WhenStar Trekfirst introduced Amanda Grayson as Spock’s Human mother, no one could have predicted that she would make many more appearances over the next few decades. It’s especially ironic since fans ofStar Trek: The Original Seriesinitially had no idea of Amanda’s (Jane Wyatt) connection to the First Officer. In season 2, episode 15, “Journey to Babel,” Amanda and Sarek (Mark Lenard) were just two ambassadors from Vulcan visiting the Enterprise en route to a diplomatic conference on the planet Babel.
Then came the hilariously awkward momentin which Spock (Leonard Nimoy) revealsto Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) that these are his parents. This moment answered questions about Spock’s family, but it posed even more – especially about Amanda. How did she meet Sarek? How did she feel about living on Vulcan? What did she think about her son’s Starfleet career? None of these questions were answered, since the episode quickly dove into plot-related drama. Luckily, there would be plenty more chances to get to know Amanda.
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Amanda in The Original Series
Amanda’s and Sarek’s entrance intoStar Trekmarked the first time fans spent any time with family members of their beloved characters. They’d previously met Captain Kirk’s nephew, briefly spent time with his sister-in-law, and saw how distraught he was over his brother Sam’s untimely death.
But Spock’s parents arriving on the ship revealed aspects of the half-Vulcan’s childhood that neither fellow crew members nor fans had heard about. Amanda proved to be warm and courteous, with a bit of mischief in how she connected with Kirk over their similar bonds with uptight Vulcans. That is, until her husband’s life was in danger and her son didn’t seem to be prioritizing his health. Then she was desperate and aggressive in ways understandable (yet hard to watch) for anyone who’d ever had a loved one on the verge of death.
Everything eventually worked out, though, and no hard feelings seemed to existbetween Spock and his motherwhen she next appeared inStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home. It helped that he was in the process of regaining the knowledge he’d lost after coming back from the dead. Still, Amanda seemed as happy to see him as any mother would be, and it’s easy to imagine them exploring a new relationship in which Spock doesn’t run from his emotions like his life depends on it.
Amanda in Discovery
Amanda (this time played by Winona Ryder) didn’t have much to do in theStar Trekreboot movies. While she was a bit more present in several deleted scenes, fans never got a sense of who she was within the Kelvin timeline. Amanda inStar Trek: Discovery, on the other hand (in which she is portrayed by Mia Kirshner), has taken on a life of her own.
She’s the wife of Sarek (James Frain) with strong opinions that she, like her son Spock (Ethan Peck), is content to hold close to her chest. She’s also the adoptive mother of Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), who eventuallyjoins the elite class of Starfleet captains. In this series, Amanda is back to struggling under the weight of her own emotions while surrounded by loved ones who are in denial of their own feelings.
Amanda goes to Michael in season 2, episode 3, “Point of Light” for her help in reaching out to Spock. When Michael reveals the part she might have played in him leaving in the first place, Amanda angrily changes her mind and resolves to retrieve him on her own. It’s a not-so-subtle callback to the last time she let her worries for one family member cause her to lash out at another. If only she weren’t yet another character placing responsibilities on Michael’s shoulders that she shouldn’t have had to carry alone or at all. Like Spock, Amanda never really apologized to Michael. She probably just offered her a surface-level peace offering in a classic mother’s method of smoothing things over without admitting fault.
Amanda in Strange New Worlds
Amanda has only made one appearance inStar Trek: Strange New Worlds, but she’s already left one heck of an impression. Spock loses his Vulcan half and becomes wholly human in season 2, episode 5, “Charades,” right when he’s in the midst of an important familial moment with his fiancée T’Pring (Gia Sandhu).The V’Shal dinner is a Vulcan customthat gives each set of parents the first chance to evaluate the suitability of the engagement. Amanda is in peak Mom mode as she guides her son through what it’s like to experience a Vulcan tradition with Human limitations. At some point, she handles a blisteringly hot teapot without breaking a sweat while giving Spock tips on how to do the same. It’s one of those rare moments in which Amanda gets to be impressive and remind the audience why Sarek fell in love with her in the first place.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop T’Pring’s mother T’Pril (Ellora Patnaik) from throwing digs at Spock for his Human heritage with Amanda standing right beside him. T’Pring, in her exasperation, is closer to her original counterpart than she is to hernew characterization inStrange New Worlds. Their frustration prompts Spock to give a heartfelt speech in which he calls his mother “resilient, compassionate, and tolerant” and points out how she’s “been judged by Vulcans” for daring to be loved by one of their own. He goes on to call her ability to withstand such negativity for love “true strength.” It’s a reminder of how deserving Amanda is of love and respect in spite of her personal flaws.
Amanda isn’t the best-known most popularStar Trekcharacter. That title tends to go to fan-favorites like Worf (Michael Dorn), Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell), Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), and literally any of the many Starfleet captains. She’s not even very important to most major storylines revolving around subjects like moral dilemmas, time travel,lighthearted hijinks bringing the crew together, or technology gone terribly wrong. As Spock’s mother, though, she’s one of the more memorable parents. She has to be, or newStar Trekprojects wouldn’t be so insistent on bringing her back to the screen.
More than that, though, Amanda is an interesting character outside of being a mother. She braved the desert and its many naysayers to build a family with the man she loves, then quietly built a life herself while her husband and children went on to publicly achieve great things. It’s what keepsStar Trekfans invested in her story. As Spock would say, there’s always something fascinating going on when Amanda comes around.
