Replying to a post in the Star Wars J.J. Abrams thread so as to not go way off topic...
thejediknighthusezni said:
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.
My understanding is Alley's agent suggested she was going to end up typecast if she continued in the role, so she bailed on a sequel. (That and salary issues.) Now she's better known for her role on Cheers, and those weight loss ads.
A planned Saavik cameo on TNG, standing at Captain Bateson's side in Cause and Effect almost happened though.
If Bibi Besch didn't want to come back for TSFS, fine. But her character was implied as being the main "cook" of Genesis in TWOK, and suddenly it's all on David for using unstable mattery wattery stuff. The problems of which never manifested themselves in the Genesis cave, which is presumably several months to a year older than the planet.
JEDIT:Got my blonde Trek actresses mixed up.