The character of Lt. Saavik would have made the best villain in Star Trek movie history had things played out as expected.
Those who have followed the Star Trek films will remember Lt. Saavik, probably, very fondly. She first appeared on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, portrayed by Kirstie Alley. Despite having a similarly sized role, if not bigger, Allie allegedly left the role due to contract issues. This brought in Robin Curtis to play the role.
This was important as there were seemingly long-boiling intentions with the Saavik character. She was notoriously emotional for a Vulcan, which has due to the fact that she was always intended to be half-Vulcan and half-Romulan. This was later dropped by Nicholas Meyer for fairly pedantic reasons, citing that there was no reason for her to be anything but Vulcan.
Saavik would not only have that storyline dropped but two others, being attracted and potentially beginning a romantic relationship with David Marcus, the son of James Kirk, and then later having a child with Spock.
All of this, however, was not as bad as having her final story arc given to a different character entirely. In the final film, Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country, Saavik was supposed to be revealed as a traitor, yet that part of the storyline went to Kim Cattrall’s Valeris. Valeris was another female Vulcan character and was created because Meyer, who directed The Wrath of Khan, didn’t want Curtis back as Saavik. So instead of recasting the character for the third time, they just created a new one.
Saavik’s betrayal was well crafted and should’ve played out on the big screen
It’s hard to sit here and not be impressed with everything that was planned, written, or even shot for Saavik that was later taken away. All of these storylines, on their own or as part of a grander narrative, could’ve set up her betrayal of the Enterprise and its crew in the final film perfectly; making her betrayal grander than anything Khan Noonien Singh could’ve done.
From being half-Romulan but never being allowed to admit it, to having the love of her life (assuming it got that far), David getting murdered in front of her, to a less than formal relationship with her former mentor Spock that bore a child out of wedlock and then, top it all off by acting as an agent with the Klingons against the Federation?
Or maybe being part of the Tal Shiar, working in congress with other Klingons in order to incite a war with the Federation?
I mean man, sometimes these dudes need to put their egos aside because this would’ve been stellar to see actually play out.
Had Saavik (be it Alley, Curtis, or whoever) actually been given the chance to see these scenes and plotlines all come together, her betrayal would have been unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. It would’ve taken what Voyager tried to do with Seska and ramp it up to 11.
The future of Starfleet, the mother of Spock’s child, the almost daughter in laugh to Kirk, and the character fans had grown to love over the course of nearly a decade; tried to kill all of the heroes. That would’ve been epic. More than that, it would’ve felt earned by the character. Unlike Valeris who just popped up, said some line, and then was revealed as the traitor all along.
What a waste of a near-decade-long storyline.