trek-tracks:

Rewatching Journey to Babel through the lens of Star Trek V makes it so much more complex. 

Can you just imagine how angry and conflicted McCoy must be about, first, potentially having the means to save Sarek, but a means which might also potentially kill both Sarek and Spock?

And then, when McCoy decides it’s too important and he must try to heal Sarek despite the risks, seeing Spock choose a temporary duty to the Enterprise over saving his own father? When the inability to save his own father, despite giving up everything, is the thing that’s haunted McCoy most for years? When he sat for hours, days, debating his own duty to the oath by which he lives his life, in comparison to his duty as a son, being begged to stop the pain? 

When he sees the look of horrified disappointment on Amanda’s face, watching the beginning of another family tie breaking for good, knowing what the consequences will be for all of them?

No WONDER the script gave him both the sehlat story and the goddamn last word! He deserved them!

I hope he found some peace in getting to save Spock’s father, when he couldn’t save his own.