Spock Doesn't Know His Own Family Tree

[Pahwraith]

...not specifically, anyway.

In the episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," Kirk and Spock are playing chess. Kirk makes some remark about Spock having bad blood, to which Spock notes that "one of his ancestors married a human female..."

One of his ancestors? Try harder, Spock. That's your mother you're talking about.

 

[ClayinCA]

Maybe he "was not disposed to discuss matters of a personal nature" at that point in his relationship with Kirk. He's probably relaxed a bit by the time of "The Corbomite Maneuver," when he refers to his mother as "an Earth female" (of course, he's just compared Sarek to Balok at that point).

 

[Pahwraith]

That's a good theory. Of course we have no idea how long Spock had served under Cap'n Kirk at that point. We know he's been on the Enterprise for a while, since Pike's time anyway, but nothing else.

 

[ToddPence]

Well, technically his father is one of his ancestors, so the usage is not incorrect.

 

[Pahwraith]

Well, technically his father is one of his ancestors, so the usage is not incorrect.

By definition, ancestor means: "A person from whom one is descended, especially if more remote than a grandparent; a forebear."

That definition suggests that father is accepted as an ancestor, but not by default. Additionally, we could blame Spocks line on the fact that it was the second pilot, and they really didn't know everything about what they were doing yet. Just kinda making it up as they go.

I mean c'mon, they travelled to the edge of our galaxy in that episode. Isn't our own galaxy big enough to explore it first before we start venturing out to other ones?

 

[Christopher]

I mean c'mon, they travelled to the edge of our galaxy in that episode. Isn't our own galaxy big enough to explore it first before we start venturing out to other ones?

Plenty of Europeans were searching for a passage across North America to the Pacific long before they'd fully explored the continent itself. We've sent probes to every other major body in the Solar System even though we've charted only a tiny fraction of our own ocean floor. Exploration doesn't have to advance linearly.

 

[ancient]

A little white lie. Spock could be somewhat embarrassed by his human heritage, so he tries to distance himself from it.

 

[Therin of Andor]

A little white lie. Spock could be somewhat embarrassed by his human heritage, so he tries to distance himself from it.

He didn't lie; he exaggerated.

 

[Forbin]

Dude, it was the freakin' PILOT episode! Roddenberry was just starting to figure things out himself!

 

[Timo]

Still, it works perfectly in the broader context, regardless of whether the writers carefully based later episodes on this pilot, or whether it was just a lucky coincidence. Spock was barely in speaking terms with his mother, and not in speaking terms with his father. A bit of sarcasm would certainly have been due in "Where No Man" and "Corbomite", and much of it still showed in "Journey to Babel".

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Kryton]

They don't have a lot of trees on Vulcan. So they refer to as a "Family Rock" instead.

 

[gastrof]

...we could blame Spocks line on the fact that it was the second pilot, and they really didn't know everything about what they were doing yet. Just kinda making it up as they go...

Early discussions of Spock when Trek was in the planning stages included one note that said "Probably half-Martian".

Sounds like they were thinking one of his parents was from Earth right from the start, but that a lot was in flux and unclear, undecided.

Do we even hear ANYTHING about Spock, his planet, or his ancestry in The Cage? I don't think so.

 

[Ronald Held]

Wood is scarce on Vulcan.
I think it was a matter of privacy to answer that way.

 

[Classic Fan]

Dude, it was the freakin' PILOT episode! Roddenberry was just starting to figure things out himself!

Its like saying that George Lucas had all six Star Wars movies planned from the beginning.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Dude, it was the freakin' PILOT episode! Roddenberry was just starting to figure things out himself!

shhhh!!!! it's canon!!!!!!! Everything counts and must be explained!!!!!

 

[Nerys Myk]

Dude, it was the freakin' PILOT episode! Roddenberry was just starting to figure things out himself!

Its like saying that George Lucas had all six Star Wars movies planned from the beginning.

It was NINE!!! Dammit!!!!

 

[kissthestar]

Wood is scarce on Vulcan.
I think it was a matter of privacy to answer that way.

Teh heh.

 

[Classic Fan]

Dude, it was the freakin' PILOT episode! Roddenberry was just starting to figure things out himself!

Its like saying that George Lucas had all six Star Wars movies planned from the beginning.

It was NINE!!! Dammit!!!!

Sorry, my bad.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Its like saying that George Lucas had all six Star Wars movies planned from the beginning.

It was NINE!!! Dammit!!!!

Sorry, my bad.

Reminded of the woman who came in the book store I managed back in the 80s and wanted all nine Star Wars books. The ones the movies were being based on. She left convinced I had no idea what I was talking about when I informed her they did not exist.

 

[Pahwraith]

It was NINE!!! Dammit!!!!

Sorry, my bad.

Reminded of the woman who came in the book store I managed back in the 80s and wanted all nine Star Wars books. The ones the movies were being based on. She left convinced I had no idea what I was talking about when I informed her they did not exist.

That's hilarious.