Star Trek’s 10 Greatest Spock Episodes, Ranked

Of all the long-lasting characters to come back out of “Star Trek,” one of the crucial notable of all of them is Spock. Primarily the chief science officer on the starship Enterprise, Spock is a fixture on the bridge and the very best pal of Captain James T. Kirk. Regardless of his usually impassive demeanor as a Vulcan, Spock finds himself at odds together with his combined heritage as he represses his human sentiments. Despite the fact that Spock’s preliminary tenure on the Enterprise got here to an finish with the cancellation of “Star Trek: The Authentic Collection” in 1969, the character is a recurring staple within the franchise.

The position of Spock was originated by Leonard Nimoy, with Zachary Quinto and Ethan Peck every providing their very own interpretations of the character in subsequent initiatives. Merely put, Spock has turn into the face of “Star Trek,” showing in quite a few sequence all through the franchise’s historical past. This prominence has led to Spock receiving most of the greatest “Star Trek” episodes throughout his tenure with the franchise. Listed here are the ten greatest “Star Trek” episodes for everybody’s pointy-eared scientist, Spock.

After making his debut as Spock in “Star Trek: Discovery,” Ethan Peck reprised his position for the spinoff sequence “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds.” At this stage in Spock’s life, he’s getting ready to marry his betrothed T’Pring (Gia Sandhu), which clashes in opposition to his profession in Starfleet. “Unusual New Worlds” episodes that convey the 2 collectively usually comprise comedic undertones, with the strongest so far being “Charades.” The second season episode has Spock endure an accident that leaves him totally human proper earlier than he undergoes an engagement ritual with T’Pring and her dad and mom.

Spock attempting his greatest to maintain his situation from T’Pring and his potential in-laws supplies a surprisingly deep effectively of humor. Peck’s flip because the totally human Spock is one among his most entertaining turns because the character, sustaining that baseline depiction with comically human foibles. The episode additionally brings again Spock’s mom Amanda Grayson (Mia Kirshner), who performs off Peck effectively. One of many funniest “Unusual New Worlds” episodes, “Charades” showcases Spock’s human aspect in a totally amusing means.

As the primary officer of the Enterprise, Spock usually takes command every time Kirk (William Shatner) is in any other case indisposed. Spock’s management fashion takes the highlight within the first season episode “The Galileo Seven,” when he and a small crew’s shuttle crashes on a distant planet. Unable to contact the Enterprise, Spock and his ensemble should fend for themselves within the hostile world as they attempt to restore their shuttle and escape. Nonetheless, Spock’s strictly logical outlook and command bristles his fellow survivors because the scenario shortly grows extra dire.

“The Galileo Seven” is a primary instance of exhibiting that, as supremely analytical as Spock is, he’s certainly not good or all the time proper. Spock makes quite a lot of errors in coping with the crash-landing disaster within the episodes and, given the stakes, these errors change into expensive. Regardless of these grave setbacks, Spock maintains his cool and his choices are all the time, on the very least, logically thought out. A take a look at how a Vulcan chief reacts to elevated desperation, “The Galileo Seven” is a stronger episode for its examination of Spock greater than its typical sci-fi spectacle.

The character of Spock truly predates a lot of the Enterprise crew, together with Captain Kirk, showing within the authentic “Star Trek” pilot, “The Cage.” Although “The Cage” itself went unreleased for many years, following the manufacturing of a second pilot episode, footage was reused for the two-parter “The Menagerie.” The primary season story has Spock abduct his outdated commanding officer, Christopher Pike, and hijack the Enterprise to go to a forbidden planet, Talos IV. Dealing with a tribunal for this reckless motion, Spock’s protection falls on what occurred on Talos IV when he visited the planet with Pike years in the past.

By itself, “The Cage” was stuffed with heady philosophical concepts and was largely tough across the edges, resulting in the commissioning of a second pilot. Re-edited as “The Menagerie,” the story will not be solely refined however match organically inside the “TOS” context that followers know and love. On this new presentation, Spock exhibits how far he’ll go to save lots of his mates, even when it stands in direct opposition to logic. “The Menagerie” went on to turn into a vital piece of “Star Trek” lore, particularly for “Discovery” and “Unusual New Worlds.”

One other story the place Spock seemingly goes rogue, “The Enterprise Incident” from the third season of TOS opens with Kirk ordering the Enterprise into Romulan territory. With the ship inevitably intercepted and surrounded by Romulan vessels, Kirk is taken prisoner whereas Spock receives a friendlier reception. Although cautious of Starfleet’s incursion, the Romulan commander (Joanne Linville) takes a romantic curiosity in Spock, that the Vulcan seems to reciprocate. This culminates in Spock apparently killing Kirk, bringing him deeper into the Romulans’ internal circle because the true scope of the Enterprise’s secret mission is revealed.

Whereas Spock had undertaken cloak-and-dagger kind missions earlier than, “The Enterprise Incident” is essentially the most espionage-oriented episode of “TOS.” Spock will get to play surprisingly deadly and romantic, inside the bounds of Vulcan and Romulan affection, abruptly all through the episode. Nimoy performs off Linville effectively, capturing the nuances of their distinctive romance, even with the problems and subtext of Spock’s true motivations. Nimoy constantly shines inside the subtleties his Vulcan position requires and “The Enterprise Incident” provides him loads of fascinating instructions to take his efficiency.

1972’s “Star Trek: The Animated Collection” not solely proved that the franchise might work in animation, however that the identical degree of subtle sci-fi storytelling seamlessly match into the medium. The primary season episode “Yesteryear” delves into Spock’s childhood on Vulcan, particularly a pivotal second that helped inform his choice to embrace his dedication to logic. After a routine time-traveling mission alters the timeline and Spock’s existence in it, Spock travels again in time to revive historical past. This includes Spock visiting Vulcan and guaranteeing his upbringing proceeds as deliberate, realizing he had performed a vital position in his childhood all alongside.

“Yesteryear” is arguably the very best episode in “The Animated Collection” and definitely an vital one for Spock in any sequence. Posing as his personal distant cousin Selek, Spock will get to be the mentor his youthful self (Billy Simpson) wanted rising up. This culminates in serving to the younger Spock having the ability to let go of his beloved pet in a painful studying second. Probably the most mature episode of “TAS,” “Yesteryear” is a must-watch story for any severe Spock fan.

Regardless of his fixed reserved demeanor, there’s an enormously acutely aware quantity of emotional repression Spock endures consistent with Vulcan custom. The primary glimpse on the extent of this internal turmoil is revealed within the first season episode “The Bare Time.” Whereas investigating a Starfleet outpost, the Enterprise is contaminated by a wierd contagion that unleashes the contaminated’s inhibitions. This consists of Spock, whose human feelings lastly break via his Vulcan veneer and power him to confront them head-on.

Of all of the characters contaminated over the course of “The Bare Time,” essentially the most heartbreaking of all is Spock. Many of the different contaminated characters’ habits is performed for laughs, however Spock has to reconcile with by no means telling his mom how a lot he really cared for her. Nimoy performs these moments with soul-searing gusto, with Spock attempting and failing to maintain his wonton feelings in verify. “The Bare Time” successfully informs the viewers that, as calm as Spock usually seems, there’s a substantial amount of internal turbulence that he contends with always.

There are a number of “Star Trek” episodes that contain exterior forces inflicting Spock to drop his logical facade. Probably the most notable is the primary season episode “This Aspect of Paradise,” with the Enterprise visiting colonists on a distant planet. Because the crew investigates how the colonists are capable of stand up to the planet’s deadly radiation, they’re contaminated with spores that depart them uncharacteristically blissful and unwilling to go away. Spock is the primary crew member contaminated, placing up a romance together with his outdated acquaintance Leila (Jill Eire) who’s among the many colonists.

If “The Bare Time” confirmed the tortured emotional aspect of Spock, “This Aspect of Paradise” lets him lastly be joyfully blissful. By way of his life with Leila, Spock experiences the constructive results of his human feelings and is lastly allowed to exhibit romantic love. Probably the most bittersweet a part of “This Aspect of Paradise,” in fact, is the data that this outward pleasure can solely ever be momentary. After the incident is resolved, a restored Spock concedes that, for the primary time, he was blissful, in one of many saddest moments for his character as his logic returns.

For as unflappable and staid as they seem for many of “Star Trek,” the Vulcans come from a violent background earlier than they embraced the philosophical tenets of logic. This extra barbaric aspect of their historical past is explored within the second season episode “Amok Time,” significantly the way it pertains to Vulcan courtship. Spock grows emotionally unstable as he undergoes pon-farr, a organic operate when Vulcans enter a mating interval. With a purpose to save his pal, Kirk agrees to take Spock to Vulcan, solely to find a extra harmful a part of the species’ mating ritual firsthand.

Previous emotional episodes for Spock in “TOS” showcased his disappointment and happiness as his Vulcan facade faltered. “Amok Time” shows Spock’s anger as he’s barely capable of comprise himself whereas pon-farr clouds his thoughts and self-control. This places his friendship with Kirk to the last word take a look at, culminating within the two combating to the dying as a part of the mating ritual. The aftermath brings Spock again to his senses, revealing how a lot he cares for his greatest pal, with Nimoy delivering each inch of Spock’s emotional journey right here.

Although “Star Trek: The Subsequent Era” initially prevented referencing Spock, the fifth season two-parter “Unification” brings the long-lasting Vulcan entrance and middle. After Spock leaves Starfleet to turn into a Federation ambassador, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) learns Spock has been noticed on Romulus. Picard and Information (Brent Spiner) secretly journey to Romulus the place they uncover Spock is engaged on an unsanctioned mission to peacefully unite Vulcan and Romulan society. Nonetheless, the three figures’ presence on Romulus has not gone undetected by hostile events, placing all three at nice danger.

Of all of the returning “TOS” characters to seem in “TNG” and its related films, Nimoy’s return as Spock feels essentially the most impactful and natural. The story continues Spock’s journey from “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Nation” whereas setting him up for his position within the 2009 “Star Trek” reboot movie. On a extra character-focused be aware, it exhibits the lengths Spock will go, even out of Starfleet, to make a distinction. The episode’s closing scene, with Spock revealing how a lot he loves his often estranged father Sarek (Mark Lenard) additionally serves as a gorgeous, if bittersweet, coda to their relationship.

Probably the most sophisticated relationship in Spock’s life is between him and his father, stemming from Spock selecting to enlist in Starfleet reasonably than enrolling within the Vulcan Science Academy. This estrangement is the emotional centerpiece of the “TOS” episode “Journey to Babel,” with Sarek and Amanda (Jane Wyatt) visiting the Enterprise on a diplomatic mission. Sarek suffers a medical emergency, requiring Spock to hitch in a dangerous medical process to save lots of his father as they reconcile their troubled dynamic. This comes because the diplomatic mission is threatened by assassins each on and tailing the Enterprise.

“Journey to Babel” provides extra about Spock’s backstory than some other episode in all of “TOS,” particularly his upbringing and household life. Nimoy performs effectively off Lenard and Wyatt, with the three exploring the wrinkles of Spock’s dynamic together with his dad and mom. That that is all executed underneath the standard unflappable Vulcan demeanor makes Nimoy and Lenard’s performances all of the extra delicate of their supply. One among the very best “Star Trek” episodes ever, no matter character focus, “Journey to Babel” is Spock at his most quietly nuanced.