Star Trek: Strange New Worlds — Series 3 - Episode 8 — “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” — A Review

28th August, 2025: “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”.

The Introduction.

Right, then: it’s officially Thursday.

And … ?

I have a version of Strauss the Younger’s “The Blue Danube” playing in the background.

I’ve copied a 4k version of V for Vendetta: and I’m transcoding the copy with Handbrake, so I can stream it to my AppleTV, as and when.

One of these days, I’ll tell you how to do that.

I’m also struggling to make up my mind: about what to have for dinner.

It boils down to three things: sausages, burgers or chicken.

I think I’ll go for chicken: frankly, I’ve had sausages, and burgers, already!

This week, I should clarify!

“Gosh!” I hear you say, “that’s so exciting!”

It’s OK.

I’ll get to the interesting stuff, after dinner.

Yes, it’s that of week again.

Once I’ve had dinner, I’ll be watching “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”: this week’s episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

It looks promising … 

~≈🖖≈~

28th August, 2025.

Part One: the Summary.

Episode 8 — “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” — opens with the usual summary: and reminds us that in one episode, Spock had become human.

The scene shifts to a cold open.

That shows us Lieutenant-Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) recording her first officers log: telling us, in the process, that the Enterprise is heading to Purmantree Three for some much needed shore leave.

Until it’s contacted by Vulcan High Command.

Who have a problem: one the Enterprise is better placed to deal with, than they.

The Vulcans need an Enterprise landing party to visit the planet Tizaar: one contacted by the Vulcans before the formation of the Federation, itself, in order to repair an energy plant.

There’s only one problem.

Whoever visits the planet has to be altered: not only to look Vulcan, but to become Vulcan.

Something Nurse Chapel can easily arrange: by using a serum* originally developed, years earlier.

Both change and repairs go easily enough: so easily, Commander Pelia complains the landing party are making her look bad.

It’s only when the team — Captain Pike, Nurse Chapel, Ensign Uhura and Lieutenant Noonien-Singh (Anson Mount, Jess Bush, Celia Rose-Gooding and Christina Chong) — get back to the ship, their problems really start.

The serum that’s supposed to make them human, again … ?

Isn’t actually working … 

~≈🖖≈~

29th August, 2025.

Part Two: Thoughts.

Now … 

What did I make of “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”?

First things, first.

I can hear you asking me what the plot is: I can hear you saying “Boil the plot down for me, Paul.”

That’s easy.

It’s a Star Trek take on Freaky Friday: a variation on the first seasons episode, “Spock Amok”

But where Freaky Friday sees a house wife and her school-girl daughter swapping places, “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” sees Pike becoming a micromanaging middle manager, Chapel dumping her entire social group, Uhura turning into the gaslighting girlfriend from hell and La’An, with her augment family genes, turning into a warmongering Romulan: obsessed with upgrading the ship’s weapons, and grinning evilly as she does so.

Things are getting desperate.

Desperate enough that Una Chin-Riley need to get help.

~≈🖖≈~

Part Three: Other Things.

There’s other elements in the story.

The title, “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”?

Tells us all four human members of the landing party are biologically Vulcan: whilst Spock is still half human.

It’s played for laughs, but also with a certain amount of pathos.

Peck shows us a Spock unnerved by his suddenly changed crew-mates: and reminded of his uncomfortable childhood.

We learn something about something about Number One, Una Chin-Riley, as well: she’s got an on-again, off-again ex-lover called Doug.

Who’s possibly the shortest Vulcan Star Trek’s ever had!

There’s possibly more I can add, there: which should include telling you Captain Batel (Melanie Scrofano) has a tendency to blow her top at any one with pointy ears.

But I won’t: I’ll leave things there, shall I … ?

~≈🖖≈~

Part Four: Finally.

There is possibly a lot I could tell you there.

I could tell you there’s more to being a Vulcan than just the biology: that culture and environment play a factor in the way a Vulcan — or anyone else — develops.

I could tell you that there’s a few odd couples — Una Chin-Riley and Doug, James Kirk and Mr Scott — in the episode.

I could tell you that the Where No One Has Gone Before speech at the opening of this week’s episode — delivered by Captain Pike’s Vulcan self — sounds decidedly odd.

But I won’t.

Instead?

I’ll tell you this.

That “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” is no intense drama, like “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail”, no message episode, like “What Is Starfleet?”.

Nope.

It is, instead, much like the original series “The Trouble with Tribbles”, or Enterprise’s “Carbon Creek”, or, more recently, “Those Old Scientists” … or the entire series of Star Trek: Lower Decks, it’s something that Star Trek does very well.

Comedy.

“Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” is a Star Trek comedy episode, Star Trek comedy at its finest.

And very funny, at that.

~≈🖖≈~

Part Five: Until Next Time!

That … ?

Is where I’m going to leave things for this week.

Before I go?

Before I go, I’m going to ask you to subscribe to my YouTube channel, and put a few pence in my Tip Jar: it all helps keep a channel, and this blog, going.

As a last point?

I’ll be watching the ninth episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds — “Terrarium” — on Thursday 4th September: and posting my written and video reviews of it by Saturday, 6th September.

Hopefully?

I’ll see you then!

“Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”

★★★★⁺

*        The serum was developed fro the second series episode, “Charades”: the episode that saw Spock becoming temporarily human.