The Spock/Uhura romance in STID was disappointing.

[Dales]

As any human being I enjoy a good romance in any genre of film: comedy, sci fi, drama as long as it is well done and strikes a cord in my head that the couple deserve to be together then I am in. I really enjoyed the romance in 2009. it was very hearty , unpredictable , original and made sense in the context of the film especially with nu spock using his relationship of his parents as a guide.

Also taking into account that Nu Spock was a rebel who could not put up with vulcans and their bigotry. it made sense why he will turn to a human woman for some sort of comfort or validation at starfleet academy especially if the woman is like his mother. loving , caring, pretty, understanding and not quick to judge or to think the worst of him like most vulcans did. the romance in 09 was very realistic and humanistic without any shallowness.

But I did not understand the romance in STID. It felt empty like there was nothing there and it felt more like the romance was comic relief unlike the first film where it was more tense, serious and emotional.


I found it disappointing in STID.I am sorry but I did. if I were to score the romance in the first film a 9.2/10. In the second film I will give it a 5/10. I still see potential for the romance because of the first film but the new writers need to impress me in the new film if they choose to keep them as a couple in star trek beyond.

 

[seigezunt]

I was never in love with this innovation in the new films, but I have to agree with you that it was handled better in the first movie. I suspect that it will continue to be a problem for the writers, until they institute a break up.

 

[Amaris]

I loved it, myself. I watched the movie again last night, and to me they act like a romantic couple who love one another and has been in a long term relationship. It felt very authentic to me.

 

[Dales]

I loved it, myself. I watched the movie again last night, and to me they act like a romantic couple who love one another and has been in a long term relationship. It felt very authentic to me.

all in the first film for me far more than in the second film.

 

[fireproof78]

As any human being I enjoy a good romance in any genre of film: comedy, sci fi, drama as long as it is well done and strikes a cord in my head that the couple deserve to be together then I am in. I really enjoyed the romance in 2009. it was very hearty , unpredictable , original and made sense in the context of the film especially with nu spock using his relationship of his parents as a guide.

Also taking into account that Nu Spock was a rebel who could not put up with vulcans and their bigotry. it made sense why he will turn to a human woman for some sort of comfort or validation at starfleet academy especially if the woman is like his mother. loving , caring, pretty, understanding and not quick to judge or to think the worst of him like most vulcans did. the romance in 09 was very realistic and humanistic without any shallowness.

But I did not understand the romance in STID. It felt empty like there was nothing there and it felt more like the romance was comic relief unlike the first film where it was more tense, serious and emotional.


I found it disappointing in STID.I am sorry but I did. if I were to score the romance in the first film a 9.2/10. In the second film I will give it a 5/10. I still see potential for the romance because of the first film but the new writers need to impress me in the new film if they choose to keep them as a couple in star trek beyond.

Why apologize for how you feel about it? Not everyone responds to every character the same way.

Personally, I enjoy Uhura and Spock's relationship across both films and look forward to more. It feels very rough around the edges, that Uhura s trying to find a way to support Spock, especially after his devastating loss, and Spock is becoming more withdrawn. The ability to reach someone who, honestly, doesn't want to be reached, due to trying to avoid his own pain.

I think Uhura is probably the most stable of the new characters, and among the more interesting. But, she spends much of ID trying to get past Spock's new defensiveness and depression. Honestly, that is a more interesting relationship, one that seems to be working towards a resolution, than most pat Hollywood relationships.

As I said, it is not for everyone

 

[Amaris]

One of my favorite scenes is still the turbolift scene where Kirk realizes they're fighting. His "what's that even like?" is just so authentic, because I had the same thought.

 

[TheSubCommander]

I get that ST09 needed a "big reveal" to establish this ain't your daddy's Star Trek and all, and it didn't bother me too much (just was a Meh moment for me, could take it or leave it, though I gotta say Spock and Uhura getting it on seems a little incestuous on some level), but STID totally fumbled Spock/Uhura, and basically took the character of Uhura and relegated her to the status of Spock's pissed off, complaining girlfriend. I am hoping there is a break up, but one that took place in between STID and the new film, and everyone can go back to being platonic friends, like the TOS crew was.

 

[fireproof78]

I am always confused by the idea that Uhura is just "Spock's girlfriend" in STID :???:

I thought the relationship was dynamic with both of them trying to make sense of the events that happened and their relationship. It's a relationship in turmoil not a perfect one.

Also, both SubCommander's avatar and the idea of hoping for a platonic relationship in Beyond reminds me of a scene from Airplane! 2

Shatner: "How would you handle this?"

Lunar Base Lieutenant: "We could try ignoring it, sir."

"I see. Pretend nothing has happened and hope everything turns out alright in the morning."

"Just a thought, sir."

 

[Nerys Myk]

I get that ST09 needed a "big reveal" to establish this ain't your daddy's Star Trek and all, and it didn't bother me too much (just was a Meh moment for me, could take it or leave it, though I gotta say Spock and Uhura getting it on seems a little incestuous on some level), but STID totally fumbled Spock/Uhura, and basically took the character of Uhura and relegated her to the status of Spock's pissed off, complaining girlfriend. I am hoping there is a break up, but one that took place in between STID and the new film, and everyone can go back to being platonic friends, like the TOS crew was.

Interesting. . The scenes that stand out the most for me are her conversation with the Klingons and talking Spock down when he and Khan are fighting.

 

[Malaika]

Their dynamic is my favorite of the reboot. I generally consider it an example of what reboots and, in this case, alt realities are for and it would be a shame if Pegg&co ruin it or, worse, ignore it.
I found their relationship well done because it's dignified and understated without lacking depth. It also doesn't seem to have that 'destiny' pressure put on them (unlike k/s that the writers seem to be too nervous about making them like the old characters, regardless the integrity of this version)

You could argue that all the characters and dynamics, the main ones at least, are comic relief. Personally I don't see the problem, I loved Spock/Uhura being like an old married couple. Spock's obliviouness and confusion when she was angry with him was cute and priceless. I felt a bit vindicated for the Sarek/Amanda fighting scene that was deleted from st2009. Suffice to say that Spock is a lot like his father, which makes up for some possibly amusing scenes.

The problem's saying they were JUST comic relief and I disagree with that assertion because their scene in that ship in stid is one of the few in the movie that truly had depth to me, actually. I also see character development when in the end he will look at her before going after Khan and she gives him her permission, basically. It seens both learned something: Spock to be more considerate of her feelings when he makes a decision like putting himself in danger, her understanding that his actions are in no way a sign he doesn't love her. I could relate to their argument on both sides (which makes their love authentic to me because I recognize in them aspects of myself in a relationship) and I find Spock's speech truly heart felt. The writers managed, in some way, to make him tell her he loves her without making him over the top ooc (unlike other scenes with other characters?)
Not to mention a matter of continuity because the writers couldn't pretend that what happened to Spock in the other movie never happened. The way it affected their relationship was realistic IMO

I could, though, accidentally notice that perhaps making a movie focused mainly on Kirk means that a lot of Spock's own arch gets sacrificed and his ptsd isn't as developed as it would've been in a more balanced movie like the first. One of the things I loved in the first movie is the fact that everything doesn't revolve around Kirk, and Spock gets to have his own story separated from the bromance and whose existence doesn't have to benefit Kirk. I don't like him being just the nerdy friend of hero, it's a waste of a character that has a lot of potential and is truly interesting to me. The reboot should be the chance to allow stories that you couldn't have in the 60s and add something new to the characters.

Quinto said he apparently interacts with Mccoy more than Kirk in beyond and this could mean the movie is less the k/s show and more about an ensemble but here's hoping they don't make a tos spock/mccoy impersonation that wouldn't make sense, to me, for these characters for a number of reasons. I'd prefer they further develop the existing dynamics (spock/uhura, kirk/bones, spock/kirk, kirk/uhura) and, if they wanted something new rather than trying to pander to the tos purists, have more Spock/Chekov or Spock/Sulu scenes for a change. That would be more interesting to me than see him yet again stuck with kirk and mccoy only.

I gotta say Spock and Uhura getting it on seems a little incestuous

everyone can go back to being platonic friends, like the TOS crew was.

, You keep using that word but I don't think you know what it means...
Not even disney movies are for you then... Seriously, yes tos was limited by the 60s bigotry in some aspects but let's be real here, the ship never was a monastery and I don't think only Kirk is allowed to get laid...

 

[Amaris]

^ I agree. The relationship between Spock and Uhura is one with a powerful dynamic. As individuals, they are intelligent, resourceful, capable, competent, and self-aware. Spock doesn't require Uhura to be there in order to amplify his love for her, and Uhura doesn't need Spock around as if he was some protector of the poor girlfriend. They are both strong in their own right, both self-assured, confident, and share a range of emotions that complement one another. Together, they are practically unstoppable.

I find it to be one of the more sophisticated relationships in modern sci-fi. I love it.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

The Spock/Uhura relationship is probably the most cringy of NuTrek. To me it reeks of manipulation and emptiness.

Also as a graduate of Starfleet Academy how can Uhura not know that Vulcans suppress their emotions, so he isn't going to be forthcoming with how he feels--especially in public!

 

[Amaris]

The Spock/Uhura relationship is probably the most cringy of NuTrek. To me it reeks of manipulation and emptiness.

Also as a graduate of Starfleet Academy how can Uhura not know that Vulcans suppress their emotions, so he isn't going to be forthcoming with how he feels--especially in public!

Because they also have private moments where he's apparently not being forthcoming with how he feels. That is the real issue. I'm sure Uhura understands out in public things aren't as open, but in the privacy of their relationship, away from others? There should be no such barriers, and that there are presents a problem.

Also, what does having graduated from Starfleet Academy have to do with it? Would you expect someone who graduated from Harvard to know the ins and outs of a person based only on their ethnicity? Relationships aren't a zero-sum/golden ratio game. There is no mathematical formula, or textbook, that will give one all the answers needed for a successful relationship. Even Sarek, a paragon of logic and reason, admitted that he married Amanda because he loved her.

 

[Malaika]

One of my favorite scenes is still the turbolift scene where Kirk realizes they're fighting. His "what's that even like?" is just so authentic, because I had the same thought.

I'm also amused by his 'wait, are you two fighting?'
He sounds like he's shocked and disappointed that they are. The idea that their relationship might be the only stable relationship he had ever been in touch with is kind of funny when you think about it.
Also when s/u are arguing in the ship and he's like 'that's not a love song, Spock' his face cracks me up everytime

There is a lot of subtlety in the s/u relationship that I like because there are many less noticeable moments that still say a lot about their relationship no less than the more 'in your face' moments. E.g.,:
- his face when Uhura asks Kirk to let her try to negotiate with the klingons. The way the camera focuses on his face is deliberate and you just know he doesn't like what is happening, but he won't stop her from doing her duty as an officer because her plan is more logical than what Kirk wanted to do. Kind of paralleling Uhura at the beginning being worried when she left Spock in the volcano, but she doesn't stop him and actually even makes a joke about taking his place. She doesn't make him see that she's worried, you see it on her face only after she lowered him in the volcano (I might add that Sulu's 'sorry Uhura' when they have to abandon Spock there is heart felt and one of the little things hinting that the crew is like a family)
Spock's line about the wrath of Uhura is a favorite of mine too, just look at his face when he said that. He knows things, he's talking from experience, kirk listen to him
- when he asks her to contact new vulcan. He didn't say that, didn't elaborate his question and yet, she instantly completely understands who he wants to talk with. His body language and the way he moves from the captain's chair and gets in her personal space to make the request, and his tone, feels like it's a personal thing and he trusts her more than anyone, even if he's very professional.
- when admiral Marcus tells Kirk that he is essentially about to kill everyone, notice the way Spock instantly moves from his station to where Uhura is standing and I could swear they are holding hands. For a moment her reaction is like she was about to call for him or go to him, but she realizes he's already there at her side.

Pretty sure there are many other subtle moments to notice in the characters, not just in their dynamic, and I feel like JJ and the writers are underrated in this aspect.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Also as a graduate of Starfleet Academy how can Uhura not know that Vulcans suppress their emotions...

In TOS, neither Kirk nor McCoy knew that Vulcans underwent pon farr or had extra eyelids.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I liked it. It wasn't front-and-centre (nor was it in ST'09), but I thought their moments were either funny (the "car squabble" en route to Kronos) or sweet - particularly the little things, like Spock looking to Uhura for support before going after Khan once he levelled half of San Francisco.

 

[Malaika]

The Spock/Uhura relationship is probably the most cringy of NuTrek. To me it reeks of manipulation and emptiness.

Also as a graduate of Starfleet Academy how can Uhura not know that Vulcans suppress their emotions, so he isn't going to be forthcoming with how he feels--especially in public!

Bull. Using that logic then Kirk, also a graduate of Starfleet, should know that and not complain about Spock not being human even more than his girlfriend (thinking about kirk and his interactions with spock, it's ironical you use 'manipulation' for uhura..) also, using that logic Mccoy's racism with Spock makes him someone who chose a completely wrong career in a setting where humans aren't the default people... Congratulations, you basically are saying that every dynamic of both tos and reboot sucks..

Uhura can accept his vulcan side but in a healthy relationship this should be reciprocated so shouldn't Spock, also a graduate of Starfleet, understand that humans don't suppress their feelings like vulcans do?. Didn't Spock also choose to have a relationship with a human??! Or do you think she did everything by herself and forced him to date her? Come on now..
Still, accepting his vulcan side =/= worshiping him and justify everything he does using his alieness. Nor she can be an expert at relationships or know how to handle her boyfriend possibly having ptsd, since what happened to vulcan is completely new.
Besides, it seems to me that her argument wasn't even really about him not being human because, in fact, one can point up that his impulsive behavior wasn't vulcan either and therefore he was acting weird, to her, even for the vulcan Spock and the logic and rational person she knew he is.

I feel like you, and other fans, constantly make the mistake to project Chapel on Uhura and her, very different (with a completely different purpose for the narrative), relationship with Spock. If anything, Uhura simply wants Spock to be like he had always been with her because if the first movie is any clue, he's vulcan but he had never been so closed off and he reciprocates her feelings. What happened in stid is something different because neither of them could've predicted the vulcan diaspora..and yet, probably Spock actually is the most human in this movie.
Your 'summary' is rather simplicistic in a way it makes me think you don't fully get his character and his personal arch here but you are, again, projecting the chapel/spock dynamic on them pretending he feels and acts the same with uhura and she has to accept him being stoic and unfeeling with her the way YOU want him to be, but that the character really isn't. You think her feelings are unreasonable when, actually, in their own context they are not.
Arguments like yours would make more sense if they weren't already in a relationship and you didn't have to reconcile with the fact that the first movie already established that he loves her and they have a relationship and thus their private interactions (as well as public ones. See the kiss in front of kirk) might challenge your own possible idea of how Spock (and the vulcans, e.g., Sarek. Whose love for Amanda was a canon fact before the reboot) would act under these, new for him, circumstances.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Also as a graduate of Starfleet Academy how can Uhura not know that Vulcans suppress their emotions...

In TOS, neither Kirk nor McCoy knew that Vulcans underwent pon farr or had extra eyelids.

Apparently in TOS, you could write a book about what humans didn't know about Vulcans. ( And maybe McCoy did)

 

[Trekkin]

We also see in DS9 that Vulcan's bottling up their issues is not good for them, and it can lead to violent breakdowns. Uhura's problem wasn't that Spock wasn't sharing his emotions, but that his emotions WERE being externalised and affecting his behaviour in what she saw as a dangerous way (giving him a death wish). And of course he was denying it, so they couldn't try and help him with it.

Also, Prime Sarek seemed to have no problems sharing outwardly emotional moments with Amanda (or taking his displeasure out on whoever annoyed him.) Emotional control seems to be the name of the Vulcan game, not permanent emotional suppression. There just seems to be Vulcans who get all zealot-y about it...or were just badly written cliches.

I liked the relationship in both movies. It's just a shame we're never going to see Spock Prime react to it. I think we know what he would say.

 

[Greg Cox]

Also as a graduate of Starfleet Academy how can Uhura not know that Vulcans suppress their emotions...

In TOS, neither Kirk nor McCoy knew that Vulcans underwent pon farr or had extra eyelids.

And in the movies, they didn't have a clue about the whole mystical katra thing . . .