Whatever they had in mind, they should have dropped it when they didn't bring Kirstie back. The whole Saavik-David subplot was very offputting. ST has delved a little too far into the loss of loved ones. TWOK Spock worked because there was a promise of bringing him back. They had already sunk to their nadir, TSFS was about the journey back up. A black-eyed full-blood Vulcan chick with a red-shirt partner could have carried that water. Protomatter could have been an unexpected problem. The subtle art of getting us to care enough but not too much before bumping em off. Too bad "Adventure" couldn't have been menuevered into position. "I...HAVE HAD...ENOUGH...OF YOU!!!" would have had at least as much heft if it was about sheer exasperation without any revenge.