As we near Star Trek: Discovery’s debut, we’re looking closer at each primary member of the crew. Let’s take full aim at Ambassador Sarek.
Few characters have spanned the ages throughout Star Trek lore like Ambassador Sarek. Father of Spock, husband of Amanda Grayson (and later Perrin), we first saw him in the original series episode “Journey to Babel”, portrayed by Mark Lenard. The character appeared in two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, five movies (including Star Trek 2009, portrayed by Ben Cross), and he’ll appear in Star Trek: Discovery, portrayed by James Frain.
Sarek’s inclusion in Discovery began with original showrunner Bryan Fuller’s fascination with the character. In spite of having little screen time over the course of his life in that universe, Sarek’s influence was felt widely. His relationship with his son, Spock, helped shape the younger Vulcan’s outlook on life and perception of both humanity and logic. His relationship with Captain Jean-Luc Picard was uniquely intimate, thanks to a mind-meld the two underwent.
Sarek, Vulcan father of Spock. #StarTrekDiscovery begins streaming on CBS All Access 9/24: https://t.co/XVhtrtemHw pic.twitter.com/17zQjaiPfQ
— Star Trek on Paramount+ (@StarTrekOnPPlus) August 14, 2017
We’ll get a look at a younger Sarek in this series than ever before. We may also get a look at family life in the Vulcan household, as we know that Sarek and Amanda will raise series lead Michael Burnham from a young girl to adulthood.
What might be most interesting about Sarek is that for a man ostensibly devoted to pure logic, he spent an inordinate amount of time around humans. In fact, not only did he marry one human female in Amanda, but his next wife, Perrin, was also a human. It will be intriguing to delve into the psyche of a man who was so drawn to something that represented the antithesis of everything he practiced and believed.
Next: What to make of Discovery's TV-MA rating
In spite of his eternal presence throughout the ages, there’s a lot we have yet to learn about Sarek. Star Trek: Discovery should be instrumental in teaching us much more about one of the franchise’s most important characters.
Star Trek: Discovery will debut on September 24th.
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