A Short History Of Spock's Love Life: T'Pring Explained

It seems like "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is boldly going where few "Trek" voyages have gone before. The new series has pulled the curtain back on an exciting era in "Star Trek" history, which means that some of the fandom's most pressing questions will finally be answered. What was the U.S.S. Enterprise like before Kirk stepped onto the bridge, and what was up with its former captain, Christopher Pike? How did the Enterprise crew really come to meet? And, more importantly: will the enigmatic Mr. Spock ever ... you know ... get down?

Vulcan romance has been used as a conceit in "Star Trek" stories here and there, but "Strange New Worlds" will see the human-Vulcan Spock navigating a serious relationship for the very first time. Granted, Spock has been pursued by women before. He's even pursued them back now and again, but usually while under the influence of sci-fi psychedelics or strange Vulcan mating rituals. Now, he's doing so of his own volition, and with an old flame previously introduced in "The Original Series." That's right: T'Pring is back — and for the long haul, it would seem.

Even if the name T'Pring doesn't immediately ring any bells, it's likely that her introduction in the original series episode "Amok Time" jogs a particular memory. It's a pretty zany episode, one made all the zanier by its introduction of pon farr, the Vulcan tradition that sends Spock into lust-fueled fever.

Pon farr visits Vulcans (typically the males) once every seven years. "It strips our minds from us," Spock explains to Kirk in "Amok Time." "It brings a madness which rips away our veneer of civilization." This bout of extreme horniness also forces male Vulcans to return to their home planet in order to mate, usually with a betrothed — and they've only got so long to do so. Apparently, if Spock's needs are not addressed within eight days, he'll likely die.

Kirk gets Spock to Vulcan just in time for his koon-ut-kal-if-fee ceremony, which can take the form of either a wedding or a gladiator-like fight to the death. And unfortunately for Spock, his is the latter. Though he was promised to T'Pring when they were children, Spock has been gone long enough for his betrothed to fall in love with somebody else. In an effort to annul their engagement, T'Pring claims kal-if-fee, forcing Spock and Kirk to duel for her hand in marriage. 

Spock's romance with T'Pring — if you can call it a romance at all — doesn't exactly end well, but it certainly wasn't his last. There was also Nurse Christine Chapel, whose crush on Spock came to a head in several episodes, "Amok Time" included. Unfortunately, her confessions (and Spock's subsequent rejections) get increasingly awkward as time goes by. But it's hard not to sympathize with her plight: Spock is weirdly irresistible. Haven't we all swooned a bit at his flawless intellect, or even his uncharacteristic outbursts? He might be prone to a rational approach in all his endeavors, but all that pent-up energy is bound to escape at some point. And when it does, it's kind of hot.

If we've learned anything from the "Twilight" saga, it's that restraint is inherently sexy. Such a phenomenon didn't begin on the pages of a Stephanie Meyer supernatural romance, but the Team Edward mania was certainly an example of the movement at its peak. Leonard Nimoy's Spock enjoyed similar infamy back in the days of "The Original Series," and it's not hard to see why. That Spock is so tightly wound really adds to his appeal as a sex symbol, in part because "Star Trek" writers know how gratifying it can be to watch him unravel. 

Take his run-in with Leila Kalomi, an ex-girlfriend of sorts, in "This Side of Paradise." Like Chapel, Leila once confessed her feelings for Spock before the events of the original series. Of course Spock couldn't reciprocate then, but when they reunite on an alien planet years later, Leila goes to interesting lengths to win his affections. Her tactics involve the use of a spore-spewing plant that "infects" its hosts with lowered inhibitions. Once Spock is exposed, he's finally able to admit that he loves Leila — but it's not clear how much of his confession is genuine, and how much is influenced by those pesky spores.

With most of these interactions taking place more or less against Spock's will, it's easy to feel icky about the whole affair. Fortunately, there's always the Kelvin timeline, which began with J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" reboot in 2009. There, Spock enjoys a longterm relationship with Lt. Uhura. Though it's not without its ups and downs (Spock choses self-sacrifice and logic over Uhura's feelings more than once) it's one of the healthiest relationships he's ever had. It also informed Spock's battle between his human and Vulcan sides in a fresh and interesting way.

Now, "Strange New Worlds" is taking that battle in a new direction. By reintroducing T'Pring (now played by Gia Sandhu), this time at the beginning of her long engagement to Spock, fans will finally get to see what he's like in a committed relationship with another Vulcan. We've seen him struggle against his more "human" inclinations in ill-fated flings with human women and we've even seen him forge connections with Romulans and Vulcans, but each was either born out of necessity or some weird extenuating circumstance. Spock's relationship with T'Pring is on an entirely different level from those in past installments. It will allow Spock to explore love and attachment through the lens of logic and tradition, and we can probably thank Ethan Peck — AKA "Hot Spock" — for this new and interesting development. 

Peck turned a lot of heads with his disheveled (and bearded!) Spock in "Star Trek: Discovery." His take on the character is younger and moodier than the Spock he'd grow to become, which means that his emotions — and his sensuality — could be played up a bit more throughout the series. It also doesn't hurt that he really is just plain hot, even when deferring to logic. Despite the obvious appeal of his more primal qualities, Spock's practical side is also a big part of his charm. It takes a certain kind of person to observe their emotions in a way that they can clearly articulate. Plus, his naïveté concerning human inclinations can be really endearing, and Peck plays into that innocence brilliantly.

Though he's clean-shaven and ready for duty aboard the Enterprise once more, Spock's latent sensuality hasn't gone anywhere. With T'Pring, Nurse Chapel, and even Uhura appearing in "Strange New Worlds," who knows what situations Spock will find himself in this time around?

Episodes of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" hit Paramount+ each Thursday.