Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Wanted To Show A Different Side Of Spock

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" does something sort of magical with its material, taking characters fans know and love from "The Original Series" and offering new perspectives into their pasts. "Strange New Worlds" not only charts the early years of Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush), linguist Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), and Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), but it gives fans an in-depth peek at the younger version of beloved half-human, half-Vulcan, Spock. Played by Ethan Peck, this version of Spock hasn't quite figured out how to balance his human and Vulcan sides while working directly with humans aboard the Enterprise, and it's a lot of fun to see him fumble. Leonard Nimoy's Spock was already an experienced senior officer with years of reining in his emotions under his belt, but the Spock of "Strange New Worlds" is a little more prone to confusion and being flustered. 

The result is a Spock that's ultimately more relatable, and "Strange New Worlds" has given him several opportunities to really shine. His relationship with his Vulcan fiancee, T'Pring (Gia Sandhu), gives him an additional dimension that highlights the fact that he's an awkward, sweet nerd who doesn't quite fit in. 

One thing about young Spock that fans might not anticipate is that he's often rather funny, which still manages to be in line with the more stone-faced versions of the character played by Nimoy in "The Original Series" and Zachary Quinto in the Kelvin universe films. In an interview with Inverse, Peck explained why this interpretation of Spock might be so humorous:

"I mean, he's such a weirdo. Like such a strange guy. And earnest. He doesn't understand — or seems not to understand, comedic timing. But, as the actor, I hope that I do understand comedic timing and can maneuver him in these situations in ways that are amusing. This thing that is being Spock, and 'Star Trek' being in my life, the onus of that has become less uncomfortable. And that just gives me more freedom to explore and experiment. While we're filming, I just feel much more license to try things out. I think I have a much greater familiarity with what I believe the character to be."

As Peck has grown more comfortable inhabiting the role, he's gotten a bit more playful with his performance. He initially struggled with the enormous weight of the role, but has seemed to find his groove on "Strange New Worlds." Spock is incredibly funny because he's a little out of the loop, and his earnestness makes him even funnier. Every version of Spock has been fantastic, but Peck's flustered do-gooder is fast becoming my favorite. 

New episodes of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" debut Thursdays on Paramount+.