Star Trek: Discovery is getting ready to introduce Spock in its second season, but this isn’t the first time a non-Original Series show has tried to bring young Spock into its timeline. A script outline shows how we almost got two Spocks for the price of one in an early episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The Twitter account trekdocs has shared a new look at the script outline for “Return to Forever.” Written by Tracy Tormé, who worked on early seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, it was originally going to be the second season premiere. The episode was designed as a spiritual successor to the popular Star Trek: The Original Series episode, “City on the Edge of Forever,” with both younger and older versions of Spock chasing a dangerous child through time using the Guardian of Forever portal. Here’s the tweet thread in its entirety:
Today we’re posting a four-page outline for “Return to Forever” by Tracy Torme (writer of season one’s “The Big Goodbye” and creator of Sliders). Originally a two-parter that would bring back the Guardian and Spock. Double Spock! August 25, 1988.
(1/4) pic.twitter.com/JX5CKGPOOP
— trekdocs (@trekdocs) September 16, 2018
Page two of the “Return to Forever” outline by Tracy Torme. Featuring a shocking twist! This story eventually fell apart when Nimoy lost interest.
(2/4) pic.twitter.com/mfJxjvSMnT
— trekdocs (@trekdocs) September 16, 2018
Page three of Tracy Torme’s “Return to Forever.” In the long awaited return of the Guardian of Forever, we NEVER GO THROUGH THE GUARDIAN OF FOREVER.
(3/4) pic.twitter.com/ehvrfIo0t3
— trekdocs (@trekdocs) September 16, 2018
The episode was supposed to see Leonard Nimoy return to his role as Spock, letting both his 24th and 23rd-century counterparts meet, but negotiations fell through and the episode ended up not happening. Luckily, Nimoy did eventually join the crew of The Next Generation in the two-part fifth season episode “Unification.” He also got to play an older Spock alongside Zachary Quinto’s Kelvin Timeline version in the 2009 film Star Trek.
(h/t Trek Movie)