By GustavoLeao / 13:49, 6 June 2004 / TrekWeb Features

Almost 20 years after its original theatrical release, STAR TREK II THE WRATH OF KHAN is still widely considered the best of the Trek movie series by many fans and critics.

When ABC aired the movie in the mid-80s, excised footage which explained Mr. Scott's relationship with midshipman Peter Preston (Ike Eisenmann) and the events of Khan's trial in 'Space Seed' were re-inserted by director Nicholas Meyer himself, along with several other small scenes and character-driven moments. A couple of years ago, this extended version was released by Paramount on DVD as 'The Director's Edition."

"I put that together" Meyer told Cinefantastique Magazine in 1992. "It's ironic as a director of a feature I may not have final cut, but as a director of the television version, no one cares. Places were I was overruled, rightly or wrongly, I get to have the last word. It's very dangerous just to put things back for the sake of putting them back. I am not persuaded that artists are the best judges of their own work."

But unfortunately, not all deteted scenes were include in the ABC extended version and the Director's Edition DVD, not even as extras. But this lost footage, which includes a scene where Lt. Saavik (Kirstie Alley) is revealed to be half-Romulan, and a scene where Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) introduces Saavik to David Marcus ( Merritt Butrick) as "my son", were found in a STAR TREK II special preview featurette released by Paramount to the press before the movie's theatrical release in summer 1982. Here's the summary of these additional deleted / extended / alternate scenes found in this special preview featurette :

- One of the two most notable deleted scenes that was cut from the film is a dialogue exchange between Admiral Kirk and Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in the halls of Starfleet Academy, in which they discuss Saavik's background and heritage:

Kirk: "Your protege's first-rate."
Spock: "She's half-Romulan, Jim. The odd mixture tends to make her blood more volatile than... me, for example."
Kirk: "Than you?" (looking at Spock) "Yes, I see that."

Nowhere in the final released version of the film, in the extended television broadcasts, or in the Director's Edition DVD, is Lt. Saavik's half-Romulan heritage mentioned. The audience assumes that she is a full-blooded Vulcan. Publicity materials, the film's novelization by author Vonda N. McIntyre, and the expanded universe of comics and novels explore and promote Saavik as half-Romulan. A two-part tale published by DC Comics in 1984 entitled "Saavik's Story" explores how Spock found the half-Vulcan, half-Romulan Saavik on a distant world. (In an ironic twist, "Saavik's Story" introduced fans to Saavik's fiance', a Vulcan spy named Xon sent underground in the Romulan homeworld. This is the same Xon that was to have been a key character in the aborted "Star Trek: Phase II" TV series from the 1970's, but whose part was cut from both "Phase II" and "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" when Leonard Nimoy returned to the project.) Other novels from Pocket Books have explored Saavik's heritage in further detail. In issue 2 of the Marvel Comics mini-serie STAR TREK THE UNTOLD VOYAGES, author Glenn Greenberg you told the origin of Lt. Saavik as a savage, half-Romulan half-Vulcan girl, discovered by Spock on a Romulan planet, a backstory explored in the novel THE PANDORA PRINCIPLE by author Carolyn Clowes. The only place that this footage has appeared has been in this 3-minute preview assembly from the film.

Hence the question: is this footage considered canon? It was not utilized in any released version of the film, though it was filmed during the film's production, and the references to Saavik's Romulan heritage are part of the expanded Star Trek universe. This footage would likely be considered apocryphal, since technically it was not included in any version of the film.

- Another notable deleted scene was filmed as part of the ending of "Star Trek II". The scene in question features a dialogue exchange between Kirk and Saavik on the bridge of the Enterprise.

Saavik: "On course to Ceti Alpha V, sir, all is well."
Kirk: "Good. I believe you know David Marcus?"
(Saavik and David look at each other and smile.)
Kirk (stepping down): "Ah, she's learning by doing."

The scene then continues with Kirk approaching Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and Carol Marcus standing at the edge of the bridge looking at the Genesis Planet. Saavik and David can be seen in the background standing next to each other.

This brief deleted scene would have added an additional story branch of a possible romantic relationship between Saavik and David, which would be touched upon in the novelization of "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock". When this scene was ultimately scrapped, Saavik's dialogue was transferred to Kirk and utilized as part of the captain's log entry at the end of the film.

- An alternate take of the dialogue between Carol and David Marcus on the Regula I station was also filmed and included in the preview assembly. The longest version of this sequence, seen in the extended TV broadcasts and in the Director's Cut, spotlights Carol's orders to the team to get their gear together for departure. The version used in the theatrical version omits Carol's orders to the team. The third version is more abrupt, as actress Bibi Besch attempts to pace her lines.

Carol: "We must have order in here!"
David: "Scientists have always been pawns of the military."
Carol: "Starfleet has kept the peace for... for a hundred years. I cannot and will not subscribe to your interpretation of this event."

- Another alternate take of the scene with McCoy and Spock in Kirk's quarters is also found in the preview assembly. It is an alternate version of McCoy's questioning Spock's thinking on the Genesis Project.

McCoy: "Are you by any chance... in favor of these experiments?"

DeForest Kelley's delivery of the line is more vocal in this version, whereas in the extended TV broadcasts and the Director's Cut, Kelley's delivery is quieter and more subtle.

- One of the most notable alternate takes from "Star Trek II" was the alternate version of the dialogue between Kirk and Saavik in the turbolift. This version appears only in the extended TV broadcasts and was never included in either the theatrical version or the Director's Cut DVD.

In the original version, Saavik stops the turbolift, and she and Kirk have their discussion. In this alternate take, the emphasis is on exchanging close-ups between Kirk and Saavik, while the turbolift continues on its way. As in the theatrical version, Kirk punches in his destination, but the turbolift has been in continuous movement throughout the sequence.

- A brief scene extension spotlighting Ricardo Montalban (Khan) is found in the preview assembly. Once the Enterprise returns fire on the Defiant, Khan moves across the bridge and orders, "After him! After him!" (He then moves toward Joachim and orders, "Fire!") This brief scene extension was trimmed from all cuts of the film.

- Another brief scene extension occurs during the Reliant's attack on the Enterprise. During the sequence in the engine room, Scotty (James Doohan) can be seen standing at his post and ordering everyone to remain at their posts, even during the attack. This brief extension was also trimmed from all cuts of the film.

Again we remind you that this lost scenes footage from STAR TREK II THE WRATH OF KAHN never aired on TV, and it is not available on VHS and DVD, and it was not be include in Paramount's 'Director's Edition' DVD, but you can download those rare scenes herein the ASF format.

Thanks to Bill Williams and The Captain Kirk Page for their help in the making of this article.