Read this review to see if the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” is worth watching.
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About Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
- Season 3, Episode 8: “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”
- Directed by Jordan Canning
- Written by Dana Horgan & Henry Alonso Myers
- Synopsis: After a mission turns crew members into Vulcans, trouble arises when they try to revert to human.
- Airdate: August 28, 2025
- Starring: Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, Martin Quinn, Rebecca Romijn, Paul Wesley, Patton Oswalt, Cillian O’Sullivan, Melanie Scrofano, Mynor Luken, Carol Kane, Rong Fu, and Graeme Somerville
“If you want to avoid spoilers for this episode, skip to the overall section at the end.
Warning: Spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Episode 8 “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”
Recap Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2025): S3E08 – “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”
The episode opens with Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) and Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) discussing the upcoming shore leave. Enterprise is diverted from a shore leave planet on Purmantee III to assist the Vulcans, who have set up atomic power stations on a pre-warp planet. To prevent them from being detected, the Enterprise crew, including Pelia (Carol Kane), Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), and Christine, needs to transform into Vulcans. So, the medical team reverse-engineers the Vulcan DNA remover from season two. Everyone except the Lanthanite changed much to her disappointment. They immediately start treating Spock poorly (“Four and a half Vulcans”). After donning outfits, they beam down, solve the alien power problem, and return to the ship.
Unfortunately, the four crew members, including Spock, are introduced to a new Vulcan reality after the reverse injections fail. They face joys such as increasing efficiency in dates and conducting multiple experiments simultaneously. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Kirk shows up to hang out. Cue wacky music.
However, the transformation also presents challenges, such as getting overwhelmed by human odors and addressing La’an’s worrying concerns about wasted space in the universe (Space that is merely there for the taking”). When Chapel fixes the serum, the three decide to remain Vulcan since turning back into humans would be “illogical.”
VulPike dismisses Number One’s concerns about his new 14-shift rotation every 42 minutes. So she summons Ortegas, Pelia, Spock, and Dr. M’Bega for a secret meeting. They all agree their newly-Vulcan crew are “jerks.” Even though it makes more sense, they dismiss mutiny, re-humanizing, and connecting with their human selves. The four Vulcans become weirder. Chapel cuts off social activities and her boyfriend. Uhura, using a mind-meld to make Beto into her perfect Vulcan boyfriend, and La’an and Pike discussing a “certain element of Vulcan history” that they were both “not permitted to discuss.” She also recruits Scotty and Kirk in her universe-conquering plans.
Ortegas is aghast when her previously very-unvegan brother is now passionately vegan thanks to VulUhura. At the same time, VulLa’an meets Kirk and Scotty after exploring the ship to complain that the ship doesn’t have enough weapons. Back in Uhura’s quarters, Ortegas confronts her about the mind meld with her brother that made him more “compliant.”
Spock and Number One realize that the crew is becoming more than Vulcan. Their true selves are being enhanced by the Vulcan transformation. They need to tap into that, and she decides to bring in a ringer to reconnect the crew with their “katras.” Her Vulcan ex and recruits Spock as wingman to contain her primal urges. The fact that they hired the 5′ 3″ Patton Oswalt to play her ex-husband makes it even funnier. Doug, whose parents gave him and his siblings human names, is suspicious when Una says she’s married to Spock with two children.
Back in Marie Batel’s (Melanie Scrofano) quarters, Admiral Pasalk compliments Pike’s bland Vulcan food (I fully understood the diabolical nature of salt), and she makes the case for returning to the JAG corps. Her boyfriend’s new bluntness forces him to reveal that she still needs experimental treatments. She lashes out at Captain “Ears” and the Admiral for favoring Vulcans. It’s great to see her standing up to two important men in her life.
Next, in the lab, La’an tells Kirk and Scotty her plans for a galactic war with the Klingons, Tholians, Orions, and Gorn. They struggle to stop her. So Scotty tricks her into pushing a button that knocks her out.
Doug pulls through and helps Spock unVulcan Uhura, Pike, and Christine. The science officer says that his people feel more deeply than humans, but logic protects them. They are all aghast at how they acted as Vulcans, except for the security chief. La’an is resisting because of her augmented biology. He enters her “katra space” to connect, but her thirst for power makes her resist. They fight through her mind-ship using dance, and they have a breakthrough. La’an agrees to change back, and the rest of the former Vulcans apologize. Beto and Uhura agree to start their relationship over. Pasalk shockingly offers Marie a promotion because of her bluntness. Meanwhile, Chapel makes plomeek soup for Roger Korby (Cillian O’Sullivan), and she and Sock come to a greater understanding. La’an admits to her old friend Una about finding his socks in a drawer and being afraid they’re moving too fast. Her Illyrian friend admits that about her wild and crazy days in the Skaideion system. She sees her ex-Vulcan (wearing flowers no less) and goes out to dinner with him.
Lastly, we see Kirk and Montgomery drinking Scotch (his with ice and Scotty neat, of course), and they agree they make a “pretty good team.” After the credits, we see Spock giving Doug human lessons, including high-fives, finger pulls, birthdays, horror movies, and using contractions, which Spock finds humorous.
Overall: Watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2025): S3E08 – “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans”
“Four-And-A-Half Vulcans” showcases nostalgia for the classic Star Trek episodes like “The Trouble with Tribbles” and “A Fistful of Datas.” Despite a satisfying setup, it’s the first episode to make me nostalgic for the past. The cast is very good at comedy, and I laughed out loud a bunch of times.
The episode does little to advance the season along, and it feels like a detour from the tone of the last few episodes. The biggest problem with the episode is that the third act feels rushed and undeveloped. It’s a shame they couldn’t give Oswalt more to do in the story.
But you should watch the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode “Four-and-a-Half Vulcans” because, while not all the jokes land, it’s a fun episode. So, I’m giving this episode 3 out of 5 stars.
Click the link to read our review of the previous episode, “What Is Starfleet?” Review
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