Why Spock is overrated
I must admit that Spock (TOS) is my favorite character in Star Trek. That being said, I had to review and evaluate his character with the same scrutiny as the others. As Star Trek’s archetypal Vulcan and arguably Starfleet’s most brilliant science officer. Spock's character falls into the trope that writers and creators often dwell into when they have a fan-favorite character.
Killing a beloved character, only to bring them back is a formulaic story arc in many genres and Star Trek was no different. Spock died in a poignant scene with him and Captain Kirk in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” and was resurrected by a Genesis device in “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
Resurrection plots, such as these, often convince fans into thinking creators are giving in to their whims - by bringing back a beloved character.
Unfortunately, it’s typically a ploy - much like when a well-liked soda company changes its formula, only to bring the original one back, in a calculated effort to gain patrons. This derivative resurrected hero story arc has been excessively used in soap operas, comics, and fantasy series for quite some time, and Spock's revival was no different.
Spock’s Vulcan technique of mind-melding with just about anything is by far the most overrated character feature in Star Trek canon. Spock, of course, has used mind-melding on humans, Vulcans, Romulans, a humpback whale in " Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”, and non-corporeal (no physical body) beings – such as V’Ger in “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”.
Given the likely overwhelming volume of information Spock must have consumed during his various mind melds, there must undoubtedly be negative impacts on his Vulcan/human psyche. In Star Trek canon most often there is no recognition of any negative impacts of mind-melding upon Spock.
To be fair, there have been times in canon that Spock does suffer residual effects from a mind meld. Such as, in “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” Spock mind-melds with an entity that claims to be a “God”. After the mind meld with this entity Spock does have a spiritual crisis, leaving Spock to ponder his own beliefs. Star Trek creators could have done more to include more realistic impacts to Spock's mind-melding; however, it's Spock's repeated use of the mind-meld technique that is at issue. Spock's use of the Vulcan mind meld is an overindulgence on the part of his character.
I know that Vulcan live considerably longer than humans and their intellect is far superior and it's their integration of logical thinking into their rich culture that has served them well for thousands of years. However, Vulcans are not immortal, and they do have flaws, and depicting them more in storylines versus the overemphasized mind melding would be a welcomed refreshing arc for Spock.
What makes Spock one of Star Trek’s top 3 overrated characters is the combination of the following:
- His perceived superior intellect compared to his Starfleet counterparts.
- His continuous suppression of emotions from his half-human side.
- His mental capacity to mind meld at aggregate and his ability to project his Katra (Soul) into another person (McCoy) in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”.
- His resurrection in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" was contrived, and an over-the-top storyline.
- His nearly infallible nerve pinch technique that only failed once in canon when he tried to subdue a Romulan officer in “The Enterprise Incident” (S2 E2 of TOS).
- His sarcastic Vulcan yet quite human “diss”, when he utters... “fascinating!”