If You Think Spock Lacks Emotion, You Misunderstand Vulcans

If you grew up in a nerdy family like mine, chances are that someone you love introduced you to Star Trek. And if you’re a millennial or Gen X-er, you probably grew up in the golden age of reruns, with access to TOS and syndicated runs of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space Nine, and Enterprise. For me, Christmas isn’t here until I hear the sweet tones of my brother’s Star Trek tree. The holiday is synonymous with Leonard Nimoy’s tinny voice recording reading, “Shuttlecraft to Enterprise, Shuttlecraft to Enterprise. Spock here. Happy holidays. Live long and prosper,” from my favorite old ornament. That’s how deep the love for Star Trek runs in my family, mostly thanks to my brother.

I grew up not only watching and loving Star Trek and discussing episodes and characters with my older brother. His favorite characters? Data and Spock. For me, it’s Spock, Riker, and James T. Kirk (but only when he’s played by Chris Pine and Paul Wesley). So it is beyond frustrating to me (as someone who has been indoctrinated into the world of Star Trek from the start of my life) when folks fundamentally misunderstand a character like Spock.

I’ve written about how flirtatious Spock in Strange New Worlds delights me to no end. What I didn’t expect (which was foolish of me, given my experience with men on the internet) were comments about how Strange New Worlds is “bad” for Spock because he’s too emotional. These same men argue that Spock is “emotionless” in the original series.

There is a lot wrong with this, mainly because it shows a lack of understanding of Spock as a character in general. If anything, Vulcans are not emotionless. They repress their emotions because they feel them too strongly, which makes them disdainful of humans and their emotions. Where Spock differs, obviously, is when his human side comes into play. So, looking at the three major iterations of Spock we’ve had, let’s delve into how each actor approaches the humanity in Spock and those “emotions” that he very much does feel.

The Original Series (Leonard Nimoy)

Spock appeared in the first pilot episode of Star Trek that included Jeffrey Hunter’s Captain Pike (hence their dynamic in Strange New Worlds) called “The Cage.” He’d go on to be Captain James T. Kirk’s (William Shatner) right-hand man and would spawn a relationship that fans would write about for decades to come. Truly, some people rightfully attribute the rise of slash fan-fiction to the popularity of Spirk (Spock and Kirk) as a “couple.” The show itself never had the two as a romantic pairing, but when has that stopped fans?

Frankly, how can you watch their interactions and not see that Spock’s emotions are tied to his relationship with Kirk? Take, for instance, all of Wrath of Khan. Yes, the ending is famous for Spock saying that “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of few” or even the one, as Kirk says to him. That is a move done in the name of Spock’s logic, but it is also a highly emotional moment because Spock knows that it is what he needs to do to save his friends.

That is not the action of an emotionless man. Even when Nimoy’s Spock appears in Star Trek (2009), he admits that his friendship and relationship with Kirk is one of the most important things in his life. That is an emotional statement. Nimoy’s Spock lets his emotions simmer under the surface in a masterfully subtle performance. If you’re not paying attention, then you’ll miss it.

The Kelvinverse (Zachary Quinto)

Obviously, the Kelvinverse is different. Zachary Quinto’s Spock is dealing with a world in which he is one of the last Vulcans remaining, so his stakes are incredibly high in comparison to both Nimoy and Peck’s versions of the character. Quinto’s Spock is a lot more willing to snap, which Kirk (Chris Pine) uses to his advantage in the 2009 film Star Trek. The cracks in his Vulcan emotional state show a lot more throughout the films, obviously with Jim but especially in his relationship with Uhura (Zoe Saldaña).

Nyota Uhura and Spock flirted with each other in the original series (so there is another argument against emotionless Spock) but the Kelvinverse really explores what a relationship between the two would look like. That alone shows that Spock isn’t emotionless. Still, with Quinto’s take on Spock, he’s less simmering in his emotions and more sassy with them. Which is, in itself, emotional.

Quinto’s Spock is much more willing to fight back and punch someone who is constantly second-guessing him and his actions. Both Nimoy and Peck’s takes on Spock are more about their emotional connection to those around them. And, in Peck’s case, about his romantic and physical connections.

Discovery and Strange New Worlds (Ethan Peck)

Ethan Peck’s take on Spock is a bridge to the Spock we know from TOS (or so we’re supposed to think). The Spock on Strange New Worlds is trying to navigate his human and Vulcan sides while handling the responsibilities of Starfleet. It’s a lot to put on the shoulders of a person, especially one who is still figuring out how to navigate his emotions.

Peck is so good at balancing the flirtatious and emotional sides of Spock, while paying homage to Nimoy’s own performance. His dynamic with Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) when he is in his fully human form in the season 2 episode “Charades” shows us an especially caring and open Spock. But even when he is returned to his normal half-human, half-Vulcan state, he still checks in on Christine to make sure that she is okay.

Caring for others is in itself an emotional act. Vulcans have emotions, and they do care for others. But those emotions might not be playing out on the surface.

Spock has emotions, they’re just repressed.

Peck’s sex-positive take on Spock is less about a departure from the character, but more a commentary on how television has evolved. TOS was ahead of its time back when it premiered in 1966, but audience expectations and televised storytelling have changed dramatically since then. This Spock, who is more open to understanding his sex drive (especially when T’Pring dives into literature on the subject), is a product of these new expectations. The audience and the medium are more receptive to those emotions that Spock has always had. The truth is that Spock has always been emotional. And that, to me, is what makes Spock such a fascinating character.

(featured image: CBS/Paramount/Paramount+)