alt title(s): Spock
Captain, the logical course of action in this situation is to let the inhabitants of Pupolon fend for themselves. We need the Mac Guffin device keeping the planet's orbit stable, or risk endangering the very existence of The Federation. I am aware of that, Doctor, but simply rushing in to "save the high priestess" will leave us open to a Klingon ambush with a 78.52% probability of outright destruction. I realize this is a hard choice Captain, but the Needs of the Many outweigh the Needs of the Few.
A character who has a genius-level intelligence but is incapable of standard, normal emoting.
Typically, the character enjoys good relations with the other characters who understand the quirk. In fact, other characters value
The Spock's utter unflappability in the face of serious problems or danger; he's a morale boost for being a comrade who will never show fear or despair in the gravest of situations and will resolutely be working on a solution. When put in a
Power Trio with
The Kirk and
The McCoy, he becomes what in psychology is called the superego.
The Spock will at times become a
Tin Man, though this varies with the writing. When he has emotion, he may sometimes express it with a
Fascinating Eyebrow and nothing more.
Closely related to
Agent Scully,
Emotionless Girl and
The Ruri. Often becomes a
Straw Vulcan, but ocasionally ends up on the winning side of
Emotions Vs Stoicism. See also
Spock Speak.
Named (obviously) for Spock from
Star Trek. Compare with their eternal opposite,
The McCoy.
Examples:
- Gil Grissom from CSI.
- Data from Star Trek The Next Generation.
- Seven of Nine (and Tuvok) from Star Trek Voyager.
- T'Pol from Star Trek Enterprise
- "D" from Parallel Trouble Adventure Dual.
- Hoshino Ruri from Martian Successor Nadesico is both The Spock and (obviously) The Ruri.
- Cristina Yang from Greys Anatomy.
- Nagato Yuki from Suzumiya Haruhi.
- Keith Anyan from Toward The Terra.
- Temperance "Bones" Brennan from Bones.
- This may be a subtle subversion, as "Bones" was Dr McCoy's nickname.
- Especially since she does not have that nickname in the books by Kathy Reichs. Everyone calls her "Tempe".
- Brainiac 5 of DC's Legion of Super-Heroes.
- Sasha Nein of Psychonauts.
- Ivan of The Brothers Karamazov.
- Teal'c of Stargate SG-1 is sometimes The Spock, in that he has the same unflappability and (usually) rational thinking, though he's more The Stoic than a person who actually doesn't experience emotion.
- Lumiere from Kiddy Grade.
- Chou Yaru in Unicorn Jelly.
- Gale, in Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga.
- All Contractors in Darker Than Black are said to be like this; part of their condition is that they always act rationally and with their own best interests in mind, dismissing emotional attachments. Throughout the series several counter-examples are shown, to the degree that whether the statement is actually true is up for discussion.
- Death in the Discworld series. Is attempting to understand the human race, but is finding it...difficult.
- Ficus in Quark is a parody of The Spock taken to extremes. He's a sentient plant and has absolutely no emotions, taking everything logically and speaking only in Spock Speak.
- Aeryn Sun of Far Scape is a minor tactical genius and never loses her cool...perhaps to her detriment, as the path of her relationship with Crichton is rocky and convoluted.
- Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory.
- Detective Lunge from Monster.
- Doctor Larry Fleinhart from NUMB3RS. Surprisingly, Doctor Charlie Epps doesn't qualify, as he emotes just fine.
- Wind Whistler of My Little Pony
