Star Trek V: Sybok's Quest for God or Just Dad Issues?

Okay, so I finally rewatched Star Trek V. I know, I know, it's the one everyone loves to hate, but I actually find it... fascinatingly bad? Like, a train wreck you can't look away from. But here's a half-baked theory I've been cooking up about Sybok and his motivations. Everyone says he's searching for God, right? But what if it's less about a divine creator and more about SERIOUS daddy issues? Think about it. He's Spock's half-brother, a Vulcan who rejected logic in favor of emotion. He's desperate to connect with something, to fill this hole in his soul. Maybe "God" on Sha Ka Ree is really just a stand-in for the father figure he never had, and the pain Sybok feels is actually rooted in familial abandonment. The whole sharing-your-pain thing feels like a desperate plea for connection, not just spiritual enlightenment. And the way he calls Spock "brother" is like, extra pointed in that context. And then you've got the ending. The whole confronting "God" thing is just... bizarre. But the way Sybok ultimately chooses his brother and his friends over this supposed deity? That's a powerful moment, regardless of how clunky the execution is. It feels like he's finally found the family he was always searching for. Maybe the real God was the friends we made along the way? I'm kidding, but the real question is, was it ever really about God, or finding a family connection? Am I reaching? Probably. But it gives me something to chew on with this movie, which desperately needs something. I still think the fan dance scene is... questionable at best. And Shatner's direction is... well, Shatner-y. But underneath all the cheese, there's a nugget of something interesting about familial bonds and the yearning for connection. I'm just saying, maybe we need to look at Sybok less as a religious zealot and more as a dude with some serious Freudian baggage. What you guys think?