Even if you've only watched one episode of Star Trek TOS, you know Spock is the man. This character is so beloved that his name even reverberates in Star Trek franchises in which he doesn't even appear. The First Officer of the Enterprise is one of the most valuable assets Starfleet has, using his boundless knowledge of science and logical Vulcan demeanor to expand the reach of the Federation.
When it comes to comic relief, we think of characters like McCoy or Scotty, but never Spock. He's the serious one. Or is he? The truth is, Commander Spock is one of the funniest characters on the show, but his humor is so subtle that you might have missed it. Here are ten times Spock made a joke so understated that flew past us at light speed.
The Devil in the Dark
The entire exchange between Spock, McCoy, and Kirk that closes this episode has a few funny quips from our favorite Science Officer, all of them self-compliments disguised as scientific observations.
It was Spock, after all, that used not only science and logic but also empathy to save the day. Spock is the only crewmember who can communicate with this week's alien, and we can't help but wonder if his summary of her thoughts isn't just a bit slanted. Spock easily navigates barbs from both McCoy and Kirk to defend his assessment of the Horta and her preference for his "human ears."
The City on the Edge of Forever
Spock has a few great lines in this episode, mostly because McCoy and Kirk are useless as comic relief in this storyline and someone's got to fill that role. That's easily done, as Spock is given an impossible and ridiculous task to accomplish. He spends most of the episode tearing his Vulcan hair out building a communication device capable os ing the Enterprise, using nothing but the tools and materials available to him in 1930s America.
He explains this with a sarcastic metaphor, like trying to build a working modern circuit "with stone knives and bearskins." Spock thinks humans are primitive anyway, and he gives us the full brunt of his contempt even though he knows we're too dense to figure it out.
The Alternative Factor
Sometimes we find Spock's blunt honesty as comical as it is refreshing. When he confronts the character Lazarus about some glaring inconsistencies in his story, the time-traveling alien acts with indignance. Spock calmly replies that he's logically deduced that Lazurus is lying, neatly throwing the ball back in his court.
This isn't just funny, it's satisfying. The audience is getting tired of Lazuras and his antics, and it's getting more and more obvious that he's being dishonest. We don't only laugh because Spock has finally cornered this slippery character,m but the open revelation that he's lying also helps move the plot along.
Shore Leave
In case you were starting to think that Spock's funny quips mere accidents to close out an episode, here's an example that proves he's consciously making jokes. At the beginning of this episode, Spock confronts Kirk with some information about an insubordinate crew member who might be suffering from exhaustion but he's careful not to mention any names.
It's been a while since this person has been on Shore Leave and Spock tricks the Captain into agreeing that this person needs some time off immediately. Spock then reveals that he was referring to the Captain the whole time and is obviously quite pleased with the trick he's played.
Operation Annihilate
One of the more harrowing Star Trek episodes that also contains some backstory on Kirk's immediate family, this is actually Spock's adventure for the most part. It's a mix of his superior Vulcan brain power and physique that get him through this painful experience, even despite a bout of temporary blindness.
His friends Kirk and McCoy assert that regaining his eyesight must have been an emotional experience. Spock counters by somberly stating that the first thing he saw, Dr. McCoy's face, defused any romantic notions of exaltation.
The Trouble with Tribbles
Every major character has a few funny lines in this infamous episode, and Spock is no exception. However, there's a dark side to his humor this time, and what he has to say doesn't concern trouble with Tribbles, but with humans.
In one of the more terse exchanges between McCoy and Spock, McCoy reveals that he likes Tribbles despite having no logical reason to do so. Spock agrees, but only to a point. According to him, Tribbles have one important trait that humans lack; they don't talk. Spock has mentioned his lack of patience with shallow human chatter before but he's never thrown it in our faces like that. We can't help but laugh at how mad he is about it.
The Corbomite Maneuver
Spock is pragmatic. He doesn't have time for excuses or whining, and he'll let you know with a stab of sarcastic humor disguised as honest advice. In one of the earliest episodes, in which Spock's character is still being flushed out, he's dealing with an impulsive and inexperienced young helmsman, Lt. Bailey.
Bailey can't handle the stress of the bridge and makes lame excuses about "being human" and having an "adrenaline gland." Spock replies, with no small about of snark, by feigning concern about this gland's "inconvenience" and that he should consider having it removed. To paraphrase, "Everyone on the bridge has one of those, pal, what's your problem?"
The Squire of Gothos
This is a moment when we don't know whether to laugh or cry, as it's a swipe at what humans think is normal childhood behavior. After Kirk explains to Spock as to why he refers to Trelane as a "naughty" child, he describes a few of the pranks that earth boys enjoy as examples. Hearing these so-called harmless antics named off reveals them as being surprisingly cruel, as Spock's shocked expression reveals, and Kirk winds it up by saying, rather sarcastically, that Spock wouldn't understand because he should have known better.
Spock immediately replies, "I should be delighted, Captain." It's refreshing to know that men are raised differently on Vulcan.
A Taste of Armageddon
This is one of those episodes when Spock takes charge and we get to see his more aggressive side. That doesn't mean violence, although it doesn't rule out the possibility. Spock prefers to let intellect, and occasionally jokes, work for him instead.
There are a few good examples of Spock using these tactics to defuse an awkward situation in this episode, but the funniest is probably the moment when he approaches a guard and calmly tells them they have "a multi-legged creature crawling on their shoulder." This turns out to be Spock's own hand as it goes for the Vulcan neck pinch, taking the guard out with little fuss. We're so distracted by this scene that we almost miss the joke.
The Galileo Seven
You know that Spock's humor is genuine because he's funny just by being himself. Parts of this episode that are meant to be serious are given some levity by Spock's own personal issues reconciling human and Vulcan behavior.
His summary at the closing of the episode, that his emotional outburst is actually a perfectly logical conclusion, isn't the only funny thing he says. Kirk calls him stubborn, and he owns it, because why would that be a bad thing?