Wrath of Khan was her first big break, the success of the movie obviously launched her career into warp speed. But sci-fi fans and Trek diehards benefited, too. Thanks to Alley’s layered and brilliant performance, the expansive world of Star Trek made room for a kind of person we’d never seen before. And, in many ways, Trek has never given us a character like Alley’s Saavik again.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is streaming on HBO Max.

This article was originally published on Dec. 7, 2022

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Saavik was a protagonist introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan .

She was initially portrayed by the late Kristie Alley in Star Trek II , then by Robin Curtis in subsequent films.

Saavik, whose name meant "Little Cat" in Romulan was a half-Vulcan half-Romulan hybrid. The product of a rape of a Vulcan by a Romulan, she spent her early years living a hellish existence on the planet Hellguard before being rescued by Spock , who took her back to Vulcan and arranged for her to be cared for by his parents Sarek and Amanda Grayson.

In 2281, Saavik followed in Spock's footsteps and joined Starfleet. Her Romulan heritage made life at the Academy difficult, however she perservered and in 2285 held the rank of Lieutenant (JG). She took the Kobayashi Maru test and failed it just as nearly all other cadets did.

Saavik, as portrayed by Kirstie Alley.

Soon after her test, Saavik served on the Enterprise under then Admiral James T. Kirk as the ship went on a three week cadet cruise. The ship came under attack by Khan Noonien Singh, who had recently escaped from Ceti Alpha V. By the time Khan had been defeated, Saavik's friend Preston was dead. Khan's attacks also apparently cost the life of her mentor Spock when he sacrificed himself to save the Enterprise from the Genesis Wave. She did strike up a friendship with Kirk's son David Marcus after he and his mother Carol were rescued from the Regula I planetoid.

Saavik transferred with David over to the USS Grissom . During their time on the ship her relationship with David became physical. The ship soon returned to the Genesis planet, where they found the regenerated body of Captain Spock on the surface of the planet, with his mind blank. Grissom was lost just after they discovered Spock, a victim of an attack by the Klingon warlord Kruge .

Meanwhile Spock was rapidly growing into an adult as the Genesis Planet also aged rapidly. When Spock began experiencing pon-farr, Saavik slept with Spock to help resolve the condition. The Enterprise arrived a short time later. When she was disabled during combat with Kruge's ship, Kirk tried to bluff Kruge into surrendering, but Kruge decided to have one of the three Federation citizens killed. The Klingon warrior chose to kill Saavik, but David sacrificed himself to protect her and Spock.

Kirk blew up the Enterprise , taking out the Klingons who boarded the Enterprise to take her over. He then defeated Kruge in hand to hand combat on the surface of the disintegrating Genesis planet. By then Spock had reached the age that he was when he had sacrificed himself. Boarding the Klingon ship, Saavik and the other survivors raced to Vulcan, where Spock's living soul was transferred from Leonard McCoy back into Spock's body, restoring Spock to life.

Saavik remained on Vulcan for the next several months. During this time she kept her distance from Spock as he recovered from his experiences and retrained his mind. Saavik did record and send a statement to the Federation Council in support of Kirk. When Kirk and the Enterprise crew left Vulcan to return to Earth to face the consequences of their actions, Saavik remained behind on Vulcan with Amanda.

Returning to duty in Starfleet, Saavik eventually served on the Enterprise-A full time. She eventually transferred off the Enterprise after disagreeing with Spock over his new protégé Valeris - who she thought was arrogant and bigoted. Her concerns turned out to be correct when Valeris was exposed as a traitor after the Khitomer conspiracy.

The friendship between Saavik and Spock in the coming years continued to develop, and in 2329 the pair became engaged in a betrothal ceremony attended both by Admiral McCoy and a young Lieutenant Jean-Luc Picard . The pair were finally formally married in 2344.

Saavik was a Captain in Starfleet by the 2370s, and commanded the USS Alliance . During the Dominion War she was wounded during ship to ship combat and spent several months recuperating on Vulcan. One of her former first officers sent her a get well cactus, which Saavik termed a "a superfluous xerophyte." Saavik returned to duty, and continued to command the Alliance following the war.

• Apparently Alley wanted to reprise her role of Saavik in The Search For Spock , however a misunderstanding with her agent caused the agent to insist on a much higher salary than Paramount was willing to pay, leading to the role being recast.
• Saavik was originally slated to return as one of the members of the Khitomer Conspiracy in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . However Kristie Alley declined to return, and producers didn't want to bring Robin Curtis back. Unwilling to cast a third actress to portray Saavik, and being concerned over the fan reaction to Saavik being a traitor led the producers the shelve those plans, and instead introduce the character of Valeris as the traitor on Kirk's ship.
• The Star Trek: The Next Generation producers were originally going to make Saavik the first officer of the Bozeman in the episode Cause and Effect , however the scheduling could not be worked out for Alley to appear on the show.
• Originally the producers of Star Trek IV were going to explain Saavik remaining on Vulcan because of her being pregnant as a result of having intercourse with Spock on the Genesis Planet to help him resolve his pon-farr. The scenes dealing with Saavik's pregnancy were cut from the final film.
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Published Jan 4, 2012

Robin Curtis Looks Back At Saavik & TNG, Part 2

Robin Curtis , in part one of our two-part interview, recounted how she won the role of Saavik in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and the experience of shooting that film with director Leonard Nimoy . Today, in the second half of our conversation, Curtis – whom StarTrek.com caught up with following a recent convention appearance -- tells StarTrek.com about how/why Saavik barely registered in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and how she landed the part of Tallera in the TNG two-parter “ Gambit .” Curtis, who is pretty much retired from the acting game, also filled us in on what she’s doing now.

Your appearance in Star Trek IV ended up being a cameo. You were surely hoping for more. What happened?

Curtis: That was just such a weird left curve, to be honest. Given what had happened with Kirstie Alley , they negotiated for each film after the third, for the fourth, the fifth and the sixth. For somebody who’s 28 years old and had never made than a few bucks a year, that’s quite an event, to have a contract that provided for three films in years to come. Then, weeks and weeks before the filming (on Star Trek IV ) was to begin – and the contract would then be void, because it had a timeframe on it – my people were reaching out to Paramount, saying, “What’s going on?” They wouldn’t say anything. They wouldn’t reveal. They kept putting us off. That, of course, raised a flag. “Something’s not right. This character isn’t being groomed. They will not be following the storyline that we had been led to think they would,” which was that Saavik would be pregnant and there’d be this whole connection between her and Spock. Lo and behold, all this hope that there might be greater involvement for the character turned into those few lines.

Was there more, even just on paper?

Curtis: It was just slightly more than that and then it got ratcheted down to even less when the shooting actually occurred. I do think there were a couple of lines that might have hinted that something was going on with her, and those were eliminated. So I handed over the disk and simply wished him a journey free of incident, and that was it. That was such a comedown from where they had led me to think it would go. The band-aid for me at the time was I thought the film was fabulous. I thought they’d returned to the winning recipe for Star Trek , a really simple message about the preservation of life, great use of the ensemble and giving each of the actors their own little moments, and I thought the humor came back tenfold. I thought that was all good stuff.

OK, now do us a big favor and settle an issue. Some fans argue that Saavik was Vulcan-Romulan and not just Vulcan. It's an important distinction because there are people who compare your performance to Kirstie Alley's and describe yours, for better or worse, as far more Vulcan-esque. Then there's the whole matter of the Trek novels at the time, including between Khan and Search for Spock , which stated that Saavik was half-Vulcan and half-Romulan. So, what was your understanding about all this?

Curtis: I am so glad you asked this question, and there's a lot of room for discussion on both sides of it. My understanding was that Kirstie Alley and ( Khan writer-director) Nicholas Meyer wanted Saavik to be Vulcan and Romulan and he directed her to include elements of both. And the books may have elaborated on that. I'm aware of the argument about the books, in general: Are they or aren't they official, or canon? But in the case of Star Trek III and Saavik, it really didn't matter. Leonard felt that Saavik was Vulcan. That was his choice, and his choice was my choice. I played Saavik the way he asked me to play her. My job as the actress is to do what my director wants, and that's what I did.

You later returned to Trek to play Tallera in the TNG episodes “Gambit, I and II.” How did that come about, and how much did your previous Trek experience help in landing the role?

Curtis: People ask that, and it’s sweet that they do, and you’d think there would have been some connection between Star Trek III and IV and TNG . But there wasn’t. Never once, when I went in to audition for TNG , was I acknowledged as someone who had a history with Star Trek , of any kind, which was odd to me. But, from the first audition, I realized that that’s the way it was going to play, that these were two separate things, that they would not cross over and I would not be treated any differently than anyone else who walked into the room. I was OK with that. I was actually offered a part and, believe me, I wanted to be on the show because the fans would ask me, “When are you going to be on?” I was doing conventions pretty regularly at the time, and so I heard that question a lot. I’d say, “If it were my choice, I’d be on the next morning, but we all know that’s not how it works.” So it meant more to me on several levels than just getting a job and paying my bills. I was offered the role (K’Ehleyr) that Suzie Plakson ultimately played, and I couldn’t do it because I’d already committed to another job that directly conflicted with the schedule. Believe you me, I tried everything I could to make it work and nobody would compromise. So I was forced to let Star Trek go. That nearly killed me, and I’m not exaggerating. It was a huge loss at the time because I didn’t know another opportunity would come.

Then it did come, thank goodness. I got the “Gambit” two-parter. And, again, it wasn’t handed to me. I did have to audition. I had to go back for a callback, and it was very tough waiting to hear because so much was at stake for me. And I was thrilled to get it and to have such a meaty part. I worked for three weeks. To work so much with Patrick Stewart was really exciting for me. It was fun to work with Julie Caitlin Brown, whom I knew. So, I was just tickled pink and over the moon; I can’t even tell you. And they were good episodes, which, I like to think, hold up.

What are you doing these days?

Curtis: I live in New York, just southeast of Syracuse, on a pretty little lake. I bought an 1830’s house about eight years ago. I must have been out of my mind; a woman in her late 40’s buying an old house. I didn’t know better at the time, but now I do. I’ve since become partners with a custom home builder. We own our own little custom home-building company called Zellar Homes. It’s a small, very mom-and-pop outfit. I got my real estate license, and so I’m an associate broker with a real estate company in upstate New York, in order to sell the houses we build. So I wear a lot of hats. I’m decorating. I’m making help make style choices, design choices, etc., etc. I write all of our collateral and marketing material. So I definitely get a bit of a creative outlet and it’s called reinventing yourself in this life and surviving in this crazy economy. And I still make convention appearances, which I love. It's great to meet all the fans.

Are you still acting, or still open to acting?

Curtis: I supposed I would be open to doing more acting. But real estate is not the kind of career you can just abandon when something else comes along. It’s a very demanding career. As tough as the market is now, it’s even more of a 24-7 obligation. However, I do have a one-woman show that I wrote and, if I could just find the right confluence of factors – a producer who could light a fire under me, and the right venue, and the time – I think it’d be a very exciting thing to do. It’s a current, viable piece, a one-woman show that I wrote about my own… I’ll say romantic odyssey, but it’s more sexual than romantic, though I think the two are synonymous for me in many respects. So I have this one-woman show – it’s called A Good Girl: A Sexual Odyssey of a 55-Year-Old Woman -- that comes out of the closet and off the dusty shelf once in a great while to a terrific reception, which is always a shock to me, and I love it. And then the show goes back on the dusty shelf because I think, “I’ve got to work. I’ve got to get going.” So that would be the one way that acting would actually pull me out of my current world and current work.

To read part one of our interview with Robin Curtis, click HERE .

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Remembering Kirstie Alley Going Vulcan for ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’

Christian blauvelt.

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Five years before she first pulled up a barstool on “Cheers,” Kirstie Alley made her big-screen debut in a role that couldn’t be more different than businesswoman Rebecca Howe on NBC’s beloved Boston-set sitcom.

It involved a pair of pointy ears.

Alley appeared as the Vulcan Lt. Saavik in 1982’s “ Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” and it was a role so beloved that fans wanted Paramount to bring it back for the next film. She had different ideas. But you can see why she made an impression: The movie opens with a simulation every potential Starfleet captain must endure as a test before getting their shot at the command seat — the Kobayashi Maru. It’s a test of how a potential captain will hold up while facing a no-win scenario, and certain death.

The Vulcans are known for those elf-like ears, and for expressing no emotion. For being totally deadpan. But while she’s taking the Kobayashi Maru test, Alley’s Saavik let’s out a controlled, but clearly audible “Damn.” Like many of Alley’s characters to come, it seemed that there was something under her skin. She also revealed an essential truth: It’s not that Vulcans don’t have emotions, it’s that they’re just usually really good at hiding them. And Saavik wasn’t quite as good at that.

The character was significant because at that point, few Vulcans had been seen in the franchise: Leonard Nimoy’s Spock and his father, Mark Leonard’s Sarek, of course. A few others, here and there, such as Spock’s haughty betrothed, T’Pring (Arlene Martel). But beyond Spock, Saavik was the first to get extensive screentime in a “Star Trek” movie. You sense her irritation when Shatner’s Kirk remarks about her letting her hair down when she’s out of uniform (“It’s regulation, sir.”). She shows her indignation when she finds out Kirk was the only one ever to beat the Kobayashi Maru test because he cheated (to Starfleet brass, that showed originality and thinking outside the box). She proved once and for all that Vulcans do have emotions — and you might not want to cross them.

Being controlled vs. letting loose is a dynamic many of Alley’s characters would channel. Look no further than her abolitionist Vergilia in the ABC miniseries “North and South” — her cause is just, but is she really using it just to give vent to her more unhinged impulses? That character is ultimately hanged by her own side, the Union forces.

Saavik was similarly hard to pin down. And Alley departed the role when Paramount refused to meet her salary demands to appear in the next two movies. Robin Curtis took over as the Vulcan in “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” — and brought little of the character’s inner fire.

Given that “Cheers” was ahead for her, and that what Saavik actually did in the subsequent films was rather marginal, it’s hard to say Alley made a wrong choice. But in one superlative “Star Trek” movie — “Wrath of Khan” is routinely considered the series’ best — she made her mark on the 23rd century.

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The Difficult Journey of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

An untried director, budget cuts, a star killed in the first scene. Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan didn't have the makings of a classic.

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Star Trek: The Motion Picture  may have done well at the box office (it still stands as the second most profitable Trek film made), but it hardly became the critical darling that was hoped for. The languid pace, the focus on two new and largely mishandled characters, and prolonged special effects sequences took their toll on the audience.

Despite its success, there was some doubt as to whether a sequel would follow. The new wave of sci-fi was waning, partly due to  The Motion Picture , and partly because of the lukewarm critical response to  The Empire Strikes Back  (no, I’m serious – contemporary reviews weren’t kind at all). But Hollywood loves a dead horse to flog, and with approximately 450,000 hours of special effects footage shot for  The Motion Picture , costumes that could be changed with some offcuts of velour and a few pots of dye, 4000 square feet of sets, and the opportunity to cut corners at every turn, there was a chance to recoup some “losses.” If you call making three times the budget “losses.” To put it in perspective,  Star Trek Into Darkness  earned back nearly triple its budget and was considered a rousing financial success.

Paramount’s first decision was to fire Gene Roddenberry, convinced that his constant script rewrites were the root of all the franchise’s troubles (an argument that reared its head again during the early years of Star Trek:   The Next Generation ). In his place came Harve Bennett, showrunner of  The Six Million Dollar Man  and  The Bionic Woman . His brief was to make a film that cost less than the two protagonists of those shows, which he did, bringing in the budget at just under two Steve Austins. Of course, the low spend was largely due to the excesses of its predecessor – the sets were reused, special effects models already built, and special effects sequences replayed wholesale in an effort to save money. The box should carry the disclaimer “film consists of up to 83% new footage.” Other cuts were made too – most notably in Bennett not actually paying anyone to write a script.

Bennett himself wrote the first treatment, which manages to feature all the plot points from the finished film without resembling it in any way, shape or form. Kirk’s arch enemy Khan has stolen a Federation super weapon and is using it to stage a coup on a distant planet, with the help of Kirk’s son, no less. A few tweaks were made – changing the super weapon to a terraforming device, introducing Spock’s death, ditching Khan entirely, introducing another Vulcan called Saavik – but crucially no one involved was happy with the end product. The writers’ strike of 1981 didn’t help either.

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From the start, there was a desire to have more continuity with the series, a more tangible antagonist, and more focus on adventure, and  Khan   ticked all of those boxes. However, no one managed to crack incorporating increasingly disparate story elements into one cohesive whole. Less than two weeks before Industrial Light and Magic were due to start storyboarding there was no finished script. Enter Nicholas Meyer.

At this point, Nicholas Meyer had one of those wonderful careers that sounded entirely made up. Famous for writing a best-selling Sherlock Holmes pastiche (titled after Holmes’ cocaine addiction), he entered Hollywood by adapting the novel into a screenplay himself, where he was criticised for taking too many liberties with not only his own novel but with Holmes in general. Naturally, he was nominated for an Oscar.

His other notable credit was  Time After Time , an awarding-winning romantic drama where Jack the Ripper steals HG Wells’ time machine, only to become so disillusioned at how bleak the future has become that he starts to kill again. Amongst all of this, the man had never seen an episode of  Star Trek . Naturally, when he managed to amalgamate all the disparate ideas thrown around into a working script, in a week, without being paid or even asked, nobody but Gene Roddenberry objected to him being given the director’s chair. Roddenberry was told to shut up, essentially ending his involvement in the film franchise for good.

read more: Star Trek II – IV are an Overlooked Movie Trilogy

Meyer envisaged the story as “ Hornblower   in space,” which was (unbeknown to him at the time) Roddenberry’s inspiration for Kirk. He collated each of the story elements, broke them down into their component ideas, then wrote the script from the ground up using the themes he had identified (and with one eye on the cost). Kirk would be struggling with ageing and obsolescence, Spock would become the teacher, and Khan would be so consumed by revenge that he stops caring about the people he wants revenge for; the crucial twist being that he knows it but simply doesn’t care because he, like Kirk, can’t imagine being defeated. Thematically it’s rich, but on the character level rather than the highbrow philosophy of its immediate predecessor.

Part of the pacing problem for  The Motion Picture  had been the effects, specifically the time it took to create them didn’t allow the director to properly edit the film. To alleviate this, the effects were outsourced to Industrial Light and Magic, the hottest effects company going. Even the credits sequence proved to be the most ambitious around, requiring more computer power than existed at the time. Ironically, the opening credits would be the most expensive ever made.

read more – Everything You Need to Know About Star Trek: Discovery Season 3

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Anyway. The cumbersome large model on wires approach was shelved for   Star Trek ’s motion control, and new models were built with usability and cost in mind, rather than screen presence. The only thing not cut back on was the aforementioned CGI. The large terraforming sequence could only be done in animation, and much like the sequence in the finished film it was presented as an advertisement for the skills of Lucasfilm Computer Imaging. And like in the film, the CGI video succeeded in its marketing purpose. The clip impressed a young Steve Jobs enough to part with $5 million to buy out the division, which renamed itself Pixar.

With the effects progressing nicely, the last cost cutting measure was to ditch the expensive Jerry Goldsmith and replace him with… anyone cheap. James Horner had caught the eye (well, ear) of Paramount with a demo tape. The full score was written in just four weeks, and far from being a rushed job, it was so influential that parts of it were being used for various projects throughout the ’80s (largely due to Horner reusing the entire score again for  Aliens ). Listen to the scene where Al shoots Karl at the end of  Die Hard , and tell me it doesn’t sound like Khan is about to swoop in on the Reliant. Hell, listen to any action movie trailer from the late ’80s and try to imagine anything other than Ricardo Montalban’s mesmerising chest.

The final sticking point was the cast.

Leonard Nimoy wasn’t keen to do  The Motion Picture , his abrupt entrance in the movie a result of a last minute rewrite when Nimoy’s unpaid royalty dispute was finally resolved. However, Nimoy signed on for the sequel on one condition (which we shall discuss later). The rest of the cast returned, along with the late Ricardo Montalban reprising his role as Khan. The only major newcomer was Saavik, originally male and probably inspired by  Star Trek: Phase II ’s Xon, but finally played by a then unknown Kirstie Alley.

The film itself had no right to be as good as it turned out. Yet even from the start it’s a remarkably confident movie. It begins with everyone dying, no less. Considering Spock’s death being widely publicized before the film, this was a masterstroke. It sets the possible stakes while simultaneously subverting them, introduces the new character of Saavik, and sets up the theme. Kirk then enters, backlit and looking every bit the 18th century swashbuckler, before the lights go up and the artifice is revealed – these are cadets, on a training exercise, and Kirk is looking decidedly middle aged. Middle aged, and lacking a purpose. It was a theme touched upon in   The Motion Picture , but here it is again, with gusto.

read more – Everything You Need to Know About Star Trek: Picard

The other side of the equation is Khan, who faces a similar but twisted fate. Still very much a leader, his power has diminished by most of his followers (and his wife) dying and the survivors poking around their dying planet, fending off insanity eels and picking sand out of their asses. In his isolation, Khan has become pickled with rage and his purpose is so clear it’s nearly killing him – get revenge.

Although Kirk and Khan are enemies, they never actually meet. This was partly a product of different filming schedules, but it also points to the battles being largely internal. Kirk is experienced, but rusty. He makes mistakes. And importantly, he has never experienced defeat. On the other hand, Khan is sharp and ready, but inexperienced. He gains the upper hand and has the entire galaxy as a playground, but gives it up when goaded by Kirk.

Through all this, character comes to the fore. Usually in  Star Trek  the plot happens and characters react to it. Here, everything that happens flows naturally from the characters. Whether it be McCoy’s advice to Kirk setting up the theme or Saavik undertaking Spock’s entire character arc in about 90 minutes, David’s strained relationship with his newfound father or Khan’s descent into madness, the grander action scenes and special effects are driven by character, rather than the other way round.

read more: 57 Things You Didn’t Know About the Original Star Trek Movies

The victory at the end is riddled with sadness. Spock has little to do for much of the film except mentor Saavik and spout the odd bit of exposition, but because it’s Nimoy playing off long term companions it works. Which makes the ending all the more devastating. The stage is set for Khan to win a Pyrrhic Victory by detonating the Genesis Device in range of the Enterprise. Crippled from the earlier battle, Kirk can only watch helplessly as the Enterprise limps away under the meager power of the radiation riddled engines. The logical (but distinctly inhuman) thing to do would be to send someone to their death in an attempt to fix the engines, but Spock realizes he is the only one who could survive long enough and has the necessary skills to do it. So while everyone’s back is turned, Spock decides the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few and saves the ship, at the cost of his life.

Spock’s death was unavoidable. Nimoy was tired of the franchise, and suspecting Khan might be the last outing for Trek, he wanted to go out with a bang. Had he not been granted his wish, Spock would simply not have appeared.

Unfortunately, Spock’s death was widely reported after his contract negotiations were over, so to throw the viewers off the opening scene where the entire crew gets killed was added as a decoy. All this served to fuel a desire for more  Trek . A combination of sharp writing, superb characterisation and a strong villain was enough to secure rave reviews (and a box office gross of eight times its budget), but the final teaser – Spock’s mysterious message to McCoy and the final shot of the coffin in its new resting place – sent people over the edge.

read more – The Troubled Production of Star Trek: The Motion Picture

A sequel was not only assured, but what came about was a franchise. No Khan – no  Next Generation . No  Deep Space 9 . No  Voyager . It also set the pace for nearly every subsequent film – an action adventure plot and a charismatic villain. In some ways that has been a blessing and a curse. After all, all these years later and  Star Trek  is still turning to the same film for ideas, without anywhere near the same success.

Alex Carter

Lost Characters of Star Trek II

The main reason for introducing new characters in Star Trek II was that Leonard Nimoy had said he wanted to leave the franchise. Hence the need for a new science officer, called Saavik. Or, before the character was changed into a woman, Savik.

Savik first appeared in Jack B. Sowards’ script, which was based on a draft by Producer Harve Bennett. Bennett was the one who came up with returning Khan; Sowards suggested that Nimoy might be persuaded to return to Star Trek one more time by giving him the opportunity to play Spock’s death. (He was right.)

By this time, Vulcan culture had not yet been well defined, which explains why Sowards gave Savik a sense of humor. The young science officer even made a few jokes at Kirk’s expense.

Other new characters included a Lieutenant Charles Waters at weapons, replacing Chekov (who had transferred to the Reliant ), and a Diana O’Rourke at communications, replacing Uhura (it is unclear what happened to her).

O’Rourke was a young woman attracted to Kirk. She would spend her spare time reading up about the famous starship captain, and comforted him after Spock’s death.

Neither Waters nor O’Rourke made it into the next and third draft by Samuel A. Peeples.

Peeples’ script was reminiscent of the episode he had written for The Original Series , “Where No Man Has Gone Before”. He replaced Khan with two god-like creatures and added two new characters to the Enterprise crew, Thal Arctos and Uti Sorbayo.

Few of Peeples’ ideas made it into the movie, except that he made Savik a woman, initially spelled “Ssavik” before settling on the now-familiar “Saavik”. She was to be half-Vulcan and half-Romulan, the result of Spock’s encounter with the Romulan commander in “The Enterprise Incident”. The commander would have artificially inseminated herself with Spock’s genetic material and then sent her daughter to be raised on Vulcan.

Saavik’s dual nature would have been a source of drama. “With her there is a constant torment,” Peeples wrote in his notes, “an eternal struggle for dominance between the two sides of her nature.” She used logic, but unlike full-blooded Vulcans wasn’t ruled by it.

Thal Arctos, from the Latin word for polar bear, would have been the new navigation officer. Despite his polar-bear DNA, he would have appeared mostly human, except taller, more muscular and with snowy white hair.

In one scene, Arctos stole a refrigeration unit from engineering so he could have an ice bath. Like Kirk, he was something of a womanizer. His favorite pastime was whispering Elizabethan poetry into women’s ears.

Peeples’ third new character was another beautiful women called Uti Sorbayo. A doctor of East Indian descent, she fell in love with Dr McCoy. More interestingly, she was religious, which would have been unusual for Star Trek .

Director Nicholas Meyer, who took Bennett’s, Sowards’ and Peeples’ scripts and combined them into his own , eliminated all the new characters except Saavik, whose heritage he left undiscussed.

Here is a (brief) discussion of Saavik’s heritage that apparently made it as far as shooting but was ultimately left on the cutting room floor… I think. I could have sworn it might have been included in one of the TV airings, though that me misremembering something I thought I heard as a kid.

Actually, Saavik’s history is explained in the Ttar Trek Expanded Universe, as being born on the failed Romulan colony world of Hellguard, of mixed Vulcan/Romulan Heritage. This is more likely than the marry-sue Saavik, implied as an off-shoot of a “relationship” between Spock and the Romulan Commander, which obviously didn’t happen in the context of “The Enterprise Incident”.

Saavik’s backstory is written about in the Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan novel. There are events such as she tutoring Mr Scott’s nephew, Peter Preston. When Peter dies, she goes into a room alone and wrecks it in a fit of rage and anguish. She was definitely showing her Romulan savagery.

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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

With the assistance of the Enterprise crew, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon. With the assistance of the Enterprise crew, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon. With the assistance of the Enterprise crew, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon.

• Nicholas Meyer
• Gene Roddenberry
• Jack B. Sowards
• Harve Bennett
• William Shatner
• Leonard Nimoy
• DeForest Kelley
• 463 User reviews
• 138 Critic reviews
• 68 Metascore
• 3 wins & 9 nominations

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia In the Blu-ray special feature "The Captain's Log", Ricardo Montalban says that once he committed to this film, he realized that he had trouble getting back into the character Khan. After years of playing Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island (1977) , he found that he was "stuck" in that character. He requested a tape of Space Seed (1967) from Paramount Studios, and proceeded to watch it repeatedly. By the third or fourth watching, he had recaptured the essence of Khan's character.
• Goofs Chekov and Khan recall having met each other. Although Chekov was not a bridge officer when Khan came on the Enterprise in Space Seed (1967) , it should be remembered that when Khan first took over Enterprise, he started with the engineering deck. Chekov was engineering ensign at the time, and mounted resistance against Khan, according to the movie's novelization. Surprisingly, Sulu was also absent from Space Seed, a point which no one ever brings up.

Kirk : We are assembled here today to pay final respects to our honored dead. And yet it should be noted that in the midst of our sorrow, this death takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world; a world that our beloved comrade gave his life to protect and nourish. He did not feel this sacrifice a vain or empty one, and we will not debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings. Of my friend, I can only say this: of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... human.

• Crazy credits After the opening credits: "In the 23rd century..."
• Expanded conversation between Kirk and McCoy in Kirk's apartment about his birthday gift, the glasses. Also, McCoy now says "For most patients your age, I'd usually administer Retinax Five." This is an alternate take, since in the theatrical version, he says "recommend" instead of "administer" (Seen in ABC-TV version).
• Conversation between Kirk and Midshipman Preston in the Enterprise's engine room, with Scotty revealing that Preston is his nephew. Also, the take at the scene's ending with Kirk addressing Scotty and McCoy asking "Admiral, what about the rest of the inspection?" is different from the one seen in the theatrical version. Kirk's dialogue is also slightly different (Seen in ABC-TV version).
• The scene where Chekov informs Dr. Marcus and her team about their new orders via compic has been expanded. Carol Marcus now asks "Who gave the order", and the mind controlled Chekov dances around the answer a little before David says, "Pin him down, mother." (Seen in ABC-TV version).
• The scene where the scientists at Regula One argue about Starfleet Command's order is a different take, and has been expanded in the ending to show Carol Marcus ordering everyone to pack their things up so they can depart before the Reliant arrives (Seen in ABC-TV version).
• McCoy and Spock's argument about Genesis in Kirk's cabin has been slightly expanded. They discuss what might happen if Genesis fell into the wrong hands, and whose hands are the right ones. Kirk attempts to break the two up, but Spock cuts him off with a comeback to McCoy (Seen in ABC-TV version).
• Preston's death in Sickbay has been expanded. Preston now says "Aye" and dies in close-up (instead of in the medium shot with Preston's back to the camera and the others visible around the table seen in the theatrical version) Scotty asks why Khan wants revenge. McCoy's line, "I'm sorry, Scotty" now comes in the middle of the scene, instead of in the ending. After Spock informs Kirk via intercom that impulse power is restored, McCoy and Kirk speak a little longer, and Kirk says they only survived because he knew something Khan didn't about starships (Seen in ABC-TV version).
• An added shot of Kirk, Spock and Saavik climbing a ladder between decks has been added, in which Kirk says "That young man, he's my son," and Spock replies, "Fascinating." Also, the music in the scene has been looped to account for this added shot, but it loops at an earlier point than in the ABC-TV version. This makes the music flow better, instead of repeating the same bit of music twice in succession. For the 2016 Director's Cut Blu-Ray edition, the shot is included but the dialogue is omitted.
• An extension occurs as the Enterprise approaches the Mutara Nebula. Saavik wonders if the Reliant will follow them in, and Spock states that he must remember to teach her about the human ego. The music is looped at a different point than in the ABC-TV version to accommodate this extension, and it is thus much less distracting.
• Connections Edited from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
• Soundtracks Theme From Star Trek (TV Series) Music by Alexander Courage

User reviews 463

• SilentJerry
• Jul 2, 2002

Reboots & Remakes

• When Spock and Saavik converse early in the film, what (modern earth) language do they actually speak?
• Why is the actor Judson Scott, who played a substantial role as Joachim in this film, not listed in the closing credits?
• How did Khan and crew actually take over the Reliant? One minute they're shoving eels down Chekov and Terrell's ears - the next they're on the bridge of the Reliant sporting trophy uniforms and in command of the ship.
• June 4, 1982 (United States)
• United States
• Star Trek II
• Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, USA
• Paramount Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $11,200,000 (estimated)
• $79,707,906
• $14,347,221
• Jun 6, 1982
• $79,821,685

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 53 minutes
• Dolby Surround 7.1

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Picard’s season 3 shuttle honors star trek movie vulcan saavik.

Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 2 contains a fantastic Easter egg about Saavik, The Wrath of Khan's Vulcan who is now part of USS Titan history.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 2 - "Disengage" A fantastic Easter egg in Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 2, "Disengage," honors the Vulcan Lt. Saavik (Kirstie Alley/Robin Curtis), from the Star Trek: The Original Series films. In Picard season 3's second episode, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Captain Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) learn that Dr. Beverly Crusher has another son named Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers). But there's little time for further explanation as Crusher's ship, the SS Eleos, comes under attack from the Shrike, the fearsome vessel of Captain Vadic (Amanda Plummer).

Lt. Saavik was introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as the Vulcan protégé of Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Saavik quickly proved to be a popular new addition to the Star Trek movies, but Alley didn't return for the sequel, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock . Saavik was recast with Robin Curtis, and she also made a brief appearance in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . But Saavik's potential as a part of Admiral James T. Kirk's (William Shatner) USS Enterprise crew was never realized after The Wrath of Khan . Saavik was left behind on Vulcan at the start of Star Trek IV, and she was never canonically seen again. Surprisingly, Star Trek: Picard has addressed what happened to Saavik after 37 years.

Related: Frontier Day? What Happened To First Contact Day In Picard?

Picard's Saavik Shuttle Honor Explained

Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 2 contained a can't-miss reference to Saavik when the shuttle Picard and Riker docked with the Eleos was destroyed by Captain Vadic and the Shrike . The shuttle blew apart and a piece of its hull hurtled towards the screen so that the world "Saavik" in red letters was clearly visible. This, of course, means that the shuttle Picard and Riker stole from the USS Titan-A when they arrived in the Ryton system was named after the Vulcan Starfleet Officer, and that's because Saavik was once the Captain of the USS Titan.

Captain Saavik was given the honor of one of the Titan's shuttles being named after her. Starfleet has a tradition of naming starships and other vehicles after famous Captains and Officers of great achievement. For instance, in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century, the starships USS Janeway and USS Nog are named for Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) from Star Trek: Voyager and for Captain Nog (Aron Eisenberg) from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . There's also the Archer Space Dock named for Star Trek: Enterprise 's Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula), the Captain of the NX-01 Enterprise who became an Admiral, and then the first President of the United Federation of Planets.

Every New Reveal Star Trek Just Gave Saavik

The canonical updates to Saavik have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the buildup to Star Trek Picard season 3. In its post about the history of the USS Titan, the @startreklogs Instagram account revealed that after Star Trek IV , Saavik became the first Captain of the USS Titan in 2290. The Shangri La Class USS Titan NCC-1777 was the first starship to bear that name. Under Captain Saavik, the Titan engaged in crucial encounters with the Klingons in the years before the Khitomer peace accords in 2293, as seen in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .

In fact, prior to the launch of the USS Enterprise-B, Captain Saavik's Titan was named the flagship of the Federation at the suggestion of Saavik's former crewmate, the USS Excelsior's Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei). This heartening new information rounds out Saavik's Starfleet career and reveals she accomplished the great things in Starfleet Spock and audiences expected of her. Over a century later in Star Trek: Picard season 3, Saavik's name is still a storied one in the USS Titan's history, although they'll now need another shuttle named "Saavik" thanks to Captain Vadic.

More: Picard Season 3 Isn't The TNG Show - It's The Movie We Wanted

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.