J.J. Abrams Saved Spock From Kirk’s Picard Fate

J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies spared Spock (Leonard Nimoy) from the fate that befell Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Captain Kirk died in Star Trek Generations after jumping from the 23rd century to the 24th century thanks to the Nexus. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) buried Kirk on a Veridian III mountaintop, but Star Trek: Picard season 3 established that Kirk’s remains didn’t remain on that planet.

Along with Admiral Picard’s own corpse, Captain Kirk’s body joined numerous Star Trek Easter eggs in Daystrom Station, a top-secret black site operated by Section 31. Kirk’s corpse is held under the auspices of ‘Project Phoenix,’ a portentous name that hints the resurrection of James T. Kirk could be something Section 31 is plotting. Spock was not beside his Captain and best friend’s side when Kirk died, but the Vulcan was still alive at that time period. In the late 24th century, Ambassador Spock was on Romulus working toward the unification of the Vulcan and Romulan people. Spock remained on Romulus until 2387 when the Romulan sun going supernova altered the course of the galaxy, as well as the trajectory of Spock’s own life, in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek 2009.

Spock’s J.J. Abrams Movie Destiny Saved Him From Kirk’s Fate In Picard Season 3

In J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek 2009, Ambassador Spock was partly the cause of the creation of the film’s alternate Kelvin Timeline. Spock failed to stop the Romulan supernova with red matter in 2387, and his starship was pulled into a time portal along with the Narada, a massive Romulan vessel captained by Nero (Eric Bana). Nero’s arrival in 2230, and his subsequent destruction of the USS Kelvin, sparked an alternate timeline, which Spock arrived at 25 years later. Spock Prime, as he is now referred to, helped the younger version of Spock (Zachary Quinto), James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), and the USS Enterprise stop Nero. In Star Trek Into Darkness, Spock Prime clued the younger Spock in on how to stop Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch). Sadly, in Star Trek Beyond, Commander Spock learned that Spock Prime died and was buried in the New Vulcan colony.

J.J. Abrams’ movies were produced from 2009-2016 so, obviously, Star Trek: Picard‘s events were years away from being conceived. But the unusual fate that met the time and reality-jumping Ambassador Spock does end up sparing him from what happened to his best friend, Captain Kirk. Spock vanishing from Star Trek’s Prime Timeline and perishing in the Kelvin Timeline thankfully makes it impossible for Spock to join Kirk in Daystrom Station. It would be a nasty piece of business if Star Trek 4 gets made and reveals that Spock Prime’s remains are being stored in the Kelvin Timeline’s version of Daystrom Station by Section 31, but hopefully, that won’t happen.

Does Starfleet Know What Happened To Spock In The Prime Timeline?

Star Trek: Discovery season 3 tacitly established that the United Federation of Planets learned about what happened to Ambassador Spock by the 32nd century. Temporal Wars were fought across the Star Trek Multiverse that revealed the existence of alternate realities like the Kelvin Timeline, although Starfleet was already well-aware of the Mirror Universe for centuries. By 3189, it’s highly probable the mystery of what happened to Spock when he vanished trying to solve Romulus in 2387 was finally solved.

It’s not clear yet whether Starfleet and the Federation know what happened to Spock in Star Trek: Picard season 3’s early 25th-century timeframe. The Romulan supernova was still relatively recent history that changed the course of the galaxy and drastically affected the career of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard. But it’s likely what happened to Spock is still an open question in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Although it’s easy to imagine learning what became of Spock is of great interest to Section 31, so they could add his body to their collection that includes Kirk and Picard in Daystrom Station.