Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, Part Nine
Recap: In a room on the Klingon ship, McCoy talks to the unconscious Spock. He asks for help with Spock's katra, but gets no answer. McCoy admits that he missed Spock, and he says he could not stand to lose Spock again.
The Klingon Bird of Prey lands on Vulcan, near Mount Seleya, where Uhura, Sarek and a party of Vulcans meet Kirk. They carry Spock's body up the mountain, and enter a temple where it is laid on an altar-like structure. The high priestess T'Lar asks Sarek what he wants; Sarek requests the re-fusion of Spock's katra with his living body, which hasn't been done for centuries. T'Lar turns to McCoy and asks his permission, warning that the danger to him will be great as well. McCoy accepts the danger.
Time passes. T'Lar stands between the prostrate Spock and McCoy, with one hand on each of their heads, while the rest of our heroes wait helplessly outside the temple. Suddenly, the ceremony is over. McCoy is led out by Sarek; Bones tells Kirk that he's alright. Sarek thanks Kirk for his sacrifice, and Kirk says he did what he had to do. A pair of Vulcan priests lead out a white-robed-figure, who passes our heroes but then stops and turns to them, lowering the hood of his robe to reveal....HOLY SHIT, it's Spock! Spock is not quite himself however, and doesn't seem to remember who Kirk is. When Spock asks why Kirk would come back for him, Kirk replies that "the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many". This jogs Spock's memory. "Your name is Jim", he tells Kirk. Our heroes joyously surround Spock. The camera pulls back to an establishing shot of Mt. Seleya with the caption "And the Adventure Continues...", just before the credits roll.
Comments: McCoy looks really old and haggard in the scene where he talks to the unconscious Spock. Of course, this is partly because DeForest Kelley was pretty old at this point, but it's also because (in the novelization) Spock's katra has been weighing more heavily on McCoy as time passes. If it weren't removed he would eventually go insane for real. After the creepy first scene with McCoy, the movie seems to have neglected the serious aspect of the katra's effect on him in favor of Bones-acting-like-Spock jokes. (In fact, McCoy has been out of focus for nearly the last hour, as the film focused on Klingon-exploding action.)
DeForest Kelley joked that Leonard Nimoy was trying to direct him in this scene using his eyelids.
The Vulcans, particularly Sarek, have obviously been told the details of Kirk's adventure and so are unsurprised by an approaching Klingon ship.
In the novelization Saavik gets the unenviable task of finding some way to convince Starfleet not to shoot down the Klingon ship traveling through the heart of Federation space, without revealing that five wanted fugitives are aboard. In the movie it just looks like Starfleet has given up on chasing Kirk through the vastness of outer space.
The Federation must be more like the UN than the USA at this point, or Kirk going to Vulcan would be the equivalent of an AWOL Navy officer seeking diplomatic asylum from Ohio.
This is our third look at Vulcan after "Amok Time" and TMP, unless you count the animated series. This scene owes a lot to "Amok Time" in particular.
Uhura has apparently been waiting on Vulcan for Kirk to show up. As I said there's no reason she couldn't have been part of the crew that went to the Genesis planet, but she wasn't and she hasn't appeared since the Mr. Adventure scene. The writers gave Uhura her own scene for the first time since God knows what episode of TOS, then cut her out of most of the second half of the movie...
Amanda's absence is puzzling (especially since, in all honesty, she rarely seems to have a life of her own outside Sarek and Spock). The novelization comes up with a weird explanation: Amanda is actually some kind of acolyte in the temple where they're restoring Spock. But acolytes aren't allowed to attend ceremonies mystic bullshit resurrection hoedowns that involve people they care about, because their emotions might throw off the psychic juju.
The Vulcan Priestess, T'Lar, is played by Dame Judith Anderson, then 85. With apologies to Patrick Stewart, she is probably the most accomplished thespian ever to take part in a Star Trek production.
A huge Vulcan with a spear stops Kirk from profaning the altar with his humanity. Kirk takes this in good humor, which is more than I might do at this point.
There's also a guy banging a huge (hexagonal) gong, who really looks (and is dressed) like the franchise's first "Chinese" Vulcan.
There are a bunch of priestesses (priestess trainees?) behind T'Lar, wearing nothing but translucent robes. It's pretty hot, but I'm sure the Vulcans straight-up murder any human who tries to talk to them.
T'Lar says that Sarek's request to move Spock's katra back to his body is "not logical". This irritates me for two reasons:
1. Despite the risks--and really, what more harm can it do to a dead guy--it's clearly the most logical alternative available. I mean, Spock's body is alive but has no mind, and his mind is stuck inside some poor human who will inevitably go insane if it isn't removed. It doesn't take a genius to see the solution here.
2. T'Lar's job title is High Priestess. She lives in a temple on top of a mountain and performs psychic-based rituals while chanting portentiously and having some guy bang a gong every so often for atmosphere. I think logic has already left the building.
Sarek says that his logic is flawed where his son is concerned. This is obviously true, considering how he freaked out when Spock chose to enter Starfleet.
It's nice that T'Lar warns McCoy of the danger, but what else is he gonna do besides volunteer? Back out and negate everyone's sacrifices, then sit in a corner and wait to go insane?
McCoy's father is named David, too. Someone on staff must have liked this name. We see David McCoy in psychic memory projection in Star Trek V, in the only good scene of that movie, dealing with McCoy's guilt over euthanizing his father.
We have no indication in the movie of how long the ceremony lasts. The novelization suggests nearly a day. (Our heroes sleep on the floor of the temple.)
Sarek mentions Kirk losing David and the Enterprise and Kirk responds that he had to try. Notice he doesn't say that it was worth it...he may be happy to have Spock back, but he certainly hasn't forgotten his son. And he did have to try. If Kirk hadn't done anything, Spock would remain dead, McCoy would be crazy, and David would have been captured, tortured ("I hope pain is something you enjoy") and probably killed by Kruge anyway, along with Saavik.
Spock stares at each of our heroes in turn. Most of them smile at him, but Saavik is unable to meet his gaze. Her embarrassment doesn't seem very logical to me...
"The needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many"--Kirk turns the Vulcan proverb on its head. Really, neither formulation is all that meaningful in a vacuum. What "needs" are we talking about? How many are "many"? To what extent do these "needs" conflict? Still, the point is not philosophy, but to show that Kirk and the others have sacrificed to save Spock, as Spock sacrificed himself to save them in the last movie.
Next: Why do opinions differ on whether this movie sucks so bad?
The Klingon Bird of Prey lands on Vulcan, near Mount Seleya, where Uhura, Sarek and a party of Vulcans meet Kirk. They carry Spock's body up the mountain, and enter a temple where it is laid on an altar-like structure. The high priestess T'Lar asks Sarek what he wants; Sarek requests the re-fusion of Spock's katra with his living body, which hasn't been done for centuries. T'Lar turns to McCoy and asks his permission, warning that the danger to him will be great as well. McCoy accepts the danger.
Time passes. T'Lar stands between the prostrate Spock and McCoy, with one hand on each of their heads, while the rest of our heroes wait helplessly outside the temple. Suddenly, the ceremony is over. McCoy is led out by Sarek; Bones tells Kirk that he's alright. Sarek thanks Kirk for his sacrifice, and Kirk says he did what he had to do. A pair of Vulcan priests lead out a white-robed-figure, who passes our heroes but then stops and turns to them, lowering the hood of his robe to reveal....HOLY SHIT, it's Spock! Spock is not quite himself however, and doesn't seem to remember who Kirk is. When Spock asks why Kirk would come back for him, Kirk replies that "the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many". This jogs Spock's memory. "Your name is Jim", he tells Kirk. Our heroes joyously surround Spock. The camera pulls back to an establishing shot of Mt. Seleya with the caption "And the Adventure Continues...", just before the credits roll.
Comments: McCoy looks really old and haggard in the scene where he talks to the unconscious Spock. Of course, this is partly because DeForest Kelley was pretty old at this point, but it's also because (in the novelization) Spock's katra has been weighing more heavily on McCoy as time passes. If it weren't removed he would eventually go insane for real. After the creepy first scene with McCoy, the movie seems to have neglected the serious aspect of the katra's effect on him in favor of Bones-acting-like-Spock jokes. (In fact, McCoy has been out of focus for nearly the last hour, as the film focused on Klingon-exploding action.)
DeForest Kelley joked that Leonard Nimoy was trying to direct him in this scene using his eyelids.
The Vulcans, particularly Sarek, have obviously been told the details of Kirk's adventure and so are unsurprised by an approaching Klingon ship.
In the novelization Saavik gets the unenviable task of finding some way to convince Starfleet not to shoot down the Klingon ship traveling through the heart of Federation space, without revealing that five wanted fugitives are aboard. In the movie it just looks like Starfleet has given up on chasing Kirk through the vastness of outer space.
The Federation must be more like the UN than the USA at this point, or Kirk going to Vulcan would be the equivalent of an AWOL Navy officer seeking diplomatic asylum from Ohio.
This is our third look at Vulcan after "Amok Time" and TMP, unless you count the animated series. This scene owes a lot to "Amok Time" in particular.
Uhura has apparently been waiting on Vulcan for Kirk to show up. As I said there's no reason she couldn't have been part of the crew that went to the Genesis planet, but she wasn't and she hasn't appeared since the Mr. Adventure scene. The writers gave Uhura her own scene for the first time since God knows what episode of TOS, then cut her out of most of the second half of the movie...
Amanda's absence is puzzling (especially since, in all honesty, she rarely seems to have a life of her own outside Sarek and Spock). The novelization comes up with a weird explanation: Amanda is actually some kind of acolyte in the temple where they're restoring Spock. But acolytes aren't allowed to attend ceremonies mystic bullshit resurrection hoedowns that involve people they care about, because their emotions might throw off the psychic juju.
The Vulcan Priestess, T'Lar, is played by Dame Judith Anderson, then 85. With apologies to Patrick Stewart, she is probably the most accomplished thespian ever to take part in a Star Trek production.
A huge Vulcan with a spear stops Kirk from profaning the altar with his humanity. Kirk takes this in good humor, which is more than I might do at this point.
There's also a guy banging a huge (hexagonal) gong, who really looks (and is dressed) like the franchise's first "Chinese" Vulcan.
There are a bunch of priestesses (priestess trainees?) behind T'Lar, wearing nothing but translucent robes. It's pretty hot, but I'm sure the Vulcans straight-up murder any human who tries to talk to them.
T'Lar says that Sarek's request to move Spock's katra back to his body is "not logical". This irritates me for two reasons:
1. Despite the risks--and really, what more harm can it do to a dead guy--it's clearly the most logical alternative available. I mean, Spock's body is alive but has no mind, and his mind is stuck inside some poor human who will inevitably go insane if it isn't removed. It doesn't take a genius to see the solution here.
2. T'Lar's job title is High Priestess. She lives in a temple on top of a mountain and performs psychic-based rituals while chanting portentiously and having some guy bang a gong every so often for atmosphere. I think logic has already left the building.
Sarek says that his logic is flawed where his son is concerned. This is obviously true, considering how he freaked out when Spock chose to enter Starfleet.
It's nice that T'Lar warns McCoy of the danger, but what else is he gonna do besides volunteer? Back out and negate everyone's sacrifices, then sit in a corner and wait to go insane?
McCoy's father is named David, too. Someone on staff must have liked this name. We see David McCoy in psychic memory projection in Star Trek V, in the only good scene of that movie, dealing with McCoy's guilt over euthanizing his father.
We have no indication in the movie of how long the ceremony lasts. The novelization suggests nearly a day. (Our heroes sleep on the floor of the temple.)
Sarek mentions Kirk losing David and the Enterprise and Kirk responds that he had to try. Notice he doesn't say that it was worth it...he may be happy to have Spock back, but he certainly hasn't forgotten his son. And he did have to try. If Kirk hadn't done anything, Spock would remain dead, McCoy would be crazy, and David would have been captured, tortured ("I hope pain is something you enjoy") and probably killed by Kruge anyway, along with Saavik.
Spock stares at each of our heroes in turn. Most of them smile at him, but Saavik is unable to meet his gaze. Her embarrassment doesn't seem very logical to me...
"The needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many"--Kirk turns the Vulcan proverb on its head. Really, neither formulation is all that meaningful in a vacuum. What "needs" are we talking about? How many are "many"? To what extent do these "needs" conflict? Still, the point is not philosophy, but to show that Kirk and the others have sacrificed to save Spock, as Spock sacrificed himself to save them in the last movie.
Next: Why do opinions differ on whether this movie sucks so bad?