tanithryudo (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tanithryudo) wrote2016-10-13 08:39 pm
tanithryudo) wrote2016-10-13 08:39 pm
Star Trek fanon, canon, headcanon
So I've been reading more TOS fics. Including the reboot Trek stuff since beggars can't be choosers. Been noticing a lot of fanon poppping up that didn't make sense in context of the new series. Then I went back and looked over some episode transcripts of TOS and lo and behold, it wasn't really canon there either.
The big one is Spock and Sarek's relationship. So many fics go the route of Sarek disowning Spock over ditching the VSA to join Starfleet. He gets a lot of flak for being close-minded, overbearing, controlling... Some of them even has him putting political pressure on Starfleet to get Spock to leave. And they basically never speak to each other up until the Journey to Babel episode.
But if we actually look at the primary canon from that episode, this is what the show actually says:
Emphasis mine. It's curious that she feels the need to tack on a qualifier "as father and son" rather than just saying "it kept them from speaking for 18 years". To me it implies that they may well have spoken in the interim time frame, just not...familiarly.
Then there's this, earlier in that same conversation:
Which implies that it's quite possible he's been back home on Vulcan during that 18 year span too, during times when Sarek was also in residence. I say this because McCoy specifically mentions that Sarek had just come out of an early retirement for the Babel negotiation.
Then if we look at Sarek's other behavior in that episode, he seems to make it clear (to Kirk) that his disapproval of Spock is one of personal opinion (not following his footsteps) and he casts no aspersions on his son's abilities or character otherwise (there's none of this you've shamed me/the family/your race). Hell, that's better than what Picard got from his dad or older brother.
And we're not even getting into the 2009 reboot, where Sarek seemed to actually approve of Spock giving the VSA admissions panel the proverbial terran finger for their discriminatory aspersions.
Then there's the trope that when Spock decided to defy his father and join Starfleet, Amanda would take his side, throw an emotional fit at Sarek, maybe even threaten to leave him.
Yeah...no. Just because she's human, I suppose we're to assume that she approves of Starfleet as a career option? Do most women automatically approve of their kid joining the military? I don't think that's a given.
In Journey to Babel, it's Sarek that's more considerate of Spock's current profession and the need for him to have the respect of his peers. In contrast, Amanda seems to be a stereotypical human mother out to embarrass her kid in front of not just his coworkers, but also a bunch of alien diplomats.
And besides, divorcing a Vulcan? Man, that's like an implicit threat of murder right there, considering the kun-ut-kalifee. Taken that way, it would make Amanda seem to be the horrifically unreasonable one if she actually made that threat.
And finally, is Spock really the blameless victim in this familial rift? I mean, I guess TOS implied he was bullied, sure, and even on the Enterprise there were quite a bit of discrimination against him, cementing him into a sort of woobie role. The reboot movie canonizes his status as a victim of bullying...but it also shows him giving as good as he gets.
That's all external forces though. Internally, within the family though, did Spock have no part in creating the rift other than picking an unorthodox career?
The TNG episode Unification has this to say:
Seems to me Spock never made it easy on his parents either. Amanda also implies in Babel that both of them are really stubborn. Curiously though, between the two, we've only seen one of them ever admit to being wrong, and that was Sarek in STIV.
I can get why fics don't take that interpretation. Spock is simply the more popular "woobie" character and no one wants to think ill of him, plus his situation is simply easier for audiences to emphasize with. (whether he is as much of a saint as fans want him to be is another topic, I think. In a certain amount of retrospect, the Quinto!Spock characterization might not be all that..."incorrect".)
My current headcanon for this family (TOS version) is this:
Sarek always means well, and he certainly places high value (and hidden pride) on Spock's achievements no matter what they are, but he has a very hard time understanding his son (ironically because they're a lot alike). He's very stubborn though, so he keeps trying to reach out (like a good diplomat should), but unfortunately, it comes across as being bit of a helicopter parent.
Spock, on the other hand, was an introverted prodigy who lived a lot inside his own head and didn't really communicate or socialize well (and didn't *care* about his socializing skills until maybe after his death & rebirth). Most of the time, he's already made up his mind, and won't bother to explain himself, even if this behavior causes friction with others. He's also stubborn, and often won't change his mind, no matter if he's in the right or wrong (until reality smacks him in the face).
Amanda... is amused, bemused, aggrieved, exasperated over the both of them. They both out-stubborn her, and she has rarely been able to sway either of them once they've *really* made up their minds. Trying to change them will only drive her nuts (and gives her the urge to throttle the both of them), so she's learned to stick to the role of a neutral Switzerland when it comes to their family dynamics. She loves them both, but she's not going to get in the middle of that again.
When Spock decided to reject the VSA for Starfleet (in the Prime TL), he essentially did it at the last minute, and didn't bother to explain himself when he just up and left. Sarek got stuck cleaning up the political fallout with the Academy, which compounded his displeasure over Spock's choice. He sent some strong words to his wayward son, and got back an unrepentant response. That pretty much set the tone for their interactions over the next 18 years.
The big one is Spock and Sarek's relationship. So many fics go the route of Sarek disowning Spock over ditching the VSA to join Starfleet. He gets a lot of flak for being close-minded, overbearing, controlling... Some of them even has him putting political pressure on Starfleet to get Spock to leave. And they basically never speak to each other up until the Journey to Babel episode.
But if we actually look at the primary canon from that episode, this is what the show actually says:
AMANDA: You don't understand the Vulcan way, Captain. It's logical. It's a better way than ours. But it's not easy. It has kept Spock and Sarek from speaking as father and son for eighteen years.
Emphasis mine. It's curious that she feels the need to tack on a qualifier "as father and son" rather than just saying "it kept them from speaking for 18 years". To me it implies that they may well have spoken in the interim time frame, just not...familiarly.
Then there's this, earlier in that same conversation:
AMANDA: And you haven't come to see us in four years, either.
Which implies that it's quite possible he's been back home on Vulcan during that 18 year span too, during times when Sarek was also in residence. I say this because McCoy specifically mentions that Sarek had just come out of an early retirement for the Babel negotiation.
Then if we look at Sarek's other behavior in that episode, he seems to make it clear (to Kirk) that his disapproval of Spock is one of personal opinion (not following his footsteps) and he casts no aspersions on his son's abilities or character otherwise (there's none of this you've shamed me/the family/your race). Hell, that's better than what Picard got from his dad or older brother.
And we're not even getting into the 2009 reboot, where Sarek seemed to actually approve of Spock giving the VSA admissions panel the proverbial terran finger for their discriminatory aspersions.
Then there's the trope that when Spock decided to defy his father and join Starfleet, Amanda would take his side, throw an emotional fit at Sarek, maybe even threaten to leave him.
Yeah...no. Just because she's human, I suppose we're to assume that she approves of Starfleet as a career option? Do most women automatically approve of their kid joining the military? I don't think that's a given.
In Journey to Babel, it's Sarek that's more considerate of Spock's current profession and the need for him to have the respect of his peers. In contrast, Amanda seems to be a stereotypical human mother out to embarrass her kid in front of not just his coworkers, but also a bunch of alien diplomats.
And besides, divorcing a Vulcan? Man, that's like an implicit threat of murder right there, considering the kun-ut-kalifee. Taken that way, it would make Amanda seem to be the horrifically unreasonable one if she actually made that threat.
And finally, is Spock really the blameless victim in this familial rift? I mean, I guess TOS implied he was bullied, sure, and even on the Enterprise there were quite a bit of discrimination against him, cementing him into a sort of woobie role. The reboot movie canonizes his status as a victim of bullying...but it also shows him giving as good as he gets.
That's all external forces though. Internally, within the family though, did Spock have no part in creating the rift other than picking an unorthodox career?
The TNG episode Unification has this to say:
SAREK: Yes, I'm sure he did. In fact, I recall Spock coming to me with optimism about a continuing dialogue with the Romulans. I told him it was illogical to maintain such an expectation. Spock was always so impressionable. This Romulan, Pardek, had no support at home. Of course, in the end I was proven correct. I gave Spock the benefit of experience, of logic. He never listened. Never listened.
...
SAREK: No. I never knew what Spock was doing. When he was a boy, he would disappear for days into the mountains. I asked him where he had gone, what he had done, he refused to tell me. I insisted that he tell me. He would not. I forbade him to go. He ignored me. I punished him. He endured it, silently. But always he returned to the mountains. One might as well ask the river not to run. (lies down again) But secretly I admired him, the proud core of him that would not yield.
...
SAREK: No. I never knew what Spock was doing. When he was a boy, he would disappear for days into the mountains. I asked him where he had gone, what he had done, he refused to tell me. I insisted that he tell me. He would not. I forbade him to go. He ignored me. I punished him. He endured it, silently. But always he returned to the mountains. One might as well ask the river not to run. (lies down again) But secretly I admired him, the proud core of him that would not yield.
Seems to me Spock never made it easy on his parents either. Amanda also implies in Babel that both of them are really stubborn. Curiously though, between the two, we've only seen one of them ever admit to being wrong, and that was Sarek in STIV.
I can get why fics don't take that interpretation. Spock is simply the more popular "woobie" character and no one wants to think ill of him, plus his situation is simply easier for audiences to emphasize with. (whether he is as much of a saint as fans want him to be is another topic, I think. In a certain amount of retrospect, the Quinto!Spock characterization might not be all that..."incorrect".)
My current headcanon for this family (TOS version) is this:
Sarek always means well, and he certainly places high value (and hidden pride) on Spock's achievements no matter what they are, but he has a very hard time understanding his son (ironically because they're a lot alike). He's very stubborn though, so he keeps trying to reach out (like a good diplomat should), but unfortunately, it comes across as being bit of a helicopter parent.
Spock, on the other hand, was an introverted prodigy who lived a lot inside his own head and didn't really communicate or socialize well (and didn't *care* about his socializing skills until maybe after his death & rebirth). Most of the time, he's already made up his mind, and won't bother to explain himself, even if this behavior causes friction with others. He's also stubborn, and often won't change his mind, no matter if he's in the right or wrong (until reality smacks him in the face).
Amanda... is amused, bemused, aggrieved, exasperated over the both of them. They both out-stubborn her, and she has rarely been able to sway either of them once they've *really* made up their minds. Trying to change them will only drive her nuts (and gives her the urge to throttle the both of them), so she's learned to stick to the role of a neutral Switzerland when it comes to their family dynamics. She loves them both, but she's not going to get in the middle of that again.
When Spock decided to reject the VSA for Starfleet (in the Prime TL), he essentially did it at the last minute, and didn't bother to explain himself when he just up and left. Sarek got stuck cleaning up the political fallout with the Academy, which compounded his displeasure over Spock's choice. He sent some strong words to his wayward son, and got back an unrepentant response. That pretty much set the tone for their interactions over the next 18 years.
no subject
So, that was a long winded way of saying, do not like nu!Spock.
As for SpockPrime, yeah, never really saw him as saintly. One of Spock's biggest character flaws is how stubborn he can get when he thinks he's right and how difficult it is for him to admit he made a mistake. Mistakes are just not one of those thing he sees himself making, hence contributing to his stubbornness. Wait...why did Spock get picked as an Ambassador again? o.O
no subject
I'm more talking about which common fic tropes where it comes to Spock are complete fanon when compared to original canon and the reboot canon.
SpockPrime is a figure of tragedy, honestly. I mean, he had a good run with KirkPrime and the rest of the original crew. But after STVI, what little we know of his life's work doesn't paint a good picture...
Perrin's words in Unification indicates he disagreed with Sarek over the UFP-Cardassian treaty terms, and my read of that situation was that he didn't win that political fight (rightly or wrongly, given that treaty spawned the Maquis and a bunch of other issues).
Then his long stint on Romulus trying to promote reunification, which if you go by just ST:Nemesis and the Prime Universe prologue to the reboot movie, didn't really come to anything. The destruction of Hobus & Romulus guaranteed that the remnant Romulans are going to hate and resent their Vulcan cousins for at least 1-3 generations. And given Romulan lifespans, that can easily be up to half a millennia.
And then he witnessed the destruction of Vulcan in the reboot universe as a consequence of his failed actions to save Hobus. He pretty much died more or less alone (that is, surrounded by people who were not actually his people), with full knowledge of the disastrous consequences of his greatest failure.
Man, compared to KirkPrime, who got to die twice successfully saving lives, SpockPrime got a really raw deal.
(As an aside... honestly, I don't agree with the whole idea of reunification anyway. Spock's actual words in Unification II indicates the goal of the reunification is basically a Vulcan-ization of the Romulan culture. It smacks of a "White Man's Burden" kind of arrogance. Plus IMO any merging of two distinct cultures is antithetical to the ideals of IDIC.)
no subject
But will agree with the claim that SpockPrime got shafted. Why couldn't they just let the two of them go build a cabin in the woods on some remote planet and have a nice retirement? Ugh.
no subject
The prequel plot goes like this:
Weird stuff is happening with the Hobus star. It's discovered (I forget who buy, but not a bigshot Romulan scientest alas) that Hobus is going to go uber-super-duper-nova and take out Romulus with it, and then the rest of the quadrant/galaxy/whatever.
SpockPrime, now the formal Federation Ambassador to Romulus (as opposed to clandestine freedom fighter he was before *cough*) tries to convince the Romulan government to send some technobabble material to Vulcan, where it can get turned into some more technobabble red matter, which can be used to fix things and prevent the big boom.
The Romulan government blows the whole thing off as bad science. (To be fair, it does sound fairly ridiculous; on the other hand, the ST universe is full of ridiculous negative space wedgies, so...) Plus, they don't want to hand over stuff that could be turned into WMDs.
Nero, who's like...this leader guy of a miners union or something, believes Spock, and volunteers to get the technobabble stuff he needs to send to Vulcan. He does this cuz his pregnant wife is on Romulus.
Spock hitches a ride on the Enterprise-E (under Capt. Data, yay!) and goes off the Vulcan. Unfortunately, the Vulcan High Council is skeptical of this whole shebang too, and think this is (another) Romulan trap to steal their experimental technobabble to make WMDs.
Nero loses his shit at he Vulcans and flies back to Romulus to evacuate his wife, but he's too late and the planet has been exploded by the Hobus super-duper-nova-thing. He shoots a couple of Starfleet hospital ships, kills the evacuated Romulan government, steals some Borg-tech from a sekrit Romulan base, and in general goes on a mad rampage.
Meantime, with proof that the Hobus thing isn't a hoax, Spock gets the red matter from Vulcan and goes to stop the (still expanding) super-duper-nova-thing. Nero shows up just as he finishes stopping it, and they both get sucked into the black hole (which will dump them into nuTrek universe).
So yeah... Nero kinda hates everyone, which is why he spent 25 years in the nuTrek universe just hanging around brooding instead of going to the Romulan government and selling his future-tech for hookers. And probably waiting for nuSpock to grow up so he can torture him and destroy Vulcan/Earth in front of him despite the kid being not the same person who...kinda did fail him.
no subject
That is actually way more coherent than it has any right to be. XD Kinda feel bad for Nero, since he kinda got fucked over by life. To be fair, not reason enough to go batshits, but still, understandable. And nuSpock is kind of annoying, so...
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