History TearJerker / StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry

* '''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=650ClLkTo7k Chancellor Gorkon's death]]''' is gut-wrenching, especially when you consider people in ''both'' Starfleet ''and'' the Klingon Empire worked TOGETHER in order to assassinate him because they didn't want him to make an alliance between their two governments!
** His last words are heartbreaking: [[https://youtu.be/650ClLkTo7k?t=114 "Don't let it end this way, Captain..."]] Kirk, who expressed bigotry towards the Klingons in his own personal log due to [[Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock (three of) them murdering his son David]], stands there shocked with cognitive dissonance: instead of cursing him in his last breath, the man was begging Kirk to save the peace process. Kirk observed bitterly later that "Gorkon had to die before I realized how prejudiced I was" and regretted not taking him at his word from the get-go.
* "Second star to the right...And straight on 'til morning." ManlyTears were shed.

* Creator/MerrittButrick's cameo. The film was ''after'' he had died of AIDS complications.

* More like a Fridge Tearjerker, but how Valeris' betrayal affects Spock. She's second only to Saavik when it comes to Spock's proteges. He tried his best to teach her how to have hope, but she wasn't good enough to live up to it. She didn't just betray him as a Starfleet officer, she didn't just betray him as a Vulcan; she betrayed him [[LikeASonToMe as a surrogate daughter]]. That's a hard blow for anybody.
** Her betrayal gets him [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness openly angry, causing him to smack the phaser out of her hand]]. [[BerserkButton Meaning that he's angry enough for it to crack that Vulcan calm]]. Oh yeah, he is PISSED, and it is tragic, because it means that he trusted her that much.

*** Why would Spock perform what amounts to mind rape? [[ArcWords Because the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few]]. Kirk needed those names to prevent an interstellar war, which outweighed the mental security of one Vulcan, and the self-respect of another Vulcan.

** There's even shots of other crew members on the bridge reacting in horror as Valeris cries out from the anguish of being Mind-Melded.
** And the reason for that mind meld: Valeris having thrown Spock's own earlier logic back at him. She has made this choice, and, as a full Vulcan, did so with a fully sound mind and logical reasoning. Meaning that she found logic to racism and hatred - because to those who embrace these things, there is always "logic" to their choices. It's no wonder that Spock feels so betrayed.
* The fact that among the conspirators was Admiral Cartwright, a relatively minor ([[ReasonableAuthorityFigure though friendly]]) character who had previously appeared in one of the more popular ''[[Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome Star Trek]]'' films may come as a slap in the face to some fans. Brock Peters, who played Cartwright, was saddened by this turn, too. It’s a sad reminder that bigotry and hate can come in any form, and it's hit home by Cartwright being played by a man best known for playing [[Film/ToKillAMockingbird an innocent man caught on the wrong side of both]].

-->'''Kirk''': You should have trusted me.

* At the trial, Bones defends his failure to save Gorkon as best he can, but finally breaks down and looks around for support as he makes his final attempt. It doesn't help Chang depicts him as a drunk, old doctor.
-->'''[=McCoy=]''': My '''''God''''', man! I tried to save him! I '''tried to save him!'' I was ''desperate'' to save him! He was the last, best hope in the universe for peace.
* This movie is when the Klingon Empire starts to slowly die. From what we later see on TNG and [=DS9=] the Empire will never regain its glory and falls into the hands of corrupt politicians who drive it into the ground. In many ways the fears of Chang and Azetbur come true: according to ENT, the Klingons eventually join the Federation and, as pointed out here and especially on [=DS9=], the Federation assimilates cultures until they're just a hollow copy of humanity.
* Being allowed to get away with more, the book expands Martia and Kirk, that he doesn’t resist her kissing because he knows it’s a way to get out of there (like he used to do in the main series), that they spooned, that she keeps leering at him and touching him after, and he feels guilty and violated.
* Kirk and Spock’s scene over the regrets they’ve had in their lives (Kirk letting his emotions rule him, Spock being too logical), and both fearing they’ve got too old to be useful in the universe.
* The book also has a moment where Kirk would rather die in battle than have to face getting older and retiring. Even without the knowledge of his death in the next film, it’s rough.
** The novelization also adds an increased justification for Kirk's unyielding hatred towards the Klingons - shortly before the events of the film, the bird of prey flown by Chang attacks the planet Sidau, where Carol Marcus is working. She spends the better part of the film's events in a coma, with Kirk not knowing if she'd awaken, meaning that in addition to Klingons having killed his son, the Klingons came very close to killing the mother of his son as well.

* The book also has a moment where Kirk would rather die in battle than have to face getting older and retiring. Even without the knowledge of his UndignifiedDeath in the next film it’s rough.

* Merritt Butrick's cameo. The film was ''after'' he had died of AIDS complications.

*** Why would Spock perform what amounts to mind rape? Because the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Kirk needed those names to prevent an interstellar war, which outweighed the mental security of one Vulcan, and the self-respect of another Vulcan.

* The fact that among the conspirators was Admiral Cartwright, a relatively minor ([[ReasonableAuthorityFigure though friendly]]) character who had previously appeared in one of the more popular ''[[Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome Star Trek]]'' films may come as a slap in the face to some fans. Brock Peters, who played Cartwright, was saddened by this turn, too. It’s a sad reminder that bigotry and hate can come in any form, and it’s hit home by Cartwright being played by a man best known for playing [[Film/ToKillAMockingbird an innocent man caught on the wrong side of both]].

* Chancellor Gorkon's death is gut-wrenching, especially when you consider people in ''both'' Starfleet ''and'' the Klingon Empire worked TOGETHER in order to assassinate him because they didn't want him to make an alliance between their two governments!
** His last words are heartbreaking: "Don't let it end this way, Captain..." Kirk, who expressed bigotry towards the Klingons in his own personal log due to [[Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock (three of) them murdering his son]], stands there shocked with cognitive dissonance: instead of cursing him in his last breath, the man was begging Kirk to save the peace process. Kirk observed bitterly later that "Gorkon had to die before I realized how prejudiced I was" and regretted not taking him at his word from the get-go.

* The fact that among the conspirators was Admiral Cartwright, a relatively minor ([[ReasonableAuthorityFigure though friendly]]) character who had previously appeared in one of the more popular ''[[Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome Star Trek]]'' films may come as a slap in the face to some fans. Brock Peters, who played Cartwright, was saddened by this turn, too.

-->'''[=McCoy=]''': I tried to save him! I was desperate to save him! He was the last, best hope in the universe for peace.

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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tuchd2540.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"Second star to the right, and straight on till morning..."]]

* Chancellor Gorkon's death is gut-wrenching, [[spoiler:especially when you consider people in ''both'' Starfleet ''and'' the Klingon Empire worked TOGETHER in order to assassinate him because they didn't want him to make an alliance between their two governments!]]

* The fact that among the conspirators was [[spoiler:Admiral Cartwright]], a relatively minor ([[ReasonableAuthorityFigure though friendly]]) character who had previously appeared in one of the more popular ''[[Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome Star Trek]]'' films may come as a slap in the face to some fans. [[spoiler:Brock Peters, who played Cartwright, was saddened by this turn, too.]]

* The fact that among the conspirators was [[spoiler:Admiral Cartright]], a relatively minor ([[ReasonableAuthorityFigure though friendly]]) character who had previously appeared in one of the more popular ''[[Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome Star Trek]]'' films may come as a slap in the face to some fans. [[spoiler:Brock Peters, who played Cartwright, was saddened by this turn, too.]]

* Chancellor Gorkon's death is surprisingly tearjerking, [[spoiler:especially when you consider people in ''both'' Starfleet ''and'' the Klingon Empire worked TOGETHER in order to assassinate him because they didn't want him to make an alliance between their two governments!]]