Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Coming of Age Quotes

Spock has just answered a rapid-fire series of questions on science, history, and countless other subjects. He nailed them all with little effort. This question, however, completely stumps him.

Spock's mom rightfully observes that he's been leaning on his Vulcan side since his recovery. While it's great that this has helped him get back on his feet, it comes at the expense of his human side, which is far more emotional. He can repress all he wants, but those feelings will come out sooner or later.

Is McCoy wrong here? Although Spock is recovering well, he currently has the emotional maturity of a 12-year-old. Is it really wise to trust someone's judgment in that situation? We can't blame the good doctor for being his usual skeptical self here.

McCoy is desperate to hear what it's like to pass through the pearly gates, but Spock has no interest in the discussion. In a way, it seems like Spock doesn't understand what he just went through. Does a kid remember what it was like to be in his mom's stomach? It might be the same kind of deal.

A big part of Spock's recovery is reconnecting with his friends from Enterprise. Because he's been acting so darn Vulcan-y lately, though, he struggles with this more than he usually does.

It's like training a puppy. Once again, Spock struggles to balance his logical Vulcan side with his emotional human side. He's always had a hard time with this, of course, but now it feels like he's starting from square one.

This conversation embodies Spock's internal conflict between logic and emotions. Spock is half human, so he should have some sympathy for Earth's plight, but he still struggles to empathize with those in harm's way. In terms of emotional development, this lands him squarely in the "sociopathic teenager" stage. Oh, joy.

This is another big moment in Spock's development as a person. Because he's relying so hard on logic, he thinks that everything must be concrete and unambiguous. Yeah, that's not always possible, and learning how to deal with that is a big part of maturity, whether you're Vulcan or not.

Aw, shucks—there's nothing like a proud dad moment. We tear up every time. This must be especially meaningful to Spock since he and his father aren't exactly buddy-buddy. They talk about feelings as much as you'd expect from a pair of Vulcans, which is to say not very much.

This exchange proves that Spock is human because no Vulcan would lay on a pun that thick. Shiver. That aside, the exchange also shows us that Spock has become more like his old self once again—a self that doesn't see logic and emotion as an either-or proposition.