Vulcans have been dwelling lengthy and prospering in “Star Trek” ever because the Enterprise took its maiden voyage in pilot episode “The Cage.” In addition to being founder members of the Federation, their pointed ears and logical worldview have develop into synonymous with the franchise. Legions of followers have tied their fingers in knots in an effort to mimic Mr. Spock’s well-known salute.
As recognizable as they’re, it seems that enjoying a Vulcan is never fairly as simple as donning a pair of prosthetic ears, aggressively shaping your eyebrows, and adopting extreme bangs. Within the enjoyable new “Unusual New Worlds” episode “4-and-a-Half Vulcans,” Enterprise crew members Pike (Anson Mount), La’An (Christina Chong), Chapel (Jess Bush), and Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) expertise the reverse of the process that briefly made Spock totally human in season 2’s “Charades,” as their genomes are resequenced to make them full- (and presumably green-) blooded members of the species.
After all, Vulcans are usually not historically famend for his or her humorousness, so it is ironic that this unashamedly comedic outing — the most recent illustration of “Unusual New Worlds”‘ fondness for gimmick-heavy episodes — ought to play its new Vulcan crewmembers for laughs. The query is, would Surak, the legendary pioneer of Vulcan logic, approve?
The rearranged DNA manifests otherwise in every of the Vulcan newbies. Captain Pike turns into a really shouty, hygiene-obsessed boss from hell – his new-found ardour for stand-up conferences and 42-minute shift patterns actually is the stuff of nightmares. Nurse Chapel concludes that sleep, pals, and romantic entanglements have been hampering her productiveness. And communications officer Uhura opts to embrace the improved effectivity of her Vulcan conversational expertise, earlier than deploying a morally questionable thoughts meld to show Beto Ortegas into extra appropriate boyfriend materials. La’An, in the meantime, begins to exhibit the dictatorial traits of the warmongering Romulans, who — unbeknown to many of the Federation — break up off from the Vulcans to go their very own approach just a few millennia beforehand.
The one factor that unites the quartet is that they are all cartoon variations of Vulcans, extra caricatures than precise characters. Nearly by default they speak within the barely robotic voice that many assume to be a Vulcan trait (La’An being the notable exception). It is a mistake loads of actors have made prior to now, however wanting again via “Trek” historical past, probably the most memorable Vulcans are typically quite extra nuanced and, dare we are saying it, human.
Ignoring unique “Trek” pilot “The Cage” (the place his line supply is remarkably just like Vulcan Pike’s), Leonard Nimoy’s OG Spock has extra depth than just about any of the Vulcans who adopted in his footsteps. Captain Kirk’s first officer is probably not susceptible to outward shows of emotion, however his depraved sense of comedian timing (and a strategically raised eyebrow) are all he must shut down Dr. McCoy’s barbs. Nimoy’s successors within the position, Zachary Quinto and Ethan Peck, have additionally negotiated the 2 sides of Spock’s human/Vulcan heritage with type — Peck has even turned him into one thing of an interstellar lothario.
Moreover, when Spock tries to make use of the Kolinahr ritual to purge his final remaining feelings in “Star Trek: The Movement Image,” there isn’t any query he turns into a a lot duller character consequently. It is due to this fact a giant aid when his extra playful, and at occasions borderline sarcastic, self returns in “The Wrath of Khan.” Admiral Kirk is not joking when he says of his fallen comrade, “Of all of the souls I’ve encountered in my travels, his was probably the most… human.”
Spock’s protégée, the brilliant Lieutenant Saavik, also sidesteps Vulcan cliché. A deleted scene (and various non-canon spin-offs) have explained away her unconventional behavior as a consequence of her half-Romulan heritage. More importantly, however, Kirstie Alley’s performance in “The Wrath of Khan” is loaded with personality, her Saavik admitting to being confused by human emotions while displaying plenty of her own — she even sheds a tear at Spock’s funeral.
When Robin Curtis inherits the Saavik role in “The Search for Spock,” her more stilted, more stereotypically Vulcan performance leaves you wondering if you’re watching the same character or someone who just happens to have the same name.
As Spock notes in “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans,” it’s not that Vulcans don’t have feelings, it’s more that their emotions are so powerful that they need to deploy logic to protect themselves and the people around them. We have seen what can happen if those barriers break down, like when Captain Picard mind melds with Spock’s ailing dad, Ambassador Sarek, in “The Next Generation” episode “Sarek.”(Then again, Mark Lenard’s long-running performance as Spock’s dad is another that ensures emotion is always bubbling beneath that stoic Vulcan exterior. Maybe Sarek’s connection with his feelings is one of the reasons he married a human woman…).
Yet, somewhere along the line, Vulcans have become the butt of the joke with their stiff, snobbish demeanor a source of ridicule for their (supposedly) more progressive human shipmates. Spock tries hard to adopt some “colorful metaphors” in “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” and even harder to “comprehend the meaning” of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” in “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.” The Vulcan dignitaries in “First Contact” seem utterly flummoxed when Zefram Cochrane’s plays Roy Orbison on the jukebox, while Captain Archer loves to moan about the Vulcans’ big brother attitude in “Enterprise.” In “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans,” Spock is happy to admit that many Vulcans are “jerks.”
Now, doesn’t it feel a little odd that “Star Trek” has allowed so many Vulcans — one of the most iconic alien races in sci-fi, don’t forget — to become so, well, one note? Surely boiling Vulcan culture down to a checklist of presumed character traits is rather too reductive, even in a comedy episode like this week’s “Strange New Worlds”? Especially as said characteristics were never part of Spock’s DNA in the first place.
Spock, “Lower Decks”‘ T’Lyn, and planet Earth fanboy Doug (a brilliant cameo from Patton Oswalt) have all shown that Vulcans can be funny without becoming jokes themselves. Indeed, from T’Pol to Tuvok, Saavik to Spock, Vulcans have repeatedly proved themselves to be among the brainiest, hardest-working members of Starfleet. Sure, they may not always be the first name on the list of invites for that party in Ten Forward, but there’s more to being a Vulcan than pointy ears and pretending that every day is international talk like a robot day.
New episodes of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” debut on Paramount+ on Thursdays.
