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Published Nov 4, 2022

Vulcans and Romulans: A Primer on Unification

Exploring one of the most crucial schisms in the Star Trek universe.

StarTrek.com

A couple of weeks ago, Jake Black wrote an excellent article about how Spock’s dream of Vulcan and Romulan unification , as shown in The Next Generation episodes “ Unification , Parts I and II,” is incredibly relevant for the divided society we are today. But what, exactly, is unification, and why is it important to the Star Trek universe? I’m going to explore that in this primer on unification between the Romulans and Vulcans .

The Romulans and Vulcans descend from the same ancestor species — specifically, the Romulans are an offshoot of ancient Vulcans. From the Star Trek history we know, it’s unclear when the split between the two occurred, but it was likely during Vulcan’s war-torn period of history. Before they established logic as the foundation for their culture and history, Vulcans were similar to humans — emotional and warlike. They thrived on colonialism and conquest, establishing a large swath of colonies across space. Eventually, their empire fell and their society devolved into chaos.

Few records survive from this unstable time, so it’s unclear how the Romulan species was born, but they likely were established during this period. It’s possible that a faction of warlike Vulcans rejected the idea of peace and left to found their own civilization. It’s also possible that the Romulans are one of Vulcan’s outlying colonies that were abandoned by the homeworld and forgotten in the chaos. Either way, for centuries Vulcans were aware of the Romulans as an alien race, but had no idea that the two species shared an ancestral history.

In The Original Series episode “Balance of Terror,” the Enterprise encounters an unknown vessel (presumed to be Romulan) destroying Federation outposts along the Romulan neutral zone. Humans and Romulans had fought a vicious war in the past, but it was before viewscreens were common on ships and there were no captives taken during the conflict. As a result, no one had seen a Romulan in generations, and it was unclear what they looked like. Spock expressed real surprise that the species looked so similar to Vulcans and posited that the two had split during a violent period of Vulcan history, and that Romulans retained that warlike culture, while Vulcans had turned to logic.

Whenever the schism between the two species happened, it was long enough ago such that significant genetic differences have since evolved between Vulcans and Romulans. So while they have the same ancestors, the differences between them by the 24th Century, when The Next Generation is set, are deeper than just culture.

The pro-unification underground goes much further back in history than The Next Generation episode of the same name, where it was introduced. In Star Trek: Enterprise ’s “Kir’Shara,” which aired after TNG but chronologically took place before The Original Series , a secret Romulan agent posing as a Vulcan mentions the unification movement to a Vulcan collaborator (no Starfleet officers were present at this exchange, hence why their shared past remained a mystery). While its origins are unclear (and we don’t know whether Romulan culture retained the memory of their genetic history), the movement was apparently thriving long before it was first depicted on screen.

In “Unification, Parts I and II,” which brought Spock to The Next Generation , the revered ambassador is spotted on Romulus, and the Federation fears that he defected. The costs of his betrayal would be incalculable, so they send Captain Picard on a mission to uncover what’s happened. After a visit to Sarek, Spock’s ailing father, Picard and Data head to Romulus aboard a cloaked Klingon Bird of Prey .

They discover that Spock has not defected; instead, he’s been working with an underground movement to support the reunification of Romulans and Vulcans. Many members of the group had been declared enemies of the Romulan state because of their adherence to Vulcan philosophy; Spock’s goal was to both help them and also evaluate the greater potential of reunification, though, he admits the possibility may be unlikely.

Over the course of the episode, Spock is betrayed by his closest Romulan ally, Senator Pardek, and he, Picard, and Data are captured by the Romulan government. It turns out that the Romulans are interested in reunification, but one at gunpoint — they want to invade Vulcan and conquer it. (As an aside, the idea of the Romulans being able to successfully invade one of the founding worlds of the Federation with three ships and 2,000 troops is laughably arrogant.)

Spock, Picard, and Data manage to escape, but the ambassador chooses to remain on Romulus. He recognizes that unification won’t happen via political channels, but instead through the will of the Romulan people, and he wants to help shepherd it. He stays on Romulus for at least a few years, as the sixth-season episode “Face of the Enemy” once again confronts unification.

While Spock himself isn’t in this episode, his fingerprints are all over it. Counselor Troi is kidnapped by Romulans and altered to look like one of them. She pretends to be a member of the feared Tal Shiar, the Romulan secret police, and her job is to successfully transport high-ranking members of the Romulan government to the Federation as defectors. Spock and his associates are hoping to open a new path for Romulan dissidents to leave the oppressive Star Empire.

What we know about unification after this point is negligible. In the Kelvin universe, at least, Spock continued working with the Romulans in some capacity, as he was involved in efforts to prevent their sun from going supernova. In the time of Star Trek: Picard , the Romulans are scattered, without a home world. It’s unclear whether the movement continued when so many of their brethren were lost, but unification, and the desire to connect with one another, is an important part of Star Trek history that shouldn’t be forgotten.

A Closer Look at Romulans

This article was originally published on November 24, 2020.

Swapna Krishna (she/her) writes about tech, science, and sci-fi. She’s a contributing editor at SYFY FANGRRLS and has been published at Engadget, Gizmodo, Mental Floss, the Los Angeles Times, and more. You can find her on Twitter @skrishna.

Star Trek: Picard streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and is distributed concurrently by Paramount Global Content Distribution on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories, and in Canada it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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Star Trek: Every Vulcan Ability You Need To Know

Star Trek's iconic emotionless aliens have more powers than you'd think.

The Vulcans are perhaps the most beloved aliens in Star Trek. They were the first alien species created by Gene Roddenberry for The Original Series and instantly became a Trek staple.

Vulcan history is incredibly detailed. Following a long history of violence and war that nearly devastated their species, the Vulcans chose to follow the philosopher, Surak, by suppressing all emotion and embracing logic. The followers of Surak engaged in countless rituals and meditations to completely purge themselves of all emotion, as they saw it as the only way to prevent the extinction of the Vulcan race. Some Vulcans rejected Surak's teachings, though most of these detractors eventually left the planet Vulcan and became the Romulan Star Empire.

However, Vulcans are not only renowned for their strict adherence to logic, but also for their many almost supernatural abilities. Vulcans possess a number of unique physical and mental powers, and this list will be counting down and describing all of them.

As always, live long and prosper.

8. Controlling Emotions

As mentioned earlier, when the philosopher, Surak, introduced the Vulcan society to his belief system of logic and emotional suppression, the species saw it as the only way to save the Vulcan people from themselves.

Naturally, Vulcans have much more intense emotions than most humanoid species. Their violent nature combined with their impressive physical and mental abilities led to a great many wars that devastated the planet for generations. So, although Vulcans may seem completely robotic, this is all just a façade that they maintain to avoid allowing their emotions to control them.

Vulcans work their whole lives to eradicate their emotions, though subtle hints of them remain deep in their minds. Without completing the Vulcan ritual known as Kolinahr, which Spock was never able to do, a Vulcan is still capable of emotional outbursts when dealing with extreme stress.

There have, however, been some Vulcans who've embraced their emotions fully, rejecting the Vulcan way of life, such as Spock's half-brother, Sybok.

Marcia Fry is a writer for WhatCulture and an amateur filmmaker.

Vulcan (Star Trek)

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Vulcans , or sometimes Vulcanians , are a humanoid species in the fictional Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan , and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion . They were the first extraterrestrial species officially to make first contact with Human species, and later became one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets . Vulcans appear in all six Star Trek series, three of which featured either a Vulcan or a half-Vulcan as a main character.

• 1.1 Physical appearance
• 1.3 Mating drive
• 1.4 Other characteristics
• 2.1 Emotion
• 2.2.1 Mind melds
• 2.2.2 Katra
• 3.1 Language
• 3.3 Marriage
• 3.5 Fighting and self defense
• 3.6 "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations"
• 4 Homeworld
• 5.1 Vulcan High Command
• 5.2 Star Trek (2009) alternate timeline
• 6 Character development
• 7 In other media

Biology [ ]

Physical appearance [ ].

Vulcans are depicted as similar in appearance to humans . The main physical differences are their eyebrows and ears: the former are arched and upswept, while the latter feature pinnae which taper into a point at the top. Vulcans can be classified into various races . Most caucasianoid -like Vulcans typically appear with a subtle greenish hue to their skin , due to Vulcans' copper-based blood (not blue as in Horseshoe Crabs ), which aside from being green in color is also referred to as being as cold as ice water. Other features described include an inner eyelid, or nictitating membrane , which protects their vision from bright lights, an adaptation for their bright and hot home world. In addition, their hearts are located on the right side of the torso, in between the ribs and pelvis, as Dr.McCoy once says about Spock:“he is lucky that his heart is where his liver should be, or he’d be dead!” (ST:TOS, A Private Little War )

Vulcans are vegetarians by choice and were omnivores in ages past. In the Star Trek original series (TOS) episode " All Our Yesterdays ", Spock willingly consumes meat; partly due to the effects of time-travel 5,000 years into the past, and partly because he reasons there is no other suitable food available given the harsh, ice-age climate in which they are trapped. Vulcans are repeatedly stated to be herbivorous in the TAS episode " The Slaver Weapon ", by the carnivorous Kzinti . Vulcans do not like to touch their food with their hands, preferring to use utensils whenever possible (though there are numerous cases where Vulcans have broken this rule). It is a Vulcan custom for guests in the home to prepare meals for their hosts (“Star Trek Enterprise” episode: “Home”).

Vulcans are said not to drink, though they are depicted indulging on special occasions or as a storyline warrants. In the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Repression ", Humans and Vulcans are shown drinking a Vulcan alcoholic drink called "Vulcan Brandy ". In the TOS episode " The Enterprise Incident ", as part of his diversionary role during an espionage mission against the Romulans , Spock shares a drink known as romulan ale (blue colour beverage) with the female Romulan commander. In a later TOS episode " Requiem for Methuselah ", Spock specifically requests a Terran brandy after Dr. McCoy , while serving himself and Captain Kirk , observes that he had no expectation that Spock would be joining them in a drink for fear that the alcohol would affect his logic faculties. In Star Trek: First Contact , when the Vulcans first met Zefram Cochrane , he served them alcoholic beverages, which they took in lieu of dancing. In "non-canon" Trek-related literature, such as the novelization of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Vulcans are depicted as immune to the effects of alcohol, but become inebriated by ingesting chocolate (this is also quickly alluded to in DS9 when Quark offers a Vulcan client some Vulcan Port or chocolate, in speaking of which he implies something sexual).

Mating drive [ ]

Approximately every seven years, Vulcan males and bonded females experience an overpowering mating drive known as pon farr . Once triggered, Vulcans must have sexual contact with someone, preferably their mate, or else face insanity and death.

If a mate is not available, there are other ways to relieve the effects of the pon farr . The first is meditation , by means of which the Vulcan must overcome the urge to mate through mental discipline. The second is violence. This is seen in the Voyager episode " Blood Fever ", when B'Elanna Torres and Ensign Vorik fight in the traditional Vulcan manner. The violence ends the pon farr. The other option is extreme shock; in the TOS episode " Amok Time ", Spock believed he had killed James T. Kirk , his best friend, thus providing sufficient shock to nullify the effects of pon farr. When he experienced pon farr, Tuvok of the USS Voyager made use of a holodeck simulation of a temporary mate which resembled his wife to relieve his condition. This holodeck simulation was created because The Doctor was unavailable; the dialog of this episode suggests that The Doctor had prepared a medicine to help Tuvok overcome the effects of pon farr. Infection is another mechanism writers have used to induce pon farr in Vulcan characters. Template:Citation needed

In the TOS episode " This Side of Paradise ", Leila Kalomi hints at having had a special relationship with Spock some six years earlier, which may suggest an encounter between them during pon farr. Likewise in the film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , the regenerated adolescent Spock went through at least two pon farrs at accelerated speed. As his mate was not available on the Genesis planet (where Spock underwent the accelerated pon farrs), it was implied that he mated with Lt. Saavik, a female Vulcan scientist on the crew of the Enterprise who accompanied him during the accelerated pon farr.

Despite popular opinion, TOS writer and story editor, Dorothy C. Fontana , insists that Pon Farr is not the only time that Vulcans feel sexual desire or engage in sexual activity: "Vulcans mate normally any time they want to. However, every seven years you do the ritual, the ceremony, the whole thing. The biological urge. You must, but any other time is any other emotion - humanoid emotion - when you're in love. When you want to, you know, when the urge is there, you do it. This every-seven-years business was taken too literally by too many people who don't stop and understand. We didn't mean it only every seven years. I mean, every seven years would be a little bad, and it would not explain the Vulcans of many different ages which are not seven years apart." [1]

Other characteristics [ ]

Vulcans are typically depicted as stronger, faster, and longer-lived than humans (although discrepancies have occurred). Vulcans are about three times as strong as an average human, though their durability is about the same. There are instances of them living over two hundred and twenty years. Having evolved on a desert world, Vulcans can survive without water for longer periods than humans.

Psychology [ ]

Emotion [ ].

Vulcans, as a matter of custom and policy, suppress or think past all emotional influence by living lives of rigid emotional self-control through meditative techniques and training of mental discipline. Vulcans are not depicted as having no emotions; although they themselves make this claim, Vulcans are an exceptionally emotional people. They developed techniques to suppress their emotions precisely because of the damage they can cause if unchecked. In one episode of Star Trek: Voyager , Tuvok explains that Vulcans' natural emotions are "erratic and volatile"; if Vulcans do not strongly repress emotions, they can get violently angry in an instant. T'Pol once stated that paranoia and homicidal rage were common on Vulcan prior to the adoption of Surak 's code of emotional control. In the original series episode "The Savage Curtain", Spock meets Surak and displays emotion, for which Surak reprimands him, and he asks forgiveness.

The advanced ritual of Kolinahr is intended to purge all remaining vestigial emotion; the word also refers to the discipline by which this state is maintained. Only the most devoted and trained Vulcan students attain Kolinahr ; most Vulcans do retain control over their emotions, but do not completely eliminate them as Kolinahr attempts to do. In Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Spock was unable to complete this ritual after receiving powerful telepathic signals from space and experiencing strong emotions as a result. The Vulcan masters conducting the trials concluded that since Spock's human blood was touched by these messages from space, he could not have achieved Kolinahr, and the ritual was halted.

The term for the purge of emotion is arei'mnu. It is stated that it does not translate properly into any Earth language. In Diane Duane 's novel Spock's World, it was suggested that arei'mnu closely translates into "mastery of emotions", but that linguist Amanda Grayson , Sarek 's wife and Spock's mother, in her work on the universal translator , had mistranslated the Vulcan word to mean "lack of emotions".

Some Vulcans, such as T'Pol, Sarek (in his later years, due to a rare disease which can affect Vulcans over the age of 200 years), and Soval , carry their emotions close to the surface, and are prone to emotional outbursts, even without outside influences or illness; T'Pau certainly displayed restrained but definite emotions in the TOS episode " Amok Time ", including suspicion of the Human visitors followed by admiration and approval of their friendship for Spock, and contempt for Spock's humanity. There is some evidence to support the hypothesis that Vulcans in close contact with Humans for an extended period of time may become more emotional than Vulcans who do not. Established canon has yet to make a definitive case for this.

Not all Vulcan characters follow the path of pure logic; some instead choose to embrace emotions. A group of renegade Vulcans who believed in this was encountered in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode " Fusion ", while Spock's half-brother Sybok , seen in the film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , was also fully emotional. An episode of Enterprise titled " E² " featured an elderly T'Pol in an alternate timeline who had embraced emotion and allowed her half-Human son, Lorian, to do likewise.

In the pilot episode " The Cage ", Spock showed much more emotion. " Number One ", played by Majel Barrett , was supposed to be the emotionless character. Although the test audience indicated they liked the actress, they hated the character because they could not relate to a female who was so "cold". As a result, the character of Christine Chapel was created for Barrett and the "coldness" was transferred to the Spock character.

Telepathy [ ]

Many Vulcans are contact telepaths , and have been observed taking part in a number of telepathy-related actions and rituals, including an instance where Cmdr. Spock was telepathically aware of the simultaneous deaths of 400 other vulcans on a far-away ship (in 2nd season episode, "The Immunity Syndrome").

Mind melds [ ]

A "mind-meld", is a technique for sharing thoughts, experiences, memories, and knowledge with another individual. It usually requires physical contact with a subject, though instances of mind-melds without contact have been seen (for example, in the episode " The Devil in the Dark "). Vulcans can perform mind melds with members of most other species, most notably Humans , with Jonathan Archer being the first known Human participant in such a ritual in 2154. Even the Earth Humpback Whale can be successfully melded with. The Ferengi are one of the few races known to be impervious to the mind meld; mentally disciplined Cardassians may also be resistant to mind melds if properly trained. It is not established if this potential ability is inherent to Cardassians, or if members of any race could be trained to resist a mind meld. Machines, such as the Nomad probe, have been melded with even if only through complete contact. Though not canon, in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode " One of Our Planets is Missing ", a touch-less melding of a gaseous nebular entity was depicted.

Mind melds have been used to erase memories, as Spock performed on James T. Kirk in the TOS episode " Requiem for Methuselah ". Mind melds can also allow more than one mind to experience memories and sensations, and sometimes even interact with the memories, as seen in the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Flashback ".

The mind meld can be considered a terrible intimacy because of the strength of Vulcan emotions and the strict psycho-suppression disciplines in which they are trained, and thus not one to be taken lightly. In the Star Trek: The Next Generation installment "Sarek", when the diplomat proves to have Bendii's syndrome and thus to be incapable of completing his last great mission without assistance, he executes a mind meld with Captain Jean-Luc Picard , gaining enough emotional stability from this to complete his mission—but Picard himself almost goes insane from the direct onslaught of Sarek's powerful emotions as a result.

Though mind melds are frequently portrayed as a consensual act, that is not always the case. In the TOS episode " Mirror, Mirror ", Spock of the Mirror Universe performed a forced mind meld on Dr. Leonard McCoy in order to learn what McCoy was keeping secret. Mind melds can also be very violating and potentially harmful under certain circumstances. In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , Spock forcefully used the technique on Valeris in order to discover information she had that could be used to prevent a war; Valeris began screaming just before Spock broke the connection.

The use of the mind meld was taboo for a period of time. In the Vulcan timeline, this changed when experienced melders were shown to be able to cure Pa'nar Syndrome , a condition passed on by melders who are improperly trained. Within a week of the Kir'Shara incident in 2154, the stigma against mind-melders was evaporating, and sufferers of Pa'nar were being cured in large numbers. By the mid-23rd century, the mind meld is a fully accepted part of Vulcan society, and was even used once to rejoin Spock's katra with his healed physical body ( see below ).

As originally depicted in TOS, mind-melds were considered dangerous and potentially lethal. Over the course of the original series, however, the element of risk was no longer mentioned, although it was revived on Star Trek: Enterprise with the revelation that Pa'nar Syndrome can be transmitted this way.

For a number of years, it was held that not all Vulcans are genetically capable of initiating a mind-meld, such as T'Pol . However, the overthrow of the Vulcan High Command in 2154 revealed that this is not the case, and T'Pol conducted her first mind meld soon after.

Some Vulcans appear with advanced mental abilities. For example, in the TOS episode " A Taste of Armageddon ", Spock was once able to induce uncertainty in the mind of a prison guard on Eminiar VII , and in the episode " The Devil in the Dark ", he was able to perform a limited mind meld with a horta without actually making physical contact with the being. It is made apparent that a touch-less meld is limited in effectiveness compared to physical melds. During more intense melds, the melder is sometimes shown using both hands.

Some Vulcans appear able to "cheat death" by implanting their katra , essentially their living essence or spirit, into an object or another person via a form of mind-meld just prior to death. The history and mechanics of the katra have never been discussed in great detail in canon. It was known at the time of Surak , and Surak successfully transferred his essence into a "katric ark" which remained hidden for 1,800 years until it was recovered by a Vulcan named Syrran in the 22nd century. Syrran melded with the ark and received Surak's katra , which guided him into creating the Syrrannite movement which fought to restore Surak's teachings to Vulcan , but was labeled a terrorist group by the Vulcan High Command .

Syrran was fatally wounded by a lightning strike while escorting Jonathan Archer and T'Pol across a desert region called The Forge in 2154 prior to a short-lived conflict between Vulcan and Andoria . He conducted a forced mind-meld on Archer and implanted Surak's katra into Archer's mind before he died. For a brief time, Archer found himself communicating with the long-dead Surak, and Surak began controlling, or at least strongly influencing, Archer's actions. Surak's katra was so strong that it resisted efforts to be transferred into T'Pau , but once the Syrrannites overthrew the High Command, the katra allowed itself to be transferred into a Vulcan elder. The ultimate fate of Surak's katra remains unknown.

Katras can, on rare occasions, be returned to the body, effectively bringing an individual back from the dead . Such was the case with Spock , who, near the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , implanted his katra into the mind of Dr. McCoy prior to sacrificing his life to save the USS Enterprise . (Such was the strength of Spock's mental abilities that he was in fact able to function normally for several minutes despite depositing his "soul" elsewhere). Following Spock's death, McCoy began exhibiting Vulcan-like behavior and was briefly institutionalized. It was later discovered that Spock's body came to rest on the Genesis Planet after his burial in space, and was regenerated. He was recovered and was taken with McCoy to Mount Seleya on Vulcan where a Vulcan high priestess named T'Lar performed a rare, seldom-attempted ritual called the fal tor pan (literally, "re-fusion"), which removed the katra from McCoy and implanted it into Spock's regenerated body. Subsequently, Spock recovered, although it took some time to retrain his mind to where it was prior to his death. Eventually, Spock's original memories apparently reasserted themselves, and he resumed his duties in Starfleet .

Culture [ ]

Language [ ].

The Vulcan language is depicted as developing so much over time that writings from the era of Surak required translation to be understood upon discovery in 2154. Template:Citation needed

According to the DVD commentary of the film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , actors Leonard Nimoy and Kirstie Alley , portraying Spock and Saavik respectively, spoke their lines in English, and later dubbed in alien dialogue that corresponded with the movements of their mouths in the scene.

The treatment of Vulcan names has been erratic throughout Star Trek 's production history. Early on, female Vulcans were typically given names beginning with "T" followed by an apostrophe then a "p". The earliest reference to Vulcan names following a set pattern dates back to a May 3, 1966 memo from TOS producer Robert H. Justman to Gene Roddenberry (later reprinted in the book The Making of Star Trek ) in which Justman recommended that all Vulcan names begin with "SP" and end with "K", and have exactly five letters. (It is clear from the context of the book, however, that the memo was intended as a joke, as the series of memos ends up discussing the pronunciation of such names as "Spilk" and "Spork".) [2]

Beginning with the Star Trek movies of the 1980s and continuing to today, a greater variety of names have been given to Vulcans beginning with other letters of the alphabet, such as Tuvok , Koss, Mestral, Chu'lak, Valeris , and Xon to name a few (Xon being a Vulcan character created by Gene Roddenberry for the intended Star Trek: Phase II series in the 1970s, and the actress Kim Cattrall , who played Valeris, chose the character's name). Template:Citation needed

Only non-canonical sources have provided any Vulcans with family names, which are usually spoken of as defying attempts at both human pronunciation, especially with English-language phonemes, and human typesetting, especially with the characters of the modern Latin alphabet used for the English language. Hence, no canonical source has given any family names to any Vulcan characters, and indeed, every one of the personal names previously mentioned are all officially described as being only Latin-alphabetical and English-phonetic approximations of the real ones.

Marriage [ ]

Template:Unreferenced section Vulcans practice arranged marriage [3] , in which a male and a female are married or affianced as children, with consummation at a later date. Following adult union, it is customary for the couple to remain on Vulcan for at least one Vulcan year before conducting off-world travel, though it is possible to defer this requirement until a later date, upon negotiation with the male's family. The state of pon farr is not required for marriage to occur. The mating session of a Vulcan (pon farr) includes the private act of sex undifferentiated from the human version of mating.

A Vulcan female can challenge the proposed bonding by calling for koon-ut-kal-if-fee, meaning "marriage or challenge", in which a challenger for marriage engages the bonded male in a fight to the death. Alternately, the bonded male has the option of rejecting his intended bride and choosing another. It is acceptable for a male to "release" his mate from marriage (effectively the same as a divorce ). It is not established whether females have the same option, and T'Pring stated in " Amok Time " that a koon-ut-kal-if-fee challenge was the only way she could legally divorce Spock . [3]

Template:Unreferenced section It is customary for Vulcan children to undertake an initiation ordeal known as the Kahs-wan (sometimes spelled Kaswahn ), in which they are left to fend for themselves in the desert for a specific period of time. Not all children survive this rite of passage. T'Pol underwent the ritual, while Tuvok experienced a variation known as the tal'oth . The Kahs-wan was first introduced in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode " Yesteryear ", in which Spock's experience as a child was detailed.

Contrary to the Vulcan image of expressing no emotion, family bonds can be strong and affectionate just as they are for Humans . Tuvok expressed his love for his wife on a few occasions (without actually using the term), Sarek openly expressed affection for both his Human wives, and a clear bond of love existed between T'Pol and her mother, T'Les.

Fighting and self defense [ ]

Template:Unreferenced section Although generally adhering to a philosophy of non-violence, Vulcans have developed martial arts and techniques of hand to hand combat . Vulcan martial arts are highly ritualistic and based on philosophy, similar to Human counterparts such as karate and Silat . The most extreme example is the koon-ut-kal-if-fee , or fight to the death, described earlier, though one particular discipline is known as Suss Mahn (named for Star Trek: Enterprise producer Mike Sussman ).

Many Vulcans are skilled in a self-defense technique known as the " Vulcan nerve pinch " or "neck pinch", which targets a precise location on the neck, rendering the victim unconscious (sometimes instantly, sometimes after a short delay depending on the subject). The mechanics of the pinch have never been explained in on-screen canon. While practiced mainly by Vulcans, it is not exclusive to their race; for example, Jonathan Archer and Jean-Luc Picard are depicted as having mastered the technique after each became involved in a Vulcan telepathic ritual (Archer holding the katra of Surak ; Picard having undergone a mind-meld with Sarek ). The android Data also displayed this ability, though none of the three characters were depicted using the skill regularly. Leonard McCoy attempted to use the "neck pinch" while carrying Spock 's katra in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , but was unsuccessful for reasons unknown. In " Whom Gods Destroy ", Garth of Izar performs the neck pinch on a Tellarite guard while masquerading as Spock, using his shape-shifting ability. However, the Tellarite was one of Garth's minions, and the neck pinch may have been a ruse to convince Kirk that Garth really was Spock. Tongo Rad, a Catuallan, employed a similar technique to render a Starfleet officer unconscious by driving his thumbs suddenly and firmly into the sides of the officer's neck in the original-series episode " The Way to Eden ".

"Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations" [ ]

Template:Unreferenced section

Vulcan IDIC Symbol

The phrase "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations" (IDIC) refers to the infinite variables (or forms of intelligence) in the universe and the infinite ways in which they may beneficially combine. IDIC is often seen as an underlying philosophy of the Vulcans. Template:Citation needed The theme is symbolized by the Vulcans in a Kol-Ut-Shan, [4] represented as a pendant of yellow and white gold with a circle and triangle resting upon each other, and adorned with a white jewel in the center.

Spock wore the symbol during important gatherings and ceremonies as part of his dress uniform . It appeared for the first time in the Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) episode " Is There in Truth No Beauty? " It also appeared in Spock's quarters in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . In the series Star Trek: Enterprise , T'Pol is given, through her in-name-only husband Koss , an IDIC pendant from her mother T'Les which projects a holographic relief, enabling T'Pol and Captain Archer to find the location where T'Les and the Syrrannites are hiding. Also in Star Trek: Enterprise, T'Pol, the science officer, holds an IDIC pendant in Terra Prime while she is in mourning for her dying cloned child Elizabeth, named in honor of Charles "Trip" Tucker 's deceased sister. In the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " Take Me Out to the Holosuite ", Captain Solok, an Academy classmate and longtime rival of Benjamin Sisko , challenges Sisko and other DS9 personnel to a baseball game against his Vulcan team, the Logicians. The IDIC symbol appears on the Vulcans's ballcaps.

The Vulcan IDIC pendant was designed by Gene Roddenberry as a marketing premium long before the third season. As early as the end of the first season, fans of the show had begun writing in asking for copies of the scripts, film clip frames, etc., and these were soon sold through Roddenberry's "Lincoln Enterprises", run by Majel Barrett . As evidenced in some of his letters and memos, Roddenberry was fond of circle-and-triangle designs and had wanted to use them for purposes of theatrical unity as early as the first season's " The Return of the Archons ". As reported by editor Ruth Berman (issue #1, Inside Star Trek , July 1968, pp. 15–16), "ardent rock hound and amateur lapidary" Roddenberry came up with the Vulcan philosophy after he presented Leonard Nimoy with a unique "hand-crafted piece of jewelry," a "pendent" (sic) of polished yellow gold (circle) and florentined white gold (triangle), with a stone of brilliant white fabulite—an artificial gem "developed by the laser industry and used in space mechanisms for its optical qualities," and thus well-suited as a gift for an actor in a science fiction show. Readers were encouraged to submit their interest in such a product to the then-Star Trek Enterprises mail order firm. It was noted that "less expensive materials" would keep costs down.

According to William Shatner in Star Trek Memories, the book about TOS he dictated to Chris Kreski , IDIC was only worked into the episode " Is There in Truth No Beauty? " as an afterthought. The actors all knew it was a mere advertising toy. Reportedly, Leonard Nimoy was asked to wear it and refused, so it was passed on to Shatner; when he also refused, Nimoy reluctantly agreed to wear it. At the last minute, Roddenberry sent down several pages of new script for the dinner scene, in which Spock was to give a long-winded explanation of the philosophy. The actors refused to film it until Roddenberry cut it down.

Homeworld [ ]

Comparison of the habitable zone of 40 Eridani with the habitable zone in our solar system.

The Vulcan homeworld is also named Vulcan , a reddish Minshara-Class planet orbiting the star 40 Eridani A , 16 light years from Earth . Its inhabitants were originally called Vulcanians; the latter name was used by Spock in the Original Series episode " A Taste of Armageddon ", and by Federation colonists in " This Side of Paradise ".

Much of its surface consists of deserts and mountain ranges, and large areas are set aside as wilderness preserves. It is much hotter, it has a stronger surface gravity , and its atmosphere is thinner than that of Earth. As a result of these factors, humans tend to tire out more quickly than native Vulcans.

In the alternate timeline of the 2009 film the planet was destroyed by Nero who created a black hole in the center of Vulcan. The planet imploded, leaving an estimated 10,000 survivors out of a population of 6 billion, including Spock and some of the Elders.

Fictional history [ ]

Template:Unreferenced section Template:Very long In the episode " Return to Tomorrow ", Spock theorized that the Vulcans might be the descendants of a colony from Sargon 's planet.

It is speculated on the official website startrek.com that a species that was known on Earth as the gods of ancient Rome or the gods of ancient Greece traveled to ancient Vulcan (named by Star Trek creators to refer to the Roman god of fire ), thus influencing both those that would later become Romulans as well as those who remained on Vulcan. Template:Citation needed Vulcans subsequently practiced a form of paganism ; this can be seen in gods of war , peace, and death depicted on the Stone of Gol , as well as the celebration of Rumarie. The DVD commentary for " Amok Time " says that TOS writer D. C. Fontana named the Vulcan god of death "Shariel", a bust of whom is seen in Spock's quarters.

In about the 4th century AD , Vulcans emerged from their violent tendencies and civil wars under a philosopher named Surak , who advocated the suppressing of emotion in favor of logic . This period was known as the Great Awakening, and much of present-day Vulcan philosophy emerged from this period. According to the Star Trek: New Frontier book series (like all novels, many of which are not considered canon), the Great Awakening caused many wars and conflicts to occur amongst various Vulcan tribes; those who supported Surak's cause would become separated from friends and even close family members who did not. For cases in which parents were separated by this, a ritual was created called the ku'nit ka'fa'ar , a battle to determine which parent would maintain their child. Despite the acceptance of Surak's teachings, generations of imperfect copies of his writings, combined with changes in the Vulcan language over time, resulted in a diluted form of the culture he instituted.

Surak 's views and lifestyle were not universally accepted by Vulcan society. One particular group of Vulcans who called themselves "those who march beneath the Raptor's wings" were so adamant in their opposition against Surak that it resulted in a nuclear war , of which Surak himself became a victim. After time the portion of Vulcan society who rejected Surak's teachings left the planet for the stars. This migration of Vulcan separatists would eventually become known as the Romulans . Knowledge of the common ancestry of Romulans and Vulcans would obscure into myth over the millenniums, and while some Vulcans had direct dealings with Romulans in the 22nd century, the common ancestry would not become widely known until the mid-23rd century.

A great deal of Star Trek spin-off fiction , in particular the novel The Romulan Way by Diane Duane and Peter Morwood , has stated that the leader of the Vulcan-Romulan migration was a close follower of Surak's named S'Task. S'Task would see the founding of the Romulan Empire , but was killed by political factions shortly thereafter.

Vulcans did recover from the effects of barbarism and turn much of their attention to space travel for 1,500 years. What would later become known as the Vulcan High Command was initially formed to orchestrate space exploration, but it ended up seizing control of Vulcan government.

The Vulcans fought a hundred-year war with the Romulans starting circa 1944.

Spock was one of three Starfleet officers from the 23rd century who travel in time to 1930s New York City , in the original series episode " The City on the Edge of Forever ". He would also briefly travel to Earth in 1968 on a mission, in the episode " Assignment: Earth ;" accidentally in 1969, in " Tomorrow Is Yesterday ;" and again in 1986, in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . (Technically speaking, these three events occurred after the founding of the Federation , but are included here as they constitute pre- First Contact encounters with contemporary Humans .)

First contact between Vulcans and the Andorians was promising, but relations soured in time. The threat of mutual annihilation existed as early as the 1950s. Template:Citation needed

In 1957, the launch of Sputnik I , Earth's first artificial satellite , was observed by a Vulcan vessel that subsequently crashed on the planet, marooning several crew members for a number of months in Carbon Creek , Pennsylvania ; this constituted the first true contact between Humans and Vulcans, but it was never recorded as such as the Humans were unaware of the alien nature of their guests. One Vulcan, Mestral, was so fascinated by humanity that he chose to stay on Earth: his fate has yet to be revealed. Template:Citation needed

In 2044, the Romulans and the Vulcans suspended hostilities in their hundred-year war. It is unclear whether the two groups knew they were fighting their kinsmen. Template:Citation needed

On April 5, 2063, Vulcans and Humans made official first contact following the successful test of Earth's first warp-powered starship, as depicted in Star Trek: First Contact .

In 2097, the Vulcans annexed the Andorian planetoid Weytahn and renamed it Pan Mokar.

In 2105, the Vulcans and the Andorians agreed to a compromise over Weytahn/Pan Mokar. Still, tensions continued due to the threat of mutual annihilation.

In 2151, Sub-Commander T'Pol joined the crew of the Earth Starfleet vessel Enterprise (NX-01) , within a couple of weeks setting a Vulcan endurance record for serving aboard a human vessel. In 2154, T'Pol became a commissioned officer with Starfleet.

In May of 2154, the Vulcan High Command considered a proposal for Vulcans and Humans to conduct joint space exploration missions. V'Las, the head of the High Command and undercover agent for the Romulans , bombed the United Earth embassy on Vulcan and attempted an invasion of Andoria . He was foiled by the crew of the Enterprise . During these events, the Kir'Shara , a device containing the original writings of Surak , was discovered by Jonathan Archer . This led to the prompt dissolution of the High Command and a reevaluation of traditional values . It also resulted in Vulcan agreeing to stop "looking over Earth 's shoulder" in space exploration matters.

On August 12, 2161, Vulcan became one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets .

In the time of Star Trek: Enterprise , Vulcans are often seen to be rather arrogant and cold in their behavior towards Humans . It is explained that after first contact, Vulcan shared technology with Earth , but many Humans, such as Jonathan Archer , greatly resented the fact that Vulcans seemed to be holding back humanity's efforts at space travel. Soval , Vulcan's ambassador to Earth, appeared particularly distrustful of humans, and was often at odds with Archer and his crew. Soval later justified this behavior in the fourth season episode " The Forge ":

Soval also explained that, since Earth recovered from World War III far quicker than Vulcan did from its equivalent (in " The Forge " and its sequel episodes, it is said that Vulcans took almost a thousand years to rebuild their society after their last catastrophic war), it alarmed many Vulcans, who were confused as to how to deal with a rapidly growing and emotional society such as Earth's.

After the overthrow of the corrupt Vulcan High Command and the death of Admiral Maxwell Forrest , who sacrificed his life to save Soval from a terrorist attack, the attitudes of Soval, and Vulcan society in general, became more cordial and accepting towards humanity.

Vulcan High Command [ ]

In the 22nd century of the fictional Star Trek universe, the Vulcan High Command is apparently a form of military government which controls both the Vulcan space fleet and most of the planet itself. Most of the Vulcans, including T'Pol , from Star Trek: Enterprise served the High Command. It is dissolved in the early fourth season of Star Trek: Enterprise.

Throughout much of the show's run, Captain Jonathan Archer frequently had run-ins with the High Command - even after Archer proved conclusively, several times, that he was able to travel through time, the High Command stubbornly refused to acknowledge the possibility that time travel could ever be possible (although T'Pol tried to keep an open mind). The High Command, on at least one occasion, sent Vulcan starships to actively spy on the Enterprise and report on the ship's activities (see episode Breaking the Ice ), an act which infuriated Archer to no end.

However, this was not the end of the High Command's questionable activities. They appeared to participate in open acts of persecution towards other Vulcans, such as isolating and quarantining victims of Pa'nar Syndrome rather than treating them; prejudicial acts against any Vulcan proven to have committed a mind meld ; and hunting down and capturing, even often killing, members of the underground group, the Syrranites. With the help of Archer, it was discovered that the High Command's illogical and often emotionally based actions were, in reality, the result of covert Romulan influence. After the High Command's administrator, V'Las, was revealed to be a Romulan agent, the High Command was disbanded, and a more traditional and human-friendly Vulcan government was formed.

After the dissolution of the High Command, the Vulcan space fleet experienced a serious shortage of personnel, many of whom were still sympathetic to the old guard. Administrator T'Pau , who now oversaw Vulcan's fleet operations, attempted to rebuild the fleet.

Star Trek (2009) alternate timeline [ ]

In the alternate reality presented by the 2009 film Star Trek , the planet Vulcan is destroyed in the year 2258 by an artificial black hole created by the Narada, a Romulan mining vessel from the future, killing most of its six billion inhabitants. Its captain, Nero, holds Spock personally responsible for a disaster involving Romulus more than a century later. Spock estimates that no more than 10,000 Vulcans escaped the planet and survived the genocide (which may possibly include Vulcans that were on the original series). However, the film's writers have stated that this does not include Vulcans who were living off planet at the time. [5]

Character development [ ]

Blessing gesture that was the inspiration for the Vulcan salute

Leonard Nimoy discussed the origin of the Vulcan salute in his autobiography " I Am Spock ". [6] As a bit of stage "business" in the episode " Amok Time ", he invented the famous "Live long and prosper" Vulcan salute based on the hand symbol used by Jewish priests ( kohanim ) during the Priestly Blessing in the synagogue. The gesture actually emulates the initial Shin of the Shema (Nimoy has also commented that the "sh" could also indicate Shaddai , or the Almighty; more recently, on William Shatner 's Raw Nerve , he associated it with Shekhinah .) On numerous occasions, for example in the 1983 TV special Star Trek Memories (which is often syndicated along with The Original Series ), Nimoy recounts how as a child, he peeked during the blessing and witnessed the gesture, although the congregation are supposed to put hands over eyes or turn away at this moment in acknowledgement of the presence of the Almighty.

The Vulcan nerve pinch was created for the episode " The Enemy Within ". The original script called for Spock to knock the "evil" Kirk unconscious with the butt of a phaser . Leonard Nimoy felt that the act was too reminiscent of a TV western , and thus introduced the famous non-lethal maneuver.

In other media [ ]

An issue of DC Comics ' Green Lantern series, features a Green Lantern Corps member with pointed ears. He behaves 'logically' and has a brief conversation with Hal Jordan (the titular superhero) which ended with a "live long and prosper" and the famous hand gesture. Template:Citation needed

In the Disney Channel Original Movie The Luck of the Irish (2001 film) Kyle makes a reference to the Vulcan's when he learns he has pointed ears.

Dr Addy is referred to as a Vulcan by Dr Hodgins in the TV series "Bones" when he admits to find anger to be a useless emotions that he does not feel.

• ↑ Edward Gross, Mark E. Altman, Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, Little Brown & Co, 1995. p. 53
• ↑ Whitfield, Stephen E. and Gene Roddenberry. The Making of Star Trek . New York: Ballantine, 1968. p.274. SBN 345-23401-4-150
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 Vulcan Mating Rituals documentary,Star Trek paradocumentary published by www.startrek.com
• ↑ Template:Cite video
• ↑ http://trekmovie.com/2009/05/22/orci-and-kurtzman-reveal-star-trek-details-in-trekmovie-fan-qa/
• ↑ "I am Spock" by Leonard Nimoy (Hyperion)
• 1 Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• 2 Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan
• 3 Star Trek (2009)

SMART NEWS SCIENCE

Real planet discovered where vulcan home world in “star trek” is set.

“Fascinating, Captain”

Katherine J. Wu

Correspondent

In the “Star Trek” universe, the star 40 Eridani A (alias HD 26965) has long been canon as the sun of Vulcan, the home world of the franchise’s favorite pointy-eared science officer, Mr. Spock.

This was first established in 1968 by James Blish’s script anthology S tar Trek 2 and later affirmed in 1980’s Star Trek Maps by Jeff Maynard. But it wasn’t until 1991 that show creator Gene Roddenberry himself (backed by a few astrophysicists) penned a letter in scientific support of 40 Eridani as a probable host for Vulcan viability. Nearly three decades later, a new discovery from the University of Florida delivers some serious vindication to the choice, revealing a real-life planet actually clocking in at coordinates eerily reminiscent of the fictional M-Class planet.

A group of astronomers led by University of Florida’s Jian Ge first visualized the Vulcan lookalike as part of Dharma Planet Survey, which is exploring some 150 very bright stars near our solar system. The discovery marks the project’s first detection of a “ super-Earth ,” classified as a planet between two and ten times as massive as our own. This new candidate boasts a radius twice the size of Earth’s, and has nearly nine times the mass.

But the new find may have the potential to support life—and it’s the “closest [known] super-Earth orbiting another Sun-like star,” says Ge in a University of Florida press release .

And what about that Sun-like star? Compared to our own Sun, 40 Eridani A is a little smaller and cooler. But though the two stars are separated by about 17 light-years , according to David Bressan at Forbes , they’re thought to be about the same age—4.6 billion years old. This longtime solar sustenance could reasonably give the “Vulcan” planet enough time to evolve complex life forms. What’s more, this new celestial body orbits 40 Eridani A in what’s called a habitable zone, or a region with temperatures that could theoretically permit the existence of liquid water—a key requirement to live long and prosper.

“HD 26965 may be an ideal host star for an advanced civilization,” says study author Tennessee State University astronomer Matthew Muterspaugh in the release.

That being said, the new super-Earth candidate isn’t quite a home away from home : at their behemoth size and mass, many super-Earths exhibit a much higher gravitational pull than we’re used to, making us feel several times heavier than we would here on Earth. To make matters worse, this newly detected planet’s perimeter of orbit around 40 Eridani A is tight: A year there would barely last 42 days, and at such close proximity to its star, inhabitants could be exposed to some pretty toasty temperatures.

There’s a debate raging among astrophysicists, too, about how livable super-Earths even are. Leading planetary scientists like Alessandro Morbidelli of the University of Nice, France, believe that many such super-Earths may be uninhabitable (though arguments have also been made to the contrary). However, given the loose definition for these planets, issuing a single blanket statement about super-Earth habitability would be highly illogical, to borrow the words of one esteemed science officer.

Sadly, the newly detected planet is unlikely to acquire the official “Vulcan” moniker anytime soon. As Alan Boyle at GeekWire reports , “Vulcan” has already been tossed around as a hypothetical planet once thought to exist within the orbit of Mercury, and the International Astronomical Union’s planet-naming system can be a little prickly about names that tread on intellectual property rights . In fact, Boyle reports, the IAU recently vetoed the name for one of Pluto’s moons.

But devoted Trekkers (many of whom are in the space business, themselves) may not be too bothered by that.

After all, as planetary scientist Jessie Christiansen of NASA, pointed out on Twitter, [the planet] “is not very much like the fictional Vulcan.” “But,” she continues, “it’s a planet orbiting the same star and planets often have planet siblings, so I’m excited for more!”

Indeed, as astrophysicist Andy Howell of the Las Cumbres Observatory noted on Twitter: “If you're going by the new movies’ Star Trek lore, the planet the @UF astronomers found in 40 Eridani A could be Delta Vega, as the writers put it so close to Vulcan that you could see Vulcan huge in the sky from the surface.” (That’s the planet Captain Kirk met Spock in the 2009 franchise revival.)

And, until proven otherwise, the planet remains potentially habitable, so for those hoping for a First Contact scenario, keep your eyes peeled to the sky.

According to “Star Trek” lore, after all, humans and Vulcans are scheduled to meet in the not-too-distant future of April 5, 2063.

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Katherine J. Wu | | READ MORE

Katherine J. Wu is a Boston-based science journalist and Story Collider senior producer whose work has appeared in National Geographic , Undark magazine, Popular Science and more. She holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunobiology from Harvard University, and was Smithsonian magazine's 2018 AAAS Mass Media Fellow.

Star Trek: The History Of The Vulcans, Explained

The history of this classic Star Trek race is wrought with unexpected violence and emotion.

Out of the many races and cultures present within the Star Trek universe, one of the most stable and memorable has to be the Vulcans. Sure, the hive-minded Borg and the honor-bound, forehead ridged Klingons play important roles throughout the franchise, but it is the steady guiding hands of the Vulcans who seem to always have humanity's back. Despite the strict adherence to logic that defines much of their culture and nature, their history has been turbulent, especially when taking into account their sister species the Romulans .

Unlike the Klingons, who have changed appearance several times over the course of the franchise's TV shows and films, the physical appearance of the Vulcans has more or less stayed the same since Gene Roddenberry’s pioneering, space faring vision: The Original Series . Their pointed ears and stylish, upwards-veering eyebrows have continued as a staple through the show, despite being originally designed to avoid costly prosthetics and make up. Like most life in the universe, the Vulcans are also humanoid in appearance .

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When exploring Vulcan history, it’s important to include the Romulans. These two species are incredibly different in nature, but share a striking resemblance to one another physically. During The Original Series, audiences discover, alongside the crew of the enterprise, that Vulcans and Romulans really are not too dissimilar at all, as they are both descended from the same ancient ancestors. Their divergence took place before the Vulcans adopted their characteristic obsession with logic and reason.

The ancient Vulcans were an emotionally charged, warlike species, who desired to conquer the stars. They were a barbaric race, who was starting to buckle under its own weight. Through their unquenchable passion and emotion, they were on a slippery slope to extinction. This was until the 3rd millennium BC, when a few ancient Vulcans began to try and suppress their emotion. However, they were still in the minority, seen more as a religious cult rather than people to be taken seriously. The majority of Vulcans still were fueled by emotion, violence, and passion. By the 9th Century BC, Vulcans had discovered warp capabilities, but due to their technological advancements being so far ahead of the rest of the galaxy, they were mostly alone — which, due to their colonization habits, was probably a good thing.

Everything changed, however, during what is known as the “Time of Awakening,” which occurred during the 4th Century. At this time, the planet Vulcan was being torn apart by its inhabitants, who were constantly at war with one another. They had begun to drop nuclear bombs , as well as using a device called the Stone of Gul, which would amplify the target's violent emotions to the point where they would see red, and go on a blind rampage. Out of all this bloodshed, however, there appeared a Vulcan philosopher called Surak, who had adopted a lifestyle led by logic over emotion, teaching his followers around Vulcan his philosophy. He grew more and more popular, until his observations and teachings were recorded in what equates to the Vulcan holy book: the Kir’Shara.

Despite all the odds, Surak’s teachings mostly stuck, and swept across their home world until order had been restored once more to the Vulcan people. No longer driven by emotion, they lost interest in conquering and destroying one another, indeed looking both to the stars and within themselves for enlightenment. As Spock himself states , “Only the discipline of logic saved my planet from extinction.”

Not everyone adopted Surak's views, however. The minority who refused to forsake their emotions for logic fought hard to keep their barbaric way of life, until they were eventually forced out from their home world. These outcasts were the ancestors of the Romulans, who carried on their violent ways.

After the destruction and near annihilation of their home, it took the Vulcans a long time to rebuild. They focused on healing their planet and developing further their quest for reason, but after approximately 1500, years they returned to the skies. After all this time, there was a lot more happening among the stars. Cultures on other planets had developed and evolved enough to make things interesting for the space-faring Vulcans. They aligned with the Andorians, and the Tellarites, and eventually, on April 5th 2063, they made first contact with humans. The Federation and Starfleet were born soon afterward, and the rest is history.

Vulcan history is being added to in vast quantities as more and more iterations into the franchise appear, but this is the streamlined version of what brought the Vulcans from a warmongering race to the oddly lovable stoic figures seen today. Through Spock, they made their way into audiences' hearts, epitomizing the notion of a hard exterior with a soft core.

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Screen Rant

Star trek's 10 best vulcans ranked.

The most logical race in the galaxy, there have been many great Vulcan characters throughout the Star Trek franchise, starting with Mr. Spock.

Some of Star Trek ' s greatest characters are Vulcans. The most logical race in the galaxy, the Vulcans are the seminal alien species of the Star Trek franchise, and they are arguably the most beloved aliens. Although humans in the Star Trek universe can find Vulcans cold, distant, and difficult to get along with, the best among the Vulcans are highly intelligent, loyal, and brave as they use logic to suppress their raging emotions within.

Many of the defining characteristics of Vulcans were created by Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock in Star Trek: The Original Series . Nimoy innovated iconic Vulcan trademarks like the "Live long and prosper" hand gesture and the Vulcan nerve pinch. Vulcans have played pivotal roles in the affairs of the Star Trek universe and in many Star Trek TV series and movies. Star Trek: TOS, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, and now, Star Trek: Lower Decks boast Vulcan characters aboard their respective starships. Of course, some Vulcans break bad, and among the most notorious are Sybok (Lawrence Luckinbill) and Lt. Valeris (Kim Cattrall). But the best Vulcan characters in Star Trek work alongside the human heroes of Starfleet, and here are the 10 greatest Vulcans:

10 T'Lyn

One of the newest Vulcans in the franchise, T'Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz) was introduced in the Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2 episode "wej Duj." T'Lyn was a crew member of the Vulcan ship Sh'vhal who became regarded as "unstable" by her superiors for acknowledging her instincts and "gut feelings" aside from pure logic. T'Lyn is a fascinating young character questioning her role and purpose as a Vulcan, and at the end of Lower Decks season 3 , T'Lyn transferred to Starfleet's USS Cerritos as a junior Science Officer. The comedic potential of T'Lyn mixing with the Lower Deckers of the Cerritos potentially knows no bounds.

9 T'Pau

Described by Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) as "all of Vulcan in one package," the aged and venerable T'Pau (Celia Lovsky) was introduced in the Star Trek: The Original Series classic episode "Amok Time." However, Star Trek: Enterprise reintroduced the younger T'Pau (Kara Zediker) a century earlier. In her youth, T'Pau joined with Starfleet's NX-01 Enterprise Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) to expose a conspiracy between the corrupt Vulcan High Command and the Romulans. T'Pau also restored the logical teachings of Surak to the Vulcan people in Star Trek: Enterprise.

8 T'Rina

Introduced in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, T'Rina (Tara Rosling) is the President of the planet Ni'Var in the 32nd century. Ni'Var is the renamed planet Vulcan, which is now shared by the re-unified Vulcan and Romulan people as well as the sect of Romulan warrior nuns called the Qowat Milat. Wise and prudent, T'Rina was initially skeptical of Ni'Var rejoining the Federation, but she became a believer in Starfleet, especially as a romance blossomed between herself and Captain Saru (Doug Jones).

7 T'Pring

T'Pring (Arlene Martel) debuted in the Star Trek: The Original Series classic "Amok Time." The vengeful ex-fiancee of Mr. Spock, T'Pring went to extremes to end their arranged marriage so she could be with her new lover under Vulcan law. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds reintroduced the younger T'Pring (Gia Sandhu) in her happier early days with Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck). Despite T'Pring understanding Spock's desire to explore the galaxy with Starfleet and trying to make their long-distance relationship work, the seeds have already been planted for the eventual end of Spock and T'Pring's union.

Lieutenant Saavik was originally portrayed by Kirstie Alley in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and she was the first major new Vulcan heroine introduced in the Star Trek movies. A protégé of Captain Spock, Saavik served on the USS Enterprise during Admiral James T. Kirk's (William Shatner) conflict with Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) over the Genesis Device, which resulted in Spock's death. Robin Curtis took over the role of Saavik in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , which resurrected Spock, and she cameoed as Saavik in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . Saavik remains highly regarded among Star Trek fans and Star Trek: Picard season 3 canon revealed Saavik eventually became the first Captain of the USS Titan.

5 Spock (Kelvin Timeline)

Zachary Quinto portrayed the younger Mr. Spock in the alternate Kelvin Timeline of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies. This version of Spock has different life experiences than Leonard Nimoy's Spock Prime, and Quinto's Vulcan romanced Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and felt rage about the destruction of his homeworld, Vulcan, and the death of his mother, Amanda Grayson (Winona Ryder). Yet Spock heroically rose to save the galaxy alongside his rival-turned-best friend, Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine). Quinto proved Star Trek fans would accept Spock being recast and delivered new dimensions of the beloved Vulcan.

Ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard) is one of the most beloved classic Star Trek characters. Spock's estranged father was introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series ' "Journey to Babel," and the wise but stubborn Vulcan proved Spock was a chip off the old block. Lenard reprised Sarek in the Star Trek movies, and he later befriended Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) on Star Trek: The Next Generation before his death. In Star Trek: Discovery' s prequel era, Sarek was portrayed by James Frain, who adopted the young Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and raised her as his daughter on Vulcan. Sarek remains a pivotal figure in Spock and Michael's lives.

3 T'Pol

Sub-Commander T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) represented the Vulcan High Command in the pioneering voyages of the NX-01 Enterprise commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). As Star Trek: Enterprise progressed, however, T'Pol's allegiance switched to her human Starfleet friends, which included her lover, Commander Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer). T'Pol brought calm, experience, and, of course, logic to the NX-01 Enterprise as Blalock delivered one of the all-time greatest Vulcan portrayals. Despite the T'Pol character being overtly sexualized and plunged into sometimes embarrassing storylines, she maintains her status as one of Star Trek 's best Vulcans.

Star Trek: Voyager 's Lieutenant Tuvok (Tim Russ) was the first major Vulcan character in a Star Trek series since Spock. Tuvok, whose Starfleet career began in the late 23rd century, was a pillar of calm and logic during the USS Voyager's dangerous 7-year journey through the Delta Quadrant. Tuvok is also a Vulcan with a rich family life, and he was isolated from his loved ones while occasionally questioning Starfleet. After Voyager returned to Earth, Tuvok was promoted to Commander and, in Star Trek: Picard season 3's 25th century, Captain Tuvok had the honor of promoting his colleague, Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), as Captain of the USS Enterprise-G. Tuvok is undoubtedly one of the greatest Vulcans in Star Trek.

1 Spock (Prime Timeline)

There is no doubt that Spock holds the status as the greatest Vulcan character, and he is arguably also the greatest Star Trek character period. Proudly logical, Spock is also half-human, and the depths of his emotions have often been explored. Spock's loyalty and dedication to his friends are storied throughout Star Trek , and this continued not just into the 24th century but into the Kelvin Timeline of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies as well, which is where Spock found his final resting place after over a century of saving the galaxy. On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Ethan Peck shines as the younger Lt. Spock trying to balance his Vulcan and human sides. Peck's performance as Spock enhances his legend and honors Leonard Nimoy.

Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Vulcans

The Vulcans are iconic figures of the Star Trek franchise, but there are still facts that many people don't know about them.

Star Trek has over two hundred different alien species , and yet none is as iconic and representative of the franchise as the logical and peaceful Vulcans. The race originated with the character of Spock in The Original Series and has remained an intrinsic part of the sci-fi series, nearly sixty years since their debut.

RELATED: Star Trek: 10 Best Vulcan Characters, Ranked

While they've maintained their severe bowl cuts and unswept eyebrows over the years, the Vulcans have continued to evolve with Star Trek , providing fans with more information about one of Humanity's biggest allies.

10 They're Founding Members Of The United Federation Of Planets

As depicted in the 1996 film, First Contact , the Vulcans first revealed themselves in 2063 after detecting scientist Zefram Cochrane's first warp-capable vessel , Phoenix. They'd scouted the Sol System for other warp-capable beings for over a hundred years before finally approaching Humans with peaceful offers of knowledge and alliance.

Later on, Vulcans and Humans would ally with the Andorian Empire and Tellar to found the United Federation of Planets, an interstellar union based on furthering the four nations' development through mutually beneficial cooperation. The Vulcans would continue to be part of the Federation until the late 30th century, officially leaving in 3089.

9 Despite Their Pursue Of Logic, They Have A Very Turbulent Past

Before becoming the highly civilized, stoic society that fans know and love, Vulcans were a volatile species who solved most of their issues through intense battles to the death. They were far more emotional than humans, letting their instincts guide them into violent fits of rage that eventually thinned their planet's population.

This is when Surak and his philosophy based on logic and restraint come in. Seeing the rapid devastation of his people, Surak proposed an alternative path that spread to all corners of Vulcan, quickly gaining approval and leading a change in their ways. A few ancient rituals like the Kal-if-fee still retain the Vulcans' need for warfare and bloodshed.

8 Vulcans Share A Common Ancestry With Romulans

Romulans were first revealed in the Original Series episode "Balance of Terror," which is largely considered one of the show's best . Unlike Vulcans, Romulans are ruthless warriors with little patience for diplomacy and alliances. Their ancestors left Vulcan after Surak's victory, refusing to repress their emotions and establishing the Romulan Star Empire.

RELATED: 10 Fundamental Differences Between Star Wars & Star Trek

After isolating themselves and even attempting to damage the Federation on occasion, the Romulans ultimately reunite with their cousins and join them in Vulcan after their planet was destroyed. As a sign of good faith, Vulcan was renamed Ni'Var and became independent from the Federation.

7 Their Copper-Based Blood Has A Green Tint When Oxygenated

Despite sharing many similarities, Vulcan and human biologies have several key differences. Vulcan blood is mainly copper-based, giving light-skinned Vulcans a greenish tint to their skin. This also means that when exposed to oxygen, their blood takes on a bright green color as shown in the Voyager   episode, "Cold Fire," when Tuvok starts bleeding.

Furthermore, the Vulcan heart is situated on the right side of the torso, in the same spot where the Human liver is located. In Beyond , Spock narrowly avoids being impaled in the heart by a piece of debris, prompting Dr. McCoy to mention this fact while providing assistance.

6 They're Vegetarians By Choice

Though originally omnivores, Vulcans have adopted a largely vegetarian lifestyle. For breakfast, Vulcans typically eat Plomeek soup, a plant-based broth that is said to taste bland to humans. In the fan-favorite episode "Amok Time," Christine Chapel prepares a bowl for an irrational Spock who is suffering from the effects of Pon Farr .

RELATED: Star Trek: 10 Characters Who Should Have A Picard-Style Solo Series

Vulcans also enjoy eating Gespar, a red fruit native to their planet that makes a brief appearance in the Enterprise episode, "Home," when T'Pol and Charles Tucker visit the first's mother, T'Les.

5 Their Bodies Can Continue To Function Without Their Brains

The Original Series episode, "Spock's Brain," introduced one of the weirdest, yet fascinating  facts about Vulcan biology—they can apparently continue functioning without their brain. In the episode, a female alien surgically removes Spock's brain in order to power a machine, and to the rest of the Enterprise's surprise, Spock manages to walk around as if nothing were missing.

This absurd incident has never been revisited in any of the following series, but it remains one of the strangest additions to Vulcan lore. Not even Doctor McCoy saw it coming, and he's seen quite a few things while attending the Enterprise's reckless crew.

4 Vulcans Are Still Prone To A Few Diseases

Despite their heightened metabolism, Vulcans can still suffer from various diseases, most of them linked to their telepathy. In The Next Generation , Ambassador Sarek suffers from a degenerative illness called Bendii Syndrome, which leads him to lose control of his emotions and unconsciously project them to others with dangerous consequences.

After a poorly conducted mind-meld, Vulcans can be affected by Pa'nar Syndrome, a neural illness that affects other systems of the body. T'Pol suffered from the disorder for over a year before being cured in "Daedalus," a season four episode of Enterprise .

3 They're Master Martial Artists

Vulcans are famously pacifists, but they've been known to use weapons and violence when the situation demands it, usually as a last resort. Vulcan children grow up learning Suus Mahna, a martial art that uses the opponent's strength and movements to the user's advantage.

RELATED: Star Trek: The 10 Most Relatable Characters In The Franchise

The Vulcan nerve pinch, as it's colloquially known in the show, is one of the most popular and effective Vulcan techniques. By applying pressure to the trapezius nerve, the user can easily immobilize the opponent and render them unconscious. The nerve pinch is known to be difficult for non-Vulcans to learn, with only a few exceptions like Captain Picard , Data, and Michael Burnham being able to do so.

2 Vulcan Children Must Pass A Maturity Test Called Kahs-wan

Vulcans start their journey toward absolute logic quite young. Aside from the initial mating bond that unites a young male and a young female for a future Pon Farr, children must also endure a grueling maturity test named the Kahs-wan. To successfully prove themselves, Vulcan adolescents must survive ten days in The Forge, the planet's largest and deadliest desert, without any sustenance or weapon.

The ritual was first introduced in the Animated Series episode, "Yesteryear," when Spock travels back in time to save his younger self from being killed by a le-matya, a large Vulcan animal. The  Enterprise episode, "The Catwalk," also has T'Pol liken the test to her first camping experience.

1 Their Essence Is Captured In Their Katra

A deeply spiritual race, Vulcans believed every member of their species had a Katra—the physical manifestation of someone's consciousness. According to Vulcan belief, Katras could survive well after the body's demise and could be transferred to another living being through a mind-meld.

After Spock's death in The Wrath of Khan , his Katra was trapped within Doctor McCoy's mind until it could be retransferred to his regenerated body via the Fal-Tor-Pan ritual in The Search for Spock . Years earlier, Ambassador Sarek  shared his consciousness with Michael Burnham in Discovery  and was also able to communicate with her through their link.

NEXT: Star Trek: All Movies, Ranked According To IMDb

When does the final season of 'Star Trek: Discovery' come out? Release date, cast, where to watch

It's time for U.S.S. Discovery's final mission.

Paramount+'s hit TV series "Star Trek: Discovery" is returning for its fifth and final season this week and there is a lot to look forward to.

"The fifth and final season will find Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery uncovering a mystery that will send them on an epic adventure across the galaxy to find an ancient power whose very existence has been deliberately hidden for centuries," says Paramount+ about the upcoming season. "But there are others on the hunt as well…dangerous foes who are desperate to claim the prize for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it."

"Star Trek: Discovery" debuted in 2017 and is the seventh in the Star Trek series. Here's everything you need to know about the final season of the series.

When does 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 premiere?

The finale season of "Star Trek: Discovery" is scheduled to premiere on Paramount+ on Thursday, April 4.

The first two episodes will be available to stream on the premiere date, with new episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays. Paramount+ did not specify what time the episodes will be available on their platform.

'Star Trek: Discovery' on Paramount+: Subscribe

Kenneth Mitchell: 'Star Trek: Discovery' actor, dies after battle with ALS

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 episodes

Season 5 of "Star Trek: Discovery" has 10 episodes in total. The first two will be available to stream on April 4, with the remaining dropping weekly on Thursday on Paramount+.

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 cast

Season 5 of "Star Trek: Discovery" brings back new and old faces along with recurring guest stars. Cast members include:

• Sonequa Martin-Green as Captain Michael Burnham
• Doug Jones as Saru
• Anthony Rapp as Paul Stamets
• Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly
• Wilson Cruz as Dr. Hugh Culber
• David Ajala as Cleveland “Book” Booker
• Blu del Barrio as Adira
• Callum Keith Rennie as Rayner.
• Elias Toufexis as L’ak
• Eve Harlow as Moll

'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 trailer

Paramount+ dropped the official trailer for Season 5 on Feb. 23.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Star Sonequa Martin-Green on the Show’s Unexpected Final Season, the ‘Pressure’ of Representation and Taking the ‘Trek’ Cruise

By Adam B. Vary

Adam B. Vary

Senior Entertainment Writer

• ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Star Sonequa Martin-Green on the Show’s Unexpected Final Season, the ‘Pressure’ of Representation and Taking the ‘Trek’ Cruise 12 hours ago
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Sonequa Martin-Green ’s first memories of “ Star Trek ” are of her parents watching it on TV — but really, they’re of Nichelle Nichols.

“I don’t even know as a child if I knew her real name, but I knew, here’s this beautiful Black woman,” Martin-Green says. “This is Uhura.”

When Martin-Green and her castmates shot Season 5, they didn’t know that it would be the final mission for “Discovery”; the show was well into post-production on the season when Paramount+ made the announcement. But in an uncommon show of goodwill, the streamer and CBS Studios carved out an additional three-day shoot for the series finale so “Discovery” could have a proper send off.

“We wanted to conclude on a high note, and it was so important to honor the series’ incredible legacy and to give it the final season it deserves,” says Jeff Grossman, EVP of Paramount+ programming. “We’re so grateful to the producers for developing an extraordinary coda to bring ‘Discovery’ to a close.”

Remarkably, even though they weren’t designed to be this way, the first four episodes of the season, which Variety has screened, have a striking finality to them. Several characters make momentous life choices while the crew of the USS Discovery embark on a season-long adventure that feels like a culmination of sorts for everything they’ve experienced to that point. 

“I think it will feel like we had baked it from the beginning,” says executive producer and showrunner Michelle Paradise.

What was your very first exposure to “Star Trek”?

I can remember seeing it on the television when I was a kid. I can remember watching my parents watch it. I never sat down to watch it, but I knew what it was. I knew that’s “Star Trek,” that’s Nichelle Nichols. I don’t even know as a child if I knew her real name, but I knew here’s this beautiful Black woman. This is Uhura. I remember LeVar Burton. It’s interesting — I have flashes of a few people, but the two of them are the most prevalent in my memory.

Recently, Paramount+ posted a fascinating conversation between you and “Lower Decks” star Tawny Newsome , and one thing you discussed was how you’ve realized that, early on in the show, you took on too much responsibility. How did that manifest for you?

It was present when we were all establishing this culture of family on the set. I knew that that was exceedingly important, invaluable even, and everyone agreed with me. So I was mindful of that as we were going along.

But also it affected me in my work between action and cut, honestly. I felt so much pressure. Most of it I had put on myself. It needed to be perfect, and it needed to be right, and I needed to do it justice, and I needed to, I needed to, I needed to. It was very much, I must, I must, I must.

You can’t stay in the place that I was in because it is stagnating, and it does stifle your creativity. Thankfully, it was able to pass through me. It took time, longer than I thought it would take, but it did eventually get to where I finally could be authentic without that pressure.

Was part of that pressure because of this franchise’s history of breaking ground in representation with Nichelle Nichols and George Takei?

Oh, yeah. George Takei, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew. That’s exactly why. We knew that [“Star Trek”] was an heirloom, and to me it was heavy at first. At the time, I was still dealing with a great deal of internalized racism as well, so there was the imposter syndrome. There was the idea that I needed to prove that I deserve to be there, that I needed to make those who came before me proud, that I needed to prove my worth to them because of what had already been accomplished, because I knew that I was there largely because of them.

Of course, I knew that God had placed me there as well. I was always very clear about that, but I knew that they had paved the path that I was walking on. It was very much that I need to be perfect because of who came before me and what they accomplished.

How often are you meeting fans for whom “Discovery” is their first “Star Trek”?

What do they say to you?

They’ll say, “You’re my ‘Trek.’” And that could bring a tear to my eye, because that’s the whole point of this.

How do they say they came to the show?

There’s a little bit of everything. I get people saying, “I watched you on ‘Walking Dead,’ and then when I saw that you were on this, I decided to watch this, and now I’m watching other ‘Treks.’” Some people will say, “My sibling or parent or spouse or best friend was watching it and encouraged me to watch it.” I’ve heard, “I was there from the very beginning. I watched the original series when it was on television.” Of course, these people are typically in their early seventies, and they’ll say, “But I love ‘Discovery.’ Thank you for bringing ‘Trek’ back.”

I’ve been in tears with people before, because they’ll say, “This was what me and my dad shared,” or, “This is what me and my grandmother shared before they left.” Or they’ll say, “‘Discovery’ actually brought my family back together. There’s not very many things that we agree on, but we come together every week as a family to watch ‘Discovery.’” I’ve had more than one person say that to me.

You were just on the official “Star Trek” cruise — were you having those kinds of interactions often with fans?

Oh, yes. The thing about the cruise is that everybody’s there for the same reason. Usually, when I meet people at conventions, they could be there for lots of things. But on the cruise, it’s pointed. It is about this .

What are you doing on the cruise? What is your day like?

Oh, you’re doing all kinds of things. You’re playing a lot of games. There’s karaoke, there’s interviews. You’re also doing things like sushi making, wine tasting. There are variety shows at night. There’s sketch shows, there’s performances, there’s music, there’s concerts. Anthony Rapp did a concert. Tawny and Eugene [Cordero] did some improv. It’s all kinds of everything. 

How much interaction do you have with “Star Trek” alumni who you’d not met before?

More than I was expecting and more than I typically have. We see each other at events here and there. But I was really moved by being able to be with other people from the iterations. What really struck me was, man, I talk a lot about the family of “Star Trek: Discovery.”

But I realized on the cruise how every iteration was its own family. We learned a lot about the “Next Gen” family through Jonathan Frakes, who’s one of our most beloved directors of “Discovery.” He took us under his wing, and he would talk to us about how they were such a family. But being able to see it, it’s different.

There’s an intimacy between “Star Trek” actors and the fandom that isn’t nearly as present for other franchises — like, Ewan McGregor isn’t going on a “Star Wars” cruise. What has it been like stepping into that aspect of it? 

The fans would yell out to us at press events, at panels, “Welcome to the family!” I just met a group of ladies just a couple of months ago at a convention who said, “We only know each other because of ‘Discovery,’ but we are now like family.” That happens a lot. But it is overwhelming, too. It makes you feel that much more responsible for the story.

There are also fans who are the opposite, who’ve said, “You’re not my ‘Star Trek,’” or “This isn’t how ‘Star Trek’ should be.” What has that experience been like for you?

It is something that we have to contend with, especially in the beginning. We never allowed it to discourage us, because we understood their point of view. We would discuss these things on set all the time, because we felt as if we were caught in a kind of whirlwind. But this is an intelligent group of people. They are loyal, and they’re speaking from their hearts. They had issues, and rightfully so. They were justified to have their points of view.

It’s always hard for a new iteration of “Trek.” Apparently, this is a sort of rite of passage, to have a little bit of a rocky beginning. This is what we’ve heard from other iterations, that it took a second for the audience to grab ahold of them. That was the case for us as well. 

They did not like how futuristic we were — that’s a broad term. They didn’t like that I was at the helm. They didn’t like all the representation. They didn’t like the look of the Klingons. They didn’t like how advanced our tech was. But we had to say, “Well, but this isn’t 1966.” I remember hearing one person say that “Trek” is supposed to make you look forward, and that’s what we were doing. But it was hard for people at first to wrap their brains around it — or, really, I guess I should say, wrap their hearts around it.

You finished shooting Season 5 before Paramount+ decided it was going to be the final season — how did it feel when that announcement was made?

I kept thinking about how culminating the story seemed. It is so conclusive in a way, is it not?

It really is.

But we just thought, “Hey, see you for Season 6, and we will go even bigger.” So when I got the news, it was bittersweet and shocking. But I always felt a great sense of peace about it, and just gratitude and accomplishment and achievement.

I’m so happy we were able to go back for the coda, that Michelle Paradise and [executive producer] Alex Kurtzman really fought for that and CBS said yes. We were able to have that real experience of, “Oh, this is the last time we’ll ever do that.” It felt like a gift. I don’t know if we needed it, but man, we really appreciated it.

The next series, “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” is set in the 32nd Century, contemporaneous to “Discovery.” Are you anticipating Michael Burnham making an appearance on that show?

Finally, while I was visiting the “Section 31” set for the cover story, I saw the cast and crew participate in what they called the Crew Appreciation Award — at the start of each day, everyone gathered around, and one member of the crew gave the award to someone else on the crew, and the following day, that person passed the award on to a new crew member. When I asked Alex Kurtzman how it started, he said I should ask you about it. What is it?

Aw! That almost makes me want to cry! That’s great to hear. I didn’t know that. OK, so, Crew Appreciation started in Season 1. A director came in — I don’t want to get his name wrong, so I won’t even say — and he said that this was something that he had come across in his travels. At the time, it was this neon construction vest, and you would pass it crew to crew. And I thought, “What a lovely thing. Let’s do that here. But it can’t be a vest because that’s cumbersome. So it’ll be a medal.” I bought some clay, and shaped it into a medal, and then I painted it gold and put a strap on it. 

And then what was so endearing is everybody added something to that medal. Costumes put a fabric backing on it, and then lighting put a lighting strip around the edge. Everybody just kept adding little pieces to it. We would do it every single day. It was a big part of our show’s culture. Some people would be embarrassed and they would say, “Thank you guys so much. Can you please just not clap for me?” So we would be like, “Got it, we will appreciate you in silence today.” But it was always so fun. One of my favorite things.

Where’s that medal now?

We don’t know! The last time somebody saw it, we hung it up in Stage 4, and we were like, “It’ll be waiting for us [for Season 5].” When we went back, it wasn’t there anymore. So it’s somewhere at Pinewood Studios. As we were shooting Season 5, we ended up 3D printing another one. Maybe we’ll have to have a scavenger hunt reunion one day.

This interview has been edited and condensed .

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Invincible season 2 finale, Netflix’s Ripley, and more new TV this week

Plus: American Horror Story: Delicate, Star Trek: Discovery, and Elsbeth return

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Share All sharing options for: Invincible season 2 finale, Netflix’s Ripley, and more new TV this week

It’s April Fools’ Day, but this post is no joke: There is a lot of new TV to watch this week. In a lot of ways it’s a showdown of tense situations — “tense,” here, being used to cover things like Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott, in the new adaptation) trying to con his way into high society, American Horror Story: Delicate ’s Anna (Emma Roberts) attempting to figure what’s a real haunting and what’s in her head, Mark (Steven Yeun) trying to live up to the title of Invincible while he protects his family, or Larry David (Larry David) just trying to make it through the end of Curb Your Enthusiasm alive.

Lots to unpack in those stories, and beyond. Here’s the best new TV premieres and finales this week.

New shows on Netflix

Genre: Con-artist class warfare Release date: April 4, with all episodes Showrunner/creator: Steven Zaillian Cast: Andrew Scott, Johnny Flynn, Dakota Fanning, and more

Tom Ripley is always slippery, whether you’re encountering him in the original Patricia Highsmith novels or adapted to the screen. While he was last portrayed by Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley , here it’s Andrew Scott, rendered in stark black and white, as Ripley undertakes the same story as the film, and the tragicomic story of Ripley and Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn).

New shows on Hulu

American horror story: delicate part 2.

Genre: Rosemary’s Baby Release date: April 3 on FX at 10 p.m. EDT, next day on Hulu Showrunner/creator: Ryan Murphy and Halley Feiffer Cast: Emma Roberts, Kim Kardashian, Matt Czuchry, and more

Anna (Emma Roberts) should be enjoying having it all, in the running for the Oscar and with child. Unfortunately, things keep going mysteriously wrong, and she’s quickly losing time and sanity. Season 12b will pick up with where we left her last year before the season break — as the mystery mounts and the pregnancy progresses.

New shows on Max

Curb your enthusiasm season 12 finale.

Genre: Cringe comedy Release date: April 7 Showrunner/creator: Larry David Cast: Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, and more

Larry David is going out on top — or his version of it, anyway. This is the guy who co-created Seinfeld , as he is oft reminded, and left in the final season, but did come back for the final episode, as he is also often reminded about. Probably nothing to read into for this finale.

Genre: Drama Release date: April 7 Showrunner/creator: Will Tracy Cast: Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, and more

The Chancellor is losing it — and now it’s time to see how everything really shakes out for her.

New shows on Prime Video

Invincible season 2.

Genre: Coming of age (as a superhero) Release date: April 4 Showrunner/creator: Robert Kirkman Cast: Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, Sterling K. Brown, and more

Mark (Steven Yeun) is still trying to figure his shit out, especially as he comes to terms with a breakup and a complete confusion of his sense of purpose. And now Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown) is back and threatening his family. Fuck, dude.

New shows on Paramount Plus

Genre: (Still a) Columbo-esque procedural Release date: April 4 Showrunner/creator: Robert and Michelle King Cast: Carrie Preston, Wendell Pierce, and more

That’s right, we’re doing it again! Elsbeth , the Good Wife spinoff centered around the best Good Wife side character, Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston), is back with the rest of the season. While it technically appeared in these very pages announcing its premiere earlier in February, the season now starts in earnest. Join us!

Star Trek: Discovery season 5

Genre: Science fiction Release date: April 4, with one episode Showrunner/creator: Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise Cast: Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, David Ajala, and more

Star Trek: Discovery is returning for its fifth and final season. It’s the show that’s been driving the Star Trek TV renaissance (or, at least, the show all the other shows are building off of). And, as Susana Polo put it in her preview , “ Discovery has reached the final final frontier for a Star Trek show,” with the opportunity not seen in a quarter of a century.

New shows on Apple TV Plus

Loot season 2.

Genre: Comedy Release date: April 3, with two episodes Showrunner/creator: Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard Cast: Maya Rudolph, Joel Kim Booster, Nat Faxon, and more

Molly Novak (Maya Rudolph) is still trying to reconnect to the real world through her philanthropic efforts. In the process, she’s learning to be a little more human herself — often to, well, humorous effect. With Rudolph and Loot coming back for season 2, we can trust Molly is going to really, finally figure it out this time.

Genre: Contemporary noir Release date: April 5, with two episodes Showrunner/creator: Mark Protosevich Cast: Colin Farrell, Kirby, James Cromwell, and more

Sugar (Colin Farrell) is a world-weary private eye who needs a break, but is now booked for one more case. This modern noir — told vibrantly, both in palette and tone — follows that case, which, as these things do, turns out to be more complicated than meets the eye. (That is his real name, though.)

New shows on Crunchyroll

Wind breaker.

Genre: Shonen anime Release date: April 4 Based on the manga by: Satoru Nii

Haruka Sakura is lonely in his first year of Furin High School, recognized in town as the school with a bad academic rep that’s basically just for delinquents. Or at least he was bored, until he meets the members of Bofurin, a school organization comprised of said delinquents, who he learns are actually the sole protectors of the town.

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Syrran of Vulcan (2154)

The Syrrannites were a Vulcan group during the 22nd century that followed what they believed to be the true teachings of Surak , the father of Vulcan philosophy . Believing that Vulcan culture in their time had become corrupt and no longer followed Surak's original teachings, they stood in vocal but peaceful opposition to Vulcan's government.

Specifically, the Syrrannites objected to the militaristic attitude that the Vulcan High Command had adopted. They also believed that Vulcans had disregarded other basic tenets of Surak's teaching by engaging in frequent deception, distrust, and anger as embodied by the use of the Vulcan monastery at P'Jem for espionage . The withholding of the truth from allies such as Humans , even though the Syrrannites did not fully accept the presence of non-Vulcans on Vulcan , was considered another sign of the cultural failings of the time.

V'Las considered them dangerous due to their pacifism , which he considered a dangerous mindset due to the impending preemptive strike on Andoria . ( ENT : " Awakening ")

Each leader of the Syrrannite movement was believed to be in possession of the katra of Surak. In 2154 , the leader of the group was Syrran , and its members included T'Pau and T'Les .

In 2154, Earth's embassy on Vulcan was bombed by unknown forces. The government identified the Syrannite group as the main suspects. In particular, T'Pau, one of the movement's leaders, was implicated by the government. Investigating the bombing, Enterprise NX-01 Captain Jonathan Archer and First Officer T'Pol encountered Arev (who was actually Syrran himself) in Vulcan's Forge . While seeking shelter from a sandfire storm , Arev/Syrran was killed by an electrical burst from the storm. The injury was fatal but, before he died, Syrran transferred Surak's katra to Archer. ( ENT : " The Forge ")

Guided by the katras of Syrran and Surak, Archer and T'Pol found the Syrrannites' main base at the T'Karath Sanctuary within Vulcan's Forge, where T'Pau attempted to transfer Surak's katra from Archer to herself, but Surak's katra resisted this. The Vulcan High Command then began to destroy the Syrranites' base at the Sanctuary, to cover up their involvement in the bombing of the embassy, and to completely vanquish the nettlesome Syrranites once and for all. Among those who would survive were Archer, T'Pol, and T'Pau, who, before the destruction of the T'Karath Sanctuary became complete, began to search its lower caves in order to find the long lost Kir'Shara , Surak 's original sacred texts. ( ENT : " Awakening ")

The recovery of the Kir'Shara and the Syrrannite role in its discovery directly resulted in the Vulcan Reformation . ( ENT : " Kir'Shara ", " Daedalus ")

See also [ ]

• Unnamed Vulcan Syrrannites
• 2 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)
• 3 Star Trek: The Next Generation

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‘Star Trek’ Fan Leaves Behind a Collection Like No One Has Done Before

When Troy Nelson died, his shelves were filled to the rafters with memorabilia from the popular franchise. Soon, the massive collection will be boldly going, going, gone.

Evan Browne said her brother Troy’s love of “Star Trek” began with the original series, which he and his siblings watched at dinnertime. Credit... Connie Aramaki for The New York Times

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By Sopan Deb

• Published April 1, 2024 Updated April 3, 2024, 2:40 p.m. ET

Editors’ Note, April 2, 2024: After publication, The Times learned that Troy and Andrew Nelson were named in a civil lawsuit filed in Pierce County Superior Court in 1998, in which they were accused of molesting three disabled adults in a state-licensed facility that they operated. After a six-week jury trial, Washington State was ordered to pay $17.8 million to the plaintiffs. The state said it intended to appeal but missed the deadline and paid the victims. The Nelson brothers denied the allegations and were never criminally charged.

Troy Nelson and his younger brother Andrew were almost inseparable.

The two youngest of six, they were born two years apart. They lived together in their childhood home in Bremerton, Wash., for more than half a century. Near their home, there is a park bench on which they carved their initials as young boys.

The Nelson brothers never married or had children. They worked together at the same senior home. They even once, as teenagers, dated the same girl at the same time while working different shifts at the same pizza shop. This lasted a week until they realized it.

“Two parts of one body,” Evan Browne, their older sister, said of their relationship in an interview.

On Feb. 28, Andrew Nelson, who had been treated for cancer for years, went to feed the chickens and ducks that were gifts from Ms. Browne to her brothers. He had a heart attack and died. He was 55. Just hours later, Troy Nelson, who was stricken with grief, took his own life. He was 57.

“He had talked about it before,” Browne, 66, said, tearfully. “He said, ‘Hey, if Andrew goes, I’m out of here. I’m checking out.’ Andrew would say the same thing, and then it really happened .”

What Troy Nelson left behind has become a sensation. After his death, family members posted pictures on social media of his massive — and, really, the keyword is massive — collection of “Star Trek” memorabilia, which have now been shared thousands of times.

The items took up two living rooms and a bedroom, all lined with bookshelves, according to Elena Hamel, one of the brothers’ nieces. The centers of the rooms were lined with additional bookshelves — all packed to the brim — to create aisles. There were jewelry cabinets serving as display cases.

The shelves contained action figures. Dolls. Models of ships. Posters. Ornaments. Lunchboxes. Legos. Several toy phasers and tricorders. (For non-Trek fans, the phaser is a weapon, and a tricorder is, essentially, a fancy smartphone.) Multiple “Star Trek” lamps. (Yes, there are “Star Trek” lamps.) Trading cards. Comic books. Trek-themed Geeki Tikis (stylized tiki mugs). Life-size cutouts of famous characters. A life-size captain’s chair.

While it’s impossible to account for every private collector in the world, Troy Nelson’s collection is almost assuredly among the largest — if not the largest.

The last additions to the collection came in the final weeks of his life: Stuffed rabbits in “Star Trek” uniforms. “I’ve never seen a collection that size,” said Russ Haslage, the president of the International Federation of Trekkers , a “Star Trek”-themed nonprofit that Haslage founded with Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the franchise.

Haslage’s organization opened in 2020 a “Star Trek” museum in Sandusky, Ohio, that has received donations of memorabilia from estates. Those collections “pale in comparison” to Mr. Nelson’s, he said. (Haslage has reached out to the family to ask about donations from the collection.)

The older brother’s love of “Star Trek” began with the original series, which he’d watch with his siblings.

“It was our dinner meal,” Ms. Browne said. “When we had dinner, we were sitting in front of ‘Star Trek.’”

Troy Nelson began collecting in the late-1970s. His first acquisition was a model version of the Starship Enterprise. Then came Star Trek conventions. Why the franchise was such a draw to him remains a mystery to his family.

“I really can’t say. I mean, other than the fact that he was brainwashed with it at dinner time,” Browne said, laughing. “That sounds ridiculous. When we grew up, it’s like, ‘Dinner is at this time. And if you don’t get here at this time, you don’t get dinner.’ So it might’ve been a comfort for him .”

Troy Nelson would often monitor sites like eBay for items he didn’t have. On several occasions, he would express frustration on losing out on an item before being able to bid on it. Until he found out the reason.

“Andrew already got it for him,” Ms. Browne recalled.

Obsessive “Star Trek” fandom has long become an indelible part of pop culture, especially as the franchise — which has spawned several television series, movies, novels and comics — has been a long-running institution. There have been documentaries that have studied the subject, such as “Trekkies” in 1997. It’s been lampooned on “The Simpsons,” “Saturday Night Live” and “Family Guy,” and become a story line in an episode of “The West Wing,” among many others. For dedicated fans, accruing collectibles isn’t uncommon.

“When you collect these things, you’re closer to that genre that you enjoy so much,” Haslage said. “When I first started in 1979, I was grabbing everything I could get my hands on because it was cool, and it was a piece of the whole ‘Star Trek’ mythos. If you have these pieces, you’re a part of that universe in some way.”

It turns out that collecting is a pursuit that runs in the family.

Andrew Nelson collected mall swords, Ryobi-branded tools and statues of warrior women, like Xena, the warrior princess .

Browne’s house has a wall with thousands of smashed pennies and her living room windows are full of glass sugar and creamer bowls.

Browne’s father, Bud Peers, collected salt and pepper shakers, guns and knives. Troy and Andrew’s father, Norman Nelson, collected scrap metal and wood.

Hamel has 17 Christmas trees, all fully decorated with separate themes.

Browne’s son, Michael, who is 36, collects anything and everything related to black bears.

“ When you have a large collection like that and it’s displayed like that,” Hamel said, “and it’s something that is important to you, it’s often really calming to be in a space like that. It’s just all the things that you love. It’s soothing.”

As far as Browne knew, Troy had no history of mental illness or any previous suicide attempts. After Andrew died, she received a distraught and frantic call from Troy with the news. She told him that she was on her way.

Ms. Browne said she called him when she got to the Tacoma Bridge. No answer. And then again, at the Manette Bridge. No answer. When she reached their home, the back door was open. And then she found him. The phone call was the last time they spoke.

Troy Nelson did not leave a note, but did leave some things meticulously arranged by his computer, including a key to the house, burial plans for the two brothers, and bills.

“ I don’t know really what I thought,” Ms. Browne said. “All I could do was just scream.”

The Nelson family is boxing up Troy’s “Star Trek” collection to prepare it for auction. Andrew’s ashes will be placed in an urn carved in the likeness of the supermodel Bettie Page . (He was a fan.) Troy’s ashes will be placed in a “Star Trek” lunchbox.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.

Sopan Deb is a Times reporter covering breaking news and culture. More about Sopan Deb

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Sulla plancia dell'Enterprise

Ultimo avamposto (bologna) - 28 novembre 2010   editing per simulare uno "screenshot" dalla pellicola   model: federica russo cosplay: vulcaniana – star trek photographer: andrea bonvissuto make-up: fiorella scatena thanks to: cesare marino     ©2010 andrea bonvissuto (tutti i diritti sono riservati).

Star Trek's Barbara Baldavin passes away at age 85

B arbara Baldavin played two roles on Star Trek: The Original Series, the first of which was Ensign Angela Martine, a phasers control officer who was supposed to marry Lt. Robert Tomlinson (Stephen Mines) at the beginning of Balance of Terror. Their wedding is interrupted, and, unfortunately, due to a battle with the Romulans, Lt. Tomlinson dies. The episode concludes with a touching scene between Martine and Captain Kirk ( William Shatner ).

Baldavin would return in the next episode "Shore Leave" as the same character and then in the series finale, "Turnabout Intruder" playing a communications officer. Though her parts were small, she was, and always will be, a part of the Star Trek family. And this family is mourning the loss of Baldavin as the 85-year-old passed away on Sunday at her Manhattan Beach home from congestive heart failure, according to her son, Marc D'Agosta. [ via CBR ]

Baldavin would go on to find success playing Nurse Holmby on the popular 1970s drama, Medical Center. After that series ended in 1976, she continued her acting career with guest stints on such series as Barnaby Jones, Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, and Quincy, M.E. Her final onscreen role was in the 1993 horror film, Skeeter. Along with acting, Baldavin was also a casting director for series like Trapper John, M.D. Square Pegs, and Finder of Lost Loves.

Baldavin is survived by her two sons, Marc and Joseph, and her two grandchildren, Casandra and Justine. Red Shirts Always Die extends our deepest condolences to her family.

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as Star Trek's Barbara Baldavin passes away at age 85 .