Spock/Uhura analysis

September 13, 2009

Spock and Uhura aren't as non-canon as people originally thought.

This might be a little indulgent on my part, but this is one aspect of the new “Star Trek” continuity that has to-nay- it MUST be discussed.

Spock and Uhura. Uhura and Spock. “Spohura”, if you will. It’s official-they’re an item now. It’s pretty cemented that they’re locked together by the middle of the movie, but seeing them together doesn’t make the idea of them being together any less controversial. I’ve been doing some research to see what people are saying about Spohura, and so far, most of the comments are positive. (This is surprising, seeing how there are many diehard Trekkies who remember specific stardates.)

At the official “Star Trek” Facebook page, the “Spock & Uhura” thread has mostly all positive comments in the “I was pleasantly surprised” train of thought. And quite a few of those people are fans of the old-school “Trek”. Also, a few of them gave instances to where there was an implied relationship between Spock and Uhura in “Star Trek: The Original Series” (not saying that the relationship was as developed as this one seen in the movies, but there was something funny going on).

The same sort of kumbaya is happening over at the official official “Star Trek” movie forum. The fact that a lot of fans are at least okay if not exhuberant over Spock/Uhura is a triumph (although a lot of them are very happy with the change of events), but in general terms about the movie itself, not only are hardcore Trekkies loving the movie, but they are also shutting down anyone who thinks otherwise. I say that J.J. Abrams has done more than he probably envisioned doing-hopefully starting the extinction of the hardcore fanboys/girls.

And lastly, over at livejournal, Spock/Uhura fans have basically seized the interwebs with the rapidly growing Spock and Uhura livejournal community, which includes some new evidence about Spock and Uhura’s relationship in the original series. (That interracial kiss? It was originally written for Spock and Uhura! No joke! Check out the link for more S/U info as well as thoughts on interracial relationships and what Nichelle Nichols and Leonard Nimoy think of their characters’ relationship in the original series as well as the new movie.)

My whole take on Spock and Uhura can be seen in my review, but to reiterate what I wrote in my review, I totally love Spock and Uhura together. And especially after learning that Spock and Uhura were supposed to be the original interracial kissing partners, I’m glad the movie showcased these characters in this way. No offense to Kirk or Kirk fans, but Uhura’s a wee bit…well a lot bit too intelligent for Kirk. She’s been on Spock’s level of intelligence from the get-go (also showcased very well in this movie). Also, as many people involved in the movie have already stated, Spock went through an emotional overload in this movie and he needed someone to help him deal with that. Uhura provides much needed emotional stablity and strength for Spock. You can tell their feelings for each other run much deeper than a fling (transporter and turbolift scenes) and that their relationship has been going on for some time (Uhura demanding for Spock to put her on the Enterprise). I love these two together and I hope to see more from them in future movies. Though I will say this: perhaps instead of fretting about how this affects “Star Trek” continuity, maybe some ethical analysis of Spock is in order. I mean, like I said, I support them, but dating a student isn’t exactly what you need to be doing when you’re a TEACHER! Although, technically speaking, they seem pretty close in age-at the most, they’ve got to be at least four years apart in age, since it does take four years to graduate from Starfleet…I don’t know. (EDIT-Uhura was the Academy aide for Spock’s Advanced Phonology class…That’s just a fact from the official movie website I thought I’d put out there; take it however you want.)

Of course, to quote a certain “Reading Rainbow” host and cast member from “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, you don’t have to take my word for it. What did y’all think? Leave your comments below.