Star Trek's Ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard) was not always a great father to his son, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), but he became one of the most influential Vulcans of all time. Despite Sarek's rigid adherence to Vulcan logic, he fell in love with and married a human woman named Amanda Grayson (Jane Wyatt). With a Vulcan father and a human mother, Spock felt caught between two worlds on Star Trek: The Original Series. Ambassador Sarek wanted his son to embrace his Vulcan side and reject human emotion, but this did not come naturally to Spock.
Sarek and Amanda first appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 10, "Journey to Babel," when they traveled to a conference aboard the USS Enterprise of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Throughout his long career as a Vulcan Ambassador, Sarek helped negotiate numerous treaties and aided in the initial peace talks between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire. In addition to Spock, Sarek and Amanda also raised Spock's older half-brother, Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill), and his foster sister, Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green).
Ambassador Sarek & Amanda Only Appeared In One Episode Of Star Trek: The Original Series
Sarek Also Appeared In the Final Four TOS Films
Although Spock's father was referenced a handful of times, the only Star Trek: The Original Series episode Sarek and Amanda appeared in was TOS season 2's "Journey to Babel." Before Sarek and Amanda's visit to the Enterprise, Captain Kirk was unaware that the well-known Ambassador Sarek was Spock's father. Sarek barely acknowledged his son on the Enterprise, much to the annoyance of his wife. When another one of the visiting dignitaries was found murdered, Sarek became the main suspect. While being interrogated, Sarek suffered a heart attack and required immediate surgery.
After Spock donated blood to save his father's life, the two reconciled and remained on good terms throughout the Star Trek movies. After Spock's death at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Sarek traveled to Earth to convince Admiral Kirk and his crew to retrieve Spock's body from the Genesis Planet. Sarek correctly believed that Spock had put his katra (Vulcan soul) into one of his friends, although he believed it had been Kirk rather than Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley). Sarek later aided in negotiations between the Klingons and the Federation in Star Trek: VI: The Undiscovered Country, encouraging Spock to initiate talks for a Federation-Klingon Alliance.
Sarek & Spock Had A Complicated Relationship
Spock Spent Much Of His Adult Life Estranged From His Father
When Sarek and Amanda visited the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series,Spock had not seen his father in many years. The two had become estranged after Spock chose to attend Starfleet Academy rather than the Vulcan Science Academy. Sarek wanted Spock to follow in his footsteps as he had followed in his father's footsteps, and he broke off contact with his son around 2250. Spock had much in common with his father, and their stubbornness and pride kept them from reconciling. Still, Sarek cared deeply about his son and later expressed regret for not showing his love more directly.
Sometime before Spock's birth (and presumably before he married Amanda), Sarek fathered a son named Sybok with a Vulcan princess.
In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Sarek encouraged Admiral Kirk and his crew to reunite Spock's katra with his body, openly admitting that his "logic is uncertain where [his] son is concerned." Later in life, Sarek found ways to show his love for Spock, but father and son could have reconciled much sooner if they had simply talked to one another. After Spock became an ambassador, another rift formed between him and his father over issues regarding the Cardassians and Spock's dream of Vulcan and Romulan reunification. On his deathbed, however, Sarek reasserted his love and admiration for his son.
Sarek Returned & Died In Star Trek: The Next Generation
Mark Lenard Reprised The Role Of Sarek In 2 TNG Episodes
In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 23, "Sarek," the now elderly Ambassador Sarek visited the USS Enterprise-D of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Sarek intended to attend a peace conference between the Federation and the Legarans, but his undiagnosed Bendii Syndrome soon began affecting Enterprise crew members. As his emotions became more unstable, Sarek's second human wife Perrin (Joanna Miles) suggested that Picard mind meld with her husband to temporarily carry the burden of his emotions. Sarek was then able to attend the conference, while Picard experienced years of Sarek's pent-up emotions.
During his mind meld with Picard, Sarek admitted his regret that he was unable to show his love to Spock, Amanda, and Perrin. In TNG season 5, episode 7, "Unification, Part I," Picard visited the ailing Sarek while searching for the missing Ambassador Spock. Sarek informed Picard that Spock formed a friendship with a Romulan Senator named Pardek (Malachi Throne) and was working to form a dialogue with the Romulans. Sarek thought Spock's optimism was illogical and lamented that his son never listened to him. Soon after Picard left Vulcan, he received news that Sarek had passed away.
Sarek & Amanda Both Shaped Star Trek: Discovery's Michael Burnham
Michael Had A Complicated Relationship With Her Foster Brother, Spock
With the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017 came the revelation that protagonist Michael Burnham had been raised on Vulcan by none other than Sarek (James Frain) and Amanda (Mia Kirshner). After Klingons killed Burnham's parents, Sarek and Amanda took her in as their ward and raised her alongside Spock (Ethan Peck) and, possibly, Sybok, as well. Michael then became the first human to attend the Vulcan Science Academy, embracing the logical ways of the Vulcans.
Sarek chose Spock over Michael to join the Vulcan Expeditionary Group, but Spock later decided to join Starfleet instead. Sarek helped Burnham land a position aboard the USS Shenzhou under the command of Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). Unlike Spock, Michael maintained a relatively close relationship with her foster father, regularly seeking advice from the Vulcan Ambassador. While Sarek was working with Starfleet to end the Federation-Klingon War, a logic extremist attempted to assassinate him, but he was later rescued by the USS Discovery.
Sarek initiated a mind meld with Michael when she was severely injured as a child, leaving a piece of his katra inside of her mind.
In Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Sarek discovered that Amanda had helped hide a mentally unwell Spock on Vulcan and convinced his wife to turn Spock over to Starfleet. After Burnham and the USS Discovery traveled to the distant future, Sarek swore never to speak of her or her ship. again. Since his introduction, Ambassador Sarek has become one of Star Trek's most fascinating and beloved characters, only made more interesting by his complex relationships with Spock and Michael Burnham.
