Uhura in ST III

[StefanM]

I always wondered, why Uhura's part in "Search for Spock" was so small.
She helped the crew to beam onboard the Enterprise, then went to Vulcan instead of accompanying them to Genesis, so she wasn't part of most of the movie.
Is there any real-life-explanation? Didn't Nichelle Nichols have enough time for the whole movie?
It made no sense, not to have her there. Or was there any sub-plot on Vulcan, that was cut out?

 

[Kilana2]

Uhura was often underused. That's why I enjoy novels so much where her involvement is bigger, like The Lost Era -Catalyst of Sorrows or Uhura's Song. The Lost Era novels are unlikely to be translated into German, though.
I'm not sure of the novelization of ST III includes additional scenes featuring Uhura or give any additional explanations.

 

[BigDaveX]

As cheap of a move as sidelining Uhura early on in the film was, at least her stuffing Mr. Adventure into the closet gave her something to do. In the previous film she had such a small role that she could have been knocked out during Khan's initial attack, spent the rest of the film unconscious, and the only difference would have been that Saavik or some random extra would have been the one passing demands of surrender back and forth between the Enterprise and Reliant.

 

[Pauln6]

I think Uhura's big scene is way more fun than sitting in the background. In the novel, she has to stay behind to delay the security response. It fills the plot hole as to how security didn't react fast enough. She scrambles Starfleet communications and beams out as close as she can to the Vulcan embassy just as security beams in. She then has to run to get to the Vulcan embassy to seek asylum before security catches up.

I think this scene, Kyle in STII, and Sulu in STVI shows how the characters could have been used even more effectively even if they had spread them out beyond the Enterprise, and been given plot-relevant dialogue including Chapel and Rand, and Saavik.

I recall Nichols was initially upset that she wasn't in the movie for longer but after reading the scene she agreed that it was really cool.

 

[Smellmet]

To be fair the likes of uhura chekov and sulu were often sidelined in the TOS movies (bar TVH).

Was her part in TSFS really that much smaller than her parts in TMP, TWOK or TUC? It's debatable.

 

[STEPhon IT]

I thought her role was more involved in TUC, the movie had TNG vibe of branching out the characters including Ms. Uhura more effectively.

 

[Maurice]

Even in TVH she's the one character who had no "moment" in the script. Bones had the hospital stuff. Scotty had the whole Plexicorp business. Sulu had the great, great, great, great grandfather bit (which ended up not being filmed cuz the child actor wouldn't do it), Chekov had the whole interrogation scene. Uhura? All she got to do was go with Chekov to the Ranger...er, Enterprise to collect photons and beam out. Her pushing a few buttons to clear up the whale song is hardly the same thing.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

at least her stuffing Mr. Adventure into the closet gave her something to do.

I always wondered why she did that. Was she just pissed at him because he made that remark about her career "winding down"?

Seems a bit petty, when you think of it. Yeah, sure, he was being a dick when he said that, but why does he deserve to be stuffed into the closet?

 

[BigDaveX]

I always wondered why she did that. Was she just pissed at him because he made that remark about her career "winding down"?

Seems a bit petty, when you think of it. Yeah, sure, he was being a dick when he said that, but why does he deserve to be stuffed into the closet?

I presume it was to prevent him from trying to interfere with her beaming Kirk and co. to the Enterprise. Though his effectively calling her past her prime probably made it ten times more satisfying than it would otherwise have been.

 

[thribs]

They didn’t need any phones answered so that’s probably why she didn’t come with them.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I presume it was to prevent him from trying to interfere with her beaming Kirk and co. to the Enterprise.

I don't see how he could have done that.

He's unarmed, so it's not like he could force Uhura to stand down. And as a junior officer, he wouldn't have the authority to override the controls or anything like that. Also Uhura would block any attempts to call for help.

 

[Vger23]

To be fair the likes of uhura chekov and sulu were often sidelined in the TOS movies (bar TVH).

Was her part in TSFS really that much smaller than her parts in TMP, TWOK or TUC? It's debatable.

To be even more fair, they were often sidelined in TOS as well. They were never main characters.

I always wondered why she did that. Was she just pissed at him because he made that remark about her career "winding down"?

Seems a bit petty, when you think of it. Yeah, sure, he was being a dick when he said that, but why does he deserve to be stuffed into the closet?

Because he was a douche.

 

[Pauln6]

I don't see how he could have done that.

He's unarmed, so it's not like he could force Uhura to stand down. And as a junior officer, he wouldn't have the authority to override the controls or anything like that. Also Uhura would block any attempts to call for help.

She doesn't want to ruin his career by implicating him in the escape.

 

[jaime]

And that’s why V is bettter than people give it credit for. Shatner gave everyone a moment or two. Uhura is probably in more of that film than any of the others....weather satellites...shuttle pick up...dinner with Scott....assault team....dance....Scott in sickbay. Then she’s back on the bridge as usual, but that’s more than she got anywhere else in the movies.

 

[BigDaveX]

I don't see how he could have done that.

He's unarmed, so it's not like he could force Uhura to stand down. And as a junior officer, he wouldn't have the authority to override the controls or anything like that. Also Uhura would block any attempts to call for help.

Unless, for instance, he pushed Uhura away from the console as she prepared to initiate the beam-out - and even if she could operate it one-handed she'd need to have her eyes trained on the console in order to make sure she wasn't accidentally beaming Kirk & co. into the Excelsior's janitorial cupboard instead of the Enterprise - then called Starfleet Command to warn them of what Kirk was attempting, which would have caused their entire plan to go up in smoke.

Plus, keeping him locked in the closet means she can just leave him locked in there and get a headstart on wherever she planned to go next in order to get passage to Vulcan (presumably the Vulcan embassy, as was depicted in the novel), without having to worry so much about him raising the alarm and potentially getting her arrested.

Or, you know... Uhura was just feeling petty after he unwittingly insulted her. It happens.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

She doesn't want to ruin his career by implicating him in the escape.

This. It cleared him from any suspicion of involvement.
It‘s the equivalent of „Sorry, I have to hit you over the head now to give you a convincing alibi for what’s about to happen.“

 

[Pauln6]

And that’s why V is bettter than people give it credit for. Shatner gave everyone a moment or two. Uhura is probably in more of that film than any of the others....weather satellites...shuttle pick up...dinner with Scott....assault team....dance....Scott in sickbay. Then she’s back on the bridge as usual, but that’s more than she got anywhere else in the movies.

I do think Uhura does better out of V than most although there was a missed opportunity to delve into her psyche .

 

[diankra]

I don't see how he could have done that.

He's unarmed, so it's not like he could force Uhura to stand down. And as a junior officer, he wouldn't have the authority to override the controls or anything like that. Also Uhura would block any attempts to call for help.

He objects to her acting without authorisation, showing that if he could he would stop her. So get him in the closet before he could try anything.
Somewhere on that console there ought to be an emergency button triggering a temporary shutdown and alarm...

 

[Defiler-Of-Redshirts]

What Uhura's role lacked in quantity, she made up for it in quality. I loved her lines, "But this isn't reality, Lieutenant, this is fantasy!" Pulls a phaser on him, "You wanted adventure? How about this? Feel the old adrenaline going? Good boy, now get in the closet."

 

[Therin of Andor]

Is there any real-life-explanation? Didn't Nichelle Nichols have enough time for the whole movie?
It made no sense, not to have her there. Or was there any sub-plot on Vulcan, that was cut out?

Harve Bennett tells a wonderful anecdote on this aspect of ST III.

When he sent Nichelle her script, she rang him immediately - too immediately - and expressed her disappointment. Harve said (paraphrasing), "So all you did was count your lines, didn't you?"

Nichelle admitted that she had done exactly that. "How did you know?"

Harve said, "Please do me a favour and go back and read them."

Nichelle was soon back on the phone, saying: "I see what you mean!"

It was a small part, but written in a way that he knew Nichelle could really shine. And she did. (Logically, someone had to stay behind to create interference.) Nichelle also asked to have a skirt made to go with her uniform jacket.

The novelisation by Vonda McIntyre suggests that, had the film been longer, a scene with Uhura going to Sarek on the Vulcan embassy could have been possible, but there was a lot to get done elsewhere in the movie. Like raising Spock from the dead. Similarly, there was no time to add the complication of Amanda. She also has scenes in the novelization, which probably inspired Bennett to give her scenes in ST IV.