Discovery's Spock Replacement reverses Vulcans' most iconic trait

Star Trek: Discovery Has a replacement for Spock (Leonard Nimoy, Ethan Peck) who changed the Vulcans' more memorable trait. The work of reviving the Star Trek Television universe was difficult, and Star Trek: Discovery Tried to delicately balance the new and the old. Star Trek: Discovery Works as a prequel and a sequel to Star Trek: The Original Series and introduces new faces while still honoring classic characters. Star Trek: DiscoveryS characters even traveled through time, ending up in the distant future and setting up a brand new one Star Trek Adventure where no one has gone before.

A major ship other than another version of the starship Enterprise given Star Trek: Discovery An exciting edge, and most of the USS Discovery's crew is introduced for the first time - but Star Trek: Discovery Still played homage to it Star Trek predecessors. A new species is quickly introduced called the Kelpiens, represented by Discovery's first officer, Commander Saroo (Doug Jones). The Mirror of Kelpiens Star Treks most iconic species, the volcanoes, by inverting their famous suppression of emotions. Saru and Spock (Leonard Nimoy, Ethan Peck) share similar traits but end up as fascinating opposites.

Saru and the Kelpiens are emotionally open (unlike the Vulcans from Star Trek).

Star Trek: Discovery Flipped The Original Series Iconic Vulcan Trope

Saru is the first Kelpie in Star TrekWhich is fitting - he's also the first Kelpien to leave his home planet and, naturally, the first Kelpien to join Starfleet. in Star Trek: Discovery Season 1, we learn that Kelpiens are a highly empathetic species with a fine-tuned sense of danger. Saru explains that his people have evolved to sense the coming of death. Although Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 would disprove the Kelpien belief that they were born to be prey, their empathy was very real. Their empathy is what makes the Kelpiens the perfect reflection of Vulcans.

Volcanoes are popular as an emotional species, and indeed, sometimes volcanoes were Star Trek Villains. However, Vulcan emotions are actually stronger than human feelings, so they mastered logic and reason and learned to suppress their enormous sensitivity. Kelpiens have something similar, but in the opposite direction - after knowing their threat glands can be removed without harm, Many Kelpiens, including Saru, developed the freedom to live without constant fear by better feeling other emotions. Feeling these emotions more freely helped Saru better, and more fairly, serve the USS Discovery in times of trouble.

How Saru and Spock serve as parallels in their respective Star Trek shows

Star Trek finds balance with Kelpians and Vulcans

Instead of providing strictly logical - and sometimes cold - assessments like Spock had to his fellow Star Trek: The Original Series Letters, Saru gave Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the Star Trek: Discovery Crew more emotionally driven advice. As a former science officer, Saru became a Spock-like figure on the bridge of the USS DiscoveryProviding expertise in lesser-known topics without relying too much on rationality. Saru's place as the captain's right-hand man makes him even more similar to Spock, who served Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) during their iconic Starfleet career.

In their respective Star Trek TV shows, both Saru and Spock are rule-abiding first officers, always a little reluctant - but still willing - to do anything for their captain. Their personalities mirror each other perfectly. Saru is an empathetic kelpie who feels deeply for his crew and othersAnd he always has a kind word or helpful suggestion for the issue at hand. Spock serves his crew differently by providing them with logical solutions and ensuring they are safe through scientific breakthroughs. Saru and Spock, who later became Starfleet captains themselves, mirror and bond Star Trek: Discovery to Star Treks original canon.