Gaffer Tape said:
Since this is come up, I have to ask this question, as it's something that's always bugged me. Why does it always seem to be implied that the reason that Spock (and, apparently Saavik) is able to express emotion because of his mixed heritage? Obviously his mixed heritage is the reason for his feelings of isolation and inferiority, but it should have nothing to do with his or any Vulcan's ability or inability to be emotional. Lack of emotion is NOT an inherent biological trait in Vulcans. They train themselves to be logical and to supress emotions. From what I can see, any Vulcan is capable of being emotional, they simply choose not to. And before anyone says that maybe Vulcans are more easily possessed of this than humans, you also have to note that Vulcans and Romulans are the same species. The Romulans are what the Vulcans would be (and were) had they not chosen to become logical: extremely emotional and warlike. So what difference does it make even if Saavik is half-Romulan? Nothing! That's not even biologically different from being a full-blooded Vulcan. The differences between Vulcans and Romulans (and Vulcans and humans, for that matter) is not nature, it's nurture.

It's a combination of racism, bad science, and lazy writing that plagues all Star Trek.

Lazy writing in that it allows endless "I'm torn between two worlds!" character moments.

Bad science in that any two organisms that can breed and produce fertile offsprings (like every race in Star Trek) should be considered the same species.

Racism in that all alien races are defined by a single trait (/flaw) that can only be overcome by being more human.