Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 2x05 "Charades"
Episode Discussion | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 2x05 "Charades"
Logline
A shuttle accident leads to Spock’s Vulcan DNA being removed by aliens, making him fully human and completely unprepared to face T’Pring’s family during an important ceremonial dinner.
Written by Kathryn Lyn & Henry Alonso Myers
Directed by Jordan Canning
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At first I was thinking, "I thought we had all agreed that we did not approve of hijinx" and I am totally unable to enjoy cringe humor. It doesn't make me laugh, just...cringe.
BUT it turned out that it was in service of advancing two of Spock's most intimate relationships and wow, that packed a punch. It was like, for us 21st century humans, the first time you looked at your parent and saw them as a fully fleshed-out adult with their own struggles, not just "mom" or "dad".
T'Pring was 100% right to feel slighted by Spock not confiding in her, though I don't think it was lack of trust on his part, I think it was more not wanting to have both of them in a situation where they had to deal with...hijinx. But that's what marriage is, committing yourself to another person first, always. And apparently Spock is not ready for that yet.
In Spock's defense... T'Pring was just saying that her mom would cancel the wedding if she found any deviations. Would T'Pring have been able to hide Spock's situation during the mind meld?
If Spock had used that excuse it might have seemed logical. I suspect that it wasn’t used because the writers needed a stronger motivator for T’Pring and Spock to take a break and using that reason explicitly would weaken T’Pring’s decision.
I can understand T’Pring’s hurt feelings. She’s been nothing but supportive of Spock’s humanity and his search for identity. She desperately wants the relationship to work, gets to know his friends and family and she even gives him tips during the tea ceremony like a partner is supposed to do. To her, they’re a team, but to Spock, she’s still an outsider who needs to be compartmentalized in favor of his shipboard family. Spock claims it’s because he wanted to protect her and to an extent it’s probably true, but the bottom line is that he doesn’t trust her to be helpful, and that’s not the way a partner behaves.
No wonder that himbo Stonn’s in like a shot.
I thought the same thing myself. I do agree with Spock's motivation and the way handled it; I think T'pring's response of taking time apart is definitely emotionally motivated. As Spock mentioned that Vulcans feel more intensely than humans, assuredly T'pring (because she does truly love Spock) was quite angry and hurt he didn't disclose that he was human.
The time apart might be necessary for T'pring to realize that Spock's actions were the best course of action given the circumstances.