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Published Aug 4, 2026, 3:00 PM EDT
John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises.
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Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 2 - "The Griffin Incident"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' horror episode has pushed Lieutenant Spock's (Ethan Peck) embracing of his humanity as far as it can go, and it's time to reverse course to turn Spock into Leonard Nimoy's Vulcan. Directed by Axelle Carolyn and written by Robbie Thompson, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 2 subjected Spock to gruesome body horror targeted at his Vulcan side.
In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 2, "The Griffin Incident," Spock, Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), and Lt. Commander James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) were trapped aboard the USS Griffin, a ghost ship infected by a malignant entity. The Griffin probed each Starfleet Officer and crafted terrifying scenarios based on their deepest secret fears.
The Griffin manipulated La'an's dread of becoming a monster. Under the Griffin's thrall, La'an stabbed and nearly killed Kirk, who was faced with his inadequacies as a father and watched as a manifestation of his brother, Lt. Sam Kirk (Dan Jeannotte), gruesomely died. Meanwhile, the Griffin isolated Spock in Sickbay and preyed upon his inner conflict between his Vulcan and human sides.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Finished Spock’s Reversal From Leonard Nimoy’s Vulcan
For Spock, the revelation in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' horror episode is that he considers his humanity a greater virtue than his Vulcan nature. This was represented by T'Pring (Gia Sandhu), who appeared as a manifestation derived from Spock's memories of his ex-fiancée. T'Pring strapped Spock to a bio-bed and operated on him, cutting off the points of his Vulcan ears.
T'Pring also threatened to perform surgery to move Spock's Vulcan heart to the left side of his chest, where human hearts reside. The twist is that since T'Pring wasn't real, Spock cut off his own ears and might even have attempted to remove his own heart. There is deeper meaning to how the Griffin entity exploited Spock's duality, confirming that Spock holds humanity above his being Vulcan.
By design, Spock in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is different to how he is in Star Trek: The Original Series. Ethan Peck's younger Lieutenant Spock is more open about exploring his human side, and credits his feelings to his human mother, Amanda Grayson (Mia Kirshner). Spock's romances with Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) and La'an are based around his desire to feel what humans feel and relate to his human girlfriends.
Through the false T'Pring, Spock exposed his hidden desire to shed his Vulcan side entirely — hence slicing off his pointed ears, the most obvious signifier of his being Vulcan. Having survived "The Griffin Incident," Spock must now reconcile the body horror he endured and begin to question his identity. Spock has to start rejecting his humanity and start dedicating himself fully to Vulcan logic.
Strange New Worlds’ Spock Mission Now Is To Fully Turn Him Into Nimoy’s Vulcan
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds set Spock on this character arc so that he would eventually grow into the Spock played by Leonard Nimoy, who holds his Vulcan nature as superior to humans. As executive producers Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers explained, Spock goes on a personal journey during the prequel years when his experiments with his humanity will lead him to ultimately reject it in favor of being Vulcan.
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01
The USS Enterprise is the most iconic starship in science fiction. What is the registry number of Captain Kirk’s original Enterprise from The Original Series?
ANCC-1701-D BNX-01 CNCC-1701 DNCC-74656
✓ Correct! NCC-1701 is the registry of Kirk’s original Constitution-class Enterprise. The “-D” suffix belongs to Picard’s Galaxy-class ship, NX-01 is Archer’s Enterprise, and NCC-74656 is Voyager.
✗ Red alert! The answer is NCC-1701. Kirk’s original Constitution-class Enterprise carried this now-legendary registry. NCC-1701-D is Picard’s Enterprise from TNG, NX-01 is Captain Archer’s, and NCC-74656 belongs to Voyager.
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02
Kirk’s most trusted officer is a half-human, half-Vulcan science officer famous for his logic and iconic salute. Who is this legendary character?
AData BSpock CTuvok DSarek
✓ Correct! Mr. Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy, is the half-Vulcan science officer whose “Live long and prosper” salute became a cultural icon. His struggle between logic and emotion defines the heart of the Original Series.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Spock. Data is an android from TNG, Tuvok is Voyager’s Vulcan tactical officer, and Sarek is Spock’s Vulcan father. Only Spock is the half-human, half-Vulcan first officer of Kirk’s Enterprise.
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03
Starfleet’s most important regulation forbids interference with the natural development of alien civilizations. What is this guiding principle called?
AThe Temporal Accord BGeneral Order One CThe Omega Directive DThe Prime Directive
✓ Correct! The Prime Directive (also known as General Order 1) is Starfleet’s most sacred law. It prohibits interfering with less-developed civilizations — though Kirk, Picard, and Janeway have all famously bent or broken it when lives were at stake.
✗ Red alert! The answer is the Prime Directive. While “General Order One” is technically another name for it, the Prime Directive is the universally known term. The Omega Directive and Temporal Accord are separate, more specialized Starfleet protocols.
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04
“Resistance is futile.” This chilling declaration belongs to a cybernetic collective that assimilates entire civilizations into its hive mind. What is this fearsome species called?
AThe Borg BThe Dominion CThe Romulans DSpecies 8472
✓ Correct! The Borg are Star Trek’s most terrifying villains — a hive-mind collective that forcibly assimilates species and technology. Captain Picard was famously assimilated and transformed into Locutus in the landmark TNG episode “The Best of Both Worlds.”
✗ Red alert! The answer is the Borg. The Dominion is the Gamma Quadrant empire from DS9, the Romulans are a rival empire, and Species 8472 is actually one of the few species that the Borg themselves fear. Only the Borg declare “Resistance is futile.”
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05
Captain Jean-Luc Picard commands the Enterprise-D in The Next Generation and later received his own series, Star Trek: Picard. Which acclaimed actor portrays him?
AWilliam Shatner BAvery Brooks CPatrick Stewart DScott Bakula
✓ Correct! Sir Patrick Stewart brought gravitas, Shakespeare, and Earl Grey tea to the captain’s chair for seven seasons of TNG, four films, and three seasons of Star Trek: Picard. His “Make it so” is one of TV’s most iconic catchphrases.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Patrick Stewart. William Shatner plays Captain Kirk, Avery Brooks is Captain Sisko on Deep Space Nine, and Scott Bakula captains the NX-01 Enterprise. Only Sir Patrick Stewart portrays the legendary Jean-Luc Picard.
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06
Starfleet vessels travel faster than light by bending space around them using a matter-antimatter reaction. What is this propulsion system called?
ATranswarp Drive BWarp Drive CSlipstream Drive DSpore Drive
✓ Correct! Warp Drive is the standard faster-than-light propulsion in Star Trek, powered by dilithium-regulated matter-antimatter reactions. Zefram Cochrane invented it in 2063, which led to humanity’s first contact with the Vulcans.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Warp Drive. Transwarp is an advanced Borg technology, Slipstream is an experimental quantum drive, and the Spore Drive uses mycelial network navigation (from Discovery). Standard Starfleet vessels use Warp Drive.
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07
At Starfleet Academy, cadets face a notorious no-win scenario designed to test their character under impossible circumstances. James Kirk is the only cadet who ever beat it — by cheating. What is this test called?
AThe Prometheus Trial BThe Omega Simulation CThe Corbomite Maneuver DThe Kobayashi Maru
✓ Correct! The Kobayashi Maru is an unwinnable rescue simulation that tests how cadets handle certain death. Kirk reprogrammed it so he could win — earning a commendation for original thinking. It was memorably featured in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
✗ Red alert! The answer is the Kobayashi Maru. The Corbomite Maneuver is a TOS episode, not an Academy test. The Kobayashi Maru is the famous no-win scenario that Kirk defeated by reprogramming the simulation — because he doesn’t believe in the no-win scenario.
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08
In the widely regarded greatest Star Trek film, a genetically enhanced superhuman from Earth’s past seeks revenge against Captain Kirk. “KHAAAAN!” Who is this iconic villain?
AKhan Noonien Singh BGeneral Chang CQ DGul Dukat
✓ Correct! Khan Noonien Singh, played by Ricardo Montalbán, is Star Trek’s greatest villain. First appearing in the TOS episode “Space Seed,” he returned in The Wrath of Khan (1982) for a devastating revenge plot that cost Spock his life.
✗ Red alert! The answer is Khan Noonien Singh. General Chang is a Klingon from Star Trek VI, Q is TNG’s omnipotent trickster, and Gul Dukat is DS9’s Cardassian antagonist. Only Khan inspired Kirk’s legendary scream across the cosmos.
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Spock has already been turned human in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 5, "Charades." That experience led to his breakup with T'Pring and launching immediately into a relationship with Nurse Chapel. Spock also had a negative experience being surrounded by Vulcans when his USS Enterprise crew mates gained pointy ears and exploited logic differently in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 8, "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans."
It seems like Spock's romance with La'an could be on the rocks. La'an has her own inner demons, and is growing distant from Spock as she copes with her augment DNA altering her physically after she was turned into a diabolical Romulan in "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans." La'an pushing Spock away, and likely forcing his third breakup in three seasons, could be the final straw in terms of Spock exploring his humanity.
In Star Trek: The Original Series, Spock proudly espouses Vulcan superiority. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has the rest of season 4 and the six episodes of season 5 to evolve Ethan Peck into the cool, logical, and unflappable Vulcan Leonard Nimoy originated. "The Griffin Incident" left lasting scars for Spock, Kirk, and La'an. For the Vulcan Science Officer, his pointed ears will become more meaningful than ever.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4's new episodes premiere Thursdays on Paramount+.
Release Date 2022 - 2027-00-00
Network Paramount+
Showrunner Henry Alonso Myers, Akiva Goldsman
Writers Onitra Johnson
English (US) ·