Spock (Leonard Nimoy)

Character Analysis

Get ready for some personal time with your favorite pointy-eared character not named Legolas. In The Final Frontier, we gain insight into Spock's past, revealing a rarely seen emotional side to this logic-driven square.

The Spock-inator

Let's start by talking about Spock's shame regarding his human heritage. Spock was born of a human mother and Vulcan father, and though he considers himself Vulcan due to the fact that he was raised in that culture, he still struggles with his humanness. In case you don't know, Vulcans are defined by their total adherence to logic and suppression of emotion. That's not exactly the human way.

Spock's shame was especially pronounced during his childhood. The scene conjured up by his half-bro, Sybok, illustrates this well: Sarek, Spock's father, merely says that Spock is "so human" when he sees his newborn son for the first time. Serious shade. It's Sarek's way of distancing himself from his son instead of bringing him closer.

Spock, You'll Be a Vulcan Soon

As painful as this is for Spock, he seems to have managed to make peace with his feelings. How? By joining Enterprise, of course:

SPOCK: Sybok, you are my brother, but you do not know me. I am not the outcast boy you left behind those many years ago. Since that time, I found myself and my place. I know who I am. 

In many ways, the sudden appearance of Spock's half-brother brings all of this unpleasantness back to the forefront; it likely exacerbates the issue that Sybok is a pure Vulcan, as well.

But Spock refuses to be pushed around. Take a look at the way he describes Enterprise. To him, it's a community—the only one where he feels he truly belongs. That's a powerful thing, and it gives him strength to be comfortable with himself. Though he cares for his brother and still feels pain when he revisits old memories, he gets enough personal fulfillment from Enterprise to outweigh the bad junk.