Star Trek: Picard Season 3 fans are eager for Executive Producer and showrunner Terry Matalas to be tapped by Paramount for a sequel series. The series finale renamed the USS Titan to the USS Enterprise-G, with Seven of Nine as Captain. A spinoff, naturally, would follow her crew's adventures, as well as revisiting older, forgotten storylines. One thing Star Trek: Legacy could explore is the Vulcan character Saavik, and maybe even introduce a child she shares with Spock.
Saavik's creation is credited to Nicholas Meyer, the writer and director of The Wrath of Khan. Leonard Nimoy wanted to retire the Spock character, so he was killed off in that film. Yet, Meyer and Nimoy both often spoke about how, when it came time to film the death scene, Nimoy had second thoughts. Also, series creator Gene Roddenberry leaked that Spock died in the film to create fan protest.
So, the actor and director included the scene where Spock mind-melded with Dr. McCoy as a set-up to bring him back in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. This left Saavik, first played by Kirstie Alley and later by Robin Curtis, in a weird place. An idea was floated, though never explicitly stated in the film, that Saavik would get pregnant with Spock's child. The storyline and Saavik, were abandoned, but it's a story from The Original Series era that could be picked up in Star Trek: Legacy because Vulcans are long-lived.
Who Was Saavik and Why Would She Have a Child With Spock?
Kirstie Allen in uniform during Star Trek.
Had Leonard Nimoy not had a change of heart, Saavik would've been the "new" Vulcan in the successive movies with the original cast. Meyer cast Alley in her first-ever film role, but the actor did not have a good time while filming. So, when the character returned for the third film, Curtis took on the part. The premise of Star Trek III was that because of the "Genesis Effect," Spock was reborn and aging rapidly. This also meant that when he came of age, he went through the Pon Farr. It's an affliction that can kill a Vulcan if he doesn't "mate" with another. In a surprisingly tasteful scene for the early 1980s, Saavik and Spock get intimate. The result was going to be a child. However, since she was written out of the story in Star Trek VI: The Voyage Home, Saavik's pregnancy was dropped.
One reason was that Nimoy objected to the idea. Even though Spock was physically younger than Saavik at the time, there was a significant age difference. Also, Nimoy knew Spock would stay with his crew, making Spock another in a long line of absent Star Trek fathers. Still, not only would this have been an interesting storyline, but it would also have given Spock a legacy. The story of Saavik and his heir is perfect for a show called Star Trek: Legacy. There are plenty of characters and stories to revisit from The Next Generation era of series. The return of Saavik and the introduction of Spock's son would be a chance to tie the show back to The Original Series with a meaningful cameo.
Star Trek: Legacy is already full of the kids of beloved characters. Jack Crusher-Picard, Sidney, and Alandra La Forge were introduced in Picard. Loosening up the idea of legacy, Raffi is a "child" of Picard, too. Seven of Nine is, at least, a little sister to Kathryn Janeway, if not a surrogate daughter. Still, even to those characters, Spock is a legend. The child of perhaps the most significant Vulcan since Surak would have a lot to live up to. Since Spock survived well into the late 2300s, meaning the younger Saavik and his kid could still be alive in 2402.
Spock Having a Child Is a Good Idea, but Saavik Should Come Back Either Way
Saavik and Amanda Grayson, Spock's mother, standing against the Vulcan sky in Star Trek IV The Voyage Home
A show like Star Trek: Legacy would be the perfect place to introduce a new character with familial ties to a franchise great. Since Leonard Nimoy passed away, two actors have played Spock since. Zachary Quinto appeared in the Kelvin Timeline Movies, with Nimoy in two of them. Ethan Peck played Spock on Star Trek: Discovery and now Strange New Worlds. Spock's child would be a way to keep the character alive without continually recasting. Eventually, Star Trek will have to face rewriting the canon or simply letting Spock go. Spock Junior would fix that problem. Yet, with or without that element, Saavik deserves another chance.
The character almost returned in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, but Roddenberry objected to the plan to make her a traitor. Nicholas Meyer was back to direct the film and didn't care what Roddenberry thought. Still, since Kirstie Alley wasn't available to reprise the role, he cast Kim Cattrall as a new character instead. This means Saavik was left on Vulcan, and Star Trek: Legacy could give the character his due. Kirstie Alley passed away in December 2022, meaning Robin Curtis could reprise the role. Roddenberry objected to Saavik's heel turn because, even at the end of his life, he was connected to the fans. He knew they loved the character, and many fans still do. Just as Picard's final season was the final act those characters deserved, Saavik should get her chance for one more trek around the stars.
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