Star Trek Magazine – July 2019

01 Spock

pacifies20th

Centurypilot

CaptainJohn

Christopher,in

theFontana-

written

“Tomorrowis

Yesterday.”

02 A blissed-

outSpock,in

“ThisSideof

Paradise.”

03 Spock

duetswith

Uhura,in

“CharlieX.”

04 “Journeyto

Babel”added

furtherdepth

toSpock.

anelementofSpocktobringforward.

Herewasa characterweknewso

littleabout,as hewasalwaysguarded,

emotionallyclampeddown,logical.

Torevealelementsofhis“human”

sideandallowhimtofallinlovewith

LeilaKalomi– beautifullyplayedby

JillIreland– wastogivetheaudience

• wholovedthecharacter– aninsight
  intoSpockneverseenbefore.It
  allowed[Nimoy]as anactorto
  reallydigintothecharacter.
  It wasa wonderfulepisode,which
  alltheactorsputonscreenbeautifully,
  andI hada lotoffunwritingit.I was
  sortoftheSpock“developer,”sinceI
  reallyenjoyedbringingforwardnew
  informationabouthimas a character.

Whatdidyouhopetoachievein

fleshingoutthecharacterofSpock?

Tome,“unknowablecharacters”are

kindofa bore.It’sfuntobeableto

revealnewaspectsas a seriesmoves

forward.It’sfuntobeabletosurprise

theaudience– andsometimestheactor!

• withnewelementsandanglesontheir

YourrewriteofSeason1’s“ThisSide
ofParadise”sawyoubecomestory
editor;whydidyouswitchthefocus
fromSulutoSpock?
I knewtheshowfromtoptobottom.
Whentherewriteon“ThisSideof
Paradise”wasnecessary,Roddenberry
toldmeif I coulddoit tohis
satisfactionandNBC’s,I would
becomestoryeditor.Roddenberry
knewmyworkbythen,butI hadto
dotherewritewellenoughtoconvince
bothhimandNBCthatI coulddo
thejob.I knewthewritersandactors
wewereworkingwith;GeneCoon
hadcomeonboardas producerafter
thefirst 13 episodes,soI knewhim
andhisworkbythen,too.
WhenI readtheoriginalsecond
draftscriptof“ThisSideofParadise,”
I immediatelysaid,“Thisis nota Sulu
story.ThisonehastobeaboutSpock.”
I loveandrespectGeorgeTakei,his
intelligenceandtalent,butthisstory
wasaboutdeeppersonalemotions
comingforwardundertheinfluence
ofthespores.Thatwassowonderful

“I’m living, but I don’t feel I’m a legend!”

D. C. FONTANA

01

02

INTERVIEW