Captain James T. Kirk (WIlliam Shatner) refused to share his innermost pain in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, but what was he hiding from Sybok (Lawrence Luckinbill)? Directed by William Shatner from a story Shatner conceived, Star Trek V celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2024. While not considered among the finest Star Trek movies, Shatner's film harbors ambitions and concepts not fully realized due to myriad issues such as the film's budget, lackluster visual effects, and Shatner's own inexperience in directing feature films. But William Shatner certainly understood Kirk, and why the Captain of the Enterprise would never yield to Sybok.
Star Trek V: The Frontier introduced Sybok as the heretofore unheard-of half-brother of Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Sybok was a Vulcan criminal and a self-styled holy man searching for God in the fabled world of Sha Ka Ree at the center of the galaxy. Sybok used his Vulcan powers to "share the pain" of others, freeing them from their deepest torment and converting them into his followers. Sybok's master plan involved hijacking the USS Enterprise to take him to Sha Ka Ree. But upon encountering Spock, Sybok also wanted his brother and his Starship Enterprise crew to join his flock. Only Captain Kirk refused to allow Sybok to "share his pain," but why?
What Pain Did Kirk Hide From Sybok In Star Trek V
"I need my pain!"
While Spock and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley) allowed Sybok to share their pain with him, Captain Kirk steadfastly refused, declaring that pain is "The things we carry with us, the things that make us who we are. If we lose them, we lose ourselves. I don't want my pain taken away. I need my pain!" This is a logical rationale for Kirk to defy Sybok, but it strongly implies that Kirk has made his innermost pain part of what defines him at this stage in his life.
Captain Kirk certainly harbors his share of pain and regret. Chief among them has to be the death of his son, David Marcus (Merritt Butrick). Kirk was helpless to prevent the Klingon Kruge (Christopher Lloyd) from ordering David's murder. Kirk got his revenge and killed Kruge, but he did not deal with his grief over David's murder. Mourning David is coupled with the fact that Kirk wasn't part of his son's life until Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and he only knew David for a short while before he lost his son. David's mother, Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch), is also another source of guilt, since Kirk agreed to keep his distance from the Marcuses.
Kirk mourned Spock's death in Star Trek II, but he was able to bring his best friend back to life. Yet he couldn't do the same for his son.
Kirk has many other regrets as well. By the events of Star Trek V, James was demoted from Admiral to Captain. While Kirk prefers to be in the center seat of a starship, there is a certain amount of shame he feels from his loss of rank, and the crimes he committed to rescue Spock in Star Trek III. There's also the sadness Kirk felt when he self-destructed the USS Enterprise. After all, Jim sacrificed having a family of his own to devote himself to the Enterprise, and the personal connection Kirk felt to his beloved starship was like losing a friend when he ordered its destruction.
Kirk also kept his secrets from his friends.
Spock and McCoy allowing Sybok to probe their minds left Captain Kirk feeling especially vulnerable, and Jim's need to remain in control meant that he couldn't succumb to the self-styled Vulcan holy man. Kirk saw Bones' innermost pain, which was being forced to euthanize his dying father. Meanwhile, Spock's buried hurt is how his father, Ambassador Sarek (Jonathan Simpson), rejected him for being "so human." Perhaps, seeing the torment his best friends underwent as they were exposed by Sybok, Kirk didn't want the same experience.
Captain Kirk did share a different kind of pain with Spock and Bones when they are camping at the start of Star Trek V. Kirk confesses, "I always knew I'd die alone," which speaks to how much he needs his two best friends, who are the closest thing he has to family. Remarkably, Jim was proved right in Star Trek Generations: Kirk did die alone. Although Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) was with Jim when he died, Kirk defined not being with Spock and McCoy as "alone."
Sybok says he didn't control minds, he freed them
Sybok is a unique Star Trek villain, as well as a singular type of Vulcan. While Spock's brother committed dastardly acts, Sybok was not evil at his core, and this is evident by how he uses his Vulcan telepathy to share the pain of others to ostensibly heal them. Sybok is driven by his belief that he is doing God's will, and his actions are steps toward his ultimate goal to come face to face with the Almighty on Sha Ka Ree. Sybok styled himself as a healer and servant of God, and this explains why Sybok was so crushed when "God" (George Murdock) turned out to be a malevolent alien pretender.
While Sybok's mind powers did coerce others into following him, the Vulcan heretic also seemed sincere in wanting to free others from their pain. Sybok never sought bloodshed, and he was distressed when people were killed as a result of his actions. Up until the end of Star Trek V, when he was confronted with his folly, Sybok believed he was doing the right thing by seeking and serving God. To his credit, Sybok's final act was to protect Spock, Kirk, and McCoy from "God's" wrath, and his own pain was reconciled by Sybok's ultimate selflessness. Sybok also never coerced or forced Captain Kirk to share his pain.
A future appearance in Strange New Worlds could reveal how Sybok became obsessed with finding God.
The young Sybok was introduced in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. While the many questions surrounding Sybok still remain after his brief cameo in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 7, "The Serene Squall," a future appearance in Strange New Worlds could reveal how Sybok became obsessed with finding God. Hopefully, audiences will also learn how Sybok learned he could use his Vulcan abilities to relieve others of their inner pain.
William Shatner’s Original Star Trek V Plan Was Different
Kirk was going to be alone against Sybok
According to his 1994 memoir Star Trek Movie Memories, William Shatner had a different idea in mind for the scene in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier when Spock and Dr. McCoy allow Sybok to share their pain. Originally, Spock and Bones would be coerced into joining forces with Sybok, leaving Kirk alone. As the director and leading man of Star Trek V, Shatner felt this would strengthen Kirk as the hero and sole voice of reason as the rest of the Starship Enterprise's crew marched along with Sybok.
Nimoy and Kelley felt that Spock and Bones would not betray Kirk under any circumstances.
Both Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley balked at the idea of Spock and McCoy siding with Sybok over Kirk. Both Nimoy and Kelley felt that Spock and Bones would not betray Kirk under any circumstances, at this stage of their lives, after everything the Enterprise trio had been through together. William Shatner acquiesced to his co-stars, which meant Spock, McCoy, and Kirk remained a united front going into Star Trek V's final act, following Sybok to Sha Ka Ree out of curiosity instead of dramatic tension. Shatner believes this dramatically weakened the final act of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and he has harbored his own pain and disappointment about his movie ever since.
