Star Trek: Which Saavik to you prefer?

[samurainoir]

vs



I had heard that Kim Catrell's character was originally supposed to be Saavik.

[Captain]

Yep, Valeris was originally Saavik. Two things happened though. First, Nimoy thought the fans might not like seeing Saavik as a villian, and two, Nick Meyer would only use Kirstie Alley as Saavik. She wouldnt return, Nimoy won the battle, and a new character was created.

As for favorite Saavik...I vote for Robin Curtis. Alley was a bit better with the part, but even then she was showing signs of the wingnut she would turn into.

[Mikey]

Robin Curtis for me

[cdhall]

Kirstie Alley! Yeah, baby!

Yep, Valeris was originally Saavik. Two things happened though. First, Nimoy thought the fans might not like seeing Saavik as a villian, and two, Nick Meyer would only use Kirstie Alley as Saavik. She wouldnt return, Nimoy won the battle, and a new character was created.

Where did you get this? Incidentally, I replied to your STTMP post elsewhere and I enjoyed researching my answer. Thanks for that. But where is this from. I knew Nicholas Meyer "refused to recast the role a third time" but I hadn't heard the other. Speaking of continuity... how could Valeris be Spock's protege after he and Saavik had all that so well established in STII. I thought.

But KIRSTIE ALLEY baby, yeah! Makes me sad to see and read about her now. I never watched Cheers, but she was funny when I saw her as I recall.

You know, she was a Trek fan, and a fan of Vulcans before she got that part?

[cdhall]

Speaking of Continuity... Trek VI blew chunks, but that is a separate issue. Look at Saavik's uniform changing from Red (I always thought it was Orange...) to White and then Valeris has mis-matched Colar and Shoulder colors.
I'm such a ... nevermind.

[Captain]

Are you saying Valeris' cuff and colors dont match?

I read this story in quite a few places, Starlog had a bit on it, and I believe the late great Star Trek:The Magazine had an interview with Nimoy that went over this as well.
Its kind of funny, when I went looking for an online link to the magazine articles I found this:Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) - Trivia
The article states it was Roddenberry who had the argument about Saavik, not Nimoy. I find that funny because Nimoy, Shatner, and Roddenberry (amongst others) are always taking the credit for something one of the others actually did.

If you notice at the start of the article it mentions Ethan Hawke and John Cusak being hired for a Trek Academy film that was never made. There is a web-site called Forgotten Trek (I'll post the link when I find it) that covers this in more detail, and even shows preproduction artwork, including McCoy in a cowboy hat. With all the heat the new film has gotten by replacing the old crew can you imagine what it would have been like in 1991!! The academy version nearly made it to production, only being halted at the last minute--which is why Trek 6 was rushed out--and its cancellation is why Harve Bennett walked as a Trek film producer.

[The Bat]

No question...Kirstie Alley ALL THE WAY!!!!!!

[jds1911a1]

Speaking of Continuity... Trek VI blew chunks, but that is a separate issue. Look at Saavik's uniform changing from Red (I always thought it was Orange...) to White and then Valeris has mis-matched Colar and Shoulder colors.
I'm such a ... nevermind.

the turtle neck change is an easy explanation white is for command staff orange/red is some lesser department like engineering it it went the other way and ASlley had white it would be tougher. if you watch the movies in a row the same thing happens with Scotty

Missed the flub on Valereis good catch


ALLEY in ST2 was sexier but i thjink Robin curtis was a better saavik.

Kim Catral was just awful (and she was so pretty in porky's)

[Seeker]

Robin Curtis

[The Toyroom]

Kirstie Alley....

[cdhall]

if you watch the movies in a row the same thing happens with Scotty

Scotty got promoted to "Captain of Engineering" and I thought that changed him to "Command White" even though that may not have made sense either... he was still in Engineering. Is that what you mean?

I don't know, maybe Saavik was also the 1st Officer for the Grissom, putting her in the "Command Track?"

[Mikey]

Robin was more of a girl next door Saavik

Alley seemed a bit whorie as Saavik (maybe it was her makeup)

The only thing I didn't like about Robin was her "Admiral, David is dead" line.
I didn't like the line or the delivery.
I know it was ment to sound cold like a Vulcan should deliver it, but it was over the top, imo.
I think more realistically the line should have went ...... "Admiral, the Klingons have murdered David"

[Earth 2 Chris]

The only thing I didn't like about Robin was her "Admiral, David is dead" line.

Yeah, that line is famously bad.

Curtis kind of overdid the Vulcan thing, and Catral totally ignored it more or less. Her lack of "sideburns" bothered me too. I'd say Alley was the best, although Curtis wasn't bad.

I think in the DC Trek comics of the time, they established that Saavik was half Vulcan/half Romulan, which may explain Alley's not-so-emotionless performance . It apparently didn't stick in real continuity though.

Chris

[cdhall]

1/2 Romulan

I think in the DC Trek comics of the time, they established that Saavik was half Vulcan/half Romulan, which may explain Alley's not-so-emotionless performance . It apparently didn't stick in real continuity though.Chris

Saavik was also 1/2 Romulan in the STII Novelization but I believe you are correct and it didn't stick. Too bad. It was a good idea... and may have gotten her into the new Trek movie if they kept it.

[Mikey]

I wouldn't like Saavik as half Vulcan half Romulan

I think Trek (in all it's incarnations) overused the half and half thing.

Probably because it's very PC ... and Trek was always PC