Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy) had two Vulcan proteges in the Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Spock became an instructor at Starfleet Academy, which is how he became a mentor to two promising young female Vulcan Starfleet Officers.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan introduced Lieutenant Saavik, who was the first female Vulcan Starfleet Officer seen in the franchise. Saavik was a iral James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Saavik returned in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
Lieutennat Valeris, Captain Spock's second Vulcan protégé, was introduced in Klingon High Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) to the peace confernce between the Klingon Empire and the United Federation of Planets. However, Valeris betrayed Spock and the Federation when she became part of a conspiracy to assassinate Gorkon and prevent peace.
Lt. Saavik Became Captain Of The USS Titan After The Star Trek Movies
Saavik's Last Canonical Appearance Was In Star Trek IV
After Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Lieutenant Saavik was transferred from the Starship Enterprise to the USS Grissom. In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Saavik's mission was to survey the newly formed and unstable Genesis Planet with iral Kirk's son and Project Genesis' co-creator, David Marcus (Merritt Butrick). Saavik and David discovered the deceased Spock was resurrected by Genesis' life-giving energies, and they protected Spock from marauding Klingons.
What Happened To Star Trek’s 2 Saavik Actors Kirstie Alley & Robin Curtis?
Both Kirstie Alley and Robin Curtis played Saavik in the Star Trek: The Original Series films, but what did the actors' careers look like afterward?
Lieutenant Saavik helped iral Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise bring Spock back to Vulcan and reunite him with his katra, or Vulcan soul. Saavik then remained behind on Vulcan when Kirk, Spock, and their friends returned to Earth in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. However, ancillary backstory material for Star Trek: Picard season 3 revealed that Saavik became Captain of the USS Titan in the 2290s. Under Captain Saavik, the Titan even briefly served as the flagship of the Federation.
Lt. Valeris Was Imprisoned For Treason After Star Trek VI
Valeris Only Appeared In Star Trek VI
Lieutenant Valeris' fate isn't as positive as Lieutenant Saavik's in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Despite Captain Spock's mentorship where he intended Valeris to replace him aboard the USS Enterprise, Valeris succumbed to her fears of a galaxy where the Federation and Klingons became allies. Valeris entered a conspiracy led by Klingon General Chang (Christopher Plummer) that included Starfleet's iral Cartwright (Brock Peters).
Kirstie Alley Not Returning To Star Trek Meant Another Character Turned Traitor In The Last Original Series Movie
Starfleet had two traitors in Star Trek VI after Kirstie Alley didn't reprise Saavik, according to director Nicholas Meyer.
Aboard the Enterprise, Valeris helped engineer Chancellor Gorkon's assassination, and she worked to prevent Spock's investigation to uncover the truth, even murdering Gorkon's true murderers. However, Captain Kirk deduced Valeris' role as a conspirator and a mind meld by Spock revealed her co-conspirators. After the crew of the USS Enterprise and USS Excelsior saved the Khitomer Peace Conference and revealed the conspiracy, Valeris was taken into Federation custody.
Valeris has not reappeared canonically in Star Trek.
Star Trek has not revealed what became of the former Lieutenant Valeris, but it can be assumed she was held in a Federation prison. Valeris has not reappeared canonically in Star Trek, and Spock never mentioned her again in his subsequent appearances in Star Trek: The Next Generation or J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness.
Why Spock Had 2 Vulcan Proteges (Played By 3 Actresses)
Director Nicholas Meyer Cast The Original Saavik & Valeris
Lieutenant Saavik was recast in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock after producers could not meet Kirstie Alley's price to reprise the role. Instead, director Leonard Nimoy hired Robin Curtis to play Saavik in Star Trek III, and Curtis returned for a brief cameo in Star Trek IV. When it came time for Star Trek VI, director Nicholas Meyer originally intended for Saavik to become a traitor. However, Meyer wanted Kirstie Alley to reprise Saavik. Again, Star Trek VI couldn't afford Alley, and Meyer decided to create a new protégé for Spock instead.
Kirstie Alley played Lt. Saavik as more emotional in Star Trek II, with the unrealized idea that Saavik was half-Romulan. However, Leonard Nimoy worked with Robin Curtis to make Saavik fully Vulcan in Star Trek III and IV.
Kim Cattrall had auditioned for the role of Lt. Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and director Nicholas Meyer liked and ed her. When Star Trek VI, Meyer was glad to cast Cattrall as Spock's treasonous protégé. As for Saavik, two different ideas that were not pursued were to make Saavik iral Kirk's love interest in Star Trek II, and for Saavik to become pregnant with Spock's baby after they shared pon farr in Star Trek III.
Will Spock's Vulcan Proteges Appear Again In Star Trek?
Strange New Worlds Could Introduce Young Saavik Or Valeris
There is a chance that younger versions of Saavik or Valeris could appear in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, although not played by Robin Curtis or Kim Cattrall (Kirstie Alley ed away in 2022). Strange New Worlds is a prequel series set in the years before Star Trek: The Original Series. Lt. Saavik's first appearance in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan happens in 2285, about 25 years after Strange New Worlds season 3. Saavik could appear as a baby or a very young girl on Vulcan during the prequel.
In 2024, Robin Curtis reprised Saavik in the non-canonical short concept film 765874 - Unification.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country takes place in 2293, 33 years after Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. However, it's unclear how old Lt. Valeris is. It's possible that Valeris is older than she looks, like Star Trek: Enterprise or Lieutenant T'Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz) in Star Trek: Lower Decks. Like Saavik, a younger Valeris could appear in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and encounter Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck), planting the seed for either female Vulcan to one day become Spock's protégé in Star Trek.
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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
- Release Date
- June 4, 1982
- Runtime
- 112 Minutes
- Director
- Nicholas Meyer
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingRENTBUYStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a science fiction film that continues the adventures of the USS Enterprise crew, led by Captain James T. Kirk, as they confront the vengeful Khan Noonien Singh, a genetically engineered superhuman from the 20th century, who seeks revenge against Kirk for stranding him on a deserted planet.
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Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
- Release Date
- December 6, 1991
- Runtime
- 109 Minutes
- Director
- Nicholas Meyer
Cast
James T. Kirk
Mr. Spock
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingRENTBUYStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) is directed by Nicholas Meyer and follows the crew of the USS Enterprise as they negotiate peace with the Klingon Empire after an interstellar disaster. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and the original cast reprise their roles, facing political intrigue and uncovering conspiracies that threaten the prospects of peace. This installment is known for its thematic exploration of the end of the Cold War era.
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