The famous Star Trek intro says it all: "To explore new lives, and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before." Exploration is in this series' DNA.
Star Trek is all about exploring humanity's place in the universe, and The Search for Spock continues this tradition. The film explores man's relation with science, technology, and life itself.
But it goes even further, taking the expedition off-road and into the realm of the spiritual. Is there life after death? Can humanity create life, or does this break some unspoken contract between nature and her creation?
Questions about Exploration
- Do you see David and Saavik's exploration of Genesis as complementary to Kirk's exploration of Vulcan mysticism and Spock's Katra? Why or why not? Either way, how do these two explorations help you understand this theme?
- How do you see the character of Kruge as fitting into the theme of exploration?
- What do you think is the most dangerous aspect of exploration as presented in the film? How does this aspect change your reading of the theme?
- Why do you suppose the Federation and Starfleet are so anti-exploration? What purpose does it serve in this film? If you are a Trek fan, do you feel this is in keeping with the way the Federation/Starfleet have been previously portrayed?
Chew on This
The Search for Spock is unique in the Star Trek series up to that point in that it explored spiritual concerns with the same veracity as the material universe.
The willingness to explore is one of several traits shared by all of the Enterprise's crew. Other traits include loyalty, courage, and a horrible fashion sense