Pa Chris Snellgrove
| Published
For the most part, the Star Trek movies are self-contained adventures, and that’s a good thing: a novice (probably dragged into the theater by a superfan) can enjoy these movies without having seen the 100+ episodes that came before. That’s a big part of what’s done Star Trek (2009) is so much fun: Packed with action and unforgettable characters, this movie was enjoyed by everyone, including those who have never seen the scene The original series. But decades before that, Paramount gave us something most fans didn’t even notice: a secret trilogy of interconnected films centered around the franchise’s most iconic character.
The first three Star Trek films, taken on their own (Motion picture, Wrath of the Khanand The Quest for Spock) are very different. The first is a slow-paced, big-budget TOS episode, the second is an epic action flick, and the third is a character-driven, world-building drama. However, there is something strong that unites these films, and once you notice, you will completely change the way you view them. Here it is: for all their differences in story, theme, and tone, the first three Trek movies are a secret trilogy based on Leonard Nimoy Spock. What’s more, this is a trilogy designed to give him more character than anyone else in the franchise!
Spock was a changed man
At the beginning of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Spock there is very different from how we saw it The original series. In this show, he occasionally showed emotion, whether it was extreme sadness (such as crying over a horrible space virus in “The Naked Time”) or extreme happiness (such as bursting into a big smile when he discovered that Kirk was alive in “Amok Time”). When TMP begins, he goes through the Holinagr ritual, which is designed to completely cleanse him of his emotions. That would make him final Vulcan, the one who chose logic over all else. However, he interrupts the ritual as he receives telepathic signals from V’ger.
The V’ger, of course, is a giant, unstoppable space entity headed straight for Earth. Spock rejoins Kirk on the Enterprise, tasked with saving the planet. Everyone’s happy to see him, but he’s short and pretty rough with them, like the lingering effect of Halinahr. Later, Spock dons an electric car suit and effectively merges with V’ger; when he recovers, he actually laughs at the irony of the giant vessel being like himself: an intelligent being who aspired to pure logic, only to realize how little he really understood. V’ger is haunted by questions that presumably haunt Spock as well: “Is this all I am? Nothing more?”
The needs of many
In truth Star Trek fashion, they reached a sort of diplomatic solution with the V’ger, effectively saving Earth. But what does this franchise history lesson have to do with Trek’s secret trilogy? U Wrath of Khan Spock is effectively a new man, changed after his contact with V’ger. He still loves logic, claiming to have no ego, and is famous for putting the needs of the many before the needs of the few (or one). But he combines this with light humor in some of his interactions with Saavik (“You lied!” “I exaggerated”) and humanity in his interactions with Kirk (“I was… and always will be… your friend”).
Spock after all diespoisoned by the radiation he received while saving the ship. It’s a touching moment, but most Star Trek fans don’t understand its significance. Spock spent this film low-key exploring his half-human heritage: he enjoys reconnecting with his human friends, berating Kirk for being, shall we say, unique? solving a win-win scenario, and even gallows jokes before death (when McCoy tells him that no human can survive radiation, he replies, “How you like to watch, Doctor, I’m not human”). But he dies, accepting the pure Vulcan logic of meeting the needs of the many (the entire crew) rather than the needs of the one (himself).
Somehow Spock came back
U Star Trek: The Motion PictureSpock has gone from wanting to accept pure logic to realizing that even logic has limitations. U Wrath of the Khanhe was happier because he gently indulged his human tendencies. However, he died at the behest of Vulcan logic. What happens in the next movie? U The Quest for Spockwe learn that his body was resurrected by the device of Being. Eventually, Kirk gets him to Vulcan, where his mind is safely transferred from Dr. McCoy. Afterward, Kirk gives a very human reason for saving his oldest friend: “Because the needs of the one … outweigh the needs of the many.”
Spock understood the importance of emotions in understanding the universe Motion picturebut he died following the orders of Vulcan logic in Wrath of the Khan. After the revival in The Quest for Spockhe learned that logic doesn’t always tell us what to do. Sometimes it’s worth sacrificing your life to save your closest friends; other times it’s worth giving up your entire career because a friend needs you. Spock is half-human, half-volcano, and he finally realizes that understanding the universe means fully accepting the wisdom inherent in both logic and emotions.
Only the beginning of wisdom
Here’s what makes the first three Star Trek films a secret trilogy: if you look past the colorful villains and all Kirk drama (and boy, is there any a lot of this), you’ll find that these films focus on transforming Spock and deepening his character. This depth is evident in the latest TOS movie, An unknown country. There, he tells Vulcan’s other protégé (who notably was originally written as Saavik) “that the universe will unfold as it should.” When she asked if it was logical, he replied, “Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris, not the end.”
This is what Spock is all about The original series would never say, and Spock in the beginning Motion picture would count directly obscene. But thanks to the secret Star Trek trilogy, this Vulcan realized that Halinagr was essentially a lie: to accept pure logic was to fail to see the larger mysteries of the universe. A perfect combination of logic and emotion, however, allows him to achieve an understanding that eludes most of his race. If you want to see how this famous character learned this powerful lesson, you don’t have to go to Vulcan. Just go to the remote control and head to Tubi where the first three star trek movies now streaming for free!
