Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and one of the topics was the guest's turn as Doug, a Vulcan, in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 episode "Four-and-a-Half Vulcans."
Colbert set him up by leaning into the inherent absurdity of the concept, reading a headline from the Hollywood entertainment trade publication, Variety. He said via The Late Show's YouTube channel, "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' guest star Patton Oswalt breaks down playing a sexy Vulcan.' Let’s get the sexiness going here.” Oswalt embraced it immediately, especially after Colbert held up a photo of Doug.
Oswalt elaborated on his Vulcan character during the interview by saying:
"His name is Doug. His parents were fascinated with Earth culture, so they gave him an Earthling name: Doug. He is an artist, and he studies Vulcan katras, and he is a sensualist." When asked by Colbert what makes a Vulcan most sexy, the ears or the emotional unavailability, Oswalt replied, "The emotional unavailability. There’s a whole 'Come here, go away’ vibe coming off of Doug [...] Come here, go away. Come here, go away. Uh, attack by retreating.”
There’s a tidy bit of franchise irony threaded through the moment. CBS canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, yet CBS Studios continues producing Star Trek content for Paramount+, including Strange New Worlds. Meanwhile, Colbert himself will soon add a Trek credit of his own to his resume, voicing the Digital Dean of Students in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which will premiere Jan. 15, 2026.
Doug’s brief outing on Strange New Worlds reminded fans that even in a universe devoted to logic, you can still sneak in a little “Come here, go away” energy — and that comedy finds its way into strange new… ways.
What do you think about Patton Oswalt's appearance on Strange New Worlds as the "sexy Vulcan," Doug? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.