I Grok Spock

Grok

/ɡräk/

Verb

To understand (something) intuitively or by empathy.

“because of all the commercials, children grok things immediately”

To empathise or communicate sympathetically; establish a rapport.

"nestling earth couple would like to find water brothers to grok with in peace"

Coined by American author, Robert Heinlein in the 1960s, the word ‘grok’ was quickly applied to one of the greatest cultural phenomenons ever known to humankind: the iconic science fiction television show, Star Trek. More specifically, the stoic half-alien, half-human first officer on the show, Mr. Spock, played by the stud-muffin Leonard Nimoy. In late 1967, as the show was cancelled by NBC (the first time), fans began to use the term in their protests over the network's decision. ‘I Grok Spock’ t-shirts, posters, and ball caps were suddenly everywhere. Millions of fans wrote in to NBC to try and save the show. Long story short, it worked. If only for one year before NBC pulled the trigger for good. As most know, the show went on to thrive in reruns, and eventually spawned the powerhouse franchise that is still around today.

Why did the viewers flock to this character with such fanatical zeal?

Well the answer is obvious: Spock is a straight-up smoke show.

Born on the planet Vulcan to human mother, Amanda, and Vulcan father, Sarek, Spock is the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome, with an a matching aloofness that creates an irresistible sexiness. Being born half human and half Vulcan was no cakewalk. Spock's dad Sarek was a legendary Vulcan ambassador, and with great prominence comes great expectations. Upon Spock's decision to reject the Vulcan Science Academy in favour of a career in Starfleet, his towering figure of a father let his stoic Vulcan disappointment be known.

You see, Vulcans are deeply emotional beings. So much so that they almost destroyed themselves in passionate wars of emotional rage. In order to tame these emotions, Vulcans developed strict meditation and emotional regulation techniques that suppress their violent feelings deep down inside themselves. Spock dedicated his life to pursuing the goal of reaching this emotionless state, despite being handicapped by his half human side.

Of course, the ability to fully control emotion is an illusion and deep down Spock is a deeply caring, wonderfully loyal friend to his fellow crew mates aboard the USS Enterprise. He's a faithful supporter of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), and devoted frenemy to the cantankerous Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley).

Just as you would expect from someone this emotionally unavailable, Spock is also incredibly cool. He can subdue enemies with a simple pinch to the neck using his Vulcan Nerve Pinch, or telepathically merge his mind with another being through a Vulcan Mind Meld. On top of all that, he's an accomplished scientist who continually manages to save the Enterprise and her crew from crisis after crisis. In his downtime, he gets really moody with some intense meditations, or kicks back to relax by playing his Vulcan lute.

With the success of Star Trek over the years, we've had the pleasure of seeing Spock grow from inexperienced first officer, through to being Captain of the Enterprise, dying and coming back to life, and even enjoying a later career following in the footsteps of his father as a celebrated Federation diplomat. There's truly nothing Spock can't do. In the JJ Abrams movies, he even managed to meet and mentor himself in an alternate timeline.

With the latest incarnation of Spock in the celebrated Paramount+ show, Strange New Worlds, we're treated with the absolute snack that is Ethan Peck taking on the role. I have to take a moment here to admit that I absolutely hated Zachary Quinto's version of the character. Not that he had much help from the material he was given to work with. That said, with a character as iconic and long-lasting as this, two out of three ain't bad.

Peck, and the stellar cast around him in Strange New Worlds, have breathed new life into Spock as a character, and Star Trek as a whole. The giant misstep that was Star Trek Discovery finally led the producers in charge of this franchise to try something crazy - let Star Trek just be Star Trek. Spock's enduring popularity lies in the character's deeply complex and interesting nature. The core of that being the contradiction between his human and Vulcan sides. He's the quintessential science fiction character that allows us to explore exaggerated aspects of humanity through an alien that just happens to be a 10 out of 10 in the hotness department.

This Valentine's Day, I urge you to explore strange new worlds; seek out new life and new civilisations, and to boldly go on a date with Spock.