Few characters in the sci-fi universe have a larger legacy than the half-Vulcan, half-human science officer Mr. Spock. Since the premiere of the original Star Trek series in 1966, Spock won the hearts of fans everywhere with his portrayal of the logical, highly intelligent Starfleet officer who was always at Captain Kirk's side.
While Spock usually had a tight handle on his emotions, there were times when his acts of loyalty, reflection, and empathy had Star Trek fans reaching for the tissue box. Let's revisit three times this venerable Vulcan put us deep in our feels!
1. "I was happy."
In "This Side of Paradise" (S1E24), Kirk and the crew travel to Omicron Ceti III, which was exposed to deadly Berthold radiation. They expect to find no survivors of the colony there, yet each member is alive and well and seemingly thriving. Among the colonists is Leila Kolami, a botanist who'd known Spock on Earth six years prior, before he took the assignment aboard Enterprise. She'd fallen deeply in love with him, but Spock could not return her affections (they should have beamed her up for a talk with Nurse Chapel; they definitely would have a lot to discuss!)
As the crew comes to realize that alien spores negate the effects of the Berthold rays, they also cause feelings of happiness, peace, and contentment. Leila exposes Spock to the spores, which cause him pain as his emotional walls crumble. A moment later, he smiles and tells Leila, "I can love you now."
When Captain Kirk discovers that strong emotions overcome the spores' effects, he baits Spock back on board the Enterprise and angers him to the point where Spock attacks him. The spores lose their grip, and the captain and Spock work together to free the others of the spores' influence.
At the end of the episode, when Kirk says that his first officer hasn't had much to say about Omicron Ceti III and his experiences there, Spock replies, "I have little to say about it, captain... except that for the first time in my life, I was happy." It's not hard to miss the regret and sadness in his eyes when he speaks, and his honesty is both sad and touching.
2. "He knows, doctor. He knows."
When Kirk and Spock travel back in time in the episode "The City on the Edge of Forever" (S1E28) to repair the timeline altered by a delirious McCoy after an accidental medication overdose, they become embroiled in a terrible situation where the life of a young woman (played by Joan Collins) must end for the timeline to heal, as McCoy saved her from a pedestrian accident when he first traveled back.
When Spock gives Captain Kirk this information, Kirk reveals he's fallen in love with Edith Keeler. Spock tells him she must die, or her influence on peace talks during World War II allows the Germans to press forward and win the war, which drastically changes the timeline.
When Kirk, Spock, and McCoy reunite, Edith crosses the road with her eyes on them. McCoy recognizes the impending accident, but Kirk prevents him from pulling her from the road, and she's killed by a car. McCoy, outraged, tells Kirk, "You deliberately stopped me, Jim! I could've saved her! Do you know what you just did?" And Spock, standing by Kirk's side, says, "He knows, doctor. He knows." His tone is so full of regret that you can't help but well up!
3. "I'll hate you for the rest of my life!"
These harsh words came from Spock's own mother, Amanda, in "Journey To Babel" (S2E10) when Spock chose to command Enterprise after an assassination attempt left Kirk seriously injured rather than give life-saving blood to Sarek, his dying, estranged father.
Spock and Amanda argue, and as she speaks those words, their impact is obvious. Spock's back is turned to her in the moment, but viewers see his look of agony as he closes his eyes against the emotional pain. Why, Amanda, why?
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