Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Episode 8 Review: Four-and-a-Half Vulcans

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Episode 8, “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans,” sees a few Enterprise crew members become full Vulcan. Hijinks ensue. It’s a silly, goofy episodic narrative, and the show leans heavily into the campiness of it all. However, there’s an allegorical undercurrent that effectively lands despite the campy nature of the story. 

Live Long and Eat Plomeek Soup 

“Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” delves into Spock’s ongoing struggles with being half-human, half-Vulcan. Pike, Uhura, La’an, and Chapel incessantly remind him that he’s not full Vulcan like they are (albeit temporarily and inorganically). While this is a moving meditation on identity and embracing who you are, I found the inner conflicts with the aforementioned four more impactful this go-round. 

Becoming Vulcan, especially with no knack for controlling their emotions (since Vulcans feel more than humans), amplifies the core four’s fears, insecurities, and flaws. For example, Uhura struggles with communication even as a communications officer. As a Vulcan, she essentially brainwashes Beto instead of being upfront with him. This is undoubtedly tethered to the trauma of her losing her family. 

Chapel decides to break up with Korby and end her friendship with Spock. This indicates she has complex feelings for both of them. She doesn’t know how to navigate her relationships with them. Then, of course, there’s the possibility of romance interfering with her work. Pike unintentionally tries to sabotage Batel’s career prospects because of his fear of losing her. Understandably so. After all, she almost died. 

You Become What You Fear

Lastly, La’an becomes a Vulcan-turned-Romulan (Romu-La’an, if you will) because of how deeply she struggles with her identity (like Spock). Being a descendant of Khan and her innate fear that she’s just like him cracks her open, paving the way for her to transform into a conqueror of sorts. You become what you fear. 

Regardless, Batel makes a great point at dinner during her outburst — logic isn’t always impartial. It isn’t always objective. The manufactured Vulcans view themselves as superior. There’s an element of suppression, too. Suppressing what makes humans special and exhibiting prejudice/discrimination toward those one deems beneath them. 

“Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” encourages us to hold fast to our humanity. And who is a bigger proponent of humanity than Doug, Una’s Vulcan ex-lover, who adores humans? Patton Oswalt enters the scene here and knocks it out of the park. You can tell he’s having a blast (especially in that post-credits scene). Rebecca Romijn also showcases her knack for comedy in a fun performance that reveals a different facet of Una. 

Who Wears the Ears Best? 

It’s easy to go overboard when playing a stoic Vulcan. For the most part, the newbies pull off the transition well. Celia Rose Gooding, in particular, is the most natural out of the four. Anson Mount occasionally teeters between over the top and grounded, but when he pulls back, he shines.

Christina Chong proves she can and should play a villain in the Star Trek universe. She fully embraces this shift into “evil” territory and cuts an imposing figure. If anything, this is a stark reminder that Ethan Peck is very, very good at being a Vulcan (half or otherwise). 

Overall, “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” is a lighthearted palate cleanser after last week’s more somber fare. It walks that tightrope of providing levity while delivering a powerful message. It also deepens the bond between Kirk and Scotty, and really, who could ask for more?

Bring on the Kitty. Scirk? We’ll save that for a different review.

Stray Observations: 

• If I had a nickel for every time Melanie Scrofano trained with a sparring partner in a genre TV series, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice. 
• Kirk 100 percent has feelings for La’an. I sense a love triangle on the horizon. And I’m kinda here for it? I think “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” wrecked me in the best way regarding La’an/Kirk. 
• As much as I love Patton Oswalt, what if Doug was played by Jerry O’Connell, Rebecca Romijn’s husband in real life? 
• Una deserves happiness. Go get your human-loving Vulcan, girl. 
• I need Pike’s hair to be taller than this. So tall that he looks even more like Johnny Bravo. I want him to resemble an electrocuted mad scientist. 

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds drops new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+. 

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