Part I : Spock The Comedian

Photo by Gage Skidmore

All the logic, facts and dispassion, Mr Spock still knows how to deliver a punchline, and we shouldn’t forget what he’s meant to the funny part of our franchise. Here’s some of Spock’s best work.

Tomorrow is Yesterday

Prancing about the transporter room, the good doctor is completely out of sorts as Captain Kirk snoops around NASA Headquarters in the 20th Century. “How long have they been down there now,” he snaps at the tone deaf transporter pads.

Of course, Spock is also immune to his colleague’s disarray and sticks to the facts. “Fifteen minutes, twenty eight seconds,” Spock tabulates without regard.

McCoy is not reassured and unloads. “Well, shouldn't they be coming up,”

Now, Spock’s human half gets the better of him, and the sarcasm can’t help seep. “It is a fact, Doctor, that prowling by stealth is more time-consuming than a direct approach.”

The employ of logic has its desired effect as McCoy irritably interrupts. “Shouldn't you be working on your time warp calculations, Mister Spock?"

But McCoy forgot who he was dealing with. Spock regains his composure, turns to Bones with disdain and piles on. “I am,” Spock condescends.

What a deadpan Henny, and the comic relief couldn’t come any sooner.

Operation: Annihilate!

With Spock, humor usually amounts to a measured assessment of the facts and a precision rebuke. So there was no reason to suspect anything different after Kirk tees him up. “Mister Spock. Regaining eyesight would be an emotional experience for most. You, I presume, felt nothing,” Kirk queries.

Instead, Spock goes slapstick. “Quite the contrary, Captain. I had a very strong reaction. My first sight was the face of Doctor McCoy bending over me.”

Oh snap but maybe liking how the feedback feels, the science officer isn’t done yet. So McCoy rolling with the dis, the doctor gladly takes stock. “Please don't tell Spock I said he was the best first officer in the fleet,” he tries to conceal.

Vulcan or not, How could Spock possibly resist. “Why, thank you, Doctor McCoy,” Spock gloats. But the eyebrows say it all. Spock does physical comedy too. Who knew!

The Galileo 7

Does being funny count when you’re not actually trying to be and everyone laughs. For our purposes here - yes. All hope lost, Spock makes a command decision and essentially sends up a flare. “Mister Spock, that was a good gamble. Perhaps it was worth it,” the valiant try doesn’t get passed Scottie.

Fortunately, the last ditch effort didn’t get passed the Enterprise either, and Kirk calls Spock on the no win scenario. “When you jettisoned the fuel and ignited it, you knew there was virtually no chance of it being seen, yet you did it anyhow. That would seem to me to be an act of desperation,” Kirk reasons.

Spock is forced to agree in his own way so Kirk continues with the line of questioning. “Desperation is a highly emotional state of mind. How does your well-known logic explain that?

Do we even need to ask? “I examined the problem from all angles, and it was plainly hopeless. Logic informed me that under the circumstances, the only possible action would have to be one of desperation. Logical decision, logically arrived at,” Spock drones on.

But the Captain refuses to give in. “You mean you reasoned that it was time for an emotional outburst.

Boxed in, Spock still pushes back on Kirks modified version of the truth so the Captain brings it to a crescendo. “You're not going to admit that for the first time in your life, you committed a purely human emotional act?

“No, sir,” Spock stands pat. 


So it’s Kirk who must give. “Mister Spock, you're a stubborn man.”


Spock is set up nonetheless to be the butt of the joke. “Yes, sir,” Spock falls prey and the bridge crew is the beneficiary.

Yeah the science officer doesn’t get the joke but that’s good enough for me.

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