When Star Trek first brought a new Spock to fans, Zachary Quinto's casting was offset by the revelation that Leonard Nimoy's Spock was still untouched. The game fully changed in Discovery Season 2 when Ethan Peck became the first actor to play the prime version of one of Trek's best characters. The actor continues to win the praise of fans in Strange New Worlds, and Nimoy's son Adam told CinemaBlend he's a big fan despite the differences between the portrayals of Spock.
When talking to Adam Nimoy about the release of his book The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father, Leonard Nimoy, which is available for sale right now, I brought up Ethan Peck having written one of the praise-filled blurbs for the new release, and then I asked the son of Spock how he felt about the young actor's performance in the streaming hit. As he put it:
I love what he's doing. He brings his own sensibility to it. It's a different character, but I think it's perfectly fine. It's lovely what he's doing. I really admire him and look, it's, it's so challenging to take on a role like that. That is so ensconced in the minds of us pop culture addicts in terms of the original Spock. Zachary Quinto had the same forces that he had to deal with when he entered the role and he brings his own sensibility to it. You can't help but bring your own personality to the part. And it's different, it's new, it's a permutation, you know.
The portrayals do have their differences from Leonard Nimoy's, though it's worth noting Star Trek fully accounted for such distinctions intentionally. While we know Zachary Quinto's Spock is standalone iteration of Spock from an alternate timeline, Ethan Peck's Spock is still on the journey to reconcile his human and Vulcan characteristics and become the idealized version of himself we were first introduced to in TOS.
Peck has spoken to CinemaBlend about a need to understand Leonard Nimoy to embody Spock fully, so I was happy to see he likely got a few insights from reading Adam Nimoy's book. The author talks about the complicated relationship he had with his dad, which came about somewhat from the actor being very much like the character he played on television.
While some have appreciated Ethan Peck's "imitation" of Spock, Nimoy doesn't feel like that's a proper descriptor for what either actor who has played the character is doing. He told me:
It's not, I don't think it's an imitation necessarily. I think that the key to the pure artistry of Zach and Ethan [Peck} is that they invest their own experience and being into the part, and that's what makes it come alive. So, I love what those guys were doing.
While Star Trek fans wait to see Ethan Peck in upcoming Trek shows like Strange New Worlds Season 3, it's a no-brainer suggestion to say everyone should check out The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father, Leonard Nimoy. While the book is very much an autobiography of Adam Nimoy and his struggles with addiction, it does a deep dive into his relationship with the sci-fi icon, who also struggled with addiction in his lifetime. It also provides Nimoy's take on things such as his father's falling out with William Shatner and how it was equally as bizarre as their public declaration as best friends.
For those wondering when Strange New Worlds Season 3 will arrive, we know right now that 2025 is the tentative release date. The show was one day away from starting production when the writers and SAG-AFTRA strikes hit, which is why we won't be watching the season with our Paramount+ subscription before then. I'm eager to see the new season, but fortunately we have no shortage of episodes on Paramount+ to enjoy with Ethan Peck's Spock right now.
With summer approaching, I'm hoping we'll get a big update or trailer for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 before too long. I'm very eager to see how they escape the massive Season 2 cliffhanger ending and manage to either outsmart or make peace with the Gorn after this bloodshed between them.
