Discovery Fixed Everything JJ Abrams Got Wrong About Spock’s Mom

Amanda Grayson’s recurring role in Star Trek: Discovery redeemed everything that JJ Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) got wrong about her character. Amanda began as a motherly and loving character who was written to provide warmth to Spock’s steely exterior. In the Star Trek: The Original Series season 2 episode “Journey to Babel,” human teacher Amanda Grayson was introduced to audiences for the first time as Spock’s (Leonard Nimoy) mother, alongside Spock’s father, her Vulcan husband Sarek (Mark Lenard). In all of her appearances in the Star Trek timeline, Amanda has demonstrated the connection Spock has to his human side.

In the decades after Star Trek: The Original Series, Amanda Grayson became just that: the origin of Spock’s human side, which provided many opportunities for fascinating narratives and emotional plot twists. Her character seemingly lacked nuance and complexity, not unlike other female characters of the time. In Star Trek (2009), Amanda, portrayed by Winona Ryder, returned to the screen and provided Spock’s mother with more screen time. However, it wasn’t until Mia Kirshner took over the role of Amanda Grayson alongside the cast of Star Trek: Discovery that the character finally got the treatment she deserved.

What J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Got Wrong About Spock’s Mom Amanda Grayson

Amanda Grayson was just Spock’s mom in Star Trek’s first reboot film

JJ Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) ended a 7-year hiatus from Star Trek films after Star Trek: Nemesis premiered in 2002. The movie ushered in a new era of Star Trek and introduced new actors playing beloved characters such as Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto), and Lieutenant Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana). Among these characters was Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson, who played a crucial role in the film as Spock’s human mother. Since the film is a precursor to the Star Trek: The Original Series era, Spock’s human origin is an important aspect of the narrative.

However, Amanda Grayson only appears in a few scenes in Star Trek (2009), and she never appears without either Sarek (Ben Cross) or Spock. Despite being kind and loving, Amanda is not seen as much other than Spock’s mother, who gives him a distinctly human upbringing while being raised on Vulcan. Even a deleted scene featuring Amanda and Sarek only depicts the birth of Spock on Vulcan. The controversial decision to destroy Vulcan and Romulus ended in the death of Amanda Grayson, leaving Spock to mourn and thus further his character development in the film.

Star Trek: Discovery Gave Amanda Grayson Her Own Story

Mia Kirshner’s Amanda Grayson became more than just Sarek’s human wife

The introduction of a new age of Star Trek TV in 2017 proved to be the chance for Amanda Grayson to be more than a loving mother. In Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) searches for her brother Spock (Ethan Peck) and reunites with their mother, Amanda Grayson (Mia Kirshner). While the plot that brings Amanda onto the show concerns her children, her character develops further than previous iterations. Mia Kirshner returned to her role as Amanda in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode “Charades,” in which she provides a comedic factor to her character.

When considering screen time, Star Trek: Discovery comes out on top regarding Amanda’s character. More time on screen allowed Kirshner to develop a nuanced, complex, and interesting character rather than a simple plot device to further Spock’s narrative. Amanda is tenacious, headstrong, and stubborn. Instead of only being motherly, warm, and empathetic, Star Trek: Discovery‘s Amanda fights for her children. While still connected to her family, Amanda breaks away from the motherly stereotype that she earned in the 1960s. Arguably, Star Trek: Discovery made the franchise better, and its treatment of Amanda Grayson is a big part of that claim.