Spock's emotional maturity

[alpha_leonis]

After rewatching TWOK (yet again), I was struck this time by how comfortable Spock was with ... not exactly expressing his own emotions, but at least acknowledging the emotional needs of his human crewmates.

From Spock's conversation in his quarters with Kirk ("I have no ego to bruise ... but you darn well better take command of this ship!")

... to his birthday present to Kirk (marking the anniversary of somebody's birth by giving presents -- especially in an interstellar civilization like theirs where different planets have different lengths of their years -- seems like an illogical custom.)

... to his order to Sulu on leaving Spacedock ("Indulge yourself!" -- Sulu's desire to just pilot a ship with no particular destination was the height of illogic, yet Spock respected Sulu's emotional need to do it.)


By contrast, Saavik was openly critical of Kirk in the same movie for the simple act of expressing humor. I think it shows a lot of maturity on Spock's part in the years since he'd attempted (but failed in) obtaining Kolinahr, or even those years of TOS, where any emotional expression was only barely tolerated, but was mostly distasteful.

Thoughts?

 

[Green Shirt]

Like he told Valeris, "Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end."

 

[Mojochi]

Like he told Valeris, "Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end."

Right. By the time of TUC, it's clear he is adopting his own philosophy. It also appears in TVH, in his ability to rely on guessing when all else fails, and his awareness of Kirk's "Deep feelings"

It's clear, by this time, that he has given consideration to his humanity, and is no longer truly living by a strict Vulcan philosophy. He realizes that his humanity isn't a curse, but a blessing that pure Vulcans don't have

I believe it is this evolution within him that led him to seek peace negotiations with the Romulans in TNG. He is the best equipped Vulcan for the task of taking an emotional kinspeople and showing them the journey to logic, instead of just rigid indoctrination to it, like most Vulcans have.

Spock's personal evolution is a very special thing that has bridged the entire franchise. I can even see the passions showing in NuTrek

 

[2takesfrakes]

Spock's death - and resurrection - changed his mode of thinking. It's very unfortunate that this process had to be initiated by his sort of Forest Gump'ishness in STAR TREK IV. In the original series, Spock was not as insenstive to the main characters feelings as his aloofness and statements seemed to suggest. Spock's embracing of his Human side would eventually influence future STAR TREK writers to portray Vulcans as more Human, too ... which I feel shouldn't have ever happened.

 

[Green Shirt]

Spock's death - and resurrection - changed his mode of thinking.

Even McCoy commented on this in TVH, he liked Spock better before he died. Even though he probably didn't mean it.

 

[J.T.B.]

Whatever one thinks of how well it was handled, TMP put the conflicted Human vs. Vulcan, logic vs. emotion side of Spock's character to rest once and for all. He went for the kholinar, couldn't get it, got back in touch with his friends, hooked up with V'ger, realized the importance of "simple feeling," and resolved his internal conflict in parallel with V'ger

 

[eyeresist]

Whatever one thinks of how well it was handled, TMP put the conflicted Human vs. Vulcan, logic vs. emotion side of Spock's character to rest once and for all. He went for the kholinar, couldn't get it, got back in touch with his friends, hooked up with V'ger, realized the importance of "simple feeling," and resolved his internal conflict in parallel with V'ger

Agreed - Spock had to attempt the Kolinahr, with its repression of his human sympathies, before he could really come to terms with his own nature. TMP Spock seems relatively cold, but I think there was a lot going on under the surface at the time. The experience of going from his retreat on Vulcan back to the Enterprise and then meeting V'Ger taught him that he didn't have to be one thing to the exclusion of all else.

Spock's embracing of his Human side would eventually influence future STAR TREK writers to portray Vulcans as more Human, too ... which I feel shouldn't have ever happened.

I don't blame Spock, just mediocre TV writers who thought Vulcans weren't dramatic enough to write for.